thinking about towing mac with 2006 hyundai tuscon

[curtis from carlsbad]

I guess I could rent the U-Haul on the evening before a sail.Then try to hyundai around block or up hill at 3am. I could RUN back to house and get U- Haul if something went wrong.( after changing soiled underwear)A little worried about back end of suv lifting off pavement up or down hill(slow speeds).Any one heavy in physics ? hyundai=3500 Lbs. Mac= 3450 barely provisioned.Hyundai about 14 feet long. Thanks

[DaveB]

Back in 1999 I bought a new F150 extented cab with a 6 cylinder 4.2 litter engine and standard trans.
I looked at the bumper and it was stamped 5000#.
It was some 5 yrs later I learned the tow limit was 2000 lbs. This was due to the axal and standard Trans and never would have bought the truck.
Thru the last ten years I have been towing 2 of my other boats (well over 2000#) and past 2 yrs pulling the Mac.X and a few 400 mile round trips to The keys with no problem. I do have a new Tandem trailer that is a lot less strain on the ford and have front surge stainless disk brakes.
The bad news is I keep the boat behind my house and have to swing around the empty lot next door and back it in. My truck has to down a 2-3 ft. swell to line up the parking spot for my boat and puts so much strain on the clutch I burn it up going back over the swell and grass.
A Same engine with auto trans would do much better.
I would never haul my 4500# boat motor and trailer with a V4 and wouldn't recommend it often with a V6 truck. Hauling from steep ramps and over grassy areas backing in would take a great strain on your transmission and engine but on a hard level surface you can move the boat but you killed the Cat to save the mouse.
Dave

Thank for the input everyone. Is the problem that I might get dragged around by Mac in a sudden swerve to avoid someone who stops suddenly in front of me,or total breakaway of vehicle from boat,or just the fact that the vehicle weighs only 100-150 lbs more than mac with trailer (no provisions on my day trips)?Or is everyone concerned that I will toast the engine?Remembr that the 3500 lbs max hitches are frequently made to fit several diffrent vehicles and are often installed on vehicles with lesser rated tow capacities(1000 lbs).Also yes there are street routes that I could take for the entire 7 miles at slow speeds(15-25mph) the whole way.I still am not conviced 100% that this is a bad idea.I please request more responses from the forum members. Sock it to me good or bad and why exactly? Thanks everyone-Curtis Becker.

[davidbagnall]

We use a Mazda Tribute (max 1600KG) and do lots of big trips without issue. I think an important issue that hasn't been brought up yet is your insurance company. At Least in Aus an insurance company will reject any claim if they find out that you are towing more than the official specs of the car. Remember that the towing capacity rating includes everything in your car as well as what you are towing. We put our boat on scales when we first bought it so we know exactly how much stuff we can pack.
I think that weight distribution is even more important if your car is close to its capacity so I always pack our gear carefully.
One other thing to consider is you might have to upgrade the transmission cooling as it might not be able to handle long, hot and hilly trips.

[defrich]

My trailer weighs in at 500 pounds.
My boat and motor ( 26M, 60hp etech ) weigh in at around 3400 pounds.
Together around 2 ton.
I have opted to have a minimum of 25% safety , ( minimum 5000 pound rating ) so I went with 6500 pound capabilities and don't think about it any more.
It has to do with more than just how much power the drive train can deliver and what the braking power is ( though these are truely very important )
It also has to do with the combined stability of the tow vehicle and towed vehicle .
It isn't any fun out there in traffic , worried if you are going to injure or kill someone because your vehicles capabilities are minimumly adequate .
I went with my choice after a bit of study. ( as you will go with yours )
Good luck with what ever you decide.

Blue Skies