New boat / tow vehicle?

[Teri C.]

I really put alot of thought into this boat purchase and it should be arriving today. I decided the best all around boat for me was another fish and ski. This decision became much easier when I got into the WBT as a coangler. I really love the versitility of the fish and ski and I like using my boat for more than just fishing. This will also enable me to sell my jet ski which I purchased when I bought the Nitro bass boat. The chances of me ever going pro are about none so I decide a tournament type boat was not necessary and I needed to get the best overall boat for me.



So, arriving today is a 2006 Ranger Reata 180 with a 4stroke 150hp Suzuki. I think I got a great deal on this boat and I can't wait to get it on the water.



Now, here is my problem. I have a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (4dr) Rubicon. It's tow rating is 3500lbs which would have been plenty for my Nitro 750. This Ranger has a hull weight of 1650lbs. The motor weighs about 500lbs and I am not sure about the trailer. The trailer does have brakes which should help; however, I am unsure of the total package weight all loaded up. I am guessing I would be up to 2800-3000lbs.



Wranglers are not known as tow vehicles and judging from how slow it is just daily driving, I can't see this working out. To the ramp and back would be no issue but driving 4 hours to my cabin or driving to prefish some of the lakes, I have a sick feeling that this Jeep won't cut it.



For once, I really don't want to sell my car. I really like it but I don't want 2 cars for maintanence and insurance right now. I will already be paying to store my boat. I could buy a $5000 cheap tow vehicle but reliability to me is VERY important. I will be taking this boat on several trips and I don't want to break down.



Thoughts on the Jeep as a tow vehicle? Am I worrying too much???

 

[Marty Klein]

I'm hesitant to answer as you will probably have a new tow vehicle before I hit "post."



I've never been a proponent of pulling a load equal to the tow vehicle's maximum rating. I believe one should have @ 1000 lbs to spare, minimum. In my mind the vehicle needs to manhandle the load, not be in a tug of war.



If one was just towing back and forth to the local lake, I might recant ... but for serious road travel ... upgrade.



ps: Contact mac for a deal.

 

[Jim in VA]

Teri - good thinking on whether your vehicle is up to the task or not. Given the tow rating and the fact that your Jeep is rated to 3,500, why don't you try a few short test trips with the rig? You should find out pretty quickly whether the Jeep is up to the task or not. Keep in mind its not just the starting and stopping, but the overall handling as well. By doing a few short test runs, you'll soon have more information on whether or not you feel comfortable towing with the Jeep.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Sounds like a Tahoe is in your future. If it is going to be your main vehicle, I would talk to Mac Daddy and get the discount on one with the new FMS. They are fine vehicles and now is the time to buy!! My jeep is a commuter vehicle only. I pull a utility trailer and my small boat/trailer. I used to pull an old pop-up with my small boat strapped to the top but it was only going about 40 miles one-way. I could tell the load was back there. Even if your jeep would pull it, you would tear it to pieces over time. Maxing out your towing ability also maxes out the wear and tear. Get a new SUV properly equipped and don't look back. Get it in time to come to MVM land and bring the new ride!! What a way to break it in!! :lol:



TOXIC

 

[Teri C.]

LOL @ Marty. I know my history is not good but for once I really love the vehicle I have. Go figure!



I know my Jeep is not going to cut it. It makes me ill to think about selling it, never really had that feeling before. Alot of my trips have mountains or are very hilly. Driving back from NC, I went thru the mountains and the Jeep w/o anything behind it struggled to stay at 65-70mph. My other vehicles did 75-80 no problem. It's just a slow minivan engine which is fine for what it was intended to do.



Toxic, I really can't afford to buy a new vehicle right now. I just dumped the cash for the boat which I could sell for a profit tomorrow and I need something to do if I get laid off. Ha! I am still worried about layoffs, had several more last week. I would like to stay under $20K and a new Tahoe is just not in that range. Ugh!

 

[Brian Ingersoll]

For $20K you could get get a 1 year old full size SUV. I bought my wife a year old Expedition with 17K miles for $20,400 last year. It came with a 100K mile powertrain warranty.

I know its not GM Mac, but still American

 

[Teri C.]

