towing with saturn vue

[belliegirl2]

Simple question for you experienced boaters.

I have the v6 that can tow 3500 LBS.

I want to tow a stingray 180ls.

The boat weighs (dry weight) 2155# and an aluminum trailer weighs 400#.

Gas 126#

People and gear another 500-700#

Crazy idea or can it be done safely?

Also, I have the front wheel drive version which is not a plus when pulling up a boat ramp.

If I do the trailer with the brakes, and the transmission cooler and a good hitch would you guys do this or am I crazy.

Thanks in advance.

 

[clarkbre]

Re: towing with saturn vue

It is certainly doable as the weights are within the 3500lbs range. However, being that it's only front wheel drive I would be concerned about pulling the boat out of the water.

The V6 is a good engine and kept within it's range, it does just fine pulling. My parents have had 2 saturn vues that they have used for pulling tent and camp trailers. Both vehicles pulled both trailers perfectly.

 

[JB]

Re: towing with saturn vue

I would get a stronger tow vehicle for your boat; at least 5,000# towing capacity.

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: towing with saturn vue

You're within the manufacturer's stated capacity, go for it.

Me, depending on the length of the trip or road conditions, I would prefer a vehicle designed and built with towing in mind. The vehicle will last a lot longer.

Remember, the VUE is intended to be a passenger vehicle with towing capable. Not its intended life. If the trip is short, no big hills, no highway speeds, not a regular thing then I would stick with the VUE. Your VUE will need more maintenance and may have problems sooner.

 

[LIQUID PROZAC]

Re: towing with saturn vue

too close to the tow limit-i would be concerned in the tranny and braking power--i would go with a better tow vehicle

 

[MikDee]

Re: towing with saturn vue

I know it's one of the better of the triplets the Vue/Equinox/Torrent, that actually has the Honda 250hp V6, so I'd say it's got the power to tow, but I don't think your car has 4WDisc brakes, it's not a big issue though, and with FWDrive the engine, & tranny in the front helps keep the front end down. I'd say you're good to go, just take it easy.

 

[cribber]

Re: towing with saturn vue

You're fine for trailering to your local ramp. I have a similar setup and tow a Glastron GT-185 on an aluminum trailer with my 2004 Pacifica which is front wheel drive with no issues to date. Best part is your drive wheels are always on dry pavement when pulling the boat up the ramp. I've seen F150s spinning their tires for lack of grip because the rear wheels were on the slick part of the ramp when retrieving.

 

[109jb]

Re: towing with saturn vue

Personally, I have a co-worker that owns a Saturn Vue and it is a nice crossover. As for towing an 18 foot fiberglass boat, if the weight of the loaded trailer is within the towing specifications of the car then you are probably OK. I would however check with a Saturn Dealer because many cars have an option for a "towing package". Many people think this is just a hitch, and in many cases it is just a hitch. In other cases, the "package" includes heavy duty radiators, transmission coolers, etc. Even though a "properly equipped" Vue can tow 3500 pounds doesn't mean the one you have can.

As for brakes, you should have trailer brakes and I would bet that the 3500 pound rating is for a trailer with brakes.

 

[Freedom]

Re: towing with saturn vue

I second the brakes!.... anything will pull, some better then others... the bigger issue is STOPPING... I pull with a Dodge Ram Quad cab, still put brakes on my 18 footer, better safe then sorry.

 

[bigb2008]

Re: towing with saturn vue

I tow my Searay 185 Sport w/ a VUE, never had a problem. The VUE is actually being traded in tomorrow, so I'll be in the market for a larger tow vehicle in the next few months. Anyway, I would definitely have brakes on the trailer. I haven't had a condition that I've needed to stop short, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to.

edit : My VUE is actually a V6 AWD version, no problems pulling it up a ramp.

 

[jkust]

Re: towing with saturn vue

I just stopped towing a much heavier boat with a fwd minivan with a much smaller v6 rated at 3500lbs. I thought it towed fine and I had only a few issues on slick ramps but looked really silly trying to retrieve the boat with smoke bellowing out as the wheels spun up the ramp as I prayed I would get up the hill. Now having switched to a truck based suv with awd and a v8, I see the error of my ways. The stress level of just barely being able to safetly tow the load is gone as is the worrying that when you get back to the ramp will I be able to get this thing out. Towing with a truck, you quickly realize what you thought was a good tow rig is not. That is the message I got from lots of people on Iboats and I finally listened. All that said, you will likely tow just fine and moreso with trailer brakes. If you are like me having never even driven a truck before, I had no base line to compare. The key I found with fwd is to back in exactly straight with no angle between the trailer and tow vehicle to retrieve. Any angle at all even on the flattest ramp caused the tires to spin. Also, the auto rear air load leveling suspension is somewhat of an enabeler letting the vehicle seem like it can handle the weight beter than it actually might. That is a great option to have imo regardless if you tow imo even my suv has it.

 

[alboater78]

Re: towing with saturn vue

Many people mistakenly associate engine size with towing capability. Almost any V6 engine would adequately pull the boat you are asking about without any problems. The problems come in with the transmission, rear end, and brakes. Several things to consider:
Transmission: The Vue would need a transmission cooler or frequent every 20,000 mile transmission fluid changes unless you want to buy a new transmission.
Rear End: The life would be shortened and you should change the differential fluid when the transmission fluid is changed. Growing up we pulled our boat with an Astro Minivan. Van pulled the boat great, large V6 plenty of power. However, the transmission and the rear end eventually went out due to the towing, very expensive.
Brakes: On a car as light as the Vue, trailer brakes are a must if you want to avoid hitting the next idiot that pulls out in front of you.

Once these items are considered and proper maintenance is followed (i.e. changing fluids) you should not have problems with the Vue, for a while at least.

Jeff

 

[alboater78]

Re: towing with saturn vue

P.S. My ford Tarus station wagon is also rated for 3500 pounds. Would you want to pull a boat with that?

 

[countvlad]

Re: towing with saturn vue

Simple question for you experienced boaters.

I have the v6 that can tow 3500 LBS.

I want to tow a stingray 180ls.

The boat weighs (dry weight) 2155# and an aluminum trailer weighs 400#.

Gas 126#

People and gear another 500-700#

Crazy idea or can it be done safely?

Also, I have the front wheel drive version which is not a plus when pulling up a boat ramp.

If I do the trailer with the brakes, and the transmission cooler and a good hitch would you guys do this or am I crazy.

Thanks in advance.

i personaly wouldnt pull a boat that big with an SUV... i used to pull my boat with and 1991 S10 and everytime, i was afraid that thing was going die on me... i never went on a highway always back roads... the truck was rated for about 1500-2000 lb towing capacity.. i finaly got a 1998 Dodge Dakota V8 to pull the boat with and im very happy...

with the vue you are at the maximum towing capacity... not only that is going to be very hard on the motor, breaks, transmission etc you might not even be able to go over 50MPH.... i personaly from my s10 experiance i wouldnt recomend doing this

good luck

 

[fishrdan]

Re: towing with saturn vue

Transmission: The Vue would need a transmission cooler or frequent every 20,000 mile transmission fluid changes unless you want to buy a new transmission.

Transmission: The Vue would need a transmission cooler "AND" frequent every 10-15K mile transmission fluid changes unless you want to buy a new transmission.

Someone mentioned the Vue has a Honda V6, it also has a Honda automatic transmission. Honda has (had?) automatic transmission problems associated with V6 vehicles. On our 01 Accord we received a 100K 7 year extended warranty because of problems experienced by similar vehicles. On our 2nd oil change the dealership said that we should do ATF changes every 10-15K, I kind of balked at this and they threw it in for free. I later found out this automatic transmission does not have a filter that is changed when the transmission is serviced, so you need to change the ATF often to keep the ATF clean. Quote from the filter's description, Transmission Must Be Removed And Disassembled To Change Filter. Because of this, I change the ATF in our Accord every 7-10K miles, every 2 oil changes. Cheaper than a new transmission. It's super simple and easier than changing the car's oil, drain ATF and refill... (No filter to mess with )

 

[NYBo]

Re: towing with saturn vue

A lot of assumptions are being made about the OP's vehicle. We don't even know which generation it is. I wouldn't tow that big a load with the original version.

Belliegirl, what year is your Vue?

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: towing with saturn vue

I tow with my avitar. Thats all i have to say about that.

 

[belliegirl2]

Re: towing with saturn vue

my vue is the 2006 with the honda v6 250 hp.

front disc brakes with rear drums.
Can tow with 3500 lbs.

 

[Titanium48]

Re: towing with saturn vue

It's not a crazy idea but some precautions are in order. Get the extra transmission cooler. Use top quality full synthetic ATF. Use good quality engine oil. Find the maintenance schedule for "severe service" and follow it. Put brakes on the trailer and keep them well maintained. Avoid gravel and/or excessively steep launch ramps. Enjoy your boat!

 

[Wellcrafty]

Re: towing with saturn vue

We have an 08 Torrent GXP AWD, and I don't think I would tow my Wellcraft 170 (no trailer brakes) without the AWD or the 260 HP. The AWD has gotten me out of slick ramps and the HP is an added bonus. We're at approx 3,000# fully loaded with everything, and the vehicle is rated at 3,500 as well. Our Torrent came with a towing pkg though which was beefed up rear springs, bigger radiator and whatever else.
Not that your Vue couldn't handle it, but I would watch the ramps, etc. Like the other poster mentioned, full-size trucks sit and spin on wet or sandy ramps. As far as brakes go, I am very careful when trailering, but without trailer brakes, I don't feel completely safe myself. But maybe knowing I don't makes me drive safer too! Hard to say.