Tow vehicles - maximum tow rating

[Maineiac]

What are you using to tow your boat and is it close to the maximum rating?

I’m considering downsizing from my F-150 to a smaller truck or possibly SUV with a 5,000 lb tow rating. That is still more than the weight of my 21’ boat plus trailer, fuel, etc... but it is close.

Is anyone else in a similar situation and have you had any problems towing close to max rating?

 

[Babin Farms]

This is one of those topics that there is no right or one answer. You need to figure out what best works for you and what your comfortable with and go from there. I like puling my boat with my 2500. I am not hesitant to go anywhere or do anything with the boat in tow. If I had a truck that was right on the edge of max capacity of towing I would feel a bit more on edge especially if I was towing long distances.

Just my .02

 

[Dave burke]

I pull with an SUV with a 7000 lb rating. 212x. It pulls it just fine.

I used to pull my old boat with an Acura MDX with a 4000 lb rating. Boat was below 4000 but not by much and the MDX definitely struggled in spots. Wouldn’t want to repeat that.

 

[Dough]

My 212 is 5200 fueled and beered up.

 

[Redwhiteandblue]

Generally speaking, assuming tongue weight is ok, 80% capacity is a good start. The larger the wind sail behind the tow vehicle, the more important the numbers are. Imo

 

[digitalthug916]

The Chevy Colorado and Ford ranger have tow ratings of 7000+ lbs. I have the v6 colorado and regularly tow my travel trailer ~ 5000lbs wet and loaded, my truck bed full of toys, and cab full of family. I use a load leveling hitch with sway control and have full trailer brakes. The engine stays higher revs (3500-4500rpm) up hills at 55/65 mph but otherwise feels super stable handling and braking. I would not tow with anything smaller though.

If you’re not loading up with toys and people 5000lbs tow should be ok. Just rig it right.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Overkill is underrated …

If you are towing at or close to max, you are at the design limit of the tow vehicle, cooling and braking are the first two things that come to mind. The rear sacking due to tongue weight can be overcome with either air bags or a load leveling hitch. I’d think the F-150 would be a perfect lighter end tow vehicle for the boat, you can load up the truck bed with all kinds of stuff and still tow the boat with aplomb.

 

[2kwik4u]

What are you using to tow your boat and is it close to the maximum rating?

I’m considering downsizing from my F-150 to a smaller truck or possibly SUV with a 5,000 lb tow rating. That is still more than the weight of my 21’ boat plus trailer, fuel, etc... but it is close.

Is anyone else in a similar situation and have you had any problems towing close to max rating?

Saw a picture on here earlier today; Person had a 252XD attached to the back of a Ford Explorer. Clearly anything CAN be done. Should it be done is REALLY REALLY subjective.

@Babin Farms is completely correct. There is no "one" solution or answer here. Some questions to ask.

• How far are you towing typically?
  • A minivan will do the job if you're going 1 mile each way once a year. Of you're going 3 hours each way twice a weekend, then you're gonna want something heavier.
• What are you towing?
  • An SX190 can be towed with most anything this side of a bicycle, a 252XD is going to want something heavier duty.
• What kind of of vehicle and brand do you want/like?
  • Our Traverse wasn't worth a crap towing our AR190 with a full load of people. My Trailblazer SS was GREAT. Similar size, but COMPLETELY different powertrain and chassis setup between the two.
  • REALLY REALLY hoping my Q7 is closer to the SS and further from the Traverse. Haven't test yet though
  • Can you get away with a full-size SUV or do you want something smaller? Full-size SUV's (Yukon/Expedition/Armada/Sequoia/etc.) typically have really good tow ratings and always have good reviews.
• What kind of risk are you willing to accept in terms of safety and equipment longevity?
  • The more headroom you remove, the more likely you are to have a problem. Basic "safety factor" theory.

Keep in mind that you have to watch both towable rating, as well as Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR). This is typically in the 8-10k range for midsize SUVs. Assume a 4,500lb curb weight, and 1k in passengers and gear, and your allowable tow rating has dropped off significantly. I did an example of this with my 9,200lb tow rated GMC a few years ago for a family vacation. I was down to something like 3,800lbs of "overhead" once we were all loaded up and ready to go.

