What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

[barato2]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

i imagine you REALLY forget the Jupiter is behind you....

 

[Jeepcollector91]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

i imagine you REALLY forget the Jupiter is behind you....

Behind the Freightliner, the boat trailer could have lost its axle & I wouldn't even feel it dragging on the interstate. It would just drag it down the road until I pull over to check on it only to find the trailer tongue, winch post, and a couple feet of the bow left.

The Jeep YJ pulls the Jupiter great but on too many occasions leaving the Jeep unattended at a boat ramp with the top & doors off has not been so good. Everything thats not bolted down (and some things that are) get taken. I may start using my wife's 2005 Jeep Liberty Diesel. It should have no trouble with the Jupiter as it has pulled it's share of heavier projects home.

 

[lakelover]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

Jeepcollector91....tow much?

 

[TheWrks]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

I was thinking those were around the 4500-5000 range. I yanked around over 3500 a few 200+ mile trips back when I had my 94 Blazer.

Correct if you have the trailer towing pkg, without that pkg it is 3500lbs. Yes they can pull more but the cooling system and suspension is beefier with the pkg. I also only have the heavy bumper hitch, rated at 3500lb.
Airshot

With the OEM "Tow Package" they are rated to 6000lbs hitch, without as quoted above 3500lbs hitch or bumper..

 

[pesky]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

Just used my 2005 Honda CRV 5sp manual to tow her home over 5 hrs. I was really impressed how much power it actually had for a 4 banger with 1600lbs behind her.

 

[Stevens520]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

I tow my 25' Cheiftan with a 2001 Ford Expedition with the 5.4 engine. You can definitely tell you have something behind you towing that big tub. Will post pics when I get her hitched up.

 

[Jeepcollector91]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

Jeepcollector91....tow much?

Not lately.

 

[Stevens520]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

Finally got a pic. From splash #2.

 

[InMotion]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

Ok... this is what I am using to tow...

Mazda 6 Wagon V6 - 5 spd manual tranny. Pulls no problem at all the Jupiter... used 1/16th of a tank more fuel towing 120 miles vs no boat at all... so pretty decent on fuel too.

Enjoy the summer guys!

J.

 

[MontanaAardvark]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

The OP mentioned a Corolla. For a few months, I towed my 16' Starcraft with a Toyota Matrix, which is a mini-SUV body on a Corolla frame. Worked fine. The design of the Matrix, though has poor rear visibility, and the boat would literally disappear as soon as it started down the ramp. It could have been on Mars for as well as I could watch it back down. Dear Wife convinced me to buy a used Ford Explorer V6 to tow it. You could really feel the boat with the Matrix - it's only rated for 1500 pounds, and the boat package is pretty much 1500 lbs. With the Explorer, you don't really know it's there.


Bob

 

[InMotion]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

The OP mentioned a Corolla. For a few months, I towed my 16' Starcraft with a Toyota Matrix, which is a mini-SUV body on a Corolla frame. Worked fine. The design of the Matrix, though has poor rear visibility, and the boat would literally disappear as soon as it started down the ramp. It could have been on Mars for as well as I could watch it back down. Dear Wife convinced me to buy a used Ford Explorer V6 to tow it. You could really feel the boat with the Matrix - it's only rated for 1500 pounds, and the boat package is pretty much 1500 lbs. With the Explorer, you don't really know it's there.

Bob

I can believe it... most 4 cyl. simply do not have enough torque to pull that kind of weight well. Funny thing is that growing up we had a Volvo wagon --- 4 cyl with all of 114 hp/137lbs/ft torque --- we towed everything with it --- including other Volvo's, pulling trees down and dragging a 300 lb steel I beam to grade the cottage road. Although never fast, it did the job. Most of todays 4 cyl engines are high hp and much lower torque --- not great for towing in general.

Glad to see you have something that will tow with no issue at all.

Jim

 

[barato2]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

how true. prev owner of my Starchief used to tow it with a '74 Westy, all of 65hp and maybe 100ft lb. i think we're all so spoiled with copious power and no need to downshift in most modern vehicles that we forget that it's perfectly possible to tow with smaller engine if you use the mechanical leverage (torque multiplication) of downshifting.

 

[MontanaAardvark]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

I can believe it... most 4 cyl. simply do not have enough torque to pull that kind of weight well. Funny thing is that growing up we had a Volvo wagon --- 4 cyl with all of 114 hp/137lbs/ft torque --- we towed everything with it --- including other Volvo's, pulling trees down and dragging a 300 lb steel I beam to grade the cottage road. Although never fast, it did the job. Most of todays 4 cyl engines are high hp and much lower torque --- not great for towing in general.

Glad to see you have something that will tow with no issue at all.

Jim

That's about what the 4cyl Corolla has. 125HP and about 125 ft*lbs. Both of those numbers are up near 5000 RPM, so you really have to goose it to get it up there. I wouldn't doubt I was pulling it up the ramp with 40 or 50 HP. This is the east coast of Florida, which is like pool table flat. I think the biggest hill I drove up was 20' tall.

The only issue I had with it was how I just couldn't see anything when I was backing the trailer down the ramp to pull the boat. The car is designed so that the roof sweeps down and the sides sweep up as you go toward the back, making the windows too small. I always thought that was a design weakness, even without a boat - but otherwise, I like those little cars.


Bob

 

[InMotion]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

That's about what the 4cyl Corolla has. 125HP and about 125 ft*lbs. Both of those numbers are up near 5000 RPM, so you really have to goose it to get it up there. I wouldn't doubt I was pulling it up the ramp with 40 or 50 HP. This is the east coast of Florida, which is like pool table flat. I think the biggest hill I drove up was 20' tall.

The only issue I had with it was how I just couldn't see anything when I was backing the trailer down the ramp to pull the boat. The car is designed so that the roof sweeps down and the sides sweep up as you go toward the back, making the windo
ws too small. I always thought that was a design weakness, even without a boat - but otherwise, I like those little cars.


Bob

Good point on the 5000 rpm... Older cars generally produced torque at much lower rpm making towing etc much easier without reving the nuts out of it!!!

I too like the matrix... Almost bought one.

 

[MontanaAardvark]

Re: What is everyone using to tow their tinnies?

Good point on the 5000 rpm... Older cars generally produced torque at much lower rpm making towing etc much easier without reving the nuts out of it!!!

I too like the matrix... Almost bought one.

Believe it or not - I had two. An '04 XR (auto tranny) and '05 XRS sporty, 6 speed manual version. I sold the XRS to get the Explorer - which has a ton of torque at low RPMs.