reelfishin
Captain
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 3,047
Re: Towing value of 4WD
I tow an 1850 lb boat with a 4cyl Ranger with no problems, I also make sure I have some weight over the rear axle if I am using a slick ramp. I have yet to have a problem.
Its all a matter of traction, 4x4 helps, but a good 2 wheel drive can work just as well.
You are not pulling that much weight and most all trucks out there now should easily handle that weight. I got rid of my last 4x4 about 15 years ago, haven't seen the need for one since.
We don't see much snow here, and I don't run on the beach.
I have used anyone of my three trucks for towing and launching my boats, for larger boats I have a full size van, but thats hard to see behind, the Ranger 4x2 does just fine. Along the same lines, I wouldn't attempt to try to pull a boat that outweighed my truck out on a slick ramp, that's just looking for trouble. I have a neighbor thats used a Toyota minivan to launch a 1700 pound ski boat for years with no trouble, but he don't go far to the ramp, and is carefull about how far down the ramp he goes. Some ramps have an abrupt drop off where the concrete ends. Getting a boat and trailer back over that edge with a 2 wheel drive is tough. It's all about knowing the limits of the vehicle you have and using some common sense. Years ago I used an old Pinto to tow my 14' Aluminum bass boat, it was my beater car that I used only for fishing, it did the job fine, never got stuck and always made it home, but I only had to go about 18 miles to the water with a fairly light trailer. That boat and trailer only weighed in at about 1200lbs. A longer tongue on the trailer can help too if your using a lighter tow vehicle. It keeps the rear of your vehicle up on dry ramp and out of the water.
I tow an 1850 lb boat with a 4cyl Ranger with no problems, I also make sure I have some weight over the rear axle if I am using a slick ramp. I have yet to have a problem.
Its all a matter of traction, 4x4 helps, but a good 2 wheel drive can work just as well.
You are not pulling that much weight and most all trucks out there now should easily handle that weight. I got rid of my last 4x4 about 15 years ago, haven't seen the need for one since.
We don't see much snow here, and I don't run on the beach.
I have used anyone of my three trucks for towing and launching my boats, for larger boats I have a full size van, but thats hard to see behind, the Ranger 4x2 does just fine. Along the same lines, I wouldn't attempt to try to pull a boat that outweighed my truck out on a slick ramp, that's just looking for trouble. I have a neighbor thats used a Toyota minivan to launch a 1700 pound ski boat for years with no trouble, but he don't go far to the ramp, and is carefull about how far down the ramp he goes. Some ramps have an abrupt drop off where the concrete ends. Getting a boat and trailer back over that edge with a 2 wheel drive is tough. It's all about knowing the limits of the vehicle you have and using some common sense. Years ago I used an old Pinto to tow my 14' Aluminum bass boat, it was my beater car that I used only for fishing, it did the job fine, never got stuck and always made it home, but I only had to go about 18 miles to the water with a fairly light trailer. That boat and trailer only weighed in at about 1200lbs. A longer tongue on the trailer can help too if your using a lighter tow vehicle. It keeps the rear of your vehicle up on dry ramp and out of the water.