Choosing a boat that can safely be towed

[danb]

Okay, first off, your Overland...if it has the 8sp Auto and tow package...has a towing capacity of 6,000 lbs. The range of boat weights you're looking at will easily be handled by it.

Way back when, I had a '93 and subsequent '96 Grand Cherokee, both with the I-6, NO factory trailer package (hitch was a U-Haul add on) that I towed a 1985 21.5' Larson DC215 (it had a 350 cu.in. V-8 in it) that was 5,000 lbs on the trailer, then add in the weight of the dual axle trailer and neither Grand Cherokee had an issue towing it. I also had (in between the Grands) a '96 RAM 4x4 Extra cab with the 5.2L V-8 in it and it had all sorts of problems pulling that boat. One trip from Southern MA to Lake Winnepesaukee and back blew the trans in the RAM. In my Jeeps, I could walk the boat out of the water in 2H. I had to go to 4Lo in the RAM to get that boat up any ramp.

You should be fine looking in the range you're looking in.

My Overland is rated at 4500 pounds with the tow package and has a 947 pound payload. With 2 adults and no other stuff, I can safely tow a 3000 pound boat plus its trailer. Tongue weight of boat and trailer comes in about 400 pounds, thus putting me near max. If you go over your payload and have an accident, your insurance will probably not cover you.

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[Labswine]

My Overland is rated at 4500 pounds with the tow package and has a 947 pound payload. With 2 adults and no other stuff, I can safely tow a 3000 pound boat plus its trailer. Tongue weight of boat and trailer comes in about 400 pounds, thus putting me near max. If you go over your payload and have an accident, your insurance will probably not cover you.

Then you must have the manual transmission. It's the strength of the clutch that limits your towing capacity. I also have an Overland with the trailer package but, I have the 8sp auto trans and my tow rating is 6,000 lbs.

As far as going over payload and accidents, unless they physically weigh your rig after an accident (if there's anything left intact to weigh) they won't be able to gig you on that.

It all boils down to what you're comfortable towing, your driving habits...especially towing...and distance/terrain you're towing over. Just be smart about it.

 

[Newjeepowner]

this is the original window sticker and weight info on door. I think it may actually be 6k towing but either way I don’t intent to push it. Boat we are considering is a carolina skiff 21LS. Doing the math boat motor and trailer should be 3500lbs. I just ordered a REDARC break controller since that seemed to be the best and most popular on this forum anyways. I figured even with a few things in the boat under 4k. Tongue weight 400 plus 2 adults would be 800lbs payload. Seems like the math works just want to be safe and not push it.

 

[danb]

Then you must have the manual transmission. It's the strength of the clutch that limits your towing capacity. I also have an Overland with the trailer package but, I have the 8sp auto trans and my tow rating is 6,000 lbs.

As far as going over payload and accidents, unless they physically weigh your rig after an accident (if there's anything left intact to weigh) they won't be able to gig you on that.

It all boils down to what you're comfortable towing, your driving habits...especially towing...and distance/terrain you're towing over. Just be smart about it.

Hi Thanks for replying. I do have an automatic with total cargo of 996 pounds per the sticker. When I looked up the info on mine, it stated 4500 pounds. Either way 6000lbs. means a 600 lb tongue weight at the very least leaving 300 for passengers, gear and gas. This would never work for me, I'm not a skinny guy.

 

[Cape taco12]

this is the original window sticker and weight info on door. I think it may actually be 6k towing but either way I don’t intent to push it. Boat we are considering is a carolina skiff 21LS. Doing the math boat motor and trailer should be 3500lbs. I just ordered a REDARC break controller since that seemed to be the best and most popular on this forum anyways. I figured even with a few things in the boat under 4k. Tongue weight 400 plus 2 adults would be 800lbs payload. Seems like the math works just want to be safe and not push it.

I would suspect a boat trailer like that will have hydraulic surge brakes and might be incompatible with electric brakes. Electric conversion wouldn’t be very expensive if you do it yourself, but going in saltwater you might need to repair the brakes annually. Of course any boat trailer that gets submerged will have brake issues.

 

[graham5david]

That’s a 19ft’r, I’d be happy pulling the new 22ft’r but after that the beam will be too wide for me to see anything behind me even if I ran extended mirrors. The Gladiator is just too narrow to tow the larger boats on the regular.















Can’t wait for boat season. 















Good luck I

















 

[Gmac03]

Just seems right. ?

 

[Coachcal]

I tow this through the Texas hill country just fine. Just be smart about not going to fast and leave stopping distance. Surge breaks really do quite a bit to help. Stopping is always the biggest concern when towing.

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