Towing My Boat! 2024

Rangerphil reply :

I have a ranger 205 with a 225 merc. My question is I want to get a new truck and with gas so outrageous I was looking at Toyota Tacoma instead of the regular full size truck. Has anyone ever towed with one and if so did it handle the job?

slonezp reply :

Don't know about the Tacoma but I had a V6 Dodge and it towed fine on level ground but was horrible in the mountains. I have a Tundra now and it doesn't even know the boat is on the back.

Jig Man reply :

Take it for a test drive with the boat hooked up behind it then you will know.

Rangerphil reply :

Never thought about that! I guess if they want to sell a truck they will let me.

bandsr4me20 reply :

I have a toyota tacoma v6 and pull our 18 ft fish and ski with a 175 with it just fine. I have mud tires which makes the gas mileage absolutely horendous when pulling it (9-10mpg) but it pulls and stops it just fine.

Fishing Rhino reply :

It's going to take the same amount of energy to pull any load. While manufacturers like to boast about their fuel mileage being the best in class or whatever, when you look at the EPA mileage sticker, they are all very close. My '07 GMC has the 5.1 engine with "active fuel management". It switches from 8 to 4 cylinders, when it doesn't need the power of all 8. Whoop de do. It gets only slightly better fuel mileage than I did with my 01 GMC with the 5.1 engine.

The problem with any engine is this, the more work you make them do, the less efficient they become. You may find a smaller engine which gives better mileage when not loaded or towing, may get worse mileage than a truck with a bigger engine when you hook a boat behind it.

I'm afraid there is no economical way to haul a boat behind a tow vehicle with fuel prices as they are let alone getting higher.

It depends on how much your truck will be used as a tow vehicle or just a daily runner. Whatever you choose, make sure the truck and brakes can handle your rig. A tranny cooler is a must on any tow vehicle.

Rangerphil reply :

I absolutely want safety first my problem is I run my truck more than I tow my boat. So I am looking for something good on gas but also has 4 wheel drive and can tow my boat around 20 times a year.

ww2farmer reply :

I have a buddy that tows a 20' boat, 225 OB, with a Dodge Dakota with a V6, he drives like a maniac and it stops the boat fine. Not saying thats the way to do it, just giving you an example.

weezy109 reply :

Depends on where you live. There are mountains around here that you could not get over towing a big boat with a v6. I had a norriscraft 1900vee with a 225 pro max i bet you could have towed with a mini. That thing weighed almost nothing. I have a big Dodge ram with the small V8 and couldn't tell it was back there.

Fishing Rhino reply :

On 3/11/2012 at 9:08 AM, Rangerphil said:

I absolutely want safety first my problem is I run my truck more than I tow my boat. So I am looking for something good on gas but also has 4 wheel drive and can tow my boat around 20 times a year.

That being the case, I'd get something that gets better mileage without a load, with adequate brakes. Even if it burns a bit more gas when towing, it will be more economical over the course of a year because you do not do a lot of towing.

jdw174 reply :

I've towed my TR20 with a Tacoma for 7 years with nary a hiccup. I regularly get 19mpg around town and as high as 24mpg on a trip (V6/5-spd auto). Make sure you get the towing package.

South FLA reply :

I have tow a Bullet 21 RDC, a Ranger 185 VS, and a Proline 23.5' all with EASE using my Nissan Frontier which is very similar to the Tacoma, gas mileage suffers dramatically I go from about 17-20 MPG to 12 MPG towing the Proline, but you will have NO problem towing it with that Tacoma.

As a side note, don't over look the Nissan Frontier when test driving midsized trucks.

Rangerphil reply :

Sounds great thanks guys!

Goldstar225 reply :

I have a Tacoma doublecab 4.0 V-6 w/5 speed auto. It doesn't have the tow package so I'm limited to 3,500 pounds tow capacity. With that being said, it tows my 17 foot Bass tracker better than my previous truck (Silverado crew cab 4.8 V-8). The tow package for the Tacoma only adds about $650.00 to the price of the truck but then the truck is equipped with:

Class 3 hitch

Higher output alternator

Larger battery

7 pin trailer wiring harness with brake controller

Anti-sway control

Engine oil cooler

Transmission cooler

120 volt outlet in the truck bed

Tow capacity is bumped to 6,500 pounds

Hooligan reply :

On 3/11/2012 at 7:39 AM, Fishing Rhino said:

It's going to take the same amount of energy to pull any load. While manufacturers like to boast about their fuel mileage being the best in class or whatever, when you look at the EPA mileage sticker, they are all very close. My '07 GMC has the 5.1 engine with "active fuel management". It switches from 8 to 4 cylinders, when it doesn't need the power of all 8. Whoop de do. It gets only slightly better fuel mileage than I did with my 01 GMC with the 5.1 engine.

