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What vehicle are you towing with?

R

richmill3215

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I have had a few blown fuse issues when towing my 20SFX with my Hyundai Santa Fe. What are you using to tow with? I'd like to take it to Florida for the winter but not sure of towing it with current vehicle.
 
F150 crew cab with regular tow package (355 rear gear) ecoboost engine, don't even know you're towing a pontoon. Tow capacity 9800 and it jumps to 11,000 with max tow.

Steve
 
We don't have a need to tow very often, but use a 2014 VW Toureg TDi. No problem at all with 7,700 lb capacity, very stable, and diesel power just rocks.
 
2014 Silverado z71 w 5.3
 
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2012 Ford Explorer. We keep it in the water all season though and only tow putting it in and out for the year.
 
It's only 3 1/2 miles to the lake so an old Suburban works fine. She's a gas hog but I never get stuck on slippery ramps.

 
I tow about 25 miles (each way) every time we go out boating.  The 2014 GMC Yukon Denali with over 400 hp does a great job towing the trailer/boat combo.  Fuel economy isn't the best.
 
2008 3/4 ton Suburban converted to a diesel.  I bought it with the 6.0l which would have been fine with for my pontoon, but not for my other trailers.  Since GM didn't make a duramax surburban, I bought a crashed duramax pickup and had a shop swap the duramax/allison into my surburban.
 
2013 Ford F-150 Raptor Supercrew. Has 6.2L gas engine with 411 hp. Picture in my gallery
 
2010 Explorer 7 passenger with 4.0l 6 does just fine. 21 hwy., 17 city and with hills  get 11 pulling the Benny 20GL. We haul all the time Lake is about 6 miles from home, but 100 mi. long trip to Lake Murray near Columbia  its a tank+ so it's best to make a 3 or 4 day trip.

Once your out of the hills in PA. and on the flat land a good 6  or small 8 will do the trick. Just because the boat and trailer might weigh 3k or 4k. the wind resistance from the toon  out does the weight
 
2006 GMC Serria Denali 6.0 I put air bags on the back to level the ride. Zero, issues so far pulling 300 plus miles on Interstate travel. I do have electric brakes which is nice.
 
Just a thought from some guy named Jeff.

It's not what you tow with, but what you tow with what you tow with that is important to consider.

If you have a full size some-thing-or-other to tow on a regular basis, or long distances, you need a tow vehicle. 

Though a Santa Fe may be able to tow, it's not a tow vehicle.

A true tow vehicle is a full frame pickup truck or SUV with a V8 engine and a heavy duty transmission that is equipped with a trans-fluid cooling system. That's the only actual tow vehicle. Once you"re there, then there are the varying sizes and capacities.

My personal rule of thumb is I try to tow within 67% of the tow capacity. 9,000 pound tow capacity on my Ford Expedition, and I should max out at 6,000 pounds.

I have a problem currently - I am over my 2/3-towing-capacity-rule. My boat and trailer and fuel and water and gear weighs in at just under 6,500 pounds. In my opinion, I need a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds to safely and reliably haul my rig around.

My boat and trailer are heavy. Yours may not be as heavy. If you are going to haul long distances, the only way to do that and not be quickly aging your tow-car toward breakdown is to get an actual tow vehicle. Just my opinion. YMMV. 

The capacity limitations of a vehicle go deeper than the mechanical limitations of an engine and transmission. There are major safety issues to consider. First and foremost it's not whether you can go, but instead whether you can stop. And does the tow vehicle