Guys, what is the max size of Yamaha boat people are towing and launching/retrieving with the BMW X5 ?

[dimbmw]

I know it sounds dumb as F150 and similar would do better, but it is what it is and I am not planning to buy another vehichle....

I am looking at 252 boat... won't it too big/heavy for the bmw X5 (tow capacity 5952 lbs, tongue weight 551 lbs)

Is it too much ? Maybe someone has pictures of someone doing it?

Thanks

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

How far? 2 miles. 100 miles. More?

Jim

 

[dimbmw]

How far? 2 miles. 100 miles. More?

Jim

ideally I’d like tobe able to be able to take it down to FL Keys so around 100 miles

 

[RightStuff]

Dry weight of a 25' boat ranges from 3900 lbs. (SX252) to 4500 lbs (252SD).

Add the trailer (1000 lbs?) , gear, gas (75 gallons = 450 lbs) and then people in your X5 and you are pushing 100% (or more) of the towing capacity. In my opinion, that's too much for a 100 mile journey.

 

[subysti]

Problem isn't always just towing capacity but the wheel base and weight of the tow vehicle. I towed my AR240 with a grand cherokee with a 5.7L hemi as it was rated for 7500lbs but that boat would push the truck around and it would get squirrelly on windy days and bumpy roads and especially downhill around a curve. It would have been better with electric brakes. Now with a Silverado 1500 I don't know the boat is there.

 

[dimbmw]

Problem isn't always just towing capacity but the wheel base and weight of the tow vehicle. I towed my AR240 with a grand cherokee with a 5.7L hemi as it was rated for 7500lbs but that boat would push the truck around and it would get squirrelly on windy days and bumpy roads and especially downhill around a curve. It would have been better with electric brakes. Now with a Silverado 1500 I don't know the boat is there.

I am new to this but it looks like yamaha boats comes with the trailer, do they have breaks?
As a note, Cherokee itself feels like a boat comparing to the X5 , sorry

 

[dimbmw]

Dry weight of a 25' boat ranges from 3900 lbs. (SX252) to 4500 lbs (252SD).

Add the trailer (1000 lbs?) , gear, gas (75 gallons = 450 lbs) and then people in your X5 and you are pushing 100% (or more) of the towing capacity. In my opinion, that's too much for a 100 mile journey.

interesting that same size boats vary in weight by 600 lbs…
for gas - i guess i can just take it on long trips without gas?
also why are you counting people towards the towing capacity?

 

[zipper]

also why are you counting people towards the towing capacity?

Because they add weight to the tow vehicle, same as boat, trailer, fuel and gear. Are you towing the boat alone in the x5?

 

[dimbmw]

Because they add weight to the tow vehicle, same as boat, trailer, fuel and gear. Are you towing the boat alone in the x5?

Not alone, of course. It is a little counterintuitive, though, as it seems that the heavier the vehichle itself the more stable it is when towing.

 

[gthorson]

I'd say you're pushing the limit. Also, get a wet/slick ramp and tow limit doesn't matter. Be ready to have someone help pull you up the ramp.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Because they add weight to the tow vehicle, same as boat, trailer, fuel and gear. Are you towing the boat alone in the x5?

+1

When you are towing, the limits are the tow capacity of the vehicle AND/OR the payload capacity of the vehicle. Your payload capacity includes the people in the tow vehicle, all the gear in the tow vehicle and any aftermarket accessories added to the vehicle. To this add the tongue weight from the trailer. Tow vehicles will often run out of payload capacity before they run out of towing capacity.

Jim

 

[Ronnie]

I am new to this but it looks like yamaha boats comes with the trailer, do they have breaks?

As far as I know, All tandem axle trailers that come stock with Yamaha boats have surge activated brakes on the rear axle but the tow vehicle still needs to have brakes that can handle the extra load put on them when towing heavy things like a boat.

I know it’s hard to justify buying a dedicated tow vehicle so suggest that you give the X5 a try before deciding if a used tow vehicle is in order. You may be able to find an early 2000’s F150 or expediton for $3k.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I know it sounds dumb as F150 and similar would do better, but it is what it is and I am not planning to buy another vehichle....

I am looking at 252 boat... won't it too big/heavy for the bmw X5 (tow capacity 5952 lbs, tongue weight 551 lbs)

Is it too much ? Maybe someone has pictures of someone doing it?

Thanks

With that vehicle and that boat, you are maxed out and fully loaded in boat and in vehicle you are over. I personally wouldn't tow that setup. Go with a smaller boat/lighter boat or a better tow vehicle.

 

[TimW451]

@dimbmw If you want to learn more of the “why”s behind the advice this is a good article. It is Australian, so terms may be different.

Everything you need to know about towing heavy trailers | Practical Motoring

Towing heavy trailers is not a matter of hooking up and hoping for the best - here's our guide to everything you need to know about towing heavy trailers.

practicalmotoring.com.au

 

[drewkaree]

interesting that same size boats vary in weight by 600 lbs…
for gas - i guess i can just take it on long trips without gas?
also why are you counting people towards the towing capacity?

This post points to you needing to do LOTS more research and make sure you understand what is involved in towing things, in general, and not just boats.

Taking suggestions from forum members is a recipe for disaster without you knowing the "why" behind your question, and it's too basic a question to answer without knowing a lot more variables, and you're wondering why these things are relevant.

