What is the actual towing weight?

[bobbo268]

So unfortunately I have a small suv with a 1500 lb tow capacity. I was looking at a 2006 Pro Guide v16 and I'm trying to get the towing weight. Every place I look gives me a bunch of different weights, and I'm never sure if that includes the motor and I know it doesn't include a trailer. One place said the dry weight was 675, I know that means empty and I'm doubting that includes the motor.

Are my expectations too high with this size of boat? I was originally going to go order a 2022 waverunner this month but my interests have turned for the time being so I'm trying to see what I am able to do with a small vehicle. Thank you in advance

And yes, I'm new here and if all goes as planned I'll eventually be old here

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

Hull weight is just that. Battery, trolling motor, engine, fuel all add to that plus trailer weight and anything you carry in the boat while towing.... Most manufacturers spec a package weight. If this is a tracker v16 you could be as much as 2500lbs total depending on model and options. Even a tiller model is likely over 1500lbs. I think you're either looking at a lighter more utility model boat or a different tow vehicle.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[DaleH]

Weights should be fairly easy to get. Go to something like www.nadaguides.com and look up that hull or a comparable hull, and OB, as NADA lists their weight. For a trailer you might need to go to the trailer maker.

Now for example, if truly 675 #s hull weight, add 250 #s for a 60hp 2-stroke motor, 400 to 500 #s for a decent 16' trailer and another 100 #s for fuel and misc gear and you're at ... 1,525 #s gross.

Regardless of actual weight without going way, WAY over, you need to be aware of braking and your transmission. Keep a good, multiple car lengths distance between you and the vehicles ahead of you. If you trailer far and long, then that rig gross weight might be questionable in the long run. You surely don't want to burn out your SUV transmission in the process ...

 

[Frankenfish]

Regardless of actual weight without going way, WAY over, you need to be aware of braking and your transmission.

I was in the same "boat" :LOL2: caught up comparing towing capacity to trailer weights, etc. My father-in-law shared some solid advice, "That max towing rate is for perfect conditions on flat roads, you don't want to be maxed out on weight and then try to climb a hill or drive in heavy wind"

Dale brings up braking and that's an excellent point.

One last consideration is that boats tend to enter the water via ramp. One quick youtube search will yield waaaay too many tow vehicles struggle to climb up a wet ramp with a boat in tow.

 

[gogittum]

Some years ago, I was researching the same topic for an entirely different class of vehicle....but the principles remain: by far the most consistent advice I received on towing heavy loads was to put an auxiliary transmission cooler on my vehicle. Heat is by far the most common killer of auto transmissions. What surprised me was that - in the vehicle I was getting, at least - backing up a steep hill with a heavy load would kill the tranny very, very quickly - within a few feet.

From many years of experience with no specific case in mind, lock the transmission out of overdrive and shift down to 2nd on hills.....or even 1st if the engine is straining. Keep engine rpms up - over 3,000 - and keep the trans temp down. Your gas mileage will suffer, big time. Keep an ear tuned to the engine and keep it happy.

I'm planning a trip with my '02 4Runner soon where I'll be towing a heavy tandem axle trailer 1,700 miles. I have the small V6 engine with standard auto trans.....and have already bought a heavy duty transmission cooler that I'll be installing very soon. I don't anticipate any problems.

 

[gogittum]

Forgot about the braking - point well taken. Without trailer brakes, that thing will try to push your tow vehicle off the road in turns if you use your brakes. Brake early and gently.

A few years ago I had a 3/4 ton Dodge Diesel pickup with a heavy cabover camper on board. One day I was towing my ATV on its' trailer thru the Black Range in SW New Mexico and there was still a bit of frost on the road from a freezing night. That ATV/trailer couldn't have weighed more than about 1,000# and the truck/camper weighed over 11,000# but on one sharp, downhill switchback that little trailer pushed the rear of my truck sideways to where my front end went over the double lines.....and I was taking it easy. Fortunately, no one was coming or I would've got them.

Also, make what ever adjustments needed to bring the trailer frame parallel to the ground when towing. Usually, an offset hitch will take care of that. If the trailer tongue is angled up toward the tow vehicle, when you hit the brakes the trailer will tend to push the back of the car up and you'll lose traction in the rear.

If trailer tongue is angled down, it'll tend to push the rear down and the front - steering - wheels up and directional control can suffer.

