Tow Vehicle List

[hart]

2006
Honda
Ridgeline
Automatic
4WD
no suspension mods/stock
5000 lbs tow rating

Comments: The Ridge tows the X beautifully, especially after putting radial tires on the trailer. One unique looking vehicle towing another appeals to me. It sucks down the gas mileage though. Towing around the southeast I get 9 or 10 mpg while dragging the X.


Wind Song 019 by Brian Hart, on Flickr

[NiceAft]

We finally decided on the Envoy's replacement. We bought a 2011 AWD GMC Acadia last week, and we pick it up today.

We needed something that not only could pull Nice Aft,but also hold a lot of gear, and, when needed, carry seven or eight persons ( we are expecting our first grandchild in February). I had to settle on the seven passenger version.

In the Spring,it should be something to see a white SUV pulling a white sailboat. Maybe I'll paint some black stripes on the Acadia to make it look like a twin to Nice Aft


Ray

[Québec 1]

Thousands of miles of smooth 2 finger steering with this rig.

The secret of my success. A heavy front wheel drive Buick with a Wiiide wheel base and a low profile with an indestructible and economical 380 V6 by GM , new cargo coils on the back, new shocks all around, a transmission cooler, type 3 hitch. Special load Cargo tires,surge brakes and bearing buddies on the trailer. I check my tires and the temperature of my trailer hubs every time I stop for gas, I maintain a correct weight on my hitch (300-350lbs), I do not strap the aft end of the boat to the trailer to reduce the stress on the tires when I am on bumpy roads. I rarely drive faster than 60 miles an hour and I always drive in 3rd gear. I carry a spare and an old fashioned wheel nut wrench for the trailer tires.
Q1

[The Mutt]

proving the point that a Mac is a blue water boat of course...

or white hulls travel further?

Glenn

[DaveB]

Brian, I have always been a Ford Buyer. My best towing was a stock F150 4x4 with the inline 6 cylinder, think 300cdi. 5 manual trans.22 years ago, Hauled my heavy walkaround power boat that weighed 5600 lbs includeing Trailer and all gear inside when I moved to FL. from Cape Cod, a 1850 mile trip with no problems.
I am going to buy a new truck in next 2 years and will be watching this 3.7 litter. My friend already pulls his Hunter 23 with a Dodge 3.7 V6.(weight is close to the MacX) I been pulling mine with total weight of 4500 lbs with the 1999 Ford 4.2 v6 Standard trans. rated at 2000 tow(yes 2000 lbs) for past 2 years. A automatic is rated at 5100 lbs and I didn't know it at the time I bought mine..bumper says 5000lbs.
Always ck the paper work for correct towing.
Dave

Hey Dave!

Waiting to see how the new Ford 3.7 litter with 6100 tow on the F150 turns out.

Me too! And the 3.5 litre V6 as well, which has more hp and torque than the V8 (and measured at lower rpms, and lower altitude ) and has a higher towing capacity, and better MPG too. I've been watching this engine in the previous year's Flex and Lincoln MKT. Big strides in the technology lately - something the automakers themselves were telling us (or the government at least) just a few years ago couldn't be done. (As we all point our fingers at them and say "see, I told you so" ). Actually, some of this technology already existed in Europe.

This engine is the "Swiss army knife" of engines (power to tow when you need it, good mpg when you don't), which I think would be most appropriate to use to tow the "Swiss army knife" of sailboats.

Regards- Brian.

[DaveB]

Blue color but never a Blue Water Cruiser.

proving the point that a Mac is a blue water boat of course...

[verena]

year 1998
make Toyota
model 4Runner
auto/man trans manual trans
2 or 4 wheel drive 4 wheel drive
suspention mods none
Manufacture tow rating 5000#

150,000+ miles
Very happy with it!



S/V Webfoot
http://www.pacificsailors.com
http://www.galleyswap.com

[seahouse]

Hi Dave --

Interesting, so the rest of the vehicle must be built to the higher rating, (to accommodate the auto's capacity) but not the manual tranny's. That is a considerable difference in rating. Would that happen to be a Getrag transmission? (Getrags were used in BMW's as well as Fords). I know of a car from that period (2000) where the manual was available only on the V6 and not the V8 - reason being that the manual was not made for the power output of the V8.

So, really, now the life of the tranny depends on how good you are with it!

Or, at least, if it holds up you can take the credit for it personally!

-Brian.

[Catigale]

Without getting into a total thread rehash, i think daves numbers on tow ratings underscore the fact that the "tow rating numbers" are more marketing tools than engineering analyses.

[Highlander]

Well me being poor folk I guess I'll just have to stay with my 96 Ford Ranger


Now if I win the lottery a nice new white Ford supercrew F-150 4X4 would be nice

Dave check your trks payload cap. the manual trans is usualy lower so it will also have lighter suspension & may not have any sway bars or just have one on the front axle

J

[Québec 1]

Well me being poor folk I guess I'll just have to stay with my 96 Ford Ranger


Now if I win the lottery a nice Ford supercrew F-150 4X4 would be nice

Dave check your trks payload cap. the manual trans is usualy lower so it will also have lighter suspension & may not have any sway bars or just have one on the front axle

J

John
Hope your rich enough to welcome me to your place next year! If you think hauling your well rigged slow white hulled boat to Quebec was expensive wait till I visit you...ask Ray he's still paying for my over night stay last spring.
Q1

[Highlander]

Ray

What am I infor hear !!!

J

Q1
Your always welcome Bertrand looking forward to that , their's always room for one more so next yr we could make it a four some !!


J
PS that would be two white hulls against two very slow BLUE HULL'S & ya know the white hulls are 3ft & 4ft longer respectfully so not only are the white hulls faster their BIGGER

[NiceAft]

John,

Someday the Admiral and I will make it there. and I'll bring the scotch. Not Monkey Shoulder The tow beast will be my new Acadia.

Ray

[Québec 1]

Ray

What am I infor hear !!!

J

Q1
Your always welcome Bertrand looking forward to that , their's always room for one more so next yr we could make it a four some !!


J
PS that would be two white hulls against two very slow BLUE HULL'S & ya know the white hulls are 3ft & 4ft longer respectfully so not only are the white hulls faster their BIGGER

Oh boy , that slip looks ready for me alright. The longer thus heavier white hulls will obviously eat my blue hulled wake so I'm not worried.
Q1

[seahouse]

Hi Catigale!

Without getting into a total thread rehash, i think daves numbers on tow ratings underscore the fact that the "tow rating numbers" are more marketing tools than engineering analyses.

LOL! – Yeah – on a whim the marketing guys moved the tow rating from 2000 to 5100 pounds!

That doesn’t make sense, and if it doesn’t make sense, then it’s not true.

The source of discordance among manufacture’s ratings is that they each choose a different set of test and measurement standards that show their own vehicles to be the best. The engineering and measurements are still done, they have to be; to suggest otherwise is folly.

To change a vehicle’s tow rating engineers can simply change such parameters as the grade, the grade length, the ambient temperature, the brake fade requirements, the acceleration, the axel ratio, FEA data, the level of structural deflection, engine temp rise …

The criteria being measured certainly are many and complex, but they are being standardized by SAE J2807, which is presently being adopted by some (ultimately all) manufacturers, so very soon you will be able to compare the ratings directly between them.

A google search should give you an outline of SAE J2807. Or if you pm me I can send you (or anyone else who’s interested) a summary version of it, which I got as a member of the engineering community, that might not be available online.

Best regards! Brian.