Towing with FWD?

[nola mike]

Just had a new kid, and the seat won't mount in the extended cab of my truck. So in order to go to the river, we need to either take my wife's Mazda6 wagon only, or drive the truck separately. I have towed the boat out with the mazda before (last year before getting the truck), but it isn't ideal being that it's FWD. This last weekend I ended up getting stuck at the ramp--tires just slipped. Had to get my neighbor to come bail me out, which sucked. Anyway, I'm looking for tricks to keep this from happening again. I know I need new front tires, which is part, but not all of the problem. I tried deflating the tires, which didn't work. I'm thinking about a portable winch to hook to the front bumper as being the best solution. I love the idea of putting a tow hitch on the front bumper and backing up the ramp; I can imagine the responses I'll get to that idea. Anything else?
Snow chains?
How about these?
Any type of "fat sack" type devices to add some weight to the front?

 

[boat1010]

Re: Towing with FWD?

I guess I have never heard of that problem. I would think that having front wheel drive would be better that rear wheel drive. Is the car rated for the weight of the boat? I would surely think that new tires would help a lot. LOL Not sure that a hitch on the front would help you out any. Sorry I couldn't be any more help. Maybe someone else with a little more experience with FWD will come and comment. Best of luck.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Towing with FWD?

Actually, folks have been putting front hitches on FWD vehicles for years because tongue weight helps out in the traction department. Definitely something worth considering.

 

[PWH1]

Re: Towing with FWD?

I am not sure what the tow capacity is of the Mazda6, but it seems conceivable that isnt enough vehicle to handle your 19' boat. I tow a 16' with my Sienna and have enountred no issues at various ramps. However, 3' of boat is a lot more weight. First thing I would do is understand the maximum towing capacity of the Mazda and that will likey give you the answer. Tires, winches, ect. are all irrelivant if the boat is to much for the vehicle to handle. Good luck...

 

[rallyart]

Re: Towing with FWD?

I don't think Mazda gives a tow capacity rating for the Mazda 6. But ignoring that the car is well thought of in Europe as a tow vehicle and the capacity there is over 900 kg. So most power boats on a trailer would be over capacity.
A traction mat like you show would help. The biggest help would be ensuring that the front wheels are on dry concrete at the ramp. A front hitch is great for manoeuvring about but leaves some clearance issues on the front end.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Towing with FWD?

Nola,

What year is your truck? Most PU's built in the last 10+ years have a way to shut off the air bag on the passenger side front seat so you can put a baby's car seat safely in there (people with regular cab trucks + kids would be bumming if there wasn't). Even my '97 F-150 (built on 1/96) has that feature. With my truck there is a spot on the dash you stick the ignition key in, and turn the bag off by turning the lock one way, and on the opposite way. Pretty sure I have seen this in GM trucks too.

I realize your baby is everything to you, and if you don't want to take the risk of a carrier in the front seat thats completely understandable.

 

[ChampionShip]

Re: Towing with FWD?

Not trying to be a downer, but just because you can doesn't mean you should. I highly doubt a Mazda 6's brakes are designed for pulling a few thousand pounds of boat and fuel. Not to mention, where would one find a front mount hitch for a car like that??

 

[NYBo]

Re: Towing with FWD?

Can you turn off the passenger-side airbag in the truck? If so, put the baby in the front seat.

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: Towing with FWD?

I guess I have never heard of that problem. I would think that having front wheel drive would be better that rear wheel drive. Is the car rated for the weight of the boat? I would surely think that new tires would help a lot. LOL Not sure that a hitch on the front would help you out any. Sorry I couldn't be any more help. Maybe someone else with a little more experience with FWD will come and comment. Best of luck.

I had a front hitch on a new Ford Bronco 4x4 . The problem I had was the motor had a chance of getting soaked with water.And I lost a lot of traction with the rear wheels. Now I tow a bigger boat ,and it's a 4x4 too,but I use a rear hitch. I use two wheel drive to pull the boat out of a ramp in drive. The truck is a Quad Cab Dodge Ram ThunderRoad with a Hemi.As for the baby seat, It's against the law to put a baby in a front seat of anything.Can't you and your wife take the baby out of the truck when unloading and loading the boat on your trailer. Safety first.

 

[rollo1002]

Re: Towing with FWD?

Sometimes the right answer is the one we don't want to hear. Sounds like it's time to get a new truck that can accommodate the growing family it aint going to get smaller or take two rigs. You're friends are only going to bail you out so many times and it would sux to have an issue that you loose a vehicle over trying to engineer something that shouldn't be engineered when there is a simplier solution.

 

[brick75]

Re: Towing with FWD?

A Mazda 6!?! That is definitely not rated to tow a 19' bow rider. In my opinion, you're putting youself and everyone else in danger by doing that....not to mention the problem you're having at the ramp. I'd say your best solution is to take both vehicles. That's what we do when towing over the mountains.