 

[ktoelke54]

I also tow with a small suv, a RAV4. My car has the towing package which increases its towing capacity from 1500 to 3500. The main ingredient in this package is a transmission cooler. But if I were towing any where near the 3500 pound capacity, I’d want brakes on the trailer. Also to consider on these small rigs is that they are not sprung heavy enough in the rear to handle much tongue weight.

1. An aftermarket transmission cooler can be added, about $150 plus labor.

2. Get a trailer with brakes.

3. Weight distribution hitches are an option to handle excessive tongue weight.

4. Traction: my rav4 has great traction but it is an AWD. If I were pulling a heavy boat with a front wheel drive I can see where this could be an issue. Not only is there the heavy boat light car thing, but the tongue weight would would make my front end lighter.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[wmk0002]

Just an FYI, but for anyone curious of their trailer weight or who may want to weigh something before buying (seller permitting of course) anyone can register to use the certified CAT scales found at most gas stations with big rig parking. There is an app and all you do is pull on to the scales with your axles properly aligned and pull up the app with the correct location and hit a button which reads your weight and sends you back the reading to the app plus in an email. It costs about $12 for the first weigh and another couple of bucks for each additional weigh over a day period or something like that.

I try to get an empty tare weight on all of my trailers and vehicles. Its pretty handy. Get a weight on your vehicles so then in the future when you weigh trailers you don't have to unhook them as you can just subtract your vehicles known weight off the total weight on the ticket. I just top off my tank before any weigh and make sure there is no excessive extra cargo in the bed of my truck or hatch of our suv. I don't personally use it to weigh boats since mine are all smaller but its pretty handy to use when we haul livestock and load up stuff on the equipment trailer.

 

[DaleH]

Just an FYI, but for anyone curious of their trailer weight or who may want to weigh something before buying (seller permitting of course) anyone can register to use the certified CAT scales found at most gas stations with big rig parking.

FYI, we can do that up here too (near Boston) at a local moving company that has a truck scale. Others can check out ones near them!

It's supposed to be $10 every time across the scale, but they let me weigh my truck, then the truck towing the 'loaded' boat. After launching that same day, they also let me drive across it now towing the empty trailer (yes, I added back any fuel used in the truck :wink: ). Note I once had weighed EVERY item aboard my boat when I ran an offshore boat for tuna, so I knew the weight of all my typical gear carried on board.

The process and numbers obtained was quite interesting! Especially for an accurate determination of the trailer tongue weight, which is a critical safety item!

 

[eeshaw]

Around here we go to the scales at the local grain elevator. Those scales are pretty spot on. I've even went so far as to park my boat and trailer on them and weigh the package without being hitched to my truck. I an get a accurate tongue weight that way also.

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

Another thing to consider while calculating towing capacity is payload. Gross combined vehicle weight rating - vehicle weight = towing capacity.
For example if your gross combined is 5000lbs (for simple math sake) and your vehicle weighs 3000lbs then 2000lbs is your towing capacity. Now put four fishermen who are fond of red meat and cold brews plus your gear in the back and your payload comes off the tow rating, say - 1000lbs. Most manufacturers publish tow ratings with a driver and half a tank of fuel.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[LDUBS]

Another thing to consider while calculating towing capacity is payload. Gross combined vehicle weight rating - vehicle weight = towing capacity.
For example if your gross combined is 5000lbs (for simple math sake) and your vehicle weighs 3000lbs then 2000lbs is your towing capacity. Now put four fishermen who are fond of red meat and cold brews plus your gear in the back and your payload comes off the tow rating, say - 1000lbs. Most manufacturers publish tow ratings with a driver and half a tank of fuel.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

X2. Towing capacity is often quoted. I was hoping someone would bring up payload.

A light, presumably short wheelbase, vehicle towing at near it's max design needs all the help it can get, IMO. I like Ktoelke's suggestions for tow packages, and weight distribution hitches. Trailer brakes are terrific but I suppose not that common on a 1500# boat/trailer package. Could always be added I guess.

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

All that being said, how far are you planning to tow? I tow my boat up to 8 hours on trips. If all you're doing is dawdling over to the local lake 15-20 minutes.... I'd go for it.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[wmk0002]

A couple of years ago in Panama City Beach, FL I did see a Toyota Rav4 towing at least a 20' center console bay boat with a Yamaha 150 4stroke lol. I think that was before QualifiedCaptain was around or else I'm sure we would have seen them on there.