Towing with sedans

[JamesM56alum]

Keeping the RPM's low keeps the clutch plate from slipping when pulling with a manual trans also if the roads are wet it will keep the tires from breaking loose under a load because if you're not smooth on the shifting the car will jerk just enough when u let off the clutch the tires will break loose and either you wont go any where or you might walk the front end of the car around into the car beside you.

...and if its a standard make sure you have lower rpm shifts

What is the rationale behind that?

I wondered the same thing, but was afraid I might be the only one...

 

[BtsNhoS]

Keeping the RPM's low keeps the clutch plate from slipping when pulling with a manual trans also if the roads are wet it will keep the tires from breaking loose under a load because if you're not smooth on the shifting the car will jerk just enough when u let off the clutch the tires will break loose and either you wont go any where or you might walk the front end of the car around into the car beside you.

What is the rationale behind that?

I wondered the same thing, but was afraid I might be the only one...

Couldn't have said it better myself, thanks man. It's really just a safety thing and a little easier on your tranny

 

[Butthead]

This is a pretty touchy subject with some people, iv worked in shops most of my life im a mechanic by trade and pulling boats with cars is not a good idea. One reason is stopping, just because you can pull it with no problem doesnt mean you should because you also have to worry about stopping it, front disc rear drum brake systems are horrid on cars and small vans, the brakes are already maxed out just from the weight of the car and the passengers in it, i cant tell you how many brake jobs iv done on front disc rear drum when either the pads glaze over because they over heat or the rotors are a very pretty shade of blue/black because the persons calipers sized up an they warped the rotors.

Tranny problems are an issue also, take the ford windstar for an example, the 3.0 ford engine and transmission that are in the van is the same exact engine and tranny thats in the ford taurus, the van weighs about 1200lbs more, so pulling with the van to begin with is a bad idea because the trannys are already stressed because they werent designed to put up with that much load and added heat.

And last but not least, trailer sway.. light cars and vans cannot handle the trailers when they dogtrack down the road "Sway back an forth" the assend of the vans and cars will start swaying with the trailer and boom you're out of control and if your lucky in the ditch.

This video is a great example why u shouldnt pull with anything less than a SUV or smaller pickup
https://youtu.be/mfLnLwFcSBc

Im not trying to piss any one off that does, just trying to shed some educated light on the issue at hand.

Okay, just because I like a good debate...

You don't recommend cars towing, but based on your statement and example, "Tranny problems are an issue also, take the ford windstar for an example, the 3.0 ford engine and transmission that are in the van is the same exact engine and tranny thats in the ford taurus, the van weighs about 1200lbs more, so pulling with the van to begin with is a bad idea because the trannys are already stressed because they werent designed to put up with that much load and added heat." it would seem that the Taurus would be the better vehicle, of these two, to tow with.

And the video is very much on the extreme end of car towing. He was pulling 2500+ pounds with a station wagon. Seems pretty crazy in my book.

I tow my 12'er with a first gen 1.8lr Honda CRV (which might as well be a Civic with a detuned Integra motor). Pulls it along just fine, and with the pseudo 4 wheel I haven't had an issue at ramps. I'd feel okay pulling up to a light 16' with it, but nothing heavy that's for sure. I'd probably not stick it quite so deep in the ramp either.

The only thing I can't stand about it is how often if shifts around when going into the wind/up/down hills, but to be fair that stupid car is always shifting (thanks in part to poor gearing and a high reving motor, way to go Honda).

Revving to 8600rpms on my Honda K20 is nothing but fun! Way to go Honda, lol. :twisted:

 

[JamesM56alum]

Aparently you didnt actually read everything i posted, Sedans arent heavy enough now adays to handle any trailer sway maybe back in the 70's or earlier when they still weighd as much as a half ton truck, reguardless of how uneducated some people are that do tow with them Its a common sense kinda thing i used the video as an example of trailer sway not what he was towing, obviously the overloaded tongue weight amplified the sway.

Now give me an example of a GOOD reason to tow with a sedan ? .....

