Boat towing?

[Tanker4lyfe]

Ok so buying a boat is so heavy on my mind right now but i need to know how my tow vehicle will do. Ive got a 2007 Jeep grand cherokee laredo 4x4. It can tow 3500lbs pounds safely by the manual, and max tongue wt is 350lbs. ive heard of people towing with lesser vehicles like vans and old cars even. So how should i do, what am i able to accomplish.

[burleytog]

2000-2500 lbs. would be a good limit.  My Blazer is rated for 6000 lbs., but I wouldn't want to pull anything more than 4000.

[cart7t]

You would have no problems towing up to an 18 1/2 foot fiberglass bass boat.  If the motor is a V6 you may experience slow downs going up steeper hills.  If you wanted to go to a slightly larger boat, I'd suggest trailer brakes.  

BTW, if the jeep doesn't have one, a tranny cooler is a must.  It would be standard if it came with a tow package.  

[Tanker4lyfe]

Also the most ill probably drive is 150-200 Mi. and where can i get a tranny cooler?

[CanalStalkin]

Id try Summit or JC whitney first.

I bet your rig has a tranny cooler inside of the radiator, but an external one definitely wont hurt.

[bass or bass ?]

I suggest buying  a cooler larger than you think you need. My boat and trailer weighs @ 2500 pounds. I bought a transmission cooler rated for 3500 pounds. My rig is a Chevy S-10 Blazer with 2.8 liter V-6. My boat is 16' fiberglass with 80 hp motor. The Blazer tows fine, a little slow going up hill, and I need to keep plenty of stopping distance ahead , but it works fine for me.     Happy fishing.

[Jim Grouch]

You wont have any problems if youre considering a fiberglass bass boat or something lighter. I pulled a 19' glass boat from Michigan to the BR trip in Kentucky using a v6 Explorer Sport-Trac. Just make sure to turn the overdrive off when towing. I am now using it to pull a 20'8" Nitro without any problems. Sure it's a little slow getting up to speed, but it's fine once you get there.

[retiredbosn]

IMO most people overkill on the towing vehicle, for example a 3/4 ton truck with a diesel is not necessary, nice but definitely not a necessity.  I have a Trailblazer which is rated for 6500lbs, and would have no problem towing any bass boat with it.  I have used it to pull my horse trailer and two horses, the trailer alone weighs over 2000lbs, it is old and made out of steel.  The vehicle towing rating has a large margin of error built in, as long as you load the trailer correctly, you can safely and without damage to your vehicle tow trailers up to the towing capacity of your vehicle.  

[DINK WHISPERER]

IMO most people overkill on the towing vehicle, for example a 3/4 ton truck with a diesel is not necessary, nice but definitely not a necessity. I have a Trailblazer which is rated for 6500lbs, and would have no problem towing any bass boat with it. I have used it to pull my horse trailer and two horses, the trailer alone weighs over 2000lbs, it is old and made out of steel. The vehicle towing rating has a large margin of error built in, as long as you load the trailer correctly, you can safely and without damage to your vehicle tow trailers up to the towing capacity of your vehicle.

I agree fully! You will have no issues pulling a boat man! I pull my bros 21ft Nitro with my 07' Silverado 2wd, no issues!!!!

[Glenn]

Get a trailer that has surge brakes.  You'll need them.

[dickenscpa]

Vehicle tow ratings are figured in large part for the ability to actually pull said amount of weight and the frame's ability to handle it. Another large part is the brakes. I've seen rigid vehicles with big engines that you'd think could pull a house off it's foundation, but lacking in the brake dept.

When I was around 12 my next door neighbor was selling his boat. I was mowing our lawn when a guy showed up to look and ultimately buy the boat. My neighbor was concerned about the guy's truck. He pulled the boat with a 4WD pre-Tacoma Toyota truck with beefed up brakes. The guy won't listen and barreled out of his driveway with the boat. He had a big engined truck that jerked that boat right up. Came time to stop at the end of the driveway and I watched as the guy lerched across the street and ran right into the house across the street. He couldn't stop.

At a young age, I learned a valuable lesson at his expense.

[SnowBass23]

I towed just under 2000lbs with the exact model of Jeep you are talking about.  I never had a problem with starting OR STOPPING even under heavy rain.  I'd just go easy on it, don't gun the engine to get started, and start slowing down early.  I went to the dealership and had a tow package installed.  It cost just under $600 but they also added the cooler.  They also cut and added the molding around the big plastic bumper so everything is clean and neat.

[bigtimfish]

I tow a Sea Chaser 175 (bay boat)with my V6 explorer. Never a problem. My buddy pulls a 22' Blue Wave classic (big bay boat) with a 2wd silverado. no problems.