Tow weight question

[bwfish]

New to towing.  I have a 2007 Santa Fe (AWD w/2.7L) and attached is the tow chart.  Am I understanding correctly that for towing a trailer without trailer brake I am limited to 1650 lbs, but if I'm hauling a boat, it is 1650 lbs + 1000 lbs, so 2650 lbs max?  Why is it plus 1000 lbs for boats - the way the weight is distributed?  I'm trying to find a boat and making sure it's within the spec of the vehicle before I buy, so any feedback is appreciated.

I should also add that I do not have the trailer package (I'll be adding a hitch).  So, would that mean 2000 lbs is the max regardless of the trailer brakes if I have a boat? 

I think my head is spinning lol.

Thanks

[GetJigginWithIt]

I looked up towing specs for your vehicle on the interweb and have seen results from 2600 to 2800. Tin boats do not weigh that much. Wonder why so many different answers for this vehicle. Try calling a dealer. Maybe they can look up a vin and tell you. Does the vehicle have a receiver?

[Ohio Archer]

Do you have the trailer package for your vehicle?  The codes listed for your vehicle will tell you.  The codes for my Sierra are listed inside the glove box area.  It's a pain decoding them sometimes, though. 

Check your state laws as well.  Some have laws that require trailer brakes over a certain trailer weight regardless of what the tow vehicles tow rating is.

[gim]

I would stay under the max weights by more than a little bit too.  Always towing around the max weight is going to make your SUV "labor" all the time to and from.

[Puggz]

Yes, that table seems a bit confusing.. A towing package typically means a hitch receiver and a transmission cooler.  On bigger vehicles it can include a HD differential and other features.  Boats are typically easy to pull as most of their weight is over the trailer's axle and they are somewhat aerodynamic.  From personal experience, having surge brakes on your boat trailer is a huge plus!

One thing to keep in mind is that towing capacity figures include payload capacity of the vehicle.  That way auto makers can advertise high towing capacities...  For example, if you're towing capacity is 3000 lbs and your boat/trailer/gear weigh 2500 pounds, you only have 500 lbs of payload left for your vehicle.  This includes occupants (you!) and your luggage,etc.

When figuring out the weight of your boat, don't forget things like batteries, fuel, water, etc etc. 

Basically your SUV has a unibody and I personally wouldn't want to tow anything bigger than 2000lb with it.

 

[Further North]

On 3/5/2016 at 7:16 AM, GetJigginWithIt said:

I looked up towing specs for your vehicle on the interweb and have seen results from 2600 to 2800. Tin boats do not weigh that much.

+Regarding the part in red: Most tin boats don't weight that much (there are some that do) but a boat+motor+electronics+batteries+gear+trailer combination can easily get that heavy.

My Crestliner 1850 runs right about that 2,600 - 2,800 lb. range most of the time, and can exceed it with a full tank (41 gallons) of gas.

I have a friend with a 21 1/2 ft deep-V Crestliner and it's easily 5,000 lbs on the trailer with a full load.

[Way2slow]

Personally, I wouldn't tow much more than a small aluminum boat with that vehicle

To help you decipher you tow chart, the very first thing you need to understand, the weight inside the vehicle affects tow weight.  That's why they state it's with two people, driver and one passenger.  Load it down with a bunch of stuff to go camping and the weight of all that extra stuff takes away from the weight of what you can tow.

That max tow weight is also with the trailer towing package.  Without the towing package the max tow weight is 2,000 pounds.  The trailer towing package, besides the obvious hitch on the back, also adds an additional, external cooler to the transmission.  Something that is very necessary to help prevent overheating the transmission (which is VERY easy to do),  Most vehicles also upgrade the wiring to the rear lights to a larger gauge wire and use a heavy duty flasher when it's a factory installed towing package.

The reason for a difference in with and without trailer brakes, it's because the braking capabilities of the vehicle.  The manufacture is telling you the vehicle can pull up 2,800 pounds of additional weight down the road, but it can only safely stop with 1,650 pounds of additional weight.  If you add trailer brakes, the trailer brakes will increase it's stopping capabilities from 1,650 to 2,800 pounds. 

Now, the little caveat about the boat towing capacity is an additional 1,000 pounds. If towing a boat, you can crank the motor up, put it in gear, rev it up and let the prop help push you down the road.  JUST KIDDING!,  Actually they are figure on towing something like a U-Haul box trailer.  That front, flat surface creates a huge amount of drag when hauling down the road at 55 mph.  A boat is much more aero dynamic and creates much less drag, therefor, they say you can add an additional 1,000 pounds to you tow weight if it's a boat. 