This is a pretty touchy subject with some people, iv worked in shops most of my life im a mechanic by trade and pulling boats with cars is not a good idea. One reason is stopping, just because you can pull it with no problem doesnt mean you should because you also have to worry about stopping it, front disc rear drum brake systems are horrid on cars and small vans, the brakes are already maxed out just from the weight of the car and the passengers in it, i cant tell you how many brake jobs iv done on front disc rear drum when either the pads glaze over because they over heat or the rotors are a very pretty shade of blue/black because the persons calipers sized up an they warped the rotors.

Tranny problems are an issue also, take the ford windstar for an example, the 3.0 ford engine and transmission that are in the van is the same exact engine and tranny thats in the ford taurus, the van weighs about 1200lbs more, so pulling with the van to begin with is a bad idea because the trannys are already stressed because they werent designed to put up with that much load and added heat.

And last but not least, trailer sway.. light cars and vans cannot handle the trailers when they dogtrack down the road "Sway back an forth" the assend of the vans and cars will start swaying with the trailer and boom you're out of control and if your lucky in the ditch.

This video is a great example why u shouldnt pull with anything less than a SUV or smaller pickup
https://youtu.be/mfLnLwFcSBc

Im not trying to piss any one off that does, just trying to shed some educated light on the issue at hand.

Okay, just because I like a good debate...

You don't recommend cars towing, but based on your statement and example, "Tranny problems are an issue also, take the ford windstar for an example, the 3.0 ford engine and transmission that are in the van is the same exact engine and tranny thats in the ford taurus, the van weighs about 1200lbs more, so pulling with the van to begin with is a bad idea because the trannys are already stressed because they werent designed to put up with that much load and added heat." it would seem that the Taurus would be the better vehicle, of these two, to tow with.

And the video is very much on the extreme end of car towing. He was pulling 2500+ pounds with a station wagon. Seems pretty crazy in my book.

I tow my 12'er with a first gen 1.8lr Honda CRV (which might as well be a Civic with a detuned Integra motor). Pulls it along just fine, and with the pseudo 4 wheel I haven't had an issue at ramps. I'd feel okay pulling up to a light 16' with it, but nothing heavy that's for sure. I'd probably not stick it quite so deep in the ramp either.

The only thing I can't stand about it is how often if shifts around when going into the wind/up/down hills, but to be fair that stupid car is always shifting (thanks in part to poor gearing and a high reving motor, way to go Honda).

Revving to 8600rpms on my Honda K20 is nothing but fun! Way to go Honda, lol. :twisted:

 

[crabtree]

Aparently you didnt actually read everything i posted, Sedans arent heavy enough now adays to handle any trailer sway maybe back in the 70's or earlier when they still weighd as much as a half ton truck, reguardless of how uneducated some people are that do tow with them Its a common sense kinda thing i used the video as an example of trailer sway not what he was towing, obviously the overloaded tongue weight amplified the sway.

Now give me an example of a GOOD reason to tow with a sedan ? .....

This is a pretty touchy subject with some people, iv worked in shops most of my life im a mechanic by trade and pulling boats with cars is not a good idea. One reason is stopping, just because you can pull it with no problem doesnt mean you should because you also have to worry about stopping it, front disc rear drum brake systems are horrid on cars and small vans, the brakes are already maxed out just from the weight of the car and the passengers in it, i cant tell you how many brake jobs iv done on front disc rear drum when either the pads glaze over because they over heat or the rotors are a very pretty shade of blue/black because the persons calipers sized up an they warped the rotors.

Tranny problems are an issue also, take the ford windstar for an example, the 3.0 ford engine and transmission that are in the van is the same exact engine and tranny thats in the ford taurus, the van weighs about 1200lbs more, so pulling with the van to begin with is a bad idea because the trannys are already stressed because they werent designed to put up with that much load and added heat.

And last but not least, trailer sway.. light cars and vans cannot handle the trailers when they dogtrack down the road "Sway back an forth" the assend of the vans and cars will start swaying with the trailer and boom you're out of control and if your lucky in the ditch.