I'm afraid there is no economical way to haul a boat behind a tow vehicle with fuel prices as they are let alone getting higher.

I disagree with that, quite a lot. I get better mileage by 5-7MPG when towing than many of my fishing partners pulling the same rigs.. In economy that's a substantial range, let alone when under towing load. When I drive the diesel, my economy is effected by, usually, only 2-3 MPG when towing versus no load.

There are extremely economical tow vehicles out there, particularly in terms of towing a boat. I know of several people that are getting 28MPG out of their diesels when towing. That's plenty of economy.

Fishing Rhino reply :

On 3/15/2012 at 9:35 PM, Hooligan said:

I disagree with that, quite a lot. I get better mileage by 5-7MPG when towing than many of my fishing partners pulling the same rigs.. In economy that's a substantial range, let alone when under towing load. When I drive the diesel, my economy is effected by, usually, only 2-3 MPG when towing versus no load.

There are extremely economical tow vehicles out there, particularly in terms of towing a boat. I know of several people that are getting 28MPG out of their diesels when towing. That's plenty of economy.

You may disagree with it, and I will concede diesel engines get better fuel mileage than gasoline and the mileage does not drop off as much when towing. Now, let's factor in the several thousand dollars cost for a diesel option (6500 to 7000 plus), and the cost of diesel fuel per gallon vs gasoline, poof, advantage gone.

Diesel fuel costs 40 to 60 cents more per gallon, than gasoline.

Fuel mileage by itself means nothing. You have to factor in initial cost, the higher cost of fuel, then see how long it takes a diesel powered pickup to reach the break even point, assuming that you do.

One more note. The person who started this thread was asking about a Toyota Tacoma or similar truck. My answer was directed at his particular inquiry.

I'm curious. Do you have one of those sticker on the back window that says "Real trucks don't have spark plugs"?

J Francho reply :

I see tons of guys burn up their V6 toy trucks and SUVs towing full size bass boats all the time. Yeah they work, but if you doing any distance, you're ruining your truck. If you are at all concerned about gas mileage, cost per mile is lower as you go bigger, to a point. My 1/2 ton with the 6.2 gas engine, and towing gears gets 22 mpg cruising, and 14-17 towing. The 3/4 ton diesel is a little too pricey for my daily driving needs, but if I towed 24/7 it would be the better choice. Down the line, GM is supposed to be coming out with a diesel six for the 1/2 ton platform. There's your bass boat tow vehicle.

Hooligan reply :

On 3/15/2012 at 11:00 PM, Fishing Rhino said:

You may disagree with it, and I will concede diesel engines get better fuel mileage than gasoline and the mileage does not drop off as much when towing. Now, let's factor in the several thousand dollars cost for a diesel option (6500 to 7000 plus), and the cost of diesel fuel per gallon vs gasoline, poof, advantage gone.

Diesel fuel costs 40 to 60 cents more per gallon, than gasoline.

Fuel mileage by itself means nothing. You have to factor in initial cost, the higher cost of fuel, then see how long it takes a diesel powered pickup to reach the break even point, assuming that you do.

One more note. The person who started this thread was asking about a Toyota Tacoma or similar truck. My answer was directed at his particular inquiry.

I'm curious. Do you have one of those sticker on the back window that says "Real trucks don't have spark plugs"?

No, the first statement I made is concerning my half ton Ford with a 5.4L Triton, which I'm getting around 20 when pulling the Triton. When I hook it up to the diesel on longer road trips, is concerning the second part of my statement.

As such, I stand by my original statement. I have friends with Chevy's, Ford's, Dodge, and there's a substantial difference on dollars spent on fuel between the three. All of the guys with the 5.4, 6 Speed, and 3.73 rear are getting considerably better mileage than other vehicles in the same class.

They're not all the same is the point.

Also, JF, I saw a write up about that very thing somewhat recently. Ford and Toyota are said to have the same options in development. If Toyota brings their I5 with 355 Horsepower and 620 odd torques, I'll be driving a Tundra, make no seconds about it.

J Francho reply :

Quote
If Toyota brings their I5 with 355 Horsepower and 620 odd torques, I'll be driving a Tundra, make no seconds about it.

Hopefully that butt ugly, Camry with a thyroid problem gets a makeover by then. That, and a bigger gas tank.

00 mod reply :

I can help with this a little bit I think.

