Tow Vehicles???

[Alex Peterson]

I'm curious as to what everyone tow's their boat with and how good that vehicle pulls the boat around. Currently I pull a PT185 around with a 2004 F150( which I absolutely love) and I hardly even notice the boat is beind me. Unfortunately my new house is costing me a little more then I had planned on and I am thinking of selling the truck(as much as I hate to) to get something a couple years old that will save me some money on payment, gas and insurance. I am thinking of an 02-03 Explorer or Blazer but I fish alot so I just don't want to get something that won't pull or stop the boat good. Will anything with a V6 and tow package be just fine for a PT185?? I have even heard that the Toyota Tacoma with the 2.7 4cylinder will pull a 17-18 boat around pretty good and still get 20mpg???

Any thoughts???

Who knows....maybe I will get a GIGANTIC raise and be able to keep my baby.

 

[Jeffrey Durham]

2000 Ford Ranger w/6 cyl and tow package pulls my 1999 Nitro 185 really well. But only 15MPG or less

 

[TrepMan]

Alex - From my perspective and experience (and you'll get all the views you asked for you know!!!) ANY V-6 vehicle with a tow rating of 3000lbs or more will EASILY tow that 185/90hp boat. I have a 175 with a 40hp, and towed it for years with a v-6 wagon (rated at 1750lbs towing capacity) with never having a problem up/down hill or on a ramp. I've also towed it with 2 minivans (all v-6 200hp ones). The V-8 F150 is a bit of an overkill for towing a 2000lb boat, if that is the only reason you wanted/need the truck, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, there are many a day I miss our Ram or S10 for hauling dirty stuff or forgeting to bring the utility trailer. But if the vehicle has a tow rating that is 20-25% above the weight of your boat/trailer and you maintain the vehicle and drive safely you'll do fine. YES, a 4 wheel drive full sized pickup/SUV is IDEAL and as you said "I hardly even notice the boat is beind me" but its a personal choice.



I tow my Tracker with a '03 Kia Sedona V-6 Minivan.

 

[XMYTRUCK XMYTRUCK]

I have a 2002 Xterra and I pull my PT165 just fine and I get around 15mpg, mine only has 170hp the new ones have 245hp I sure they will have no issue with your 185

 

[Teri C.]

I just posted a similar question before I read yours. My boat is a bit heavier than yours but maybe I will pick up some information from your post too. You should have no problems with anything rated to tow 3500 pounds. There are alot of vehicles out there with that rating but I don't think they would do well towing a Triton fish and ski. I may be wrong. You should be fine with your tin. If you want gas mileage and don't have to have a truck, look at Ford Escapes or Jeep Liberties. They get decent mileage and still have some room. Alot of the 2wd trucks get 25 or more with a 4 cylinder.

 

[TrepMan]

Hey Teri - Have you weighed the Triton fully loaded? I've always wondered how much a boat/trailer/gas/gear... REALY weighs, compared to the manufacturers published "package weight" I know a lot depends on the motor, gas, gear...



What i'm getting at is for example Nitro lists the new 189 sport (19'4") as a package weight of 2815lbs. I assume that is with the base 115 motor, so you'd add say 200lbs for a high tech 150 and round it to say 3000lbs. At that weight, yes i'd want a 4000lb capacity vehicle at least. If I had a boat that sized and the cash i'd look at the new Honda Ridgeline!! But again I am like you and mosty buy used vehicles to let someone else take the depreciation hit, but also don't buy ANY new vehicle the first year out.



Trep

 

[Teri C.]

Trep, good question. I really wondered myself just how much my boat weighs. I would estimate (and I am no expert) that my boat loaded up is about 3500lbs. I could be way off (please correct me if someone knows). Funny that you mention the Honda. I love it!!! However, their list price is crazy for a 3.5 liter engine and no equipment. The stripped version is 27K and they go to 32K and then 35K. No thanks. Seeing the Honda flopped with the Passport, I am scared to buy a truck from them.

 

[TrepMan]

Well the Passport and the Ridgeline are 2 different animals. The Passport was just a rebaged Isuzu Rodeo period. The Ridgeline is proven from the Odyessy/MDX/Pilot blood line, and the first UniBody vehicle (I believe) rated over 3800lbs towing capacity (The Magnum with the Hemi is rated for 3800 I believe). Don't know about your area but I drove by the Honda dealer at lunch and all the Ridgelines have stickers on them saying "$2000 below Sticker price" which around here is unheard of on any Honda!! maybe they are having a problem getting "Truck" buyers into the store??

 

[Alex Peterson]

I was wondering about the Passport and Rodeo. I heard that Honda had bought it but I wasn't sure if they had done anything to change it. I guess not, so I'll check the passport off my list of options....

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Alex,



Another consideration in vehicles is the size and ground clearance, in NJ where I mostly fish, there are a lot of lakes that have bad ramps, if you had a smaller truck or SUV can you safely launch the boat and recover it without getting the vehicle to much in the water?



CJL

 

[Mark Jaworski]

Jeep Liberty. 3.7L V6,



NITRO NX750 / 115



No problem. I wouldnt go to much bigger. It has a 5000 lb towing capacity. I got rid of my F150 FX4 Triton V8 due to gasgasgas I drive 100miles a day total to and from work. This was a hard choice but I found this Jeep to have the best towing in its class. Im happy with the MPG



Jaws

 

[TrepMan]

Alex - Yes the Passport was NOTHING but a rebadged Isuzu, just like the old Acura SLX (I think it was called) was just an Isuzu trooper. some rebadging actualy improve the vehicles, the Mazda B series pickup is a ford Ranger with (I think ) a better looking bed!



