Ziki Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 My V6 2001 highlander has a towing capacity of 3000lbs. I am receiving for free a boat that weighs 4-5000 lbs. Obviously in most cases this would be a terrible idea. But i have a very short commute between the only boat launch I will be using and my home ~5km. Because of the short commute I would hope that problems with my tranny overheating would be non existent. The original owner tows the boat with a V6 ford explorer, he has no problems. My concern is for pulling the boat up the ramp. Any experiences? Thanks Ziki
MillerPhoto Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 Those rating are placed on the hitches for a reason.. I was a Accessory Technician for 3 yrs with Van & Truck World.. Seen the results of people trying to overload!! Not pretty... If your guessing a the weight of the boat of nearly 1000lbs difference.. I would recommend going to a local weigh scale to get the true weight of the boat. Another fact is that your Highlander's frame us a UniBody Chassis compared to a Solid C-Channel Chassis on the Ford Explorer. Unibody sheetmetal is about 1/8 of the thinkness of the Explorer Frame... Also the Highlander Chassis is auctually a altered Camry Chassis. Find a old soild frame truck for a couple hundred bucks and just have it for hauling the boat back and forth.. will save you thousands in having the rear chassis replaced after the boat riping it apart.. Big difference from hauling a overload on the road, flat even surface.. compared to hauling at a incline on a ramp.
Jer Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 I would also be concerned about stopping that puppy, especially in an emergency. Tow capacity ratings also take the brakes into consideration.
Fisherman Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 Not to forget that the boat/trailer would outweigh the tow vehicle, not a good idea. Any brakes on the trailer?
Billy Bob Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 For the 5km trip I wouldn't worry about it or even give it a second thought and you will not have a problem at the launch ramp. Believe me I am definitely one that believes in a larger tow (I have a Toyota Tundra) vehicle then necessary but that's for long hauling. For what you are doing, relax and go fishing. When I was younger I owned a 1980 Ford Pinto Wagon and towed my boat from my cottage to the State Launch on Chautauqua Lake for YEARS but it also was only about 3-4 miles down the road and never had a problem at the launch ramp. BTW that Pinto was powered by a 4 cylinder 2.3 L engine........ Your going such a short distance your motor or tranny doesn't have a chance to over heat...... Now Go Catch a Fish, Bob
lookinforwalleye Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 There are a lot of people towing with vehicles that have no business towing, I saw a guy once towing a 17 foot Crestliner with a Mazda 3. You`ll get lots of people hear telling you they towed their 20 foot bass boat with a Civic for years with no problems.
justin elia Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) Your true concern should be below, not whether you can bring the boat up the ramp. 1-get into an accident, you may be charged with careless driving 2-insurance may not cover if there is any damage to the boat or truck eg. trying to pull the boat up a ramp and truck gets sucked down 3-your brakes arent ment for that weight, you could easily get pushed through an intersection Safety should take precedence. Edited June 23, 2009 by justin elia
Garnet Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 Get the biggest Transmission cooler available and drive careful. Garnet
Fish4Eyes Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) I towed my boat for 2 years with my 1992 1.8L 4 cylinder jetta. My boat/trailer were about 1000lbs and with my camping gear I would be holding up traffic goin up some of the hills going up north. It was funny at the time, but very unsafe. Without the gear it was not too bad but the braking was the main concern. I think that with your car you should be ok, as long as the hitch is a class 3. As for having difficulty at the ramp, it should be ok. Try using a low gear. I have pulled my boat out of sand launches with my jetta. Edited June 23, 2009 by Fish4Eyes
SBCregal Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 if you're looking for real world experience with people towing things they shouldnt be, sit on the side of the 400 on a long weekend.
DanD Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 I would be looking at the legal aspects of towing this boat rather then whether the Highlander physically could or not. If the MTO spots you, or even a cop; that knows what he’s looking at; you’re not going fishing that day. The MTO cannot normally pull over a passenger vehicle; unless it’s an authorized safety blitz from the Minister of transportation. But as soon as you hang a trailer on the back of that passenger vehicle; you’re fair game to them. If you’ve ever been pulled over by a cop and they decide to do a tire kicking safety; that aint nothing compared to what the MTO is going to put you through. Borrow, rent or buy a proper tow vehicle; your wallet will thank you. Dan.
Joey Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 If you even have to ask the question, you know it's not a good idea. Would it be worth it if you rear end a family and kill them because you can't stop your vehicle? I think not.
Nemo Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) You may also want to read this article on safe towing...Good read for anyone who tows. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/t...wing-safety.htm Edited June 23, 2009 by Nemo
wvmedic Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 millerphoto is right on, get you’re self an old truck for a couple hundred bucks and use it as a dedicated tow vehicle. You will be far better doing it this way, and then no need to worry about damaging you’re daily driver and costing you money in repairs and possibly lost time at work because you’re car wont run. But to answer you’re question, you might be able to tow the boat and retrieve it at the launch but you will need to be in 4 low. You will though have no margin for error, you’re highlanders curb weight is 1760 kg = 3880 lb. horse power 220 with 222 ft-lb. torque. So the boat even at 4,000 out weighs you’re tow vehicle, you again could probably do it. But it would not be very safe, and not worth the risk of injure to you’re self or others not to mention the possible damage to you’re daily driver. BTW yes I have towed stuff that I should never have, but I was young and wasn't using my head. Jeff.