My scenario: 2007 Toyota Tundra with 5.7L V8, towing a 1648 with 25 hp

My Buddy: 2008(now 2011 Toyota Tacoma with V6, towing 1648 with 20 hp

Now you ask, how can I compare our boats to your much heavier glass boats. I cannot. But what I can say is this:

Both of us fish the same club lake every weekend. It requires an almost flat pull, no strains on anything, just a simple crossing the Mississippi River bridge, and a boat ramp. Oh yea, the boat ramp is concrete, but getting to it is a dirt/mud road.

My buddy loves his Tacoma, and puts many more miles a year on it, than I do my Tundra. My 07 has 84,XXX and his 08 Tacoma he just traded in had over 130,XXX. His complaint is that when he crosses the Mississippi River bridge the winds blow him across lanes sometimes! He also complains about the winds coming off the flat Arkansas rice fields blowing him sideways sometimes. I have never had these problems. I get 13.5 MPG towing or not. My daily route to and from work I drive 5 miles. Gas is not an issue for me. He gets 17-18 MPG on his daily driving but in the same range as myself 13-14 when towing. Neither of us, both 4WD have had a getting stuck in the mud problem. So for him, the Tacoma is the right choice. For me, I LOVE my Tundra.

Jeff

A picture of the bridge I am talking about!

bwell reply :

On 3/16/2012 at 1:00 AM, J Francho said:

I see tons of guys burn up their V6 toy trucks and SUVs towing full size bass boats all the time. Yeah they work, but if you doing any distance, you're ruining your truck. If you are at all concerned about gas mileage, cost per mile is lower as you go bigger, to a point. My 1/2 ton with the 6.2 gas engine, and towing gears gets 22 mpg cruising, and 14-17 towing. The 3/4 ton diesel is a little too pricey for my daily driving needs, but if I towed 24/7 it would be the better choice. Down the line, GM is supposed to be coming out with a diesel six for the 1/2 ton platform. There's your bass boat tow vehicle.

I dont agree that you need a big bad manly man truck to pull a boat, and also dont agree that calling these guys V6 trucks toy trucks either... There is absolutley not reason to for that, maybe not everyone can affored the latest and greatest Chevy truck that came out. I know a guy that has been pulling a 19 ft bass boat in his Tacoma for 6 years now and not a single problem.

Now maybe you should have said it depends on where you live??? See, here in IL its very flat, no need for a big engine and big brakes... Grated I do have a full size truck, but at times I wish I had a midsize that could do the same thing and get better gas mileage around town.

grampa1114 reply :

On 3/17/2012 at 8:05 PM, bwell said:

I dont agree that you need a big bad manly man truck to pull a boat, and also dont agree that calling these guys V6 trucks toy trucks either... There is absolutley not reason to for that, maybe not everyone can affored the latest and greatest Chevy truck that came out. I know a guy that has been pulling a 19 ft bass boat in his Tacoma for 6 years now and not a single problem.

Now maybe you should have said it depends on where you live??? See, here in IL its very flat, no need for a big engine and big brakes... Grated I do have a full size truck, but at times I wish I had a midsize that could do the same thing and get better gas mileage around town.

I tend to agree with you...Bwell...Having towed for 35 years with enough truck to do the job but liveable when not towing. I tow 2500lb of Triton Bass Boat to Champlain probably two or three times a year. Otherwise just local towing...I manage this with a "Toy" Jeep Liberty, capable of towing 5000lb, getting 14-17 mpg. Perhaps Mr. Francho could take off his blinders and see that we have to commute with these vehicles the rest of the time and enjoy the benefits of smaller engines and their better everyday fuel consumption.

Grampa

Diablos reply :

I towed my 1500lb boat in my sig for 2 years with a 4cyl Subaru Forester rated to 2400lb.

I never had one issue including stopping and did a few trips of 300 miles+ round trip through elevated altitudes.

I buy vehicles capable to tow what I own and not going to a get a bigger vehicle and sacrifice daily driving.

I now own a Mazda CX9 with the tow package which is rated at a conservative 3500lbs

bwell reply :

We have people in our club that even use their mini vans and have no problems lol. People that you "know" that are burning up their tonka trucks must be morons and dont take care of their stuff.

Some people feel the need to have the biggest and baddest, and put their nose up at others that dont...

bwell reply :

On 3/16/2012 at 9:05 PM, J Francho said:

Hopefully that butt ugly, Camry with a thyroid problem gets a makeover by then. That, and a bigger gas tank.