It's sort of like Saab - The new Saab 92 is a Subaru Impreza with a new front end basicaly, and the new Saab 97 is a trailblazer.



Trep

 

[william Clark]

Don't forget about the stopping end of the deal, even a light boat like my old 14 foot v hull with a 18 hp will give you a push on wet roads. Heavier vehicles are a plus when towing a boat without any brakes.

 

[Brian Miller]

I tow my 16

 

[Jim in VA]

2002 Tracker Pro Team 175 with 40hp ELPTO. I'm guessing about 1800 pounds with gear and full up on gas and oil. Towed with a 2004 AWD Nissan Murano (SUV built on a beefed up Altima frame - tow rating 3500 pounds) and a 2001 Olds Silhouette (minivan equipped with tow package - rated to 3500 pounds). No problems with either tow vehicle, although the Murano handles better than the minivan for towing duty.

 

[joe haley]

I have two explorers with tow packages they do not tow very well they have the high output V6 I went on a 600 mile trip pulling my buddys 19 ft Javelin alot of it was in the mountains and it cooked my tranney fluid so Iwill not even try towing my 929 with them but I love them for transportion



JD

 

[byron cooley]

I tow 640LX / 75 Opti (real close to 2000lb) with a 79 Dodge Magnum when the wife can't be without the 95 Astro. No problem pulling uphill or stopping downhill. The Astro's brakes on the other hand are not the greatest for towing. 4-wheel ABS suck.

 

[chris hidalgo]

i tow my 882 150 hp with a 04' chevy single cab 3.73 gears in rear 2wd i get around 16-18 mpg in tow same with out on the highway 14 in city . the truck stops good thanks to the trailer brakes it actually stops better with the boat i think. no problem pulling my rig at 70mph until i get close to the hills near rayburn or toledo although it hasnt seamed to be a problem until i occur a steep boat ramp truck is a little light when pulling out although if i would have spent alittle more for the 4x4 model their would be no problem with the v6

 

[james hornbaker]

i tow my 98 700lx with a 96 z71.thought it would be a good tow vehicle because of factory oil cooler trasmission cooler,fiberglass drive shaft and posi trac.gas milage is ok but have make sure boat is still back there.wanted something to throw johnboat in and go to those hard to get to ponds too.and byron were did you get led pods for your trailer?

 

[Bill McElroy]

I pull a Ranger Z20 with a 2002 TrailBlazer..inline 6cyl.....pulls like a dream. When I use my wife's TrailBlazer with the V8,...no difference in performance.

 

[David Hunt]

98 Toyota Sienna with a V6 and

a 2000 Subaru Legacy with a 4 banger.

Boat is a 17-18ft pro-deep with a 50hp.

 

[JR F]

I get 15-19 with my new crew cab Chebby Z-71 pulling the monster boat.......21-22 on the highway without a load,,I only have 3,000 miles on It should get better.......JR

 

[JD Johnson]

I tow my 189 Sport with my wifes Yukon when she lets me.

 

[byron cooley]

EOSONE23 --- The Led's came from Ebay for 30.00 a pair with grommets and the correct connectors. Took 3" box tubbing to fill in where the cheep nitro lights were and cut the oval holes for the lights. They turn red when on and are very bright. No more burned or broken bulbs.

 

[Shannon Daves]

I drive a 2004 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, V6/auto 4wd. I like the truck, but not NEARLY as much as my 2002 EXT cab, which was 4wd, V6 BUT a 5 speed. The 4 speed auto shifts WAY too much, even not towing. Wish I would have waited and got the new body style with more power and 6 speed manual.



I tow a PT175. I don't far (usually no more than 10 miles AT MOST each way, usually more like 5 miles one way). I wouldn't want to tow my boat with my Tacoma a long way. I have no doubt it would do it locked out of OD, but it'd drive me crazy.

 

[TrepMan]

Byron - I must be getting old and senile, does your CA plate say "California Porn Trailer"???

 

[byron cooley]

That is funny !! No it says "California Perm Trailer" -- it's what we call perminent trailer Identification (PTI) -- No yearly registration fees. Pay once !! Oh yeah -- sorry the pic is so big. don't know why.

 

[Rick G.]

I use a 2002 Ford Explorer w/ the high output V6, factory tow pkg. and I tow a 1988 Tracker 1800Fs w/ 150hp outboard with no sweat. This is a Ford quote,



"2002 Explorer is designed for greater towing capacities. With the standard Class 2 towing package on models equipped with the V6 or V8 engines, the Explorer has a towing capacity of 1588 kg (3,500 lb.). With a Class 3 or 4 towing package, V6-equipped models can tow up to 2,495 kg (5,500 lb.), and V8-equipped Explorers can tow up to 3,175 kg (7,000 lb.). "



I am not a salesman, construction inspector

 

[al cannia]

I tow a NX750 115 merc ,with my 01 Sport Trac,v6,class 3,went to 3mile lake by Afton Ia today.223 miles round trip and it took 14.75 gallons of fuel,thats a little more than 15mpg,average speed was around 60 mph.

 

[Greg J.]

Towing our PT175 with an '01 F150 SuperCrew, V8.

 

[TrepMan]

Update - I tow my NITRO 700lx 115 Merc with a 2003 Kia Sedona 195hp V6 with factory towing package including auxilliary factory transmission cooler.