Fish4Eyes Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 My 1996 4runner only has like 180hp and 200ish ft/lb of torque and its rated to tow 5000lbs, yet I can really feel my 1000lb boat, both when I accelerate and brake, go figure. It would have a real hard time towing 5000lb, so why is it rated to tow it?
johnnyb Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 If you knowingly tow something over capacity, you are in for a heap of trouble if something should happen...I wonder if insurance would even cover you? Tough call when you're so close to the launch, but, not a tough call when you think of the possible repercussions. Perhaps someone at the launch facility would be happy to do it for you in exchange for....a few bucks? A few fillets? A few 6-packs? Just thinkin' out loud..
Whitespinnerbait Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 I would also be concerned about stopping that puppy, especially in an emergency. Tow capacity ratings also take the brakes into consideration.
BITEME Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 I would think that you could run into problems with the MOT pulling you over and tearing you a new one not sure on that though you should check it out. All enforcment agencies are going to be blitzing towed vehicles this year and will have little sympathy Just a thought not a boat but same idea ministry pulled 18 trucks over somewhere out in the west end the other day They pulled 13 of the 18 off the road
Billy Bob Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 Forget the idea that your boat out weighs your tow vehicle. SO WHAT......My Tundra weighs 5300 lbs and I can tow up to 10,800 lbs as listed by Toyota.....that's more than TWICE the weight of my tow vehicle. And if you can get yourself a truck to tow it for only a couple of hundred bucks that's road worthy send some down here. Again, for the VERY SHORT distance I wouldn't worry about it but if you want you can always add brakes to the boat trailer if it's not already equipped.
MillerPhoto Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 Forget the idea that your boat out weighs your tow vehicle. SO WHAT......My Tundra weighs 5300 lbs and I can tow up to 10,800 lbs as listed by Toyota.....that's more than TWICE the weight of my tow vehicle. And if you can get yourself a truck to tow it for only a couple of hundred bucks that's road worthy send some down here. Again, for the VERY SHORT distance I wouldn't worry about it but if you want you can always add brakes to the boat trailer if it's not already equipped. Thing is with hauling that much weight, which is what Toyta Reccomends... You should read the fine print where it says that its using proper trailering equipment.. Such as trailer brakes! Look around.. you will find older early 80's trucks that you can pick up for about 500.. you might put 2-300 into them. but they are easy to maintain, and cheap to repair. And will haul that boat safely
wvmedic Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 Again I agree with miller photo. Billy Bob, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. When I was 19 y/o I went to work for a wrecker company and drove for them over the next six years, I started out on the small stuff running 1 tons. I had experience with bigger stuff, I had been with my uncle and step-dad all over the united states running 18 wheelers since I was 8 y/o. As I got older I started helping out with the driving ect., so I soon moved up to they heavy hauling. I had a crew out on a service call near Thanks Giving for a semi hauling a load of frozen turkeys that had broken down, turns out the injector pump or something with the fuel system was out and we couldn’t fix it. So they radioed back and advised the dispatcher of such and that the truck was going to need a tow, well the owner of the company was there and told me to go tow it. The tandem axel Mack I normally drive was broke down, so he says take the GMC and see what you can do. I told him there is no way the GMC is going to pull that combo, the GMC was a C40 but the owner being greedy and a little on the shady side made me go. I got there and hooked up to the combo because the driver wouldn’t drop the trailer, and pulled the whole thing 10 miles to a service center. The truck driver wouldn’t ride with me he said I was crazy, he was correct. I was a twenty something hot headed guy that my boss had just made madder than fire, so I did something I shouldn’t have just because I could. So just because you can it doesn’t mean you should. The cost of an old truck v/s the liability and the possible damage to his daily driver is cheap insurance. Jeff.
craigdritchie Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 Your true concern should be below, not whether you can bring the boat up the ramp.1-get into an accident, you may be charged with careless driving 2-insurance may not cover if there is any damage to the boat or truck eg. trying to pull the boat up a ramp and truck gets sucked down 3-your brakes arent ment for that weight, you could easily get pushed through an intersection Safety should take precedence. 1. A careless driving charge would be the least of your problems. Driving overweight means a good chance of being charged with reckless endangerment. That's a criminal charge. Say buh-bye to your driver's license, and hello to 12 to 18 months in the Crowbar Hotel. Hope you like your new husband. 2. Get into an accident towing overweight and your insurance company won't cover you - end of discussion. Hope you have a solid credit to cover the damages, plus any medical bills. Oh, and have fun in court with the inevitable lawsuit that will result. 3. Brakes can only stop what they're designed to. Absolutely agree with Miller Photo - buy a cheap beater that can haul the boat safely.
Joey Posted June 23, 2009 Report Posted June 23, 2009 yes but insurance on another truck? It will be cheaper than the liability you will be paying for the rest of your life when you're insurance company won't cover you!!!
Ziki Posted June 23, 2009 Author Report Posted June 23, 2009 Guess some here missed the part about real world experience and went on to reply with unrealistic catastrophic scenarios. Thank you miller photo as your expertise was exactly what I was looking for. Its not worth risking my vehicle, or the safety of others. Thanks!
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