I would much rather have that butt ugly "Camry" that a Chevy... lol you must be pretty proud that Chevy finally came out with a decent truck with a little more power...

tate reply :

I am certainly not going to insult anyone's vehicles, everyone has different requirements and likes.... and I fully understand and agree with Grampa's point that often time the vehicles we use to tow our "toys" is also what we use to commute. I commute into Boston everyday so to me it is most important I get decent fuel mileage with high weight tow ability. I just bought an F150 3.5l V6 Ecoboost which gives me reasonable mileage averaging around 17-18. It is silly overkill on power to tow my boat but plenty to tow my 24' enclosed race car trailer fully loaded. I am really surprise to hear the reported mileages of some of the man truck big engines.

South FLA reply :

All of you are too funny, its a truck peeing match. Today's modern "toy trucks" with 6-cylinder engines have more HP and similar torque numbers than late 90's 8 Cylinder trucks and they did just fine back then.

For comparisons sake:

1999 Ford F-250 Superduty

Standard Engine 5.4L 235 hp V8 Horsepower 235 @ 4250 RPM Torque (lb-ft) 335 @ 3000 RPM

Towing Capacity 9800lbs

2012 Nissan Frontier 4x2

4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine

261 hp @ 5,600 rpm

281 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm

Towing Capacity 6,300lbs

The "Toy Truck" would suffice to tow a 2012 Ranger Z522 5000Trailer GVWR (lbs.)

Is it ideal to tow cross country or can it compare to modern diesel trucks when it comes to towing, NO!

But you can most likely 2-3 Toy Trucks for the cost of 1 diesel truck and if you are concerned about tranmission life get the extended powertrain warranty to 100K miles.

Nissan and Cummins are working on a 4-cylinder diesel platform that would be IDEAL for towing bass boats cross country while getting 30 MPGS during regular use!

http://news.pickuptr...ssan-titan.html

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

My Ford ain't no toy. Although its getting old now, still pulls my boat around without any problems. Far better than any other tow vehicle I've used. I know that it weighs far, far more than any bass boat out there.

2000 F150 7700 towing package

125k+ miles on it now. Still runs like its brand new. Only problem with it is that it's a bit of a gas hog. What can you do though. I'm not going out to buy a new truck any time soon.

That 4 cylinder diesel sure looks intriguing though....

bwell reply :

Anything less than a 6L is a toy, haven't you heard?

Rangerphil reply :

I would like to thank everyone for their input. Sounds like the Tacoma will work for me.

bwell reply :

Glad we could help... There is no need for a full size truck to pull a bass boat, unless you are... I won't go there...

Stingray23 reply :

This is whats gonna be my tow vehicle!

bwell reply :

This is mine, you never know what you'll run into lol.

J Francho reply :

I do about 12,000 miles per year towing. I would not do it with anything other than a 1/2 ton pickup. Otherwise, I get better mileage than my old Nissan Maxima. I never said you couldn't do it with a toy truck. But, I've seen guys burn them up over working them. If you only have to go a couple miles to the ramp, or don't fish that much, then tow it with whatever. Years ago, I towed with a V6 Jeep Cherokee. It sucked. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

A little advice to anyone getting a 1/2 ton pickup....if you are considering the extended cab, go for the full crew cab if you have kids. Those suicide doors are a real PITA with a four year old.

J Francho reply :

On 3/18/2012 at 1:44 AM, bwell said:

I would much rather have that butt ugly "Camry" that a Chevy... lol you must be pretty proud that Chevy finally came out with a decent truck with a little more power...

My truck is GMC, and I don't even like Chevy, so I could care less. If my brother sold Fords, I'd be driving a Ford. If he sold Dodge, I'd be driving a Ford/Chevy/GMC/Toyota/Nissan, LOL. Just kidding, don't all you Mopar folks get your panties in a bunch. My family has four Rams that are used as plow vehicles for the business.

Here's another tidbit. When I was truck shopping, a crew cab Canyon was all of $3,000 less than the ext. cab Sierra I bought. Just didn't seem worth it to me. The money I saved in gas mileage alone more than covered the extra $40/month.

I guess what I'm saying is if your buying, you really need to analyze your usage, and choose accordingly. Your budget will dictate where you need to compromise.

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

On 3/19/2012 at 9:24 PM, J Francho said:

A little advice to anyone getting a 1/2 ton pickup....if you are considering the extended cab, go for the full crew cab if you have kids. Those suicide doors are a real PITA with a four year old.

Agreed. If I could change one thing on mine, I'd get rid of the suicide doors. It's an amazing PIA when the release cable for the latches break inside of the door skin.....

bayouXpress reply :

not to be picky but chevy does not have a 5.1. You may be thinking about the 5.3

i towed my 18ft express with 4 cyclinder toyota 4 runner, a chevy 5.3l and now i pull it with a chevy 6l.

