Tow capacity ?

[mirrocraft16]

I think a lot of vehicle tow ratings are pretty much nonsense. I have a 2005 Grand Marquis, its got a rated towing max of 1,500 lbs. I've got a 1995 Crown Victoria, same car, less hp, weaker version of the same transmission, but its rated at 5,000 lbs.
The only big difference is the rear suspension style. The Mercury has a 7 link rear set up, the Ford has four trailing arms. The '95 struggles with anything over about 2k lbs and the transmissions in those years had some issues.
The 2005 Merc pulls like a freight train, came with a factory receiver hitch and factory trailer wiring.
I've towed 5k with the Merc, but would never attempt it with the older CV.
I hauled a Holiday Rambler Camper from NC to NJ a few years ago, (bought it on a whim while there for work). It towed just fine, no brakes and all.
I never once felt it was unsafe or that i couldn't stop it in a reasonable amount of time. I hardly felt the trailer behind me, even in the hills.
Both of these vehicles share their power trains with an F150, same motor, trans, and 8.8" rear axle, both are full frame vehicles yet they rate the newer models at 1,500lbs.
The older car didn't come with a hitch, i had to make one as Ford didn't have them, the older car didn't have provisions for a trailer brake controller, yet the '05 does.
Its doing the car no harm towing the weight, and so long as the load is well balanced, it pulls just fine. The biggest limit is tongue weight, where as the older model can take more weight on the hitch. Its nothing a pair of load EQ bars won't fix or just some common sense in loading the trailer.
When I hitched up the camper down in NC, it was a bit heavy on the tongue, and I figured it may hit on some driveways, so I filled the graywater tank with water half way, which leveled the trailer enough to make it look right but not so much hat the hitch got light, which would induce a lot of swaying on the highway.

I'd hook it up, give it a try and make adjustments as needed and use your head when it comes to stopping and launching the boat on the ramp.

 

[thill]

Like Mirrorcraft, I have towed a bit with vehicles that were supposedly not worthy. We had a Dodge Caravan, and I towed my Princecraft EVERYWHERE with that thing. Was great, because I could stow all the seats, and throw sleeping bags in the back, and no need for a tent. I miss that van.

Everyone swore that the tranny was going to detonate, but I changed the fluid yearly, and she had 200K+ miles before I sold her last fall, and she still ran flawlessly.

Again, for a 10 mile run, I wouldn't think twice about using my SUV rated for 4K. US manufacturers way underestimate the ratings. Look at the same vehicles when sold in Europe, and you will see what they are actually capable of. When I looked mine up, it said 1,500 in USA and 3,500 in EU with the same engine and tranny package. My rig was about 1,500, plus fuel and gear, but again, zero issues.
I would be fine with your rig, especially for a short hip with no major climbs or high speed driving. Hook it up and pull it around a bit and see how it feels. Does it feel like it's straining or struggling? Does it sway uncomfortably in turns? If not, I would drive the 10 miles and enjoy my boat.

But I've towed many thousands of miles. I don't want to embolden you to do something that YOU are uncomfortable with. Follow your conscience and ability, not mine. Either way, I hope you have a great summer!

 

[airshot]

I would be far more concerned with stopping power, rather than towing power...most vehicles will tow far more weight than what they can safely stop with !! How good are the brakes on your SUV ?? 4wd..??

 

[LaqueRatt]

Unless you own a real wimpy vehicle it should have a tow rating that would be fine for nearly all tinnies. If you buy a big heavy boat, you better figure on buying a big heavy tow vehicle. Another thing to consider is I've heard you're not covered by your insurance if you tow above capacity. It's all good fun until somebody gets killed and your ins says pi$$ off.