Tow vehicle dilema

[zapblam]

Avid campers, avid fishing family, trying to do both.

Equipment:
02 Chevy Venture minivan/w tow package (#3500) (daily driver paidfor)
04 Chevy Cavalier (daily driver paidfor)
12ft tenttrailer (weighed camp ready at #2200)
14ft aluminum springbok boat (weighed wet from lake at 900lbs motor, gas, trailer, fishing gear)

Dilema, occasionally want to do both (2-3 weekends per year, max 300km per trip to lakes ). Van pulls both great, and launches boat without any problems where we go. Flat prairie roads. Our options:

1) This year, (Searches say unadvisable) Put hitch on Cavalier to pull the boat to lake and Van tows the camper as it currently does. I have never considered towing with the Cavalier before but its our only existing option. Not best idea but.....Have searched and thoroughly read all the pros/cons/risks.

AND

2) In 1-2 years, trade Cavalier for 1/4 truck (Canyon/Ranger) to pull either one. I hate to buy a fullsize just to tow 6 times a year and guzzle gas for the rest of the time. Still 2 vehicles going to lake though.

OR

3) In 5+ years,Suck it up trade Cavalier for fullsize truck, suck up the daily driver fuel cost.

AND

4) After fullsize truck, Trade tent trailer for a tiniest possible USED 5th wheel with tow package for boat. Take one tow vehicle.

CON, we love the tenttrailer as we get the awsome camp sites that the typical RV/5th wheelers cant get into. Trees and privacy .

 

[Fed up]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

have you ever thought about renting a truck for the occasion? Like Avis budget or enterprise? Seems sensible enough

 

[roscoe]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Cavalier, 4 cylinder or 6? auto trans?

If a 6 with auto, it will tow the boat fine. It might even work with a 4 cylinder.

NOT RECOMMENDED but when I was young and dumb, I towed a 1971 15' Chrysler glass boat with a 1962 Johnson 75 hp, the transom was waterlogged, 12+ gallons of fuel, battery, grill, full cooler, and 3 guys. Guessing 2000#. I towed, launched and retrieved with a 1984 Dodge Daytona 2.2 liter 5 speed manual, front wheel drive. Thank GOD I never had to swerve or stop in a hurry.


How heavy is the boat hull?

Can 2 people lift it?

For many years we hauled a 12' and occasionally a 14' tinny, upside down, on top of our tent camper.
We would get to the campground, drop the boat at the launch ramp, and go set up camp.
Go back later and put the motor and gear in the boat.

Dad had mounted a 2x4 across the camper, front and back, to distribute the weight and keep the boat from rubbing on the camper roof.

Took many trips to Canada that way.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

The towing capacity for the Cavalier is 1000 lbs. 2 or 3 weekends a year, flat land, would not be a problem for me.
For some on this forum, nothing less than a F250 will do for towing a 14 foot tinny.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Cavalier is rated for 1000 pounds. Which searches say not advisable and why? They are probably assuming you are going to add some more weight to the boat on top of what you already have. Not likely in this case. GM apparently does not have an issue with it. Is this an automatic or a manual transmission. I would be a little concerned about eating up the clutch if a manual. If automatic, I might add a tranny cooler.

To make it a little better, could you move some of the weight into the camper or the Van. Perhaps put some of the light stuff in the boat and put some of the heavy stuff in the camper or van?

TerryMSU.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

have you ever thought about renting a truck for the occasion? Like Avis budget or enterprise? Seems sensible enough

i have looked into this, and every single car rental place has very specific exclusions for towing. Some go as far as welding in a bar into the receiver hitch if its built in. The ONLY place that would allow it is u-haul, so figure about $1/mile or more.

Anyway, to the OP... 900# is fine behind that. You can always use the van for loading/unloading.

 

[zapblam]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

4 banger auto. Leary of wrecking it as it already has poor trade-in value. Will look into cooler and hitch costs. I really dream of a truck, but dang no vehicle payments is great. Dreaming of banking that money for a few years for a more practical tow/camper/boat rig.

