Buying a new boat

[craigdritchie]

The issue isn't whether or not the van can tow the boat. The question is, can you tow it without exposing yourself to unexpected risk?

 

By the time you factor in the weight of the boat, the trailer, the outboard, a couple of batteries, other boat gear and maybe half a tank of boat gas, you're going to be very close to hitting that 2,000 pound maximum towing weight - if not over it. Go fish on a rainy day and that carpeted deck will suck up a lot of water, adding even more weight.

 

If the weight of the trailer is approaching the maximum, then you need to look at your vehicle's GVWR, the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. That's the maximum weight the vehicle can accommodate in total, including all passengers, gas in the van, all your cargo plus the weight of the towed boat. If you were to have any kind of accident and be found to be over your GVWR, your insurance is void.

 

Since Chrysler will rate the van to tow 3,800 pounds with a tow package, you should be okay. But make certain you get the tow package from Chrysler, as it may be required to attain a higher GVWR.

 

Just food for thought :-)

Edited June 1, 2011 by Craig_Ritchie

[Chance]

As the saying goes"when all is good all is good but when its not then what do you do?"Well maybe not a saying but just my thoughts.We have all seen the guy in the small car going 50 k over the limit,peeking between the wheel and dash,ball hat sideways,stereo a thumpin.What happens when he darts in front of you on the highway?Do you want to be walking the razors edge or do you want to be able to hit the brakes and slow down comfortably?I am a firm believer in safety overkill and your tow vehicle is your #1 piece of safety equipment.Trust me when I say I have seen the result of things going wrong too many times.

[Banger68]

I've towed my 18' Sylvan w/115 with my 2005 Town & Country w/3.8. The van pulls my boat fairly well, but I feel I'm at the vans safe limit and wouldn't go much heavier if any. My van does have the towing package that consists of a larger tranny cooler, oil cooler, larger rad (extra cooling), and the load leveling rear suspension. And my trailer does have brakes on it.

 

The van weights as much if not more then the small pickups and SUV's so I have never had an issue with it on the highway (tail wagging the dog problem). I've never had a problem on a ramp (knock on wood)but I haven't been on any extreme or bad repair ramps but I seem to do fine when 2wd trucks are spinning. You see the short comings of towing with a van on rough roads and such as it isn't as stiff (sturdy) as a vehicle with frame or 4WD.

 

With that said I've also pulled it with a full size Ram & a Grand Cherokee and it works out much better. They are just not working as hard.

 

Towing a 20' boat will be pushing it to the limit IMHO.

Edited June 3, 2011 by Banger68

[alphaalpha]

I picked up a 19xcaliber this year and I like it (upgraded the motor to a 115hp, max rated for 150). A couple minor issues that I had to get fixed after as the early spring water was too high for them to put it in to water test it when I picked it up.

 

When I first ordered the boat I asked what the total weight of it + trailer and motor would be as I needed to buy a new vehicle to tow. If I remember right the total empty weight of the package was ~2300lbs. Put in a full tank of gas and all your gear (especially if going on a long camping trip or something) and that number goes up fast. When looking I limited my search to SUV's that could tow at least 5000lbs so I wouldn't have a problem. I picked up a 2005 nissan pathfinder and it is rated for 6000, is rear wheel drive with 4x4 also. It has a 4.0L v6 and gets about 14.5L/100km. I have no problems pulling it but you do notice that it is there especially going up large hills. On a hot day going up a big hill on the hwy I wouldn't want to be pulling it with something that is at max towing capacity.

 

As far as breaking goes I don't have too much trouble but I make sure I leave lots of space. I have had to break fairly hard a couple times though and haven't had a problem but it still makes me nervous and I do my best to avoid it.

 

-AA

[doubleheader]

As a kid I remember Dad pulling an 18' boat to Canada up the QEW with a Dodge Dart. Remeber those death traps? I would sit in the back seat praying to God we wouldn't crash as the boat pulled the back end of the car back and forth at highway speed. Point being, yes you can use your mini-van but you will have substantially reduced your margin of safety. I would urge you to consider a tow vehicle or a much smaller boat. Personally I wouldn't pull more than 1500 lbs with a front wheel drive mini-van.

[Wymen]

This towing issue has also been concerning me and I'm still on the fence.

I have mid-size passenger car, but it does have 4 wheel drive and I have concerns if it can tow a 15' or 16' boat /w gear and I'm trying to keep the weight <1200lbs to be safe. Tow rating for my car according to european specs is 2500lbs.. North American specs does not mention a thing... Dealer says a light load should be ok... (whatever that means)

 

Same concerns as what a lot of people have mentioned.

- Tranny & brake wear due to excessive load.

- traction and power when launching

 

IMO short drives vs long trips shouldn't matter. The various parts of your car are still getting damaged. It should be more along the lines of how frequent you plan on towing the boat. If its once in a while, the damage will be minimal. But if its frequent, even short trips will start to show damage.

 

Wymen

[OutdoorDan]

Everyone,

 

Thank you a lot for all the input. From this thread I gather that it's doable, but not exactly a great option or viable long term option to tow the boat with the van. For now I think that I will move on to deciding on the boat specifications, and deal with car issues situationally (meaning either upgrade to another car if/when needed or store the boat where I will be using it). I don't want to make a sacrifice for a smaller boat based on the vehicle as I essentially expect the boat to be a one in a lifetime purchase and want to get it right. I also want to be able to take the boat out on big water (Georgian Bay) comfortably, and fit my family and various equipment depending on time of year. Beyond that: who the hell ever wishes they had a smaller boat?!

 

 

With that said, I have a lot of questions with regard to the boat itself. Mods, is it okay to start a new thread with my boat questions, or should I continue that in this one?

 

Thanks,

 

Dan.

[33825]

Dan,

 

I used to pull my 18' aluminum bowrider with my minivan and yes it can be done, but not safely or efficiently. If you are putting it in the water in the spring and taking it out in the fall then you could manage. However, if you fish (and trailer the boat a lot) by the time you start to see any issues it will be too late. I now have a 6cylinder 4.0L 4x4 and it does not have to work as hard and is awesome at the launch regardless of how shady the conditions are.

 

Keep your hooks sharp!

[Uncle Buck]

Will it pull it? Yes

 

How long will your Motor/Transmission/Suspension/Brakes last is another question...