I recently downgraded my tow vehicle capacity as well (2015 GMC Sierra to 2017 Audi Q7). Tow rating dropped from 9,200lbs to 7,700lbs. I passed on a number of other "midsize" SUV's as I wanted to ensure I had greater than 6k tow rating if/when we upgrade our 190. Only a few SUV's out there in the midsize range with greater than 5k tow rating. IMO, 5k isn't enough for a 24ft Yamaha. It's borderline on the 21ft Yamahas, depending on persons/gear/boat/etc.

Happy hunting.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Saw a picture on here earlier today; Person had a 252XD attached to the back of a Ford Explorer. Clearly anything CAN be done. Should it be done is REALLY REALLY subjective.

@Babin Farms is completely correct. There is no "one" solution or answer here. Some questions to ask.

• How far are you towing typically?
  • A minivan will do the job if you're going 1 mile each way once a year. Of you're going 3 hours each way twice a weekend, then you're gonna want something heavier.
• What are you towing?
  • An SX190 can be towed with most anything this side of a bicycle, a 252XD is going to want something heavier duty.
• What kind of of vehicle and brand do you want/like?
  • Our Traverse wasn't worth a crap towing our AR190 with a full load of people. My Trailblazer SS was GREAT. Similar size, but COMPLETELY different powertrain and chassis setup between the two.
  • REALLY REALLY hoping my Q7 is closer to the SS and further from the Traverse. Haven't test yet though
  • Can you get away with a full-size SUV or do you want something smaller? Full-size SUV's (Yukon/Expedition/Armada/Sequoia/etc.) typically have really good tow ratings and always have good reviews.
• What kind of risk are you willing to accept in terms of safety and equipment longevity?
  • The more headroom you remove, the more likely you are to have a problem. Basic "safety factor" theory.

Keep in mind that you have to watch both towable rating, as well as Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR). This is typically in the 8-10k range for midsize SUVs. Assume a 4,500lb curb weight, and 1k in passengers and gear, and your allowable tow rating has dropped off significantly. I did an example of this with my 9,200lb tow rated GMC a few years ago for a family vacation. I was down to something like 3,800lbs of "overhead" once we were all loaded up and ready to go.

I recently downgraded my tow vehicle capacity as well (2015 GMC Sierra to 2017 Audi Q7). Tow rating dropped from 9,200lbs to 7,700lbs. I passed on a number of other "midsize" SUV's as I wanted to ensure I had greater than 6k tow rating if/when we upgrade our 190. Only a few SUV's out there in the midsize range with greater than 5k tow rating. IMO, 5k isn't enough for a 24ft Yamaha. It's borderline on the 21ft Yamahas, depending on persons/gear/boat/etc.

Happy hunting.

Awesome post!!!

 

[dgfreeze]

With the boat and trailer, fueled up, loaded up, and occupants in the vehicle, you're likely going to be knocking on the max rating, if not over. I would caution against a vehicle with just a 5k towing capacity, unless you're not towing it more than a few miles to the water. There's a pretty good reason for the ratings they put on these vehicles, and going above and beyond them will really tax the engine, drivetrain, and brakes. I strongly recommend about a 25% "buffer" in capacity. Remember, ratings are generally calculated with nothing more than a driver in the vehicle. Passengers and cargo come out of the tow rating.

 

[Miitch]

I tow my Challenger 180 with a 2016 Subaru Outback. I'm about 300lbs below my MAX rated towing capacity (with fuel, weight of my and passenger and I + minimal gear) and it does fine for 30-60 minute trips. I had no issues all of last season, and none yet this season.

If i were to go further, say 2+ hours, I would definitely use something with a bit more power..

 

[fatboyroy]

I tow with 13K lbs max rating Titan XD Diesel pulling my 19 ft yamaha. I dont even feel it back there but that's how I like to tow lol.

