Towpinions

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 05/25/2018 at 13:04 • Filed to: None

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So my family bought a BAB (big ass boat) before thinking about how they were going to tow it. The boat and trailer weigh 6200 lbs dry, which is in the annoying grey area between a light duty vehicle and a full size one. Case in point, I have a Gx470 with a 6500 lb tow rating, my brother has a Tacoma with a 6500 lb tow rating. We both LEGALLY can tow the boat so long as we stay in the payload limits. But would you tow the limit 150 miles over mountain passes?

Specific question made generic - Whats your safe margin of error for tow ratings? Would you feel safe towing the limit? or would you always give a, say, 15% margin? Typically I like to stay about 1500 lbs under the limit, that seems to be where a tow vehicle is happiest. but what about you?

My citroen won't start > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:07

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Should be ok

7:07 > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:10

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Your situation is a little too close to the limit for me. Flat land towing, sure, but Utah mountains? I worry more about downhill than uphill. Better have good trailer brakes. I guess the GX is lardy enough to not be pushed around much, though.

ETA: I’m a mechanically sympathetic driver and don’t like pushing things too hard.  

HammerheadFistpunch > My citroen won't start 05/25/2018 at 13:10

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Well to be fair, if it doesn’t have its ballast that boat is probably a good deal lighter than the one above.

Future next gen S2000 owner > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:11

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I’m going right up to the max. GCWR or bust. Just take it easy. Use common sense, watch the temps, and use 4Lo pulling it out. You’ll be fine. Many vehicles have been overloaded and survived.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:12

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I would err on the side of caution especially since you would be taking it up a mountain https://www.autoblog.com/2016/06/23/tow-rating-standards-opinion/

Ash78, voting early and often > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:12

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Mountains? Trailer should be a third below the max (ie towing capacity should overshoot the trailer by 50%).

Not my personal advice, I read that a lot on RV forums back when I was shopping.

I’m not sure I’d trust the shorter wheelbase of the GX or the small size of the Taco for this job.

This is why people buy 20-year-old F250s or things like that.

Sorry to be blunt, but SMH mightily at this whole thing.

diplodicus > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:13

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You should tow the tacoma with the cruiser while the tacoma tows the boat. Like a road train. /s

Averyrm - GTI YUP > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:14

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Really depends. If the trucks are tested via SAE J2807, I’d be comfortable at the limit.

I tow a 4300 LB boat with a V10 Excursion which is total overkill, but you can still tell there’s something behind it. I’ve never towed anything with anything and “not known it was back there.”

Plus the year matters a lot. Heck, a 2017 Explorer with the HD package has larger brakes than my 2002 Excursion.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:14

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I’d feel fine towing at the limit, I think the US tow ratings are a bit more conservative to begin with. It’s all a matter of adjusting your driving to the load. The only thing I’d be concerned about is how well those will handle mountain passes, a bigger truck is always going to tow easier.

Censored > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:16

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Your boat weighs 6200 lbs dry and empty. Add in fuel (easily 200 lbs) and gear (coolers, skis, food, tubes, bumpers etc.... Easily 3-400 lbs) and you are over. Plus you’ll have people in your truck/suv that could easily add another 500 lbs and you are beginning to see where this is going.

HammerheadFistpunch > 7:07 05/25/2018 at 13:16

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The GX with tongue weight would be about at GVW so around 6100, figure about 700 of that is tongue weight which means I would be pulling about 5500 lbs. So I would actually be better than 1:1 weight which would be nice.

the Tacoma is a different story.

HammerheadFistpunch > Ash78, voting early and often 05/25/2018 at 13:19

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I think it will be fine. Once its up at the lake it will stay there until its time to go home in the fall and my BIL is buying a full size truck so he can tackle the job. My brother has a Yukon Denali XL with the 6.2 that can do it as well but he’s sorting out some cooling issues first.

My citroen won't start > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:20

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Should be ok.

(I have no understanding of how towing works)

HammerheadFistpunch > Averyrm - GTI YUP 05/25/2018 at 13:21

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Neither are J2807. I don’t worry about the brakes or cooling systems, or the power. Mainly the trailer to vehicle balance.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Ash78, voting early and often 05/25/2018 at 13:21

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They new standards are pretty intense though. Plus the guys at TFL run similar tests, steep pulls at 10k+ feet. Tow ratings are much better than in years past.