I really can't see myself in a truck. So it's probably going to be something like a Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee or Commander, etc. The days of my buying a 35k SUV are over. No more BMW, Mercedes, etc. I like the Tahoes but they are generally expensive.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Teri,



Look at a few used Ford Expeditions.... Even ones down in the 2003/2004 range. If the mileage is under 100,000 you can find some in very good condition. You might want to just do the "tow vehicle" thing and keep the Jeep as a daily driver. The Expedition is big enough to hold up as a tow vehicle for your boat and has the brakes to stop it.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

And.....coming from someone who towed with an explorer......step up to the expy. Word!!:lol:



TOXIC

 

[Tim Koepp]

A "little pricy" but should pull whatevery you want, easily. even in the mountains
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...QQitemZ280318973833QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars

 

[Tom Jones]

Teri,

Man, that was fast on the new boat! Living in Murfreesboro, I thought you could take me out on Priest sometime this year, but then I saw you sold your boat and joined the "pros", so I might have to give up on that. Haven't seen you since the Moors Kentucky Lake tourny. Hope to see you soon! Good luck with the women's tour, new boat, and new SUV!

BTW, I know you might get typer cramp, but you need to update your members profile about your new boats when you get one

Tom

 

[Teri C.]

LOL @ Tom.



I wondered what happened to you. Glad to see you around. We will definitely make time for Priest this year. I will be your personal guide. The temps warmed up last week to the mid 50's so the bite is just around the corner!

 

[Mini]

I have said it once and I will say it again.



Get a Tahoe or Yukon. GREAT used buyers market right now.

 

[Teri C.]

Yes, Mini, you have told me that and thanks for telling me that again. I need someone to make decisions for me.

 

[Mike Newman]

I am in the process of dumping my 2002 Grand Cherokee for either a 2001-2003 Tahoe/Suburban with less than 75k miles. There are plenty around my area(south/central Illinois)that are less than $20,000. My wife drives a 2000 Suburban which I just borrowed and rolled over 168,000 in miles during my trip to Lake Fork Texas last week and it is still going strong. Plus it has the most comfortable seats I have ever had in any vehicle. It seems that as I get older the seats/comfort seem to win out along with 200,000 mile reliability. I usually buy around 50k miles and then drive to 200+. This is my third jeep in a row and the only one that I will not keep until 200k miles because the general reliability of it stinks. It tows my PT175 just fine, but cannot handle our deckboat for more than a short haul to the local lake (4 miles).

 

[Tim King]

So did you buy anything yet?!?!?!

 

[Texas Transplant]

Get something that will keep you confident, pulling your boat. I'm not a 'Jeep' man, so if it were me . . . .



Best of luck.



Tex

 

[Marty Klein]

As fast as she operates, I figure she bought something already and has even replaced it as well--:lol::wacko::lol::wacko::lol:



Saw a beautiful 05 Tahoe on our local GM lot for under $16K. Teri is in the market at the right time.



The key to buying at this time is to be relatively patient and be willing to take advantage on someone when they are down and out--read that desperate.

 

[Rich Stern]

Stick with the Jeep for now. Try it, see how it does. That tow rating looks awfully conservative, based on the construction of the vehicle. Your vehicle has a steel frame and a beefed up suspension. Unibody cars and SUVs with far less sturdy towing structure are often rated for 3500 pounds, and are nowhere near as stout as your Jeep. And, if I'm not mistaken, I think your Jeep has stability control software onboard, which makes it even safer as a tow platform.



I'm also pretty sure that 3.8 V6 in your jeep is the same one that's been used in the Chysler minivans for the last billion years. No, it won't feel quick with the boat behind it, but, as an old-technology push rod motor, it does have good low end pulling power and is reliable, even when heavily taxed.



I think you're in better shape for towing your new boat than you realize.

 

[Tim Koepp]

chances are you could tweek the computer in the jeep, too.

 

[Teri C.]

