Why doesn't anyone tow with a car?

[RotorRider]

Bruddah, you just said a mouthful....I am looking for that perfect vehicle that doesn't exist, I will try to pick the best compromise !!!

[gfinch]

It doesn't matter what it can pull, it matters what it can stop and won't be steered by. Like you all have seen the Suzuki Samurai pulling a 18'+ boat, I stay as far away as I can from them. Then theres the Diesel dully launching a pair of lake lice then flooring it up the ramp to park, I stay farther away from them!
I pull my XB2003 with a 93 Lexus ES300, the trailer has electric brakes and I use a Prodigy controller. I've had to stop quickly a couple of times and with the electric brakes I haven't got into trouble,yet. I won't pull my 19" Champion bass boat though because it has Hyd surge brakes. Surge brakes only apply when the trailer is pushing against the back end of the tow vehicle.
If the trailer is pushing harder then the rear tire grip your going to jack knife.

[RotorRider]

Gary, those are good and valid points, especially matching vehicle and brakes to the actual boat and weight being towed...especially depending on speed, distances involved, and weather factoring in with wet roads, etc.
Personally, I doubt if I will be going too far more than a few times a year, and with a under 3,000# haul I think a P/U with decent engine, brakes and tires will serve...I will look at a few vans and possible SUV's too.
It is possible some larger cars could serve, but then I need a bit more utility, and I like things secure out of the weather.....I have done some crazy towing with jeeps, and have been the tail on the dog more than once !! I agree some of the newer vehicles are very lightly constructed to get good mileage, but don't have very good attachment for towing, even if power and brakes could handle it.

Gordon.

[jhwh]

this kinda qualify for "car", its "only" 2200kg heavy aprox, tows 2800kg legally, the brakes on trailers in all of europe is based on the weight transfer to the ball, meaning car barkes, the hitch gets pressed in, ativates mechanical brakes. not exactly a foolproof system. hyd/electric are illegal.

[wizbang 13]

Been towing with half a car for 30 years. half of a boat,too.

[150aintenuff]

so can someone explain why surge breaks are allowed and electro/hydraulic arent.... electricly comtrolled hydraulic brakes are possiblty the best system out there....


surge brakes are basically junk... because you have zero stopping power if you lose your vehicles braking system...

[jhwh]

so can someone explain why surge breaks are allowed and electro/hydraulic arent.... electricly comtrolled hydraulic brakes are possiblty the best system out there....


surge brakes are basically junk... because you have zero stopping power if you lose your vehicles braking system...

our DMV/governtment is retarded when it comes cars/trucks, but its' actually the same for all of europe. anything up to 7600lbs has this system. and over that it's mostly pneumatic, but thats proper big trucks pulling then.

when I came to a halt at intersection when towing boat to storage one of the rear wheels locked, so i had to reverse to push brakes in to free, then go again... nice system!

[hawk232]

i think alot of it is mostly a lifestyle. I know i have gotten spoiled to just being able to toss stuff into the bed of the truck, and never think about being able to stop while pulling my boats or lawn trailer.

as for the comments of cars having better brakes, i would like to find some FACTUAL info. take the guy towing with the camaro, saying that it will stop better than a truck. EMPTY this is absolutley true! I just dont think that once a trailer is thrown into the mix that would still be the case though. look at the break size for starters, the lt1 cars have 11.5" fronts and 12 or 12.5" rears, the chevy truck by comparison is something like 13" fronts (not sure of rears) and the pads are MUCH MUCH bigger in the truck ( i have had lt1, ls1 and trucks as well). I have no factual evidence, but I just cant imagine that a car could stop a trailer as fast as a full size truck.

[G-Body]

I consider my El Camino a car and I tow with it all the time, of course, it has a 6.0L swap, trans swap, upgraded rear end, the suspension might not be stock either. Come to think of it the body and interior are stock......and the rest looks stock....from about 10' away if your not looking close. I mean its a little more than I need to tow my 10' boat, but the bigger rating comes in handy at times. Like when the trans on the suburban pukes.....The el camino didn`t mind flat towing that thing home at all. The suburban is barely under the 5k limit on the El Camino but it worked out great. The only thing that sucks with the El Camino is a wet launch ramp.....its just like towing with the vette....you have to heat up the skins a little before they will pull you up the ramp. In my family every car must have a hitch.....no one escapes. The suburban has one, my brothers caprice wagon, the El Camino, moms caddy sedan deville, the vette....the vette always leads to interesting conversations. I would actually like to pick up a LT1 caddy fleetwood before they are too hard to find, great fuel economy, stupid heavyduty frame suspension and brakes, and a 7K rating with the tow pack.

[Darkside's Calling]

I just sold my Astro van (unibody, v-6) and am building 2 '64 Galaxie's (1 wagon, 1 2 door hardtop) that will be set up for towing the boat. I have receiver hitches, and am swapping front disc brakes onto both. I figure full frame, 390 4 bbl, C-6, and 9" is the same running gear as a 1/2 ton truck or Bronco with a hell of a lot more class.

another bennie of the older iron.... no computers... basic tool box will keep you going.

[brockshydro]

my dad told me a story of when he sold his truck and got the itch to go fishing. all he had was a honda goldwing well he welded a hitch on it and went to the river.the boat was a 15ft cedar strip boat with a 70hp motor. said it pulled real good not to good for stopping was a little tricky with no reverse but did the job. sorry to bring back such an old post but typed in suzuki samurai and this is what came up.

[marjae]

My tow vehicle for Allison XST17. Huge engine, monster brakes and racing suspension. (and limited slip for slippery ramps)

[Danger731]

I think the original poster is now 80 years old and can't see the screen.

[RotorRider]

A lot of these are available for 2 - 4 thousand, ex-cop. Anybody have experience towing with one ? For just a cheap tow for M/C and #3,000 pound lake boats, might be an option....opinions, etc. ???

[nealxb2003]

Cars would be fine for a short tow in flat country, but most don't have the motor to really haul a boat. There are some exceptions, but most are not sufficient in my opinion. I won't even tow my boat with a truck with less than 8 cyl (diesels excluded in this statement). V6's, even in trucks, only pull the lightest of boats. Yes, I could get by with a V6, but I pull my boat every single weekend. Usually multiple trips per week. I want something that is going to pull it with ease, as in not even know its back there.