At the same time still trying not getting a camper any larger than we need. Hate those monster fivers and the parking lot style camp ground layout needed. We both love those nice smaller sites full of trees and privacy.

Even though of a truck slidein, but dang those need an even larger truck for a smaller living space. lol dont need a 1 ton dual to carry my vehicle wrap tool bag around for the rest of the year.

 

[jayhanig]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

You mentioned a Ranger as a possibility. I have a 2007 Ranger XLT with 2wd, 3 liter engine, and automatic transmission. It has what Ford calls a "towing package" but that didn't include a transmission cooler so I added one myself.

I'm pulling a 17' bowrider I/O with it and have had no problems. Gas mileage runs 24mpg until I hook up the trailer; then it drops to 16. So far, so good.

I wish I had bought more truck but that isn't because of my present setup... it's because I don't think my truck would be safe with a bigger boat on down the road (so to speak).

 

[I Fish]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Even though of a truck slidein, but dang those need an even larger truck for a smaller living space. lol dont need a 1 ton dual to carry my vehicle wrap tool bag around for the rest of the year.

They make smaller, lighter truck campers that don't require a 1 ton truck. They even make pop-up truck campers. They even make them small enough to fit the small import trucks.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Avid campers, avid fishing family, trying to do both.

Equipment:
02 Chevy Venture minivan/w tow package (#3500) (daily driver paidfor)
04 Chevy Cavalier (daily driver paidfor)
12ft tenttrailer (weighed camp ready at #2200)
14ft aluminum springbok boat (weighed wet from lake at 900lbs motor, gas, trailer, fishing gear)

Dilema, occasionally want to do both (2-3 weekends per year, max 300km per trip to lakes ). Van pulls both great, and launches boat without any problems where we go. Flat prairie roads. Our options:

1) This year, (Searches say unadvisable) Put hitch on Cavalier to pull the boat to lake and Van tows the camper as it currently does. I have never considered towing with the Cavalier before but its our only existing option. Not best idea but.....Have searched and thoroughly read all the pros/cons/risks.

AND

2) In 1-2 years, trade Cavalier for 1/4 truck (Canyon/Ranger) to pull either one. I hate to buy a fullsize just to tow 6 times a year and guzzle gas for the rest of the time. Still 2 vehicles going to lake though.

OR

3) In 5+ years,Suck it up trade Cavalier for fullsize truck, suck up the daily driver fuel cost.

AND

4) After fullsize truck, Trade tent trailer for a tiniest possible USED 5th wheel with tow package for boat. Take one tow vehicle.

CON, we love the tenttrailer as we get the awsome camp sites that the typical RV/5th wheelers cant get into. Trees and privacy .

I am not going to tell you what to do but this is what I would look at from a logical standpoint:
1. Wallet is main priority
2. Towing frequency is several times/year
3. Van is well within it's limits
4. cavalier is within limits but marginally

How comfortable do you feel when pulling your boat? Your senses should be able to answer this.
Personally, if I felt comfortable and I had the common sense knowledge of towing and if saving money was a major concern I would stay with the existing set-up. Contrary to what some may think, A tranny cooler will not be needed if....the terrain is not too hilly and you accelerate slowly (no jack rabbit starts). Once rolling and the momentum has been established a 900# trailer will not add that much load to your vehicle.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Lets put this in perspective. You said the trip to the lake is 300km which is 180 miles or 90 miles one way. That's hardly enough to get the tranny up to operating temp (tongue in cheek of course). So run the fuel economy numbers. Why on earth would you trade a perfectly operational and paid for vehicle just so you can use one vehicle to serve double duty six times a year, and on a short trip to boot. Figure the fuel cost for those six trips running both of your vehicles and then try to justify if a bigger/newer vehicle is worth it. Four people in the Cavalier would approach the weight of the boat. I towed two snowmobiles back in the 70s with a Chevy Vega Station Wagon with no issues. The Cavalier is perfectly capable of towing the boat whether automatic or manual. Just stay out of overdrive if an automatic. The Cavalier should get a minimum of 22-23 mpg pulling the boat so you are looking at about 8 gallons of fuel for the entire trip. At current prices thats about a $25 bill and x6 = $150 per year. One payment on a different vehicle. Hardly worth it in my view. Use both vehicles - you don't have a dilema.