Mr. Stern, that's EXACTLY what I needed to hear. I already decided to give the Jeep a chance. I do NOT want to sell it. I also don't want to tear it up, the transmission. I really love it! I think it will do fine but I do worry about longer trips that are hilly with mountains. I suppose I will see how it goes. I already installed a Jet Stage 1 Performance module which adds a little more HP and torque. I have noticed a big difference up hills and at highway speeds. I'm just glad to hear someone say it's up to the job. Give Jeep a chance!

 

[TrepMan]

Teri - Did you have an additional trany cooler to the Jeep?



I'll drag race ya with our boats hooked up!!! LOL

 

[Tim Koepp]

"all we are saying, is give jeep a chance" thats funny.



I think you will do fine towing, just be extra cautious braking.



In addition to the performance chip, if you havent already, you might look into other bolt on options. I am personally a bit perplexed on the high performance Air filters like K&N. even their own performance graphs show that the major performance gains are realized in RPM levels I dont really want to regularly take my "daily driver". (above 4K)

but its worth investigating.

 

[Rick Hale]

Terri-Congrats on the new ride- Having a "tranny cooler" installed on your jeep is a good idea. They are not that $$$$ to have installed. I think I paid about $200 and they also service the tranny (changed fluid),

It can save you lots of $$$ later on.



Enjoy your new boat



Rick

 

[Teri C.]

Holy crap! I towed on the Ranger on the interstate yesterday between 60-70mph. That puppy was swaying all over the place. It would straighten momentarily then I would hit a bump or rough payment and it would start wagging again. There is no way I would have any kind of control in an emergency situation. The Jeep does fine around town with the boat but the interstate is a whole different story. Ugh!

 

[Mini]

That is probably more of an indication that the tongue weight on the trailer is wrong.



I am still not too excited about towing that with your jeep, but sway is usually a problem with weigh on the trailer.



Was the boat fully loaded with gear? If not, the towing performance will probably change once you start adding gear to the boat.



As a general rule, your tongue weight should be 10% of your overall trailer/boat combination.



Many places to read up on it on the net. Search tongue weight or proper trailering.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Make sure your tongue is level and check the tongue weight at the ball as well. properly balanced you shouldn't have the tail wagging the dog......



TOXIC

 

[Teri C.]

If anything, the height of the tongue is just above level. There was no gear in the boat at all. It does have about 3/4 tank of gas. So are you saying I am top heavy? Never heard that before.



What do I do to fix it? I have another hitch that could lower it about 2 inches and might make it more level. I am guessing you are saying I need to add more weight in the back of the boat?

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Needs to be neutral. I don't know what the suggested tongue weight is for that boat but getting the hitch level is a start. The short wheelbase of the jeep makes it all the more important. Make sure your tires are aired up to max cold pressure as well.



TOXIC

 

[Mini]

Ideally your ball should be 18" off the ground (Ranger's numbers).



Then you need to make sure when your tongue is level that it is 10-20% of the total weight of the trailer and its contents (boat, motor, gas, gear, etc)



If you add weight to the back of the boat, you will be lowering the tongue weight. You want tongue weight as my guess with nothing in the boat and 3/4 of a tank you were light on the tongue.



Put yours tuff in it and take to a scale to weigh the boat and trailer. Musltiply that number by .15 and that would be your goal.



Now you need to weigh your tongue weight. Most of the time you can use a heavy bathroom scale, but I would opt for an industrial scale. Find someone that has one. Use a saw horse (or some suitable contraption) that is 18" off the ground and place that on the scale. Note the weight. Now unhook your boat and place the tongue above the saw horse. Lower your tongue jack until the tongue makes contact with the saw horse. Note the weight, subtract the weight of the saw horse. Now you have your tongue weight.



If your tongue weight is 10-20% of your total boat and trailer weight (make sure ALL of your stuff is in the boat) then you are in range. If you are light, move your bow stanchion towards the bow (this INCREASING the weight). If you are heavy, move the bow stanchion towards the rear. Be careful to not allow the hull to hang over the trailer bunks at all. If it does you will probably end up with a hook in your hull (another problem to avaoid).



If you have any difficulty I would call a Ranger dealer and have them set it up. They should be willing to work with you on this. If you need to know where the closest authorized Ranger dealer is check at www.rangerboats.com.



Good luck.



Of course you can call me and I can be more descriptive on how this process works.



Mini