Luckily I live on flat land but lots of large bridges and that poor 4runner would struggle going up the bridge. in the 5.3 it was totally different in 2 aspects the power and the weight of the truck. It was well enough to pull that boat. However when I pulled my cousin's 201xl stratos I could feel the boat back there and it affected how much throttle I had to put in it.

Now with the 6L I can't tell his boat is back there. I think a v6 is fine for towing a big boat around town especially on flat land, but if your pulling 100+ miles round trip in hills and mountains you might be putting to much strain on it.

robdob reply :

i've towed a 20 ft bass boat with a 200 hanging on the back with a 1995 jeep cherokee with a 4.0 for over 8 years. the jeep has the original 5 speed tranny and the original clutch and the vehicle has 179,000 miles. some people dont need a huge truck to feel manly. as my wife likes to say " men who have huge trucks to tow small things must be making up for lacking in other departmens" granted a full size pickup with have better braking and faster acceleration but we're not all sitting there with 35 grand in the bank for a truck

robdob reply :

On 3/19/2012 at 9:24 PM, J Francho said:

I do about 12,000 miles per year towing. I would not do it with anything other than a 1/2 ton pickup. Otherwise, I get better mileage than my old Nissan Maxima. I never said you couldn't do it with a toy truck. But, I've seen guys burn them up over working them. If you only have to go a couple miles to the ramp, or don't fish that much, then tow it with whatever. Years ago, I towed with a V6 Jeep Cherokee. It sucked. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

A little advice to anyone getting a 1/2 ton pickup....if you are considering the extended cab, go for the full crew cab if you have kids. Those suicide doors are a real PITA with a four year old.

the jeep cherokee is actually a great tow vehicle considering its size.. get a cheap tranny cooler and your in business i've went all over the northeast with an old beat to he** 95 cherokee and she is still going strong.. i can go 70 on the highway with a 20ft boat on the back. just keep high end brake pads on it for stopping power

Way2slow reply :

How heavy the load, how fast you tow it, what kind of terrain, and what kind of weather conditions will determine what your tow vehicle should be, and how long it will last.

I know with todays fuel cost, fuel economy has to be a huge consideration. Between what the boat is burning and it's costing you to get it to and from the lake, fishing trips are getting very, very expensive.

As for a Diesel truck, of almost any kind that's big enough to tow anything bigger than a canoe getting 29mpg, even without a load, I feel that one huge B** S****!

Look at what the Pro's who tow boats for a living use. You won't see many mid size or light duty full size trucks backing up to the ramp. Even with the FLW and small league guys that don't get those big sponserships, and have to pay their own way don't use those kinds of vehicles because they won't last and are too dangerous with a heavy, full size bass boat behind them.

NBR reply :

First thing what is the total weight of the rig you will pull including tackle, second what is the GVW of the intended tow vehicule third don't forget weight of passengers. If first and third add up to more than second you are at best marginal.

J Francho reply :

http://www.edgeproducts.com/?utm_source=Bassresource&utm_medium=Logo&utm_campaign=Bassresource_EAS

Try these guys out for better mileage.

Wild Bill [NY] reply :

AS important, or MORE IMPORTANT as will it pull is.... 'WILL IT STOP THE d**n TRAILER IN WET WEATHER".

After you have been pushed through intersections on wet pavement by a small/medium sized truck that will not safely stop the trailer, you will learn.

bassnmike78 reply :

i have a 03 escape 4x4 that says it can tow up to 3500 lbs . what is a good sized boat or i should say whats the biggest boat i can tow with it ?

Fishing Rhino reply :

On 4/3/2012 at 3:43 AM, bassnmike78 said:

i have a 03 escape 4x4 that says it can tow up to 3500 lbs . what is a good sized boat or i should say whats the biggest boat i can tow with it ?

Think aluminum.

grampa1114 reply :

Think small aluminum.

bassnmike78 reply :

ya i was thinking a tracker 170 or 190

J Francho reply :

Don't limit yourself to just Tracker, there are others.....G3 or Xpress > Tracker Just watch that GVW, and keep it in limits. I was towing a fairly big boat with my Jeep, but it was a tiller, with no consoles, and just a finished floor and seats. I had my eye (still do really) on a G3 Gator Tough 1756 CC. Been sitting at the dealer beckoning, LOL. Nice boat, under 1700 lbs.

bassnmike78 reply :

cant find pricing on the g3's . any idea what the 1860's go for ?

J Francho reply :

The 1756 w/ 50 hp was under 12K. You'll probably have to call a dealer.

bassnmike78 reply :

thanks . will do

106

Towing My Boat! 2024

related Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic