Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

Nothing less than an F350 will do.

That + flag men, a police escort, fire dept, paramedics, and the national guard standing by....

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

go back to the "borrow a truck" suggestion..... you can ALSO rent a pickup for like $20 an hour from a home depot or likely less from other sources on the rare occasion that you can't borrow one

 

[lncoop]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

That + flag men, a police escort, fire dept, paramedics, and the national guard standing by....

I'm kinda disappointed. It's been a while since we've had a good old tow vehicle fight around here. Guess we're getting soft.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

I'm kinda disappointed. It's been a while since we've had a good old tow vehicle fight around here. Guess we're getting soft.

Naw.. It's just that time of the year.

But take heart, spring is right around the corner...
As the April showers fall, the forums will be flooded by mostly newbies asking if the wife's CR-V will pull the rotten 26' cabin cruiser they just got a good deal on, or by people insisting that nothing less than a truck with the capacity of a Euclid will do for towing a 14' aluminum row boat....

Then of course the cherry on top is the "I think my block froze" threads...

I love this place...

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

But take heart, spring is right around the corner...
As the April showers fall, the forums will be flooded by mostly newbies asking if the wife's CR-V will pull the rotten 26' cabin cruiser they just got a good deal on, or by people insisting that nothing less than a truck with the capacity of a Euclid will do for towing a 14' aluminum row boat....

Then of course the cherry on top is the "I think my block froze" threads...

I know, I love spring time :facepalm:

 

[sasto]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

How about a small car with a big block motor.

 

[Philster]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

I don't see a real concern with the OP's idea.

We have a place that has a community boat ramp. If you're one of the neighbors, and you need to drive 1/4 mile or even a bit more at 10 MPH in a vehicle that isn't really a towing workhorse, most people are completely numb to this as even being an issue.

Now, we can't see your ramp, but the ramp I am referring to is a perfect gradual slope. I've been on some ramps that were so steep (felt like a 45 degree angle) that I could not believe the amount of power I had to apply to my Dodge Ram before the boat/trailer moved.

If it's a nice ramp, good slope, then I can't see any issues.

 

[BRICH1260]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

I`m no expert, but based on my understanding of your plight, I would say you will be fine.

 

[Water logged]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

How about a small car with a big block motor.

If that's a front wheel drive, I don't think traction will be a problem!!

Glenn

 

[jfw432]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

I seem to have stirred a hornets nest but thanks for the insight guys. Still have to decide if I really want to trade in a working truck for a newer vehicle AND a car payment...

 

[QC]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

No that's a hornest's nest ^^^^^ Takes a lot of fuel to make that work. 60 miles per day = 3 gallons? double your efficiency and you save 1.5 gallons, so $5 a day? x 20 days = $100/month. There's your answer, and that's if you go from 20 MPG to 40 MPG

 

[erwinner]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

How old is the S10? I miss my 90 model so much I'll probably end up getting one. 3/4th of a 350 is a super reliable design. If it's an older one and worth less than $3000 or so I'd keep it for the tow vehicle and buy a used Corolla or Neon or Escort or Civic.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

No that's a hornest's nest ^^^^^ Takes a lot of fuel to make that work. 60 miles per day = 3 gallons? double your efficiency and you save 1.5 gallons, so $5 a day? x 20 days = $100/month. There's your answer, and that's if you go from 20 MPG to 40 MPG

Agreed. Amazing how many people don't do the math when they get rid of a working vehicle to save money on gas. Just the depreciation alone of a newer vehicle blows away any savings.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

I have a lot of respect for all of you guys, but we're talking 10 - 15 MPH, 1/4 Mile. We're worried about stopping? Have some little kid on a bike ride out 50 yards in front and blow his little horn as a warning to all Unless this is a mountain community, and he's got a 10% downgrade somewhere, we could stop this thing with a well placed brick. Call me a risk taker, but a little redneck ingenuity is a good thing, and in this case I don't think we even need that.

Honestly no offense intended, and noobs should always take heed of all of the safety implications, but this sort of reminds me of hot coffee warnings . . .

exactly! About the most mis-matched load I've ever done was a small cuddy cab with a willys jeep. (and unloaded on sand even!) I've also towed boats around with garden tractors and four wheelers, although never unloaded. NONE of those would be considered anything close to road legal.

I know the general feelings of the board are generally to err on the side of caution, but seriously... Common sense and experience are FAR more important than what you are towing with. I'd much rather ride with someone in an overloaded vehicle, but has 20 years of towing experience, than a towing newbie suburbanite with an f350 and a jon boat behind them.

 

[Dakota Dave]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

Buy the car you want. There used to be a place on milacs lake that launched and recovered lots of boats with an old crystler K car with a front hitch and much of the body cut off. I'm sure most anything you can buy would be better than that. For a 1/4 mile i'd just use a garden tractor. I bought an old john deere garden tractor for $200 it will pull my 20 ft pontoon up a wet grass slope without any problem. SMV triangle hanging on the back no lights or regrestration required.

 

[JB]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

We get a lot of posts from people looking for approval to do something unsafe and unwise. Dakota Dave's suggestion is probably the most real world idea here.

 

[90stingray]

I seem to have stirred a hornets nest but thanks for the insight guys. Still have to decide if I really want to trade in a working truck for a newer vehicle AND a car payment...

Keep the pickup for towing your boat, hauling materials, etc. If you sell, you will miss having a pickup. But if you must, just make sure your next one has a hitch... or is able to to put a hitch on. If your ramp is not too steep or slippery, you will be alright. Happy hunting.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

our local marina has a truck on site to launch for people whose vehicles are insufficiently powered or lack traction (our ramps are steep), so check your marina , if they can pull it out for ya, half the battle is over

 

[CPTom21]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

go back to the "borrow a truck" suggestion..... you can ALSO rent a pickup for like $20 an hour from a home depot or likely less from other sources on the rare occasion that you can't borrow one

We were gonna try this once, but Home Depot wanted us to sign something saying that we wouldn't use it to tow anything except the trailer they have as an option to rent. (We probably could've gotten away with it though.)

 

[rallyart]

Re: Towing short distance with smaller vehicles

You can decide to do what you wish. If I was in the same situation I would not hesitate to tow what you describe with a small vehicle.