 

[jkust]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

The solution is simple, buy a lake cabin on the lake of your choosing and store it all up there. It seems no matter the vehicle with your two current toys, you will need two vehicles to tow them. Is it legal to tow the boat behind the tent trailer in your state? If so, as an owner of a Chevy Venture clone (the Silhouette) I have towed more than the combined weight of both of your trailers many times over long distances. Just an outside the box suggestion and don't have any idea if it is evan legal where you are as it is not here in MN.

 

[wingmastr23]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Man....if you don't have a car payment....save up a couple grand and buy an older truck to tow stuff with......

I have a truck that I use specifically to tow the boat to the lake here and there (When I go by myself and don't want to take my wifes SUV) and.... to use for projects. (I also don't mind lending it out - so some of my friends get the benefit of it as well.) It works perfectly.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

you can tow a 14' tinny behind anything. Don't sweat it. Once one of them dies, consider towing capacity but even then you don't need much.
even the cost to buy and hold a beater tow vehicle doesn't add up.

 

[crazyinkc]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

You could tow the camper with the van and the boat with the Cav. When you get to the lake, drop the camper at the site and swap the boat onto the back of the van and launch. We sometimes tow two boats to the lake and I pull one with the RV and drop it in a parking area and back the RV in place. We then use the truck and launch the first one and then drop the trailer off at the campsite and grab the other one and repeat. It is a bit of a pain but it works and where we camp is laid back so we don't feel rushed moving everything around.

 

[SNye45]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

I would strongly suggest that you look into putting the boat on top of the tent trailer. A 14ft tinny surely doesn't weigh that much. If it is tied down securely, and will not damage the top of the tent trailer> problem solved

 

[SparkieBoat]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

I would do the above..I also do not know how any man can exist with out an old truck to fish/hunt, work out of. get yer self a f-150 with the 5.4 V-8..lots of them out there for under $3K

 

[zapblam]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Oh I would never ever try to launch boat with the car. Car just a transporter.

Thanks for the reassurance and experienced words that I shouldn't (read hope not) kill the car if it tows a boat a few times temporarily. Cant go on camper with the windshield on boat. The canoe yes, boat no. Used to just take canoe, but to impractical/uneasy with 2 kids to fish from.

Slowly convincing wife that a truck MAY be more practical than the tiny car. Wouldn't have to buy the utility trailer we were shopping around for. Would be safer than the tiny car on our harsh icy winter roads.

Save some $$$$ over the next year or two and only tow with the car very occasionally each year.

Great now she wants the truck and I can have the minivan.....lol.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Slowly convincing wife that a truck MAY be more practical than the tiny car. Wouldn't have to buy the utility trailer we were shopping around for. Would be safer than the tiny car on our harsh icy winter roads.

don't assume a truck is safer on ice, it isn't. not even close. I've owned all sorts of cars/trucks, and by far the absolute best vehicle on ice is my current car, a subaru wrx with nokian wr tires as dedicated winter shoes. My AMC eagle was second. Every truck I've owned is at the bottom of the list. Trucks have 3 big disadvantages on ice. not AWD, 4x4 doesn't work well on highway ice, very poor weight balance, and trucks are far more likely to end up 'tires up' when they do go into the ditch. (high center of gravity)

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: Tow vehicle dilema

Not apples to apples (as I don't know the driveline on the 04 Cav), but I towed my father's 14' aluminum with 18 hp Merc for 5 years behind my 91 Cavalier. It had the 2.2L and manual transmission. I had to fab a hitch, as nothing existed. I never had a problem towing or launching. Don't baby the clutch - swift and smooth is the key. I don't see it being a problem.

As for a truck being better than the car on icy roads - not a chance. I love my truck (2500HD Chevy), but I'd take a small car with proper tires (IMHO, studs can't be beat) on icy roads anyday, and on snow covered roads most of the time (exception being when the car's ground clearance is significantly less than the snow height).