Towing Concerns

[huey graphite]

I recently sold my wife's Ford Windstar (thank god). We've replaced it with a more economical vehicle, a 2003 Saturn Ion 5 speed (130hp).

 

My vehicle is a 2000 Saturn SL1 automatic. (115hp)

 

I own a 14' Lund Rebel with a 15hp Yamaha. The boat wieght (I think) is 650lbs. The motor is 115lbs. I'm not sure about the trailer.

 

I've checked the towing capacity of both vehicles and they are rated at 1000lbs.

 

My wife would prefer (translates to insists) on not having a hitch on her car.

 

Any opinions?

[Raf]

I wouldn't do it unless I had to and if I had to I'd use the 5spd.

[tonyb]

You may want to consider a transmission and oil cooler if you plan on towing long distance with it (So I've heard anyway when towing with small engines)

 

Tony

[misfish]

Beef up the rear suspention while yer at it as well. Heavy shock should do the job. Good call on the tranny and oil cooler Tony.

 

 

Hell,get yerself a truck.

Edited March 9, 2007 by misfish

[lovetofish]

Yep, putting a transmission oil cooler on my Caravan before i start towing my boat too! Personally i would prefer the automatic, just for the ease of launching the boat. Taking the boat out of the water is pretty hard on the clutch and can be difficult to do at the same time. I would recommend anyone who isn't using an SUV or a truck to put a transmission cooler as well.

 

lovetofish

Edited March 9, 2007 by lovetofish

[Mike the Pike]

Not to worry you can tow that no problem that is not alot of weight for your boat .Yes a transmission cooler would be better.You could pull that boat with a small 4 cylinder car.Once in a while you see the odd dipstick towing a 1500lb tent trailer with a small civic or Corolla thats a no no.But don't worry you are pulling 1/3 the weight.As for reinforcing the rear end of the vehicule give me a break.Not much tongue weight on a 14 foot boat trailer.

 

Just put the hitch on and GO

[lookinforwalleye]

Sure the 4 bagger will tow a 1000 lbs. might get kind of interesting on those steep slippery ramps though.

[Dutch]

You will be fine, just don't over-do it.

 

My Uncle towed a 17' Stratos with a 90HP Merc for more years than I can remember with a 4 clyinder K-Car station wagon no less. Was a tournament fisherman too. Towed it all the way from Alabama where he bought it from with the same car.

 

I can remember pulling that boat out at the launch at Keene, gravel launch, and having to sit on the hood on the Drivers side to get the thing out. Sure, he sent that car to the wreckers, but probably after at least 12 good years of service.

 

Don't worry about it, hitch it on and get 'er done!

[nel]

Don't know about towing, but I have the same car (ion). You should check that the headlights have been fixed, because there was a recall on them.

[lookinforwalleye]

You will be fine, just don't over-do it.

 

My Uncle towed a 17' Stratos with a 90HP Merc for more years than I can remember with a 4 clyinder K-Car station wagon no less. Was a tournament fisherman too. Towed it all the way from Alabama where he bought it from with the same car.

 

I can remember pulling that boat out at the launch at Keene, gravel launch, and having to sit on the hood on the Drivers side to get the thing out. Sure, he sent that car to the wreckers, but probably after at least 12 good years of service.

 

Don't worry about it, hitch it on and get 'er done!

 

I used to have a 4 cylinder K-car many moons ago and when i loaded that POS down with the kids and the camping gear it would hardly move especially uphill and trying to stop it going downhill was an adventure and if memory serves I think i even popped a couple of wheelies driving with all that weight.

I can`t imagine someone pulling that kind of weight with a K Car amazing he wasn`t killed in an accident.

[huey graphite]

Don't know about towing, but I have the same car (ion). You should check that the headlights have been fixed, because there was a recall on them.

 

 

Thanks Nel. I just got it 2 weeks ago and intend to follow up on recalls.

 

Most likely it will be used to tow within 100kms about a dozen times each year and hopefully at least one longer trip (300-500kms).

 

Thanks to everyone else for your opinions. Now I just have to make a decision.

 

My friends say I'm indecisive, but I'm not so sure.

Edited March 10, 2007 by huey graphite

[Greencoachdog]

I see this question asked alot on here... "will my vehicle pull this load?"... when they really need to be thnking "will my vehicle STOP this load?"

