# Tow vehicles



## smidge (Oct 5, 2015)

Wondering what everyone here uses as a tow vehicle and what are you pulling. I plan on using my 2005 Subaru wrx to pull my 14' aluminum valco. It doesn't weigh much and the wrx is rated to tow up to 2,000 lbs. I have taken the boat on a 4 hour drive round trip with no outboard and I did just fine going up two grades. My only concern is pulling out the boat at ramps. A lot of ramps around here tend to be pretty steep. ( southern California). But then again I am used to big Hills and high elevation mountain passes at 8k ft. My car does no problem loaded full of people and snkwboard/skiing gear going up Hills and over passes. Anyone else pull a small boat with a similar vehicle? Getting a dedicated tow vehicle just is not in the budget right now.


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## lovedr79 (Oct 5, 2015)

back in highschool when i wrecked my truck i pulled two jetskis on a double trailer with a hyundai 4cyl 5spd. any other time i pulled with a 2wd 5spd S-10. they guy that bought my bought last spring used a 2wd rav-4. he said he didnt have any problems.


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## Jim (Oct 5, 2015)

A WRX pulling a Tin must be an awesome site. 0-100 in 5 seconds. :LOL2:


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## TNtroller (Oct 5, 2015)

Years ago in my younger days, I towed a 15' glass boat with a 50 rude with a 80's Toyota Corolla 4 banger/5 speed. Hills here in E TN were slow, and the ramps were rough at times but I made it without an incident. Now, I tow a Alumacraft Classic 165cs/60 4s with a 2010 Ford Sport Trac V8, no issues, get 14-15 mpg when towing.


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## richg99 (Oct 5, 2015)

I tow a 1648 Lowe with 50 hp, bass boat version. Probably doesn't weigh much more than 500/600 lbs (boat and motor) but I really don't know. I tow it with a 6 cylinder Toyota Sienna and don't even know the boat is back there.

richg99


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## ADIBOO (Oct 5, 2015)

Towing a 1448 flat bottom with 25hp, whole package with boat, trailer, motor and gear has gotta be less than 600 pounds. Towing with a 1998 jeep Cherokee with 4.0. Don't even notice I'm towing anything and average about 16 on highway. Same as not towing :-(


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## Johnny (Oct 5, 2015)

Just tossing in my Dos Centavos, I sort of like the vintage automobiles.
I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 4.0 6 cyl automatic for my beach fishing buggy and tow-mobile.
with the same milage as Adiboo.
It is _my_ car. Full A/C & heat. $1100.00


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## lugoismad (Oct 5, 2015)

I launch and tow with our 2010 odyssey. Same engine as the pilot and ridgeline.

We tow with my civic, but.I won't launch with that.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Oct 5, 2015)

I don't have a picture of my tow vehicle but it's a 2007 Toyota Prius.
They can handle up to 1200 pounds according to the members of the yahoo group towing with your Prius. 
The most I have pulled is about 800 pounds, my 14' 1968 StarCraft Falcon without a motor from Green bay Wi 200 miles to home. MPG was about 40.


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## Steve A W (Oct 5, 2015)

Wow!
I feel like a minority.
I pull my 16' jon boat with an '02 Suburban.
Is that overkill or what?  
LOL


Steve A W


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## Kismet (Oct 5, 2015)

Steve A W said:


> Wow!
> I feel like a minority.
> I pull my 16' jon boat with an '02 Suburban.
> Is that overkill or what?
> ...




You obviously need a much bigger boat.


_(Glad to help)_
:mrgreen:


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## Jim (Oct 6, 2015)

Steve A W said:


> Wow!
> I feel like a minority.
> I pull my 16' jon boat with an '02 Suburban.
> Is that overkill or what?
> ...



Beast! Too much is never enough!


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## lugoismad (Oct 6, 2015)

Hey, I found a pic of my rigs ready to roll out for a trip.


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## keelme (Oct 6, 2015)

when we go to fla usually take the van


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## Jim (Oct 6, 2015)

very cool!


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## jethro (Oct 6, 2015)

keelme said:


> when we go to fla usually take the van



Haha, love it! Two boats one trailer! Genius. 

I tow with a Toyota Tacoma. No pictures with my boat but here is one towing the ice fishing gear:





And a better one of the truck with its new shoes:





With the boat I lose maybe 2 mpg. With the snowmobile and ice fishing gear I lose probably 6mpg.


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## JL8Jeff (Oct 6, 2015)

Here's my 2000 Camaro SS I used to tow my 15' Hobie with. It actually towed really well with the SS suspension upgrades. I still have the hitch which was previously used on my 93 Indy 500 Pace Car.


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## satx78247 (Oct 6, 2015)

2000 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER with 245CI V-6 with AT/OD.

yours, satx


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## riverbud55 (Oct 6, 2015)

Pull my fully rigged 2014 g3 1548 vbw w/25 hp etec with my 09 vw jetta TDI (diesel) ,,, have no problem at the ramps I have used along the Colorado River ,,, made a few I-40 trips with it out to my place in Topock from my house here in Riverside about 250 miles getting about 32 mpg pulling 60 to 65 mph,,, most of the time boat stays out there and only use the car to launch the boat 5 miles from the house


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## JL8Jeff (Oct 8, 2015)

Here's the current tow vehicle.


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## smidge (Oct 9, 2015)

Here is my 2005 wrx wagon with my boat behind it. (note I hadn't fixed the trailer yet. It now sits on trailer correctly. New pics in a few days


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## -CN- (Oct 12, 2015)

2015 Hyundai Sonata 4 cyl. 1442 boat loaded with gear. Even with fatass Puppy in back seat of car. Haven't struggled on a ramp yet. And 26 mpg highway!








When I was younger I towed my dad's 18 ft with console, 40hp, anchors, full compartments, trolling motor, swivel seats, fishing gear, and camping gear with my S10 2wd 5spd 4 cyl. We went on 500 mile round trips with it. Yeah, you knew the boat was back there for sure, but the 5 speed made it manageable.


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## lswoody (Oct 12, 2015)

I got a 2001 Z71 to pull my 14' jon


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## 2johnsons (Oct 12, 2015)

Don't usually have too much time to take the pics, but just use the 93 ford flareside with 5.0 to haul the tinny. 4x4 of course with most of my launches being gravel or sand. 

Or, we have the 04 explorer with 4.6 4x4 that my wife would rather launch either the tinny or 72 speedliner with.


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