This video is a great example why u shouldnt pull with anything less than a SUV or smaller pickup
https://youtu.be/mfLnLwFcSBc

Im not trying to piss any one off that does, just trying to shed some educated light on the issue at hand.

Okay, just because I like a good debate...

You don't recommend cars towing, but based on your statement and example, "Tranny problems are an issue also, take the ford windstar for an example, the 3.0 ford engine and transmission that are in the van is the same exact engine and tranny thats in the ford taurus, the van weighs about 1200lbs more, so pulling with the van to begin with is a bad idea because the trannys are already stressed because they werent designed to put up with that much load and added heat." it would seem that the Taurus would be the better vehicle, of these two, to tow with.

And the video is very much on the extreme end of car towing. He was pulling 2500+ pounds with a station wagon. Seems pretty crazy in my book.

I tow my 12'er with a first gen 1.8lr Honda CRV (which might as well be a Civic with a detuned Integra motor). Pulls it along just fine, and with the pseudo 4 wheel I haven't had an issue at ramps. I'd feel okay pulling up to a light 16' with it, but nothing heavy that's for sure. I'd probably not stick it quite so deep in the ramp either.

The only thing I can't stand about it is how often if shifts around when going into the wind/up/down hills, but to be fair that stupid car is always shifting (thanks in part to poor gearing and a high reving motor, way to go Honda).

Revving to 8600rpms on my Honda K20 is nothing but fun! Way to go Honda, lol. :twisted:

Gas Mileage. I have an F250 diesel and it's expensive to drive. I'm currently looking to get a 14-16' jon to tow with my 4 cylinder corolla.

 

[Jdholmes]

I do it with a 1/4 tonne ranger with a 4 cylinder + standard tranny...other than my rear wheel drive I don't see what the difference would to a large sedan...I guess maybe the weight as you say would be a benefit...

 

[WaterbedWarrior]

My current rig a 1968 12' SeaNymph, I pull with my 2010 Toyota Prius. Have yet to have any problems, towing, launching or recovering.

I picked up my new boat this past week, a 1988 17' Sylvan Scout tinny with 25hp outboard (pics and mod to come soon) and towed it 1.5 hours to get it home without any issues behind my Prius.

I live in Cleveland and am towing on fairly flat ground (no mountains).
Biggest difference I can tell on my car while towing is fuel economy, I normally get around 50 mpg and pulling my new 17 footer home at 55 mph, was only getting 36 mpg average. Not much to complain about since most vehicles can't get 36 mpg without the boat, much less with it.

Go slow, easy on the gas, leave plenty of room to stop and you should be fine.
Biggest mistake many make is not enough tongue weight, which will increase trailer sway.

And since I've been lurking for a bit, this would be the time to thank you all for a great site and some awesome mods. I've been stealing ideas right and left for my new boat.

 

[Butthead]

Gas mileage was exactly what I was going to say as well. If I only owned the tin and didn't need to haul crap fairly regularly, I would save myself well over $1000 a year by getting rid of my truck.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

[/quote]

That Prius may sing a different tune if she was pulling in the hills Virginny. ;-)

 

[Jdholmes]

That Prius may sing a different tune if she was pulling in the hills Virginny. ;-)[/quote]

Hahaha...true that...I can honestly say I have never seen a Prius with a hitch.

 

[WaterbedWarrior]

Yep, I sometimes get some strange looks when I'm towing my boat or hauling back building supplies from Lowe's on my utility trailer.
Simple fact is you don't need a big diesel dually pickup to tow around a couple hundred pound aluminum boat.
I'd have no fear pulling my 12' SeaNymph thru the mountains. This new 17' may be a different story. Luckily all my fishing is within about a 30 mile radius.
And apparently, I'm not the only crazy Prius driving fisherman up here. I ran into another Prius owner who was towing one of those 10' plastic bass boats.
There is a yahoo group dedicated to towing with the Prius. Some people are pulling small camping trailers and I've seen one who tows a small Boston whaler (which can't be light).

Regardless of your tow-vehicle, you have to use common sense when towing.

