jeffdiedrich
New Member
Hey everyone, I have a 98 speedster twinn 800's not sure the weight of the boat but i was wondering if i dare put a hitch on my 2000 cougar V6... I sure it would tow it but prob alil hard on it? what do u think..
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Any 1 tow there boat with a car?
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flrnemt
New Member
I just finally picked up my 06 Sportster today, towed it home with my 07 Pontiac G6 Convertible with a 3.9L V6. I have it modded for extra go, but it towed just fine, even the hills. Mine weighs 1495 + trailer, didn't even know it was back there. If you're not doing a lot of steep hills and getting on the gas and brakes, you should be fine. Just keep it easy, don't wanna tear up the tranny. Take a look at the thread in this section, "What is your tow rig". I see someone also posted a Mitsu Ec lipse for towing. Who wants 10mpg when you're not towing??
harley2rde
New Member
93 lincoln town car with 4.6l 97 speedster no problem towing or ramp :hurray:
mikeyanderson
New Member
The question was really about boats vs. skis...
Best thing would be to check your Car's manual to see the specs on towing. I had a 2001 V6 Cougar and by my recollection, it had plenty of torque and power for towing a small boat (very small, like a ski).
here's my tow vehicle:
Best thing would be to check your Car's manual to see the specs on towing. I had a 2001 V6 Cougar and by my recollection, it had plenty of torque and power for towing a small boat (very small, like a ski).
here's my tow vehicle:
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custompartsguy
Well-Known Member
Just an opinion of mine coming from an ase cert auto and marine mechanic, towing a pwc or "small" boat is fine with a car, really depending on the weight you should not be doing any towing with a car they are NOT made for towing and most times it does result in transmission damage, while light towing is fine they are not made to tow heavier things like a 17+ foot boat, do people still do it? the answer is yes, I once seen a volvo station wagon hauling around a 26' foot boat, I have seen a 88-94 jeep wrangler doing the same and it will kill the transmission after time, a nissan maxima for instance hauling an 18+ foot boat will eventually play a toll on the trans, but once again this is just my professional opinion!
you guy's are flippin great, i would love to pull up at the lake and see all of you just kickin it with the boats on a car, i would die.... my thing is... if your a male, car's arent for you... buy your lady a dope ride, like mine a 2007wrx wagon, flashed, tuned, int., exhaust, and tons more, then you can drive it when you feel the need to rip... you know you like toys, boats, bikes ect... get a medium sized suv or heck a nice sized truck, that is actually big enough for sure to pull trailers with the toy's, or throw em in the back.... it will in the end save you some heartache and greif... and prolly alot of money when your gettin the tranny rebuilt... but once again this is just my opinion, after all it is your money and your life, so i guess enjoy it however you can.... i would love to see more pics posted on here!!!!
nerdlinger
New Member
pulling it on the highway isn't where the problem is. Most cars, even small ones, could tow a jet ski. The original post's Cougar could pull a small boat, but the trouble comes when you are on a slick, steep ramp and your car can't get your boat out of the water. I've seen it happen.
crisso
New Member
I live in Oz and every second car has a tow hitch.New cars are sold with tow packs(transmission coolers,beefed up springs etc.)and you retain the full new car warranty.You very often see older retired couples hitch up an 18foot caravan(trailer) and head off around Australia for a year or 2.Its common.This is a country thats pretty big and hot.So,set up correctly,a car can still do a pretty good job of towing.
teancious todd
New Member
Yeah I am using a Volvo also a 98 V70R AWD to tow my ski. The car has 240Hp and a good amount of torque the brake could use and upgrade though..
stanley9foy
New Member
I have a 95 SPX and tow it just fine with a 2002 4cyl Honda accord. And now I do it very often.
phroadrick
New Member
So Dave, what do you tow with? I'll be towing a 150 Speedster with a 2005 Pontiac Bonneville GXP. It has the 4.6L Northstar V8, 275 HP and front wheel drive. Why? Because I can.
phroadrick
New Member
itsabowtime2
Member
Check out what your max towing capacity is, 1000lbs.
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Spec_engines.aspx?year=2000&make=Mercury&model=Cougar&trimid=1828
You do not want to go over that amount. It will be unsafe.