I fear you're going to make a decision based on what you've envisioned in your mind, and there's thousands of videos of the results of such things - the vids aren't posted for their successful outcomes.

I won't beat around the bush or equivocate - you need to look at a smaller boat, or get a different tow vehicle, for many reasons, and you will find the "why" with multiple sources such as @TimW451's link, but you need to look at more than just that, for a full and safe picture

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Great posts here by everyone!

The owners manual for your beemer is an excellent resource for towing capacity and how to calculate how heavy of a trailer you can tow. I’m not sure if BMW uses the SAE spec for towing but I’d be surprised if it didn’t since that is the standard these days.

Tow capacity includes the weight of passengers, cargo and the trailer. Passengers, cargo, and tongue weight all count towards the GVWR of the tow vehicle, add in the trailer and that counts towards the GCVWR. Again your owners manual should explain all of this.

Thats a screen shot from the Yamaha app for a 2024 AR250.



You can see the dry weight is 5,224# and that is dry weight which is an empty fuel tank and no batteries and no gear in the boat and the trailer. Let’s call it 5,300# with batteries, add in 450# of fuel and you’re at 5,750# with no gear in the boat and you’ve got a whopping 200# left over for people and cargo and a tongue weight of approximately 575#, so just based on the tow capacity you provided the BMW is not going to tow an AR250.

If you‘ve got your heart set on the 25’ boat then you are going to need the F-150. If you’re stead fast that you’re not buying a F-150 then you’re buying a smaller boat.

IMHO, get a slightly used F-150 4X4 with its much more stout towing capacity and get the 25’ boat.

 

[fatboyroy]

If you don't want to change your tow vehicle I would go with 22 footers, its well within your tow capacity.

 

[anmut]

Can you do it? Sure.

Can you do it safely for your family and others on the road? Doubtful.

Should you do it? It's a free country.

Other things to consider: Laws of physics & the costs of serious injury or death to those around you.

 

[2kwik4u]

Other things to consider: Laws of physics & the costs of serious injury or death to those around you.

I really dislike this manner of recommendations. "Serious injury or death" with this tone implies that it will be instant catastrophe if you tow over any recommended or published limit. It's just a step below the "You'll get sued into oblivion if you tow over the limit and crash". it hyperbole that stems from a misinformation.

I'm not advocating to tow above a published limit, I'm advocating to drop the dumbass scare tactics (and don't act like it's not), and for people to do their own individual risk assessments.

Look at any number of situations and think about how any additional capacity would have helped. Emergency lane change, panic stop from someone pulling out in front of you, or perhaps a failed tow vehicle tire or component. How does the extra safety factor help or hurt. In most cases, the margin is so thin between coming out unscathed and landing in peril that you could easily attribute it to driver experience and attentiveness. Personally, I'll take an alert and competent driver in an overloaded X5, than I would an overconfident new driver in a F350.

@dimbmw your X5 is going to be at or near the limit. I probably wouldn't tow a 25ft boat with that vehicle. Doesn't mean you need to upgrade to get it home, or even to try the first few tows with it. I've towed my 3,200lb AR190 with a Traverse that had a 5,200lb limit and it was absurdly poor experience. I've also towed 7,500-ish lbs of vehicle and trailer behind my Q7 (that's rated for 7,700lbs) and felt like it had WAY more in it resulting in an excellent experience. Point being, evaluate where you're going to be towing, learn the terms of how towing works, and where you stand on those terms, then determine your comfort level with the situation.

Our advice here is worth exactly what you've paid for it, so keep that in mind too.

 

[drewkaree]

Emergency lane change, panic stop from someone pulling out in front of you, or perhaps a failed tow vehicle tire or component. How does the extra safety factor help or hurt. In most cases, the margin is so thin between coming out unscathed and landing in peril that you could easily attribute it to driver experience and attentiveness. Personally, I'll take an alert and competent driver in an overloaded X5, than I would an overconfident new driver in a F350.

@dimbmw your X5 is going to be at or near the limit. I probably wouldn't tow a 25ft boat with that vehicle. Doesn't mean you need to upgrade to get it home, or even to try the first few tows with it. I've towed my 3,200lb AR190 with a Traverse that had a 5,200lb limit and it was absurdly poor experience. I've also towed 7,500-ish lbs of vehicle and trailer behind my Q7 (that's rated for 7,700lbs) and felt like it had WAY more in it resulting in an excellent experience. Point being, evaluate where you're going to be towing, learn the terms of how towing works, and where you stand on those terms, then determine your comfort level with the situation.

Our advice here is worth exactly what you've paid for it, so keep that in mind too.

Everything in me is looking at that "alert and competent" part with a healthy dose of side eye in this case. Nothing written speaks to competence, and only brings up more questions.

This would not be the one I would feel confident with his evaluation, even after learning how this stuff works.

There seem to be clear indicators of this being a first tow, and with all things considered, I don't think emphasizing the risk of injury or death is unwarranted. For you or I, or someone with more experience than is indicated here, sure, I agree with your point. For this person, this could very well be an outcome that hasn't even been a thought - as have been other things in the equation.

At the very least, update your profile Mister Beemer, so we have a heads up to be on the lookout for you on the road if you're near us.