Tow Vehicle

[jaskoh]

Well I am interested in getting my own boat one day but I don't think my malibu is going to cut it.  Since my girlfriend wants to save the world she is worried about gas mileage.  So my question to boat owners is can you tow a boat with a 4 banger with 4 wheel drive?  I am specifically looking at the Jeep Patriot as of now.  Any input would be appreciated.

* Mods, I am not sure if this is the right place for this.  

**Sure is LBH

[Olebiker]

I pull my Bass Tracker with a four cylinder, 2 wheel drive pickumup truck.  Not very fast, mind you.

[jaskoh]

Can you get up to 65 mph with out putting a huge strain on your truck? Thanks for the reply.

Jason

[Olebiker]

Can you get up to 65 mph withouth putting a huge strain on your truck? Thanks for the reply.

Jason

Sure can.  I pulled the boat from Kentucky to Florida a couple of months ago and had no problems.  When I got into the hills around Nashville and Birmingham I did have a couple of occasions to turn off the overdrive, but 65-70 mph was no problem most of the time.

[DMB Fan]

Like the other replys it is slow going, I'm pulling a 17' Ranger w/150 hp in my '95 Ford Ranger 4 "banger" 5 speed 2 wheel drive with a 150,000 miles. If your not in a hurry to get there you will be fine. I don't venture to far from home mostly with in 30 mile radius. Hills you can forget it, I can't do more than 55 on the hway.  farless slower going up hill.  

[Raul]

No gas mileage concern here my buddy, 1993 Ram Charger, big engine n 'thirsty horses, it tows my buddy 's 18 footer and we cartop my 12 tub on it, and it doesn 't even cough when it has to climb a mountain.  

[2000WHITEGMC]

2005 Dodge Durango w/5.7L Hemi does the trick for me.  We were passing cars uphill between Springfield, MO and Table Rock Lake

[Olebiker]

2005 Dodge Durango w/5.7L Hemi does the trick for me. We were passing cars uphill between Springfield, MO and Table Rock Lake

Show off  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

lol,...Redlineroberts turbocharged Hummer doesn't even notice the 22 Comanche on the back but that might be a little more than you are looking for,lol.  Me?  I pull my boat with a Jetta,....Low Budget baby  : ;D

[Redlinerobert]

lol,...Redlineroberts turbocharged Hummer doesn't even notice the 22 Comanche on the back but that might be a little more than you are looking for,lol. Me? I pull my boat with a Jetta,....Low Budget baby : ;D

Get a Hummer H2.  Supercharge it like I did and like LBH says, you wont even notice that you are towing a boat.  It only gets 9 mpg, but who's counting?  Tell your girlfriend to sit down and hang on.  ;D

[NBR]

Check the tow vehicules GVW rating. Add up all of the boat, motor, tackle and trailer weight and weight in the tow vehicule if it is below the GVW you are okay. Heat is the enemy of transmissions and especially the seals. So, it is better to have a transmission cooler.

Unless you are grossly over GVW you won't cause instant failure but you will shorten drive train life. Never, never, never tow in O.D. I did on occassion like Olebiker and I can't remember my repair bill but it was over $800 after a very few years of my abuse.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Tell your girlfriend to sit down and hang on.  ;D

Robert, you don't realize that most men have 1 or the other.....girl friend or bass boat. ;D

as for the gas mileage,....1 week in Cali, I got to see 4 lakes and 36 gas stations  ;D :

[HPBB]

2001 Chevy Tahoe 5.3L V 8 with a few mods. 300 + hp doesn't even know a 17'6" V hull or 28 foot pontoon is on the back. and 16 MPG is good with the ac on and cruise at 75mph. If I drop to 60 mph I can get 18mpg.

Unless your truck is made to tow in OD do not do it. I tell everybody that and guys will say, its ok on flat land. then a few years later they have a big $$$ bill when the transmision goes south. I have a 1996 GMC jimmy with over 160,000 miles about 60,000-70,000 with the boat in tow and never have had any transmision problems, always tow in 3 rd gear. Now my Tahoe is made to tow in OD, but I use my tow/haul mode on the trans,. I towed that same 17'6" with a 4cyl 5 speed S-10 and had no problems, just couldn't go over 55mph and never could use 5th gear, and big hills, mts you could time me with a sun-dail, but I got there

just fyi, the smaller the motor , and bigger the boat, the harder the truck has to work. That GMC Jimmy with a 4.3l V-6 only got 12mpg when towing, and that S-10 couldn't hit 10 mpg since it was working so hard

[Tin]

I'll tell you what it really doesnt matter, my buddy just had to pay big to replace a tranny in his 06 Duramax. It has only 30,000 miles on it but the dealership said it was his fault because he tows his Ranger with the truck in over-drive.  

But anyway four-wheel drive always helps, ( because Rhode Island ramps really aint ramps, they are skinny bumpy muddy trails with a small cement blocks ) and try to get a 6-cylander, makes life easier. If she has a problem with you getting the bigger engine, just go on ebay and buy one of the hybrid emblems off a toyota or something and slap it on, she wont know  ;D

[ZombyGuru]

lol,...Redlineroberts turbocharged Hummer doesn't even notice the 22 Comanche on the back but that might be a little more than you are looking for,lol. Me? I pull my boat with a Jetta,....Low Budget baby : ;D

LMAO, what kind of hp/tq numbers you puttin down in that thing (dyno? if not you should ), is diesel out of the question....if not you should!!

