Which tow vehicle would you buy?

[epiepenburg]

Originally Posted by rrrrrrRon

Older Libertys don't have the same towing capacity. With the V6 and the towing package with anti-sway it is rated for 5000#. Wouldn't tow 5000# with it, but he's got a good margin if he's only towing 2000#. He clearly stated that he has budget limitations.
http://www.jeep.com/en/2012/liberty/capability/towing/

I had a 02 Liberty (first year of liberty) with the tow package. It DID have a 5000# tow rating. It pulled my 17ft Lund without issues. It was a little slow and bogged down a bit going up hills, but overall did great. Also with their short wheelbase they were a breeze to backup a trailer.

[ohiojmj]

I towed my brand new 2300# 2008 Lowe FM175 with my 2006 FWD Chrysler Town and Country with measly 3.3 v6 for the first 3 years until I got a larger v6 SUV for towing. I added a tranny cooler and load levelers to the van. Yes it downshifted alot and probably put a good amount of wear and tear on it, including some brakes, but it got the job done with some caution while driving. I had 3 kids in college so cash was not there for better "man's" vehicle. Drove it at least 120 miles for regular weekly trips to Lake Erie and two 1000+ mile trips to Canada per year. Never had issues launching/retrieving on decent launches. The van still runs fine. The newer vans with higher torque and hp will easily tow your 2300# boat with a trailer package. Stay within tow rating with leased v6's and stick to no more than 50% or 60% of max rating if owning long term. Towing long term at max ratings will lead to shorter service life and costly repairs in my opinion.

If you have manhood issues at the thought of driving a van, you might see a doctor and ask about that gel advertised on TV.

[4JawChuck]

Originally Posted by ohiojmj

I towed my brand new 2300# 2008 Lowe FM175 with my 2006 FWD Chrysler Town and Country with measly 3.3 v6 for the first 3 years until I got a larger v6 SUV for towing. I added a tranny cooler and load levelers to the van. Yes it downshifted alot and probably put a good amount of wear and tear on it, including some brakes, but it got the job done with some caution while driving. I had 3 kids in college so cash was not there for better "man's" vehicle. Drove it at least 120 miles for regular weekly trips to Lake Erie and two 1000+ mile trips to Canada per year. Never had issues launching/retrieving on decent launches. The van still runs fine. The newer vans with higher torque and hp will easily tow your 2300# boat with a trailer package. Stay within tow rating with leased v6's and stick to no more than 50% or 60% of max rating if owning long term. Towing long term at max ratings will lead to shorter service life and costly repairs in my opinion.

If you have manhood issues at the thought of driving a van, you might see a doctor and ask about that gel advertised on TV.

I also had an earlier Dodge minivan...2008 with the 3.3L and I pulled my 16' Tuffy Sportsman all around northern Ontario and Manitoba with it loaded with camping supplies, three kids the wife and I. It struggled on the hills and when I had the hitch installed at the dealer he even warned me about pulling more than 2000lbs with it....he was right that was a reasonable limit for the base engine package.

My 2011 Dodge Caravan has no issues with 3500lbs though, the extra 112HP and the six speed trans makes all the difference. Also they redesigned the rear suspension on the new models to carry weight better, no more sway or sagging even with a full hitch weight. I've never had any problems pulling out of any ramp, Selkirk (even the North ramp), Bird lake, all the ramps along the Winnipeg river...just never had any problem.

I see guys having more issues with lightly loaded half tons than I do with a front wheel drive minivan, having the weight directly over the driving wheels seems to be the best launching method for any boat...traction control helps on the really loose stuff too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a 4 wheel drive can get you out of a jam more easily but I haven't run into a situation where a minivan didn't get the job done...and I frequent some nasty ramps!

what kind of mileage do you get with your van
towing and non towing?

I liked your post because i know selkirk ramp well so it gives me a goood idea
of what a van will do

[goldman]

Get a regular cab 4x2 F150 with the regular 3.7ltr (or 3.8, can't remember which it is) v6. Mine tows a light boat like its not even back there, and gets 19 aournd town, and 22 or so on the highway. Nice truck too. Gave 21K for mine right off the showroom floor.

Paul

[TravP]

Originally Posted by Tech Guy

It's not the pulling power of a small suv, but rather the stopping power.

Ding! Also, all that up and downshifting on hills, real good for the tranny.

[1860Angler]

I love the idea of a mini van, they are very practical. I could never however bring myself to own one!! Maybe one for my wife if they still had AWD models available, I live in the sticks and the snow plow sometimes forgets we are out here!! I won't lie, it might have a little something to do with my manhood!! I have seen many a mini van smoking the tires off at landings pulling boats way to big!!

My wife has a Honda Pilot, not sure what you could get into a lease on one for but we bought a 2 year old one with 30,000 miles on it and are under the $300 per month mark. It is rated to pull 4000 pounds, and though I have never pulled with it, it seems to have plenty of power, we love the vehicle for everything we need it for!! Including the 3 rows of seats and 8 person seating capacity, it's like a mini van in desguise!!

We had a V-6 Toyota Rav4 that we towed an 18 foot Alumacraft Trophy 185 with. It did very good! A 4 cylinder Rav4 would tow your rig just fine. That is what I would get. Also had a Nissan Murano that we used for towing in addition to the Rav4, the Murano did great too but may be out of your price range.

G44

[FryDog62]

g44, to TravP's valid point above - how effective is the Rav4 in stopping a boat that heavy? The Rav4 V6 is powerful but a fairly light vehicle I would imagine.

[Hot Runr Guy]

Originally Posted by FryDog62

g44, to TravP's valid point above - how effective is the Rav4 in stopping a boat that heavy? The Rav4 V6 is powerful but a fairly light vehicle I would imagine.

FryDog,
Consider that for probably a lot less than $1000, you might be able to add brakes to your trailer, helping mitigate the issue of a small/light tow vehicle.

scroll down a bit http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html#techretro

HRG