 

[rrmidden]

Like others have said; distance may be your biggest concern. When we first bought our 212X, I had a Trailblazer with a 5,000 Pound Max Rating. The 3 hour drive from the Dealer to up north, was nerve racking, but it handled it. Bought the boat in September, so we only used it for 6 weeks before we put it away for the year, by the next spring, I upgraded to a Toyota Tundra. Night and Day difference. That being said, a couple of years after we got the Tundra, we bought a lake house, now I literally tow the boat 1/4 Mile to the Boat Launch in the Spring, then tow the empty trailer back a 1/4 Mile, and then reverse in the Fall. If we had bought the Lake House before the boat, I may waited a few years to buy the Tundra. (Don't get me wrong I love the Tundra, but as far as towing goes, it now seems like overkill.)

So if you only tow a few miles, the Max Rating may not mean too much to you, but if you're making multiple longer trips throughout your boating season, then you may want to have some cushion built into your Tow Rating.

 

[LakesideLaw]

I would not tow at the max rate. As others have said you can get a smaller truck with a tow rate in the 7K+ range. I got a Durango R/T with the Hemi and tow and go package right before my boat came in and it maxes out at 8700lbs - tows the AR250 fantastic but I feel like I am close even at that to maxing out with the 25 footer gassed up.

 

[ctyke]

Pulling usually isn't a problem, unless you are going up big hills. Be worried about stopping and wearing out equipment. Last thing you want to cause an accident because you couldn't handle an emergency. If someone got hurt, you could be in a world of hurt too. Be safe to yourself and those around you, buy something that can handle the weight. Wear and tear will hurt your vehicle too, a lot of towing packages add extra coolers to dissipate the heat.

 

[RobbieO]

I have a 2020 Ford Explorer Platinum with a tow rating of 5600. My 212SE is 4600lb dry, so after fuel and cargo I'm probably around 5200. Tows great, brakes great, handles great, no issues. I'm contemplating buying a an F150 because I can't see behind me. My Explorer has a 3.0L twin turbo and there is no lag on hills..none.

 

[Troy JK]

Tow ratings don’t tell the whole story IMO. (I also think they’re inflated) You should also consider wheelbase, wind drag and weight of the tow vehicle as compared to the size (not just weight) of what you are towing. A 5500lb trailer that’s 8’ long and 4’ high would be much easier to tow than 5500lb boats or campers. I was pulling my 242 with a 17’ Tahoe with 5.3 and a Ford F-150 with the 5.4. Both got it there ok, but pulling on interstate was a chore and I always wondered how the truck and I would handle an emergency...like a crash in front of me, a blow-out or dodging something in the road. The tower on it is over 11’ while on the trailer. It isn’t just getting it down the road that counts, I want to stack the odds in my favor. That’s why I got a long-bed 3/4 ton diesel 4x4. After pulling with it, I don’t want anything less.
I think the op said he had a 21’ which probably reduces the height and wind drag also, so of course that would require less truck, but personally, I’d never go less than a 1/2 ton truck for towing anything more than a Jon boat.
Wifey has a Lexus with the v-8. It wouldn’t surprise me if they slapped a rating on it that’s enough for the boat, but there’s no way in hell it would ever get connected.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I have a 2017 Ford Expedition Limited that I bought used last year just before the boat. I have the Heavy duty Tow Package with the Class IV Hitch. Its a 4x4 and max loaded trailer weight is 9200lbs. I don't even know the boat is back there. I got rid of my F-150, which I preferred though, lease was up.

2017 Ford Expedition Trailer Towing Selector

 

[RobbieO]

I have a 2017 Ford Expedition Limited that I bought used last year just before the boat. I have the Heavy duty Tow Package with the Class IV Hitch. Its a 4x4 and max loaded trailer weight is 9200lbs. I don't even know the boat is back there. I got rid of my F-150, which I preferred though, lease was up.

2017 Ford Expedition Trailer Towing Selector

Ford brags about their eco-boost, but they suck gas bigtime. More air=More fuel. My Explorer is a rocket ship, but an hour to the lake and back is 3/4 of a tank.

 

[Zizzou 192]

Completely agree with tow ratings not telling the whole story. Different vehicles tow differently even with the same tow rating. The max tow rating from different vehicle manufacturers can mean anywhere from a white knuckle near death towing experience to boring and no drama safe. Find the specific vehicle you are interested towing with and start from there.