Who says you can't pull a boat with a car?

**Auggie2612** · 10-14-2010, 08:53 PM

Same here too..

**delawarerick** · 10-15-2010, 05:43 AM

Been pulling with a crown vic for 7 yrs truck died and vic came into the picture. Im now looking at an explorer and hope to be in one with a month. Rick

**wagoetzmann** · 10-15-2010, 06:07 AM

My car pulls the boat just fine....plenty of power and brakes.

**twicecustom** · 06-17-2011, 08:16 PM

boat on car.jpg
who says you need a trailer???

**Storz** · 06-22-2011, 07:37 PM

Encouraging thread! I am ditching my 14mpg Land Rover and getting a (hopefully) 1st gen CTS that will see towing duties on my jet

**twicecustom** · 06-22-2011, 11:22 PM

well dont put it on the roof like me! haha

**pcrussell50** · 06-23-2011, 01:00 AM

My parent's have a bunch of old National Geographic magazines from the 60's and 70's that have ads for full sized station wagons and cars. They are often depicted pulling things like big boats and trailers that look almost like 5th wheels, that people today would only use a truck for.

Above: Torino offers Class II and Class III Trailer Towing Packages. Class II will haul up to a 3500-pound gross trailer weight on a 500-pound tongue load. Class III can handle up to a 6000-pound gross trailer weight on a 700-pound tongue load.

As a road racer, I've always been bored silly by the dead fish road feel, and relatively sluggish acceleration of trucks, although it's unavoidable, I try to avoid driving them every chance I get. (As a cruel irony, I need one to tow my track car.) Unlike my track car on a steel trailer, my boats are light enough to be towed by just about anything, and I delight in doing so. For a family hauler, I'm thinking of ditching my Explorer and getting something like a Honda Odyessy, which is quicker than most trucks and will kill about all of them in handling, and it can easily tow my boats.

-Peter

**pcrussell50** · 06-23-2011, 01:01 AM

My parent's have a bunch of old National Geographic magazines from the 60's and 70's that have ads for full sized station wagons and cars. They are often depicted pulling things like big boats and trailers that look almost like 5th wheels, that people today would only use a truck for.

Above: Torino offers Class II and Class III Trailer Towing Packages. Class II will haul up to a 3500-pound gross trailer weight on a 500-pound tongue load. Class III can handle up to a 6000-pound gross trailer weight on a 700-pound tongue load.

As a road racer, I've always been bored silly by the dead fish road feel, and relatively sluggish acceleration of trucks. Although it's unavoidable, I try to avoid driving them every chance I get. (As a cruel irony, I need one to tow my track car.) Unlike my track car on a steel trailer, my boats are light enough to be towed by just about anything, and I delight in doing so. For a family hauler, I'm thinking of ditching my Explorer and getting something like a Honda Odyessy, which is quicker than most trucks and will kill about all of them in handling, and it can easily tow my boats.

-Peter

**JohnR** · 06-23-2011, 06:22 AM

If sluggish acceleration is a problem you need a diesel pickup with some work done to it. My old Dodge doesn't handle great but with 400'ish HP and 700'ish TQ its not sluggish.

The problem with something like the minivans is while they are peppy and bearable to drive unloaded they fall to pieces when you throw a trailer on them. I pulled a pair of older jet skis down to Virginia Beach with my wife's Chevy Venture and it was hard on the van but I've also been spoiled by pulling with diesels for the last 12 years.

John

**rdownes** · 06-23-2011, 01:24 PM

Must be just me, but I can't afford a boat that I can't tow with my (4 cylinder) car!

**pcrussell50** · 06-23-2011, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by JohnR

If sluggish acceleration is a problem you need a diesel pickup with some work done to it. My old Dodge doesn't handle great but with 400'ish HP and 700'ish TQ its not sluggish.

The problem with something like the minivans is while they are peppy and bearable to drive unloaded they fall to pieces when you throw a trailer on them. I pulled a pair of older jet skis down to Virginia Beach with my wife's Chevy Venture and it was hard on the van but I've also been spoiled by pulling with diesels for the last 12 years.

John

diesels sure are nice to tow with, but man, are they expensive. my wife's 4-door sedan has 400hp and a 6-speed manual, and is 2500lbs lighter any diesel truck i know of... and costs about the same as one, give or take. nice as big trucks are for towing, i'm thinking that at this stage in my life, for as little as i tow compared with ordinary driving, i'm willing to sacrifice the effortless towing for something that's more pleasant in ordinary driving... even if i have to downshift and tuck in behind the struggling semi's on long uphill grades. i'm trying to buy a second home, near the lake. maybe after that all goes through and i decide it's worthwhile to have a truck only for towing, and a car for the rest of the time, i'll get a big truck?

-peter

**pcrussell50** · 06-23-2011, 01:33 PM

Must be just me, but I can't afford a boat that I can't tow with my (4 cylinder) car!

+1 to that, bro.

my local tow vehicle that i use to tow the Whaler to the local harbor is an '86 nissan stanza, like this one:

it's a 4-banger with a 5-speed manual, and it's got selectable, fully locked 4wd, for slippery ramps, but i have not needed it yet. sadly , it's too much of a beater for family trips. my dad used to take us on trips with it, though back in the day.

-Peter

**JohnR** · 06-23-2011, 01:34 PM

Gotcha. Looking at your sig you should be fine towing any of those boats with an Oddessy.

**gfinch** · 06-24-2011, 08:52 PM

One of the most powerful outboards, pulled by a Prius.

**k-man** · 06-25-2011, 12:49 AM

been there done that 2 - towed a 18' ranger boat with a v6 camaro 5 speed for years - got lucky though - i was pulling my old 17 ft switzer & went down a big hill very slow with a stop at the bottom when the rear hitch bolts pulled through the frame ( if thats what u want to call it ) - with rust - & dropped to the ground at the stop - so just a warning - check your junk out every once in a while