HammerheadFistpunch > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 05/25/2018 at 13:22

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This is my gut feeling on it. The US tow rating system is very conservative as it relates to trailer dynamics favoring high natural stability and high speed and so long as the cooling systems are up to snuff, the tongue weight is balanced and the pace is acceptably leisurely I think it will be safe.

Yeah the mountains are going to punish it, but its just a matter of speed at that point.

HammerheadFistpunch > Censored 05/25/2018 at 13:23

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oh it would only be highway towed empty. once up at the lake it will only need to take a short slow flat drive to the marina

HammerheadFistpunch > Future next gen S2000 owner 05/25/2018 at 13:24

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I wouldn’t overload and highway tow, but I think max towing ought to be safe with some common sense.

Nibbles > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:25

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6200 dry leaves, like, no room for things. At 6,500 tow rating, minus a couple people and a tank of gas, you’re probably already past 300 lbs.

I’m going off 1g GX numbers because I can’t for the life of me remember what you have. The Lexus’ GCWR is 11,600. Minus that 6,200 dry, you’re left with approx 5,300 lbs. Minus 4,875 curb weight leaves 425 lbs for people, fluids and gear. That cuts it close, too close for my tastes. Of course that doesn’t take into account any addons like overloads, air bags, other towing helpers that can ‘increase’ your tow rating.

HammerheadFistpunch > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 13:26

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man that article was light on facts and heavy on scare mongery. You know me, im very sensible with this kinda stuff but that just felt like some get off my lawn stuff. The only thing I agree with is the idea that payloads are important.

Averyrm - GTI YUP > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:27

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The toughest part will be the surge brakes. They work alright when properly maintained and adjusted, but not as well as electric. The slight jolt can unsettle things.

Obviously something bigger will be better to tow with, but if you’re careful and keep the trailer maintained, you’ll probably be fine with what you have.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:29

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Too much boat and not enough truck. I don’t know much, but I know I wouldn’t tow something at 95% of the towing limit. And the tow vehicle is bound to be loaded and a trailered boat is too convenient a cargo hauler.

IMHO, you need a truck with at 10,000 pound hitch rating.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > diplodicus 05/25/2018 at 13:30

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best thing ive read so far, like how freight trains have 2 or more locomotives at the front

Dru > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:30

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My main concern would be cooling. My, admittedly limited, towing experience with non full size vehciles tells me they get hot. Not dangerously so but consistently so, and that was with moderate elevation change. As long as the rad and brakes can stay cool, I would give it a go.

HammerheadFistpunch > Averyrm - GTI YUP 05/25/2018 at 13:30

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I freaking hate surge brakes. I think its criminal that you can sell a $100,000+ boat (when new) with surge brakes instead of electric, or if you are worried about water, electric over hydraulic. This trailer has 4 disc hydraulic surge and I know its been serviced recently by people I trust so it does have that going for it.

Censored > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:34

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Replied to the wrong one, sorry.

Censored > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:34

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You could probably get away with it then, just keep the speeds in check. I wouldn’t want to tow that close to the limit often though, if it were more than once a year I’d upgrade to a 1/2 ton frame vehicle.

HammerheadFistpunch > Nibbles 05/25/2018 at 13:34

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I’d run the numbers on the GX and stay within the GCWR and GVWR before I took it on the highway, but yes it’s going to be right at the max. The nice thing about this situation is that boats have great dynamics for towing with relatively low tongue weights and the GX has adjustable dampers and rear air springs with load leveling. I have no doubts it could handle the weight chassis wise. I would need to do a full baseline before I did though, new trans fluid, new synthetic diff oil, etc. The other issue is that it likes to run hot so it remains to be seen how it would deal with the heat. not too hot and according to most owners a normal level of hot...but hotter than I like.

HammerheadFistpunch > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 05/25/2018 at 13:36

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See I don’t agree. 10,000 is overkill to the extreme. I would be happy with an 8000 lb limit no problem. That being said I think that towing at the limits is safe done properly...just most people don’t do it properly of give it the respect it deserves. I mean...they wouldn’t certify it at that level it if had worse than even odds of leading to a lawsuit, right?

Nibbles > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:40

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Do boat trailers come with brakes these days?

HammerheadFistpunch > Dru 05/25/2018 at 13:41

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cooling is my #1 concern. The GX gets toasty towing the 3500 popup. Not scary, but 220 uphill in high heat. From what I’ve read Toyota likes it up there for emissions reasons. It always manages the heat and never spikes so it should be working as designed. We’ll see!

jasmits > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:43

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I’m not the most experienced tower out there but seeing as it’s one time thing I would probably be somewhat nervous/very careful but feel pretty safe.

I would never plan to be towing that close to capacity regularly but the United States especially rates towing capacities very conservatively(although, gotta keep in mind our roads are much faster and steeper than a lot of other countries). If I was in your situation with my Taco I would probably go for it, but very slowly and carefully.

The reason RV forums advise staying 30% under capacity is they assume you will be towing your trailer long distances over long hours on a regular basis, which is very smart for driver sanity and vehicle longevity. Also RV trailers add a ton of windage making wheelbase even more important to keep control in crosswinds. Boats, literally by design, have very little windage.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:43

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I didn’t realize 8,000 pounds was a thing. I’d be comfortable with that rating and a 6,200 ( empty ) load. You could probably tow at 95% of the rated capacity, though as pointed out here, that is probably unrealistic, and do so with caution, and be just fine. I’m sure I could, too. Don’t crowd the gas, plan your braking, et cetera. Occasionally. I’d want more margin, personally. But I’m that way.

HammerheadFistpunch > Censored 05/25/2018 at 13:43

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once or twice a year tops. There would be a chance I would tow it fully loaded once a year, but all flat and no more than 30 miles.

HammerheadFistpunch > Nibbles 05/25/2018 at 13:43

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Yes, this has quad hydraulic surge discs.

HammerheadFistpunch > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 05/25/2018 at 13:49

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yeah the Yukon Denali XL my brother has, for example, is rated at 7900 lbs. I personally like a thick margin of safety and I would take it if I could...i tried to convince the family to get a smaller boat but their idea of safety is a big boat on the water, which i guess is kinda true. If I were buying a boat it would weigh 5000 lbs and leave me the 1500 lbs margin I like, plus then I wouldn’t have to buy the new class IV hitch!

Nibbles > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 13:52

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Noice. That should help a lot.

HammerheadFistpunch > jasmits 05/25/2018 at 13:53

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This is generally how I feel. I like the 30% rule of thumb but I agree that its advice given to reduce stress and increase margins of safety with regards to frequency. Also true with frontal area as it relates to the margin. I think towing the max from time to time is perfectly acceptable, though probably stressful. I remember when this boat was new (not this exact one, but same model) we would tow it down to Lake Powell from Salt Lake in the summer with a Lincoln Aviator, it was tow rated for 7100 lbs but it wasn’t any bigger or heavier than the GX. It wasn’t mine and I didn’t load the vehicle and trailer but I can bet you we were overloaded. Still, it seemed like it did it just fine.

HammerheadFistpunch > Nibbles 05/25/2018 at 13:57

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yeah, it will lock all of those 285 wide tires in a full stop. the trouble of course comes in preventing the boat from coming through your window. They used to put stop bunks on the front, not sure why this one doesn’t have it. The guy that sells these boats is a friend of mine and they have towed thousands of boats hundreds of thousands of miles (his gas card mag strip literally wears out ever year) and he was telling me about a time that happened to him in a panic stop where the boat went over the trailer and through the back window of the van they were driving and onto their sons head. everone was fine, but scary. It has retention straps at the back but cmon...5000 lbs of dynamic force against 2 3 inch wide nylon straps? Going have to figure that one out.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:06

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Are we talking about the hitch, or the truck? What is the truck rated to tow?

When I bought my first hitch, it was for a Dodge Caravan, and the Caravan had a 3,500 pound tow rating. So I bought a 3,500 hitch (Cl II) even though the shop encouraged me to consider a CL III hitch for the extra tongue weight. They have a point, but I stuck with the vehicle’s rating.

Mercedes Streeter > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:08

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Safety-wise, you should be fine if you’re experienced with towing. During the summer I regularly tow a 7,000 pound trailer (dry, so it usually weighs much more) with a Ford Expedition EL (alleged tow capacity being 8,900 pounds with proper equipment).

So long as Ford’s dumb “Trailer Sway”** mode is turned off, the voyage is safe and sound.

That said, that much weight doesn’t like being pulled up hills. I have to be nearly foot to floor climbing not even that steep of hills. And even then, I may not be able to maintain speed limit.

The downhill is easier since the trailer brakes are very good.

**I call it dumb because it appears to apply brakes to singular wheels if there’s so much a breeze hitting the trailer, causing exaggerated sway and making me overcorrect. Turning that crap off and the “sway” myself and passengers feel is gone.

benjrblant > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:09

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I wouldn’t be as concerned about 220f on a 2UZ.

220f on a 1FZ? Yikes.

diplodicus > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/25/2018 at 14:10

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Exactly. I’m just not sure if it would actually work with cars you know. I think the limit factor with the trains is typically the grip available. But I’m no expert.

vicali > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:17

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Sweet boat. Nice rimz - haha

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:29

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The tow ratings on North American vehicles are pretty conservative.

I would say if you’re only towing occasionally, you can use the GX470 to tow it... after you install a transmission cooler and maybe even an engine oil cooler. But the key thing here is to take it easy. Meaning keep your speed to 55-60mph max.

The issue isn’t whether it has enough power to tow. It’s whether it’s stable enough at speed and has enough braking.

If you keep your speed down, the stability and braking issues will be alleviated.

And when going down steep grades, drop down a gear and get some engine braking happening.

And of course you don’t want to burn up the transmission.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:33

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I like to stay 15-20% shy of my rating if I’m going any real distance. That’s why I didn’t try to talk my wife into buying Nibbles’ Hi-Lo. Too heavy for my noble, but very light duty, Sierra’s 5700 pound rating. I would definitely not tow that boat 150 miles over mountain passes in either of those vehicles.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:33

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“It has retention straps at the back but cmon...5000 lbs of dynamic force against 2 3 inch wide nylon straps? Going have to figure that one out.”

Chains are my first thought. Somehow attach a chain or chains to strong points on the hull to the trailer.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:35

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True, but how hard is that going to be on your transmission, and how much more often will you have to service it?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:35

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I tow for work, and I always want to have more power and brake than I’ll ever need. If it starts to sway going up hill, will you be able to pull it out?

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:45

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I find it to be very fairly vehicle specific, and I have always read a vehicle’s tow rating as a maximum SAFE towing weight, rather than ‘You may have a couple of ‘Oh shits!’, but it’s mostly capable’.

Regarding vehicle choice; I have towed a 3300lb trailer with two different vehicles rated at 4400lbs- a Skoda vRS 2.0 diesel estate, and a Subaru Outback 2.0 diesel. Similarities: Weight, tow rating, length, rear overhang to tow ball, non self-levelling suspension. Diffences: AWD in the Subaru, with 148bhp and 258 lb.ft, FWD in the Skoda with 204bhp and 330lb.ft. The Subaru is a much more accomplished tow car, and I mean streets ahead. For all of the torque in the Skoda, the Subaru feels like it pulls better and is a lot more stable when towing.

As another example; My turbo diesel Defender 110 with heavy duty rear suspension and axle vs. a turbo diesel Defender 90 which is mostly stock. On what is essentially the same vehicle, the 110 with it’s extra weight, length, and increased travel on the harder rear suspension tows like a champ, whereas the 90 likes to squat at the back and with such a short wheelbase it is immediately noticeable in the handling of the vehicle. Now I know tow ratings differ between the US and the UK on the same vehicles (did you ever get to the bottom on that btw?), but I have also found most tow ratings to be fairly conservative.

I am not condoning my actions or even saying it was a smart thing to do, but on Monday of this week I towed my over-laden 16ft trailer for 40 miles. The Land Rover’s GVWR is 5 tonnes, or 11,000 lbs. It’s tow rating is 7,700 lbs. Once I got to my destination, the weighbridge measured me in at 6.8 tonnes (14,990lbs). Now allowing for a partially laden vehicle mass of c.4200lbs, it means I was pulling 150% of it’s tow rating. Again, not smart, I’m not proud. But it didn’t miss a beat. It was slow when pulling away, but once on the move it pulled like any other day. The trailer over-run brakes kicked in just fine and I could feel them pulling the back of the truck dwhen coming to a stop. The roads were not exactly highways either. I work in some very rural locations.

My point is; I would test whatever tow vehicles you have first. Short journeys, windy roads, get some altitude - and do it when you have nowhere to be and nothing else to do. A margin of safety is always good, but manufacturers always build in their own margin of safety. I’m not saying max it out, but if it’s within then I would have confidence.

jasmits > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 14:59

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If I was going to buy a boat/other toy with the intention of using my truck as a tow vehicle I would stick at or near the 30% rule, especially because I would probably want to tow it while carrying people and stuff. If I had to move something I would feel pretty alright up to the towing capacity/GCVWR(whichever came first). The fact you’re thinking this much about it probably in and of itself means you’ll be safe about it and fine. It’s honestly scary how many overcapacity vehicles are on the road all the time, most people don’t give it a second thought past ‘if it fits it sits.’ Part of my commute is on I5 and at least weekly I see a Honda Pilot or something loaded with people and towing a camper that is obviously way too big for it, rear wheels splayed out to full stance nation. I just shudder and give them a very wide berth.

Pickup_man > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 15:14

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I don’t pay as much attention to tow ratings as I should and honestly couldn’t tell you off hand what my truck is rated for. If something needs moving, I move it, unless it’s clearly to big for my truck. With a boat like above, personally I wouldn’t tow it with anything less than a modern half ton if towing on a regular basis. It sounds like this will likely be a one time deal though in which case I think you’d be fine with what you have assuming you pay close attention to your speed. Again, though, this is a no numbers gut feeling opinion.

Ash78, voting early and often > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 15:15

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Ahhh, a one-way, one-time trip is a different story. I thought it was getting trailered to the lake every weekend or something. Just take it easy!

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 05/25/2018 at 18:17

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Our family boat is about the same size and weight, and we ran into this problem in the 90's. We initially towed with a 90's explorer (with the 5.0) and a 1st gen Durango (with the 5.9). Both of these trucks had tow rating in the 7000's, and both of them were grossly inadequate (dangerously so on the explorer) tow vehicles for the boat despite being well within the published ratings. Our tow was a similar 150 miles at elevation and always involving either mountain passes and/or big time canyons to climb and descend on 75mph interstates. The problem was the lack of stability brought on by how light the trucks were, how short the wheel bases were and how narrow the tracks were of the trucks. They were also under braked for that load (and there are surge brakes on the boat trailer). Both required the use of a weight distributing hitch (which I’ve come to learn is really the gods way of telling you the truck is too small for what you’re towing), both could only town in the 65mph range under ideal circumstances (and much less in cross winds or climbing AND descending canyons and mountain passes), and both were subject to big-time trailer sway in cross winds or semi passing situations. At 15, I learned to tow via the baptism by fire method.

Towing this size boat well falls into the 1/2 truck or 1/2 truck bases SUV sized vehicles. Your brother’s Yukon XL will tow it just fine (although it may end up needing helper springs due to the soccer mom spring rates in the rear from the factory. My suburban and escalade did). You’re not going to have cooling system problems with the Tacoma or GX470 (unless they have underlying cooling system problems), but they’re going to struggle with the tongue weight and generally be not as stable as you’d like. They won’t be a set the cruise at 80 towing experience. They just don’t have the wheel base, and they’re going to be sprung way too soft. Every 1/2 truck or 1/2 ton truck SUV that I’ve owned has towed the boat without problem. Towing 75-80mph, always stable, not susceptible to swaying in anything less than extreme wind situations and enough brakes to do the job without lots of advance planning on stopping.

What we did after a couple of years of white knuckle towing in the 90's was keep the boat in a storage unit near the lake. We rented a 10x30 enclosed unit a couple of miles from the lake and only towed it a couple of miles per weekend to the ramp and back on a 50mph road. The smaller trucks worked okay for dragging it a couple of miles at non-interstate speeds. It was highly worthwhile. The boat lived out of the sun, it minimized the wear and tear on the undersized tow vehicles, and it actually saved money. The $45/month for the storage unit was more than paid for in fuel savings by trucks getting say 13-15mpg unloaded compared to getting 4-7mpg towing for 600-900 miles per month for eight or nine months out of the year.

You might consider looking into a storage unit near the lake. It worked great for us for many years (and then I started buying bigger trucks, so it didn’t matter. We later then we went all in and have kept it in a slip at a marina for the last five or six years. I’m not sure I can recommend doing that. Keeping a boat wet is super convenient, but it also adds an entirely new dimension of upkeep and maintenance to the game).

julienjj > HammerheadFistpunch 05/26/2018 at 09:44

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My trailer for my old boat had a nose catcher you could remove for loading/unloading. We also had 4 padded post to line up the boat perfectly on the rollers.

julienjj > HammerheadFistpunch 05/26/2018 at 10:00

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Towing “limits” have quite a few safety factors in.
The most critical one being tongue weight, if you go too much over it you willl wear out the shocks and stuff like that on your truck a lot faster, it is also related to the tire load rating of the vehicle, plus it will make the ride very uncomfortable, Inflatable air springs inserts can be installed to level out the car and make the ride smoother and so can be tires with a bigger load rating.
The weight of the trailer is important for the brakes, but those could be upgraded with better pads and fluid, since yours has brakes it helps. If you tow over lots of distance and varying grades a transmission cooler is definitively a must and a reduced service interval for it’s service would be a wise idea.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2018 at 14:40

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Just saw this (I know I’m a month late, but I figured I’d share my opinion anyhow haha). I did a quick search and this boat has a 46 gallon gas tank. A full tank of fuel is just short of 300 pounds. Which pretty much puts you at 6500. The tow rating may be impacted by passengers and other gear in the vehicle too. I wouldn’t do it with mountains involved. Also, pulling it out of the water isn’t going to be fun. There’s more drag there that people don’t think about.

I’m in the process of convincing Mrs Montego that we should buy a small boat to go out with her family (small in-land lakes in Michigan). and I’ve been paying close attention to how much everything weighs, our Commander (aka IceBox) has the lowest rating of all Commanders at only 3,500 pounds, and I’m sure bigger tires didn’t help that either. The jet boat I’m looking at has a dry weight of 1,950 (excluding trailer I’m sure) and with fuel is 2,164 pounds so I should have plenty of room for the trailer. Even if the trailer weighs 800 pounds, I’ve got a 500+ pound gap. Not as big as I’d like it to be, but my state is flat as a board at least.

HammerheadFistpunch > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 06/18/2018 at 14:48

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It’s actually a 75 gallon tank! You are a little late, however, as I already done did it.

I mean I only towed it a few miles though town to launch/recover it, not pulled it over hill and dale. Did great!

As for recovery, it was a breeze given the GX is permanent 4wd and has low range (which was used). Easy peasy. I think without fuel and being careful I COULD tow it the distance...but frankly I would rather not.

My Brother in law just bought an EB3.5 F150 so I suspect he’ll be the one towing it up and down each season...which suits me fine.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2018 at 14:50

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That all sounds fair then! Over the mountains would’ve made for a real toasty transmission. Glad it worked out!

HammerheadFistpunch > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 06/18/2018 at 14:52

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I suspect the reason your Icebox has a low rating is solely down to a “tow package” AKA a trans cooler and maybe a bigger alternator. Put in a larger trans cooler and I wouldn’t think twice about towing 3500 lbs with passengers and cargo.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2018 at 14:54

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it’s also that it’s full time 4x4. No lock controls on it either. I believe that was the biggest hold back. The 3.7L V6 is incredibly weak too. It was a nice cost savings when buying the truck (and we figured it would help with MPG - it didn’t really) but we even had trouble cracking 70mph going up mountains in WV once we got the bigger tires on it. It’s just...weak.

Tow hitch goes on this week hopefully. I have the hitch, waiting on the wiring harness.