When towing a boat something to keep in mind is stopping power. A Jet Ski at 750 -1000 lbs does not have the same effect on stopping power as a 2000+ pound boat.
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Spec_engines.aspx?year=2000&make=Mercury&model=Cougar&trimid=1828
You do not want to go over that amount. It will be unsafe.
When towing a boat something to keep in mind is stopping power. A Jet Ski at 750 -1000 lbs does not have the same effect on stopping power as a 2000+ pound boat.
V6 - You'll be fine, just be careful on the ramps!
Listen, it's all how you drive. It's unsafe if you drive like your not towing anything..... I just put a hitch on my 1.8 turbo Jetta (90HP @ w/o the turbo pushing), and had concerns about her first go at towing a Seadoo Speedster, but everything went well (a hour haul) even at 75MPH down the freeway. Before you get on the road test out how good the car takes off and how it brakes and take it easy. Don't take off hard and give yourself extra stopping time - you'll be fine. I'd be more worried about the docks, as I have yet to do, but being my driveway has a pretty high pitch and the car handled it fine, I think it'll work out.
Daverade - Really? I can't stand trucks, ride like shit and have awful mpg, but that’s just my opinion... A wagon, dope ride? FAIL. I have built my cars to "rip" I guess, having a truck just to tow a boat here and there would be quite a waste.
Phroadrick - agreed, because we can. -also, sharp boat
Listen, it's all how you drive. It's unsafe if you drive like your not towing anything..... I just put a hitch on my 1.8 turbo Jetta (90HP @ w/o the turbo pushing), and had concerns about her first go at towing a Seadoo Speedster, but everything went well (a hour haul) even at 75MPH down the freeway. Before you get on the road test out how good the car takes off and how it brakes and take it easy. Don't take off hard and give yourself extra stopping time - you'll be fine. I'd be more worried about the docks, as I have yet to do, but being my driveway has a pretty high pitch and the car handled it fine, I think it'll work out.
Daverade - Really? I can't stand trucks, ride like shit and have awful mpg, but that’s just my opinion... A wagon, dope ride? FAIL. I have built my cars to "rip" I guess, having a truck just to tow a boat here and there would be quite a waste.
Phroadrick - agreed, because we can. -also, sharp boat
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MazerMadness
New Member
I've got a pair of 08 SeaDoo GTI's on a double trailer and tow it with a 2002 Nissan Maxima 6-Spd. I definitely know they're back there but it tows just fine, good on the ramp too. On long trips, I'll borrow my fathers 04 Sierra Z71 but it's an automatic an the transmission can't seem to ever find the right gear when ascending hills, it gets rather annoying. If it were a manual trans, it would be so much better.
biffdotorg
Active Member
I think this may have been covered in this thread, but since it is the time of year that many buy watercraft before thinking about the tow vehicle, keep the important tips in mind. This is also coming from somone that has towed PWC with a car before as well, so I am not above getting by with a car, just be smart about it.
Open your driver's side door and look at the tag. It should be stuck on the door jam or door with the load ratings for your vehicle.
The best advice from any mechanic (not you buddy, Dad or the law) is to not tow more than 3/4 the towing capacity of the vehicle. This is mostly for safety reasons based on the maximum your vehicle can safely tow.
Calculate the load with all gear and full of fuel. Manufacturer's specifications are almost always dry weight and not usually including the trailer. Steel trailers are much heavier than aluminum.
Having a ton of horsepower, or souped-up engine does not automatically make it a great tow vehicle. Engine power is only one factor that goes into determining towing capacity. Tongue weight, suspension, brakes, transmission and transmission coolers etc.
I pulled a pair of waverunners with a GrandAm V6 and a GrandPrix V6. I loved the fact that the front tires stayed dry on the ramp and it was easer to get out. But they were not tow vehicles. I probably wore my transmission much more than normal. But they did fine. I did move to a light truck when I bought my first boat. Moving to a 20ft Challenger, I am now considering a 1/2 ton pickup. Not that I need power, or additional tongue weight capacity, I know that I am pushing up to that 3/4 tow weight guideline. Stopping that rig is not always planned. A person can say, "leave extra room to stop" but when you really need to stop fast, it's not usually planned. Many use the excuse that, "it's only 30 miles to the lake" but unplanned things can happen at the end of your block.