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: Towing with FWD?

It is not illegal to put a baby in the front seat of anything, it is illegal to put a baby in the front seat of anything that has another option, BUT if I were to step out of the law I would think that it would be MUCH safer to put my baby in the front seat of a vehicle designed to tow than a vehicle not at all designed to tow a boat. My wife has a MAZDA 3 and it is rated MAX 900lbs. My 15' is Double that.

I DO NOT condone illegal activity but when that mazda breaks pulling more than twice what the maximum load is you are going to be in Serious trouble and it won't matter where the baby seat is located.

At least in the pickup you can handle the weight.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Towing with FWD?

This is a no-brainer:
* Risk the baby with an improvised seat.
* Risk everybody with an unsatisfactory tow vehicle.
* Spend megabucks for a new vehicle.

Why not just spend an extra $3 in gas and use both vehicles.

 

[nola mike]

Re: Towing with FWD?

maybe i should elaborate. i kind of knew i would get all the holier-than-thou-you're-so-unsafe answers, but was actually hoping for a solution to the question that i asked.
1. if i put the baby in the front of the truck, wife sits in the jumpseat for the 1 1/2 hour ride. jumpseat = unsafe + unhappy wife = unhappy me.
2. mazda is rated for 1500 kg towing capacity in europe (given, that's braked). they won't rate it in the u.s. because of the ambulance chasers. the beefy four wheel antilock disks on that car have a lot more stopping power than the non-antilock, rear drums on the truck.
3. i tow it about 1/4 mile from the ramp to my house. 20 mph max, no babies on board, wife at home.
4. i'm not buying a new truck. seriously, that's your solution? i guess i might as well just install a pier with a boat lift. or buy a new house that already has a boat lift, or boat house. or a yacht that i can motor to the Caribbean when the weather gets rough here.

more i think about it, seems that the answer is new tires, plus a come-along winch if i get stuck.

 

[rallyart]

Re: Towing with FWD?

OK, you fit in the informed consumer category.
A front hitch is not practical for you I suspect but that would solve the issue.
Two heavy buddies sitting on the side of the front fenders might solve the issue. Powering up the boat to use the prop to get you started is a possibility but not a great idea for many reasons. Most Japanese cars still have the front tie down loop on, near the front of the frame, and you could winch from that, or from the frame directly but winching is a real pain and you really are not going to do it more than twice. That leaves a dry traction mat or dry ramp.
I've loaded and unloaded a heavier boat with a Venture van but it was touchy. The traction control it had used the front brakes to control wheel spin.
Quaife, and maybe others, make a limited slip differential for the Mazda 6. They are a good unit on a FWD but you may notice more torque steer. Cost is about $1500 for the part.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towing with FWD?

So here is a relatively easy/cheap fix that will give you a little extra traction, should be enough...

Just get/make a tongue extension that can be retracted for normal towing, but extended for recovery. (think sliding tube inside a tube, with a locking pin)

By extending the tongue, you are doing two things. a) Reducing tongue weight. For a FWD vehicle, tongue weight = less weight on the front. b) You are also putting the vehicle further up the ramp, so you have a better chance of keeping the tires dry/clean, but also the front tires might be on level ground. (depending on ramp)

The other option would be getting a locking diff... This is more than just a limited slip, it will actually lock up entirely.
http://www.therpmstore.com/product_info.php?products_id=319

 

[DonHof]

Re: Towing with FWD?

I see mini vans pulling boats all the time. Don't have much trouble coming
up the ramps. But two wheel drive pickups have lots of problems.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Towing with FWD?

Nobody suggested you buy a new truck or move or anything of the sort. I merely listed several potential options, and if you look at my wording it should be clear that I was saying that none of the options were very good.

If you read further, you will see that I did offer a solution.

I tow with fwd all the time. I think you will still be disappointed with new tires. They may help some, but I don't think it will be a solution. Where would you tie the comealong to?

If its due to lack of weight on the wheels, maybe air shocks or air lifts are the way to go, so you keep the rear end up high. If its merely a traction issue, maybe the vehicle just can't handle the weight of the boat.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Towing with FWD?

A Mazda 6 being a standard sized front wheel drive 4 door car probably would have a 1000 lb towing capacity if they rated it here in the US.

I towed my 16' Starcraft with a V4 outboard with an '04 Buick Regal for a couple seasons. It sucked. Sure it did it but stopping power wasn't great and it was miserable on the ramp. You're towing a boat that's probably twice as heavy. Time to find a beater Explorer or something.

 

[dvandsm64]

Re: Towing with FWD?

my air bag in my f150 is weight engineered. sometimes my skinny 11 yr. old can't get it to turn on. read owners book and put child seat rear facing.