 

[bcbouy]

load up that boat with gas/gear anchors and a few mods like decks and so on and see how the prius tows it then. my mods easily doubled the weight of my boat

 

[earl60446]

I towed my 14ft lund, trailer, 15hp mariner and all gear with my 2001 chevy prizm (same as corolla) and never had a problem. Rig only weighed maybe 6-700 lbs total, I would guess. My prizm was a stick shift which I thought worked out great for towing, although a bit more complicated at the launch ramp with a stick shift. I dont see any issues with front wheel drive either, actually good to have on a ramp.

 

[LonLB]

A guy up here in Michigan tows a john boat with a Chevy Aveo.

That is a **** small car.


And does so by choice because he has two other bigger boats/trucks. The Aveo gets better mileage, which means more fishing money.

 

[Butthead]

I towed my 14ft lund, trailer, 15hp mariner and all gear with my 2001 chevy prizm (same as corolla) and never had a problem. Rig only weighed maybe 6-700 lbs total, I would guess. My prizm was a stick shift which I thought worked out great for towing, although a bit more complicated at the launch ramp with a stick shift. I dont see any issues with front wheel drive either, actually good to have on a ramp.

I can definitely see the handbrake being your best friend when pulling the boat out with a manual trans!! I know it's nice to use when stopped on a steep hill with a jerky right on your bumper! :roll: (Many MD/DC/VA drivers aren't very cognizant or thoughtful around rush hour.)

 

[JMichael]

I don't think anyone has said that you can't tow them with a sedan, if they did I missed it. You need to take all things into consideration if you're going to do it. I think most here will agree that it puts extra strain on the brakes, transmission/clutch etc and everyone would agree it's cheaper on gas. And a lot of you have advised to use longer distances to slow down/stop and that's good advice. But what about the times when a vehicle suddenly pulls out in front of you or an animal or person unexpectedly crosses the road right in front of you and you don't have time to make that gradual stop? A vehicle with X number of pounds pushing it, handles differently than a vehicle with X number of pounds inside it, when it comes to stopping quickly. So just because the weight may not be excessive, there are other aspects to consider when that weight is located in different places. Don't we all take the weight and it's location into consideration when laying out what goes where in our boats because it affects the way the boat handles/runs.

In the end, it all comes down to each individual making their own choices, and what ever choice you make, I hope you have a safe and happy boating future.

 

[JamesM56alum]

Good opinion JM, some people will never learn though.

 

[Jdholmes]

Curious...Why would you think using the hand brake towing your boat out of the water would be helpful?

I have a standard ranger and though i have towed the boat around town have yet to launch it at the ramp...

 

[fool4fish1226]

You can set the parking brake while on the ramp and as you let out the clutch while you are pulling the boat out slowly release the brake it will prevent any rolling backwards

 

[Butthead]

Learn what? That overkill is the only effective way to safely do things?

If you look at it from a size scale, using a full size truck to pull a 700lb aluminum boat and trailer is about equivalent to using a semi to pull a 22' bass boat.

What is so drastically different from using a sedan to pull a small aluminum boat, than using a full size truck to haul a big heavy camper or a bobcat? In an emergency stop they're both going to be challenging to stop, even with the brakes on the big trailer. Yes, the trailer on the car will handle differently in the stop since it doesn't have brakes, but if you're driving at a reasonable speed it shouldn't be life threatening. I would think that in today's society of instant lawsuit, if the car manufacturers didn't have faith in the safety of their vehicles within their rated towing capacity, they wouldn't put them on there.

Yes, properly setting up the weight in your boat and trailer is important, especially so when pulling it with a car. But if done right and not with excessive weight, there's no reason that a car can't be just as effective as a truck in performing this task.

Sorry, we're just not going to see eye to eye with this one.

You can set the parking brake while on the ramp and as you let out the clutch while you are pulling the boat out slowly release the brake it will prevent any rolling backwards

Exactly. Also works for getting a stick car up on ramps slowly, espeically if they don't have a good lip on the back to stop the tires.