So, since not many small boat trailer are going to have trailer brakes and you do not have a towing package that installed the additional, external cooler on the transmission, they are saying you can tow a boat that weighs 2,650 pounds (don't ask me why boats 1000 pounds don't affect the brakes, I was not the Korean engineer that made that made that chart) with an average size driver and passenger in the vehicle.  Check what they consider an average size person, that's usually around 165 pounds.  If I was towing anything with it, I would have an external cooler installed. http://www.amazon.com/Hayden-Automotive-402-Ultra-Cool-Transmission/dp/B000C39C86/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1457354646&sr=1-6&keywords=cooler+transmission

[bwfish]

I appreciate all of the feedback form everyone.  I discussed with a friend who is a OTR truck driver and mechanic and he pretty much agreed with Way2Slow.  I am keeping an eye out for trailers with brakes and am not against adding them if it helps.  Also, with the cost of that transmission cooler, I think that makes a wise investment. 

Basically, I could afford to add a boat payment this year or I could switch vehicles but I can't do both.  I'm hoping to be able to switch out vehicles in couple years and be able to fish in the mean time.  Most of the towing would be 30-45 min trips on flat, straight roads. 

[Fishing Rhino]

17 hours ago, Way2slow said:

Personally, I wouldn't tow much more than a small aluminum boat with that vehicle

To help you decipher you tow chart, the very first thing you need to understand, the weight inside the vehicle affects tow weight.  That's why they state it's with two people, driver and one passenger.  Load it down with a bunch of stuff to go camping and the weight of all that extra stuff takes away from the weight of what you can tow.

That max tow weight is also with the trailer towing package.  Without the towing package the max tow weight is 2,000 pounds.  The trailer towing package, besides the obvious hitch on the back, also adds an additional, external cooler to the transmission.  Something that is very necessary to help prevent overheating the transmission (which is VERY easy to do),  Most vehicles also upgrade the wiring to the rear lights to a larger gauge wire and use a heavy duty flasher when it's a factory installed towing package.

The reason for a difference in with and without trailer brakes, it's because the braking capabilities of the vehicle.  The manufacture is telling you the vehicle can pull up 2,800 pounds of additional weight down the road, but it can only safely stop with 1,650 pounds of additional weight.  If you add trailer brakes, the trailer brakes will increase it's stopping capabilities from 1,650 to 2,800 pounds. 

Now, the little caveat about the boat towing capacity is an additional 1,000 pounds. If towing a boat, you can crank the motor up, put it in gear, rev it up and let the prop help push you down the road.  JUST KIDDING!,  Actually they are figure on towing something like a U-Haul box trailer.  That front, flat surface creates a huge amount of drag when hauling down the road at 55 mph.  A boat is much more aero dynamic and creates much less drag, therefor, they say you can add an additional 1,000 pounds to you tow weight if it's a boat. 

So, since not many small boat trailer are going to have trailer brakes and you do not have a towing package that installed the additional, external cooler on the transmission, they are saying you can tow a boat that weighs 2,650 pounds (don't ask me why boats 1000 pounds don't affect the brakes, I was not the Korean engineer that made that made that chart) with an average size driver and passenger in the vehicle.  Check what they consider an average size person, that's usually around 165 pounds.  If I was towing anything with it, I would have an external cooler installed. http://www.amazon.com/Hayden-Automotive-402-Ultra-Cool-Transmission/dp/B000C39C86/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1457354646&sr=1-6&keywords=cooler+transmission

Speaking of aerodynamics.  I guessing that towing a boat with the cover on, and stretched tightly would improve gas mileage.   It seems to me that the open cockpit,  trolling motor, consoles, rear seat, etc., all create turbulence which increases drag.  It also occurs to me that a cap on a pickup would tend to allow air to flow more freely above the surface of the boat, much like the deflectors you see on the roofs of trucks that ease the transition of air over that large flat panel that must be dragged through the air.

[Way2slow]

Actually, depending on how much effort they put into the design, the top deck can created very little drag.  Allison claims you can wear a baseball cap with the bill turned toward the front while running down the lake.  I've only been I a couple of Allison's and don't wear ball caps so I can't speak first hand to that.

[WIGuide]

7 hours ago, Fishing Rhino said:

Speaking of aerodynamics.  I guessing that towing a boat with the cover on, and stretched tightly would improve gas mileage.   It seems to me that the open cockpit,  trolling motor, consoles, rear seat, etc., all create turbulence which increases drag.  It also occurs to me that a cap on a pickup would tend to allow air to flow more freely above the surface of the boat, much like the deflectors you see on the roofs of trucks that ease the transition of air over that large flat panel that must be dragged through the air.

I haven't seen a cover that doesn't "balloon" up with air that rushes in under the bottom. That itself causes drag, but then the cover being inflated the way it is creates more drag. Pulling with the cover on will usually result in slightly lower mileage. Maybe that's not always the case, but it has been in my experience. 

[BrianinMD]

If its dry out towing with a cover can be bad for the gelcoat of the boat. Road grit gets caught underneath it and acts like sandpaper against the gelcoat.

[Fishing Rhino]

9 hours ago, BrianinMD said:

If its dry out towing with a cover can be bad for the gelcoat of the boat. Road grit gets caught underneath it and acts like sandpaper against the gelcoat.

It says that on a tag in the pocket where the ratchet device is stored.   I've seen some dispute it, buy I'm not going to tow with it on regardless.  At least, not for long run, high speed towing.