Weight distribution is much more key with a car as well. Moving bunks, winch stands or gear to balance the load on the trailer axle is much more critcal than with a truck that can handle 300lbs on the ball. Be sure there is some tongue weight, and no tongue weight will cause the tail to wag the dog if you know what I mean. Also remember what extra people in the back seat and coolers in the trunk will do to towing.
Weigh your rig with gear and fluids, check your vehicle and use that 3/4 guideline. Then ask a mechanic what the long term effects would be towing your rig with your car. Everyone's experience will be different. They may even be able to fit your car with a transmission cooler, or a chip upgrade that would change shift points for your auto transmission.
(mazermadness) a point about shifting. Most GM and other Automatic transmissions can be dropped from "D" to "3" while towing. It keeps the RPM's up and shifts much less. Honestly, my mileage at highway speeds towing can be better running in "3" Also, most full sized GM pickups will have a Tow/Haul mode button on the end of the shift lever. This changes the shift points and will all but eliminate the "gear searching" you are experiencing.
When towing sleds with a covered trailer in the winter, I always drop to 3 to lessen the shifting. The last thing I want that truck to do is downshift on a hill at 65mph with the slightest bit of ice. Nothing will get that rear end loose and fishtail the trailer faster than a blast of torque towing on a hill. The pucker facter goes up quite a bit at that time.
Good luck guys! Get your rigs to the water and back safely.
Open your driver's side door and look at the tag. It should be stuck on the door jam or door with the load ratings for your vehicle.
The best advice from any mechanic (not you buddy, Dad or the law) is to not tow more than 3/4 the towing capacity of the vehicle. This is mostly for safety reasons based on the maximum your vehicle can safely tow.
Calculate the load with all gear and full of fuel. Manufacturer's specifications are almost always dry weight and not usually including the trailer. Steel trailers are much heavier than aluminum.
Having a ton of horsepower, or souped-up engine does not automatically make it a great tow vehicle. Engine power is only one factor that goes into determining towing capacity. Tongue weight, suspension, brakes, transmission and transmission coolers etc.
I pulled a pair of waverunners with a GrandAm V6 and a GrandPrix V6. I loved the fact that the front tires stayed dry on the ramp and it was easer to get out. But they were not tow vehicles. I probably wore my transmission much more than normal. But they did fine. I did move to a light truck when I bought my first boat. Moving to a 20ft Challenger, I am now considering a 1/2 ton pickup. Not that I need power, or additional tongue weight capacity, I know that I am pushing up to that 3/4 tow weight guideline. Stopping that rig is not always planned. A person can say, "leave extra room to stop" but when you really need to stop fast, it's not usually planned. Many use the excuse that, "it's only 30 miles to the lake" but unplanned things can happen at the end of your block.
Weight distribution is much more key with a car as well. Moving bunks, winch stands or gear to balance the load on the trailer axle is much more critcal than with a truck that can handle 300lbs on the ball. Be sure there is some tongue weight, and no tongue weight will cause the tail to wag the dog if you know what I mean. Also remember what extra people in the back seat and coolers in the trunk will do to towing.
Weigh your rig with gear and fluids, check your vehicle and use that 3/4 guideline. Then ask a mechanic what the long term effects would be towing your rig with your car. Everyone's experience will be different. They may even be able to fit your car with a transmission cooler, or a chip upgrade that would change shift points for your auto transmission.
(mazermadness) a point about shifting. Most GM and other Automatic transmissions can be dropped from "D" to "3" while towing. It keeps the RPM's up and shifts much less. Honestly, my mileage at highway speeds towing can be better running in "3" Also, most full sized GM pickups will have a Tow/Haul mode button on the end of the shift lever. This changes the shift points and will all but eliminate the "gear searching" you are experiencing.
When towing sleds with a covered trailer in the winter, I always drop to 3 to lessen the shifting. The last thing I want that truck to do is downshift on a hill at 65mph with the slightest bit of ice. Nothing will get that rear end loose and fishtail the trailer faster than a blast of torque towing on a hill. The pucker facter goes up quite a bit at that time.
Good luck guys! Get your rigs to the water and back safely.
I can agree with that, just be extra careful. My wife loves when I'm towing the boat (I guess I'm a crazy driver without it....)
TIP - If you have a manual, put some pressure on the clutch before releasing the parking break when you're pulling the boat out.
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