[jdw174]

'05 Tacoma 4-dr, V6, 5-spd auto tows my 20' Triton with absolutely NO trouble at all.  15mpg while towing, 20mpg in everyday driving and 24 on trips.

[dink]

'99 Ford Ranger 3.0L FLEX-FUEL.  I run E-85 and fill up for about 2.25 a gallon.  It's even gotta cool little green leaf in the oval so she knows it is "Bambi-friendly"!

;D ;D ;D

[bluebonnet2]

good morning,

Go to jeeppatriot.com and look around. you will find a couple of foto's and stories about towing with the "pat"....looks like 2000# is ok. the "pat will be my next tow vehicle(4x4, Freedom I,). sure be glad when they get the CRD in the U.S.

good luck,

bluebonnet 2

[-badhabit-]

Get a Ford

(with the 35" BFG MT's it will pull an H2 & Z21 together through the mud or down the hwy without a cough, but don't ask about mpg because the H2 is easier on gas )

[RobDar]

Well I am interested in getting my own boat one day but I don't think my malibu is going to cut it. Since my girlfriend wants to save the world she is worried about gas mileage. So my question to boat owners is can you tow a boat with a 4 banger with 4 wheel drive? I am specifically looking at the Jeep Patriot as of now. Any input would be appreciated.

* Mods, I am not sure if this is the right place for this.

**Sure is LBH

ummm...wow...that greatly depends on the boat you are towing. If you are talking a little Jon or small aluminum, like OleBiker. then sure...

...keep in mind though...buying the best gas mileage vehicle is not always the best thing to do depending on your driving habits and you what you are towing.

Around town/ city driving you will find very few vehicles that will beat a four banger on mileage. On the highway...my 6 gets virtually the same mileage as the wifes four banger. In towing....many times you will get better mileage with an 8 cylinder than with a 6...and better with a 6 than a 4...depending on what you are towing. You will get junk mileage running empty, but better under load because the vehicle does not work as hard.  

My brothers new 2008 Expedition EL ( Extra Long)...it is one big truck...gets the same mileage as my 2000 6 cylinder. The car companies are constantly improving mileage and a good portion of the push for better mileage has been in the 6 cylinders and 8 clinders. We have a friend with a new 6 cylinder gets BETTER mileage than my wifes 2000 4 cylinder.

If you undersize your vehicle for the sake of mileage, you run the risk of actually doing worse for the environment by overstressing your vehicle and having increased maintenance and upkeep costs and the waste that this incurs. Things like air filters, tune up parts, PCV valves, sensors, transmission parts burned out by overworking a lightweight vehicles, suspension parts, are rarely recycled by your mechanic and end up in land fills. Environmentally you may be better served by a 6 cylinder able to do the work you want it to do easily over a 4 cylinder that has to work HARD to the same work.

[ljmax]

I'm pulling a 17' Nitro with a 1997 Nissan 4 cyl 5 speed tranny.  I have no problem cruising at 70 mph or pulling the boat out of the ramp.  

[Garnet]

Every vehicle has a tow rating. A Malibu is proably 1500lbs but check your manual.

Garnet

[CGH]

Well I am interested in getting my own boat one day but I don't think my malibu is going to cut it. Since my girlfriend wants to save the world she is worried about gas mileage. So my question to boat owners is can you tow a boat with a 4 banger with 4 wheel drive? I am specifically looking at the Jeep Patriot as of now. Any input would be appreciated.

* Mods, I am not sure if this is the right place for this.

**Sure is LBH

Status for all the 2007 and 2008 Models of that jeep are the same

Engine: 4 Cylinder, 2.4 Liter, 172 HP

Wheels: Steel Wheels, 16-In. X 6.5-In.

Torque: 165 @4400

Seating: 5

Side Airbags: Not Standard

ABS Brakes: Standard

Towing Capacity: 1000

Wheelbase: 103.7

With a thousand pouds of towing you would be ok on the flats and downhill of coures would be great. Steep hills and very steep launch ramps is what will give you the most problems. That's depending on what type of boat you want to get and how you have it rigged out.

If it was me I would be looking at something with a little more BALLS than what this vehickle has to offer.

:-/

Bright side to this is you said *** Girlfriend*** not wife. Let her save the world you get the tow vehickle that you need to pull what ever size boat you want.

Here is a web page which gives a good review of the Jeep Patriot while comparing it to the Liberty

The 2008 Jeep Liberty vs. Jeep Patriot

http://blogs.trucktrend.com/6215168/vehicle-reviews/the-2008-jeep-liberty-vs-jeep-patriot/index.html

[jeremyt]

I would check your states laws on weights per registration. NC has really started cracking down on people towing over the gross weight on their reg.  If your registration says  persay 4k and your truck weighs 3.5k  a boat with a 30hp motor would put you over and you would definately get a ticket from ole smokey.

[jaskoh]

Tell your girlfriend to sit down and hang on. ;D

Robert, you don't realize that most men have 1 or the other.....girl friend or bass boat. ;D

as for the gas mileage,....1 week in Cali, I got to see 4 lakes and 36 gas stations ;D :

Thanks for all the information.  I have a while to make my decision but the purpose of getting an SUV or Truck is to make life a little bit easier for all my fishing gear.  Fitting 5 7' poles in a chevy Malibu is a major pain.