Towing Capacity, need some advice

[Koop]

Hey all I'm currently at the point where I can either buy:

A. A boat

or

B. A truck

I can get one or the other but not both...

I am currently driving a 2005 Pontiac Vibe as it was perfect for camping trips with just my wife and I.

Bottom line is, I want to get the boat, but I'm not sure if I need to get the truck first to tow it and then get the boat in a few years or if the Vibe (only has 27k miles and is in great condition so don't NEED a new vehicle at all) will suffice in being able to tow a boat.

The specs on the vibe are:

Torque:

125 / 170 @ 4200

Trailer towing capacity: 1500lb

Maximum tongue weight: 150lb

I realize towing is different than pulling at an incline out of a ramp, the car is front wheel drive.

Will I be able to tow a boat at all?  What sizes should I look at if so?

[dmac14]

Ooo it'll be close. I got a ford tauras wagon to haul my boat and she is hurting. Try finding a friend with a boat and see if it will work, if not then looks like you are going truck shopping

[Land Surveyor13]

You are going to need a little more vehicle to pull anything more than a jon boat.  Here is what you need.

[nick76]

This question all depends on what kind of boat you are going after.  If you are looking at a small aluminum boat with a basic trailer and a small trolling motor your might be alright.  If you are looking at a 16-18 footer with a motor and all you might be over the weight.  Either way play it safe and give yourself plenty of time to stop and go.  Good luck.

[Jig Man]

If you are not making long trips and keep the boat to the 1500 lbs range you should be fine.  I'd drop it down a notch on the gears so there would be less chance of transmission overheat.

Like stated the big issue will be stopping quickly.  

I have a friend who uses 4 and 6 cylinder vehicles to tow 17' aluminum boats.  The pulling is fine but I have had to close my eyes a couple of times when he had to romp on the brakes.  

Once he had to take the ditch because he was unable to stop when a car squatted in front of us with no signal.

[tand]

There are two things that I would be worried about

1.How far you plan on towing the boat and 2. the weight of the boat.

If you went with say a 14 ft. jon (maybe a fiberglass) you wont have a problem.  I would look into getting a transmission cooler for your car...heat+transmission=expensive repairs!!!

just my .02

I tow a 16 ft fiberglass with a 4cyl ford ranger/5spd manual trans, just dont use overdrive!

[Koop]

Well thats one advantage I have its less than 5 miles to about 3 major lakes in any direction from where I live so wont be towed far, was just worried about getting out of the ramps.  Was thinking about a 17ft aluminum but may just go with the jon boat for now even though its not what I want it may be safer until I can upgrade to a truck.  Just more worried about being able to pull it out of the launch than anything.

[HPBB]

One thing to remember is that most cars even though they have a "tow capacity" and say they can tow. They are not designed to tow alot. were as trucks/SUVs are designed to tow. The suspension of most cars just cannot take the abuse of a trailer even one that has a low weight. I know a lot of guys tow with cars, but next time you at a crowed boat launch look around, how many cars do you see with a trailer on them? Not many if any.

I'll give you and example. In the late 80's early 90's my dad towed a 15-foot V hull (boat/trailer) package weighed around 1,000-1,200 lbs. not very heavy. We had an Oldsmobile 88, a big car, front drive with a supercharged 3.8L V6, 240HP. car had a 3000lbs tow capacity. 3 times what we towed. The rear suspension just could not handle it and it would break ball joints and struts all the time. I ended up buying a 1988 GMC S-15, 4 banger 105hp and a five speed. Towed that boat and a few others and never had any problem. If you are going to tow alot or an alot of weight a truck or truck based SUV is the only way to go. A small to mid sized V-6 powered Truck or SUV will tow a 17-foot metal boat great.

[Grey Wolf]

Don't put the cart before the horse.

[bass or bass ?]

Before I bought my current boat and truck I had a 14' aluminum boat on a small trailer with a 7.7 hp outboard motor. My tow vehicle was a 1988 Subaru wagon, 1.8 liter motor with 5 speed manual transmission. That car towed that rig like it wasn't even there. Anything heavier than that and you'll need a truck. My current rig is a 16' fiberglass boat with 80hp motor and fully equipped for bass fishing. My tow vehicle is a 1987 Chevy S-10 Blazer with 2.8 liter V-6 and automatic transmission. A local transmission technician/shop owner who is also a tournement bass fisherman inspected my transmission and said my truck would be fine for my needs and I have had no problems since. I had him service the transmission and make a few adjustments to it. I usually tow @ 30 miles to my closest lake, occasionally up to 60 miles to others. It's not fast or powerful, but adequite. Hope this helps you .Oh yes. Keeping the fluid cool is a must. I installed a cooler rated at twice the gross weight of my rig and I recommend you do the same. Also, tow in "drive", DO NOT tow in "overdrive". Happy fishing.

~B.A>S.S.~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~N.R.A.~

[done]

Can you get the truck, and possible grab a cheap trailored jon until you can afford the bigger boat? It would give you the best of both worlds. Jons can be real fun. I got a 1446 and had a ball customizing the crud out of it. Got as many features as most bass boats now (not the space or speed obviously).  I have taken it out on Lake Wylie a ton of times, get some great mileage out of it, and I can run all day long and longer on 3 gallons of gas.

You can pick up a used jon and trailer real cheap.