 

Stopping a load with a small vehicle can be very dangerous in the wrong conditions... just a little rain and a little too much spped and you're an accident waiting to happen!

Throw a little ice into the picture and the danger increases drastically!

Panic stops are never good in any conditions.

The brakes on a small car are made for stopping... a small car!

 

Just something to think about.

[taper]

Listen to GCD . It's not always what you can do but what you should do.

[cisco]

No probs. You in the car with three 200lb guys and some crap in the trunk is about the same weight to stop as you alone towing the boat. Just drive carefully and don't do something foolish in bad weather. My opinion.

[express168]

But add you, a couple of guys , a weekends worth of gear and supplies and towing the boat and now I think you are overloaded. It is your decision but in my opinion you should have something a little larger, like a minivan or small Suv to be on the safer side. Anything could pull that boat and trailer but what about extra people and gear and what type of strain do you put on the vehicle. Just my opinion.

[cisco]

Maybe someone here knows..... towing capacity is with anyone in the vehicle, or towing with just a driver? The variance is kinda significant between the two.

[lookinforwalleye]

Towing capacity is just what it means "Towing" what your pulling,the weight of the boat+trailer+motor+batteries,gas tank,tackle boxes,rods,reels etc.etc.

[express168]

Towing capacity is just what it means "Towing" what your pulling,the weight of the boat+trailer+motor+batteries,gas tank,tackle boxes,rods,reels etc.etc.

And don't forget the heavy part "THE BEER"!

Edited March 11, 2007 by express168

[tinbanger]

Towing capacity also includes all weight in vehicle driver+passengers+gear+fuel ....+BEER!

TB

[lookinforwalleye]

Towing capacity also includes all weight in vehicle driver+passengers+gear+fuel ....+BEER!

TB

 

So what you are saying is if you have a car with a 1000 lbs. towing capacity and you have 1000 lbs. in people and cargo in your car that effectively your towing capacity drops to zero?

[Fisherman]

Yes, most of the time towing capacity is listed as an empty vehicle with one 150lb driver, so if you add boat, motor, trailer, fishing equipment and boating equipment, add one or two guys, he will be well beyond the limit. He listed the boat and motor at 765lbs + trailer(300 lbs), he's over. So, like GCG said, stopping is far more important than the capability of getting going. He might drive like a normal person, but it can be the other idiot on the road than can force evasive action and cause a crash. So when that happens, who will pay for his repairs, the people here that advocate he's good to go, I really doubt it, they'll be the first to slink away and hide.

[pikehunter]

I do agree to believe this is correct.

 

Towing capacity also includes all weight in vehicle driver+passengers+gear+fuel ....+BEER!

TB

 

Add it all up and you'll be amazed at how little capacity we really do have with our cars. I was considering a PT Cruiser or the new Dodge Caliber (this would have been the 1st Chrysler product for me since my dreadful 1976 Royal Monaco ). Then I read about the carrying capacities and was disappointed with my finding.

[Chris]

I used to have a 14' fiberglass with a 20hp loaded down with gear the package was approx. 750lbs. I had the boat for 14 years and towed it with two cars an '87 Dodge Omni and a '91 Plymouth Sundance. Never installed a tranny cooler in either, no beefed up suspension, no nothing. Never had one problem towing and on top of tons of local trips, we made 5 trips to Georgian Bay (approx. 1000km both ways) over 5 years with the Sundance. My wife and I towed the boat from the Ottawa area to Buckhorn lake with camping gear, fishing gear, food, booze, you name it and never had one problem. Can't remeber what the towing capacity on the Omni was but the Sundance was rated at 1000lbs. The Sundance had over 270,000km when I sold it and the guy who bought it from me drove it another 4 years. Never once had a problem pulling the boat out of the water or on boat launches.

[express168]

Don't forget , on the extreme end of things that if you are involved in an accident and injure somebody and it is determined you were overweight you can be charged under the Highway Traffic Act and they will have a hey day when they sue you for injury and damages . Weight loads apply to our vehicles as well ,not just commercial vehicles. Like I said this is the extreme but it is another way to look at it.

[Garyv]

Your car will pull it but the two important questions that have to be considered/answered is for how long ( especially with others in the vehicle ) and more importantly, as others have mentioned, how safe will it be with you vehicles braking system.