Towing with MDX

[Dam2009]

Good afternoon,

I joined this forum last night, so here is the first post:

I'm planning to tow a 21' Sea Ray 205 with double axle trailer (with brakes) using my 2007 Acura MDX. I've got classs III hitch and oil cooler installed to help out a bit. The MDX is rated to pull 6000lbs. The boat/trailer would be around 4700lbs.

Is there anyone out there using their MDX to tow a boat or anyone who thinks this ratio could create problems? Is there anything else (besides getting a truck) that could ease the tow?

Thanks!

Dan

 

[JB]

Re: Towing with MDX

Ahoy, Dan.

Welcome to iboats. :welcome:

"Around 4700#".

Is that a guess? Is that fully loaded and ready to launch?

Unless you know that is the ready to launch weight you are on thin ice. I usually recommend that a tow vehicle outweigh the tow or is rated for at least 30% above the weight of the tow. Your Acura probably weighs 4,000 to 4500#

If those numbers are good the machinery should work, but the tow is dangerous unless the driver drives like a professional truck driver.

The Acura is a really nice ute, and if it can do the job safely I wouldn't spend bux on a tow-only truck. Be sure of your numbers, and good luck.

 

[rallyart]

Re: Towing with MDX

The MDX has lots of power and pretty good brakes. It's a bit short on wheelbase but the AWD will more than make up for that. I would consider an air assist on the rear suspension if there is one available. The issue you are most likely to have is the combined gross vehicle weight when loaded with your gear. Check that as it's easy to overload the MDX if you don't consider how much trailer you have on there.
I tow a slightly bigger boat with a similar sized vehicle and it crosses mountain passes on cruise control without issue.

 

[Dam2009]

Re: Towing with MDX

The dry weight of the boat / trailer is 4200lbs. 200lbs for 140L of gas plus I added 300lbs for gear, but realistically it would half of that.

The MDX rates max combined gross weight (that includes trailer and car itself) at 10000lbs, but like you said, very easy to reach that number.

I'm picking up the boat on Friday, and will let you know how the ride went.

Thanks for the replies!

Dan

 

[Lurch77]

Re: Towing with MDX

Looks like you are covered with advice here, and you seem to be smart about the whole thing. After all you did ask, and that shows you take this serious. Another thing to consider is visibility. The MDX is probably quite a bit more narrow than the boat, so be aware rearward visibility is going to be very limited. This can be a safety concern, and depending on your local laws, it could be a legal issue. When I tow with our full size van I have no issues with our 8'6" wide boat. But when I pull with my Grand Cherokee I like to add temporarily towing mirrors. Similar to these. MIRROR UNIVERSAL TOWING - Cipa Mirrors 11960 - iboats

 

[Dam2009]

Re: Towing with MDX

Thanks Lurch, I didn't think of that.

 

[Quit It]

Re: Towing with MDX

Good afternoon,

I joined this forum last night, so here is the first post:

I'm planning to tow a 21' Sea Ray 205 with double axle trailer (with brakes) using my 2007 Acura MDX. I've got classs III hitch and oil cooler installed to help out a bit. The MDX is rated to pull 6000lbs. The boat/trailer would be around 4700lbs.

Is there anyone out there using their MDX to tow a boat or anyone who thinks this ratio could create problems? Is there anything else (besides getting a truck) that could ease the tow?

Thanks!

Dan

Are you sure the MDX is rated to 6,000. I think the 2007 is rated to 4,500.

Do you have a transmission cooler? Might want a 2nd or bigger one.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Towing with MDX

I find it at 5000

Truck and SUV Towing Capacity Charts

 

[Quit It]

Re: Towing with MDX

I find it at 5000

Truck and SUV Towing Capacity Charts

Yes, but he said 2007 which I believe is rated at 4,500. Either way it's going to be really close.

 

[rallyart]

Re: Towing with MDX

The tow rating of the MDX varies with the options as some raise the tow rating significantly on that vehicle.

 

[Quit It]

Re: Towing with MDX

The tow rating of the MDX varies with the options as some raise the tow rating significantly on that vehicle.

The only thing I can find on the 2007 MDX is that it's 4,500 lbs for a boat trailer. With any other trailer type the MDX was only rated to 3,500 lbs in 2007. But, maybe you're right and the OP has something that says 6k.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Towing with MDX

Is there anything else (besides getting a truck) that could ease the tow?

Thanks!

Dan

Dan; Not really. The ultimate answer is a full size truck or SUV. My guess is you're going to be closer to 5k lbs on a steel trailer with the gear and fluids (boats don't always weigh in at the advertised numbers). Add the people and gear you're hauling in the vehicle and you'll be at (or above) the rated capacity of the Acura.

The MDX is a very nice vehicle and will do the job, just be advised that you're going to be right on the limit of what you can comfortably tow. Slow down, look ahead....that sort of stuff. Like JB said you're going to need to drive the rig more like a pro would. It can be done, but if you do a lot of towing you'll be more comfortable with a heavier tow vehicle. For short trips you'll be fine.

Congrats on the new boat!

 

[Dam2009]

Re: Towing with MDX

The 2007 is rated at 5000lbs and not 6000, my bad. I do have an oil cooler installed. Stay tuned for the weekend and I'll let you know how it went. I have a boat ramp approximately 2 km from my house, so that helps a LOT!

I guess my wife's next car is a truck.... she doesn't know yet..

 

[Quit It]

Re: Towing with MDX

The 2007 is rated at 5000lbs and not 6000, my bad. I do have an oil cooler installed. Stay tuned for the weekend and I'll let you know how it went. I have a boat ramp approximately 2 km from my house, so that helps a LOT!

I guess my wife's next car is a truck.... she doesn't know yet..

What about the transmission cooler? An oversized cooler never hurt anyone and your transmission is going to generate lots of heat.

I don't think you have to abandon SUV's, just get a bigger one. For example, the Armada is rated for 9,100 lbs.

If you want a truck, get a truck, but you don't have to get one for that weight.

 

[jkust]

Re: Towing with MDX

I'm feeling like you are off with your boat/trailer weight estimation. My little 18 footer weighs over 4000lbs on the single axle trailer. That 20footer has got to weigh more and i'm guessing it has a double axle trailer as well. My suv is rated at only 6500lbs but has a large v8, and a body on frame design. Clearly it could tow far more but there are weak drivetrain parts that would suffer. The 400hp/400tq optional engine still only rates the same 6500lbs as the 303hp/330tq (at very low rpms) v8 engine that I have. Your Acura will tow just about anything you hook to it as I have learned by experience, but the outlier situations are where a more robust tow vehicle pays its dividends. I'd at the least verify how much it all weighs.

 

[Dam2009]

Re: Towing with MDX

So today was the big day. I went to the marina which was approximately 50km away. I hooked up the trailer to the MDX and off we went.

At the beginning, I took it through the city and the ride was super smooth including braking. I then jumped on a highway and cruised comfortably at 80km/h.

There was no pulling, jerking or fishtailing like I expected.

The only thing I did was shift the gears manually at about 3000rpm and downshift prior to stopping.

To sum it up, the boat trailer which weight 4400lbs (with surge brakes) can be comfortably towed by a new generation MDX.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Towing with MDX

Glad it worked out for you, keeping things slow and steady helps.