amartin_25
Cadet
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2006
- Messages
- 12
All-<br /><br />My wife and I are considering the purchase of a 21'-22' foot bowrider (or cuddy but that's a different post) sitting on a double-axle trailer with brakes. I'm thinking ahead to the trailering situation. I currently have a V6 4WD Toyota 4Runner which is rated to tow 5,000 pounds. The boat and trailer combined will tip the scales right around 5,000# so I'll be at the limit without taking into account fuel, people, coolers, etc. Our destination of choice is about 45 miles away via a mostly-two lane state highway that is rather flat, in the Midwestern sense of "flat". I am optimistic that I can cut this drive down even further by storing the boat at a friend's vacation home which will leave us with a 5-10 minute drive to the ramp. To wrap up the background info, I am thoroughly pleased with my 4Runner and will very likely lease the '06/'07 model when the current lease ends in September. <br /><br />My question is this, does trailering the boat 6-8 times per year for a maximum of a one-hour oneway trip warrant the V8 4Runner which is rated for 7000#? The V8 will cost me more upfront than the V6 and I sacrifice an mpg or two for my year-round driving. I think the V6 and V8 models are built on the same frame, transmission, brakes, etc. so I'm inclined to think the extra ton of tow rating is due to the V8's power advantage over the V6.<br /><br />I suppose someone will recommend that I downsize the boat and stick with the V6 but I think we all know the answer to that one.<br /><br />Thanks for all your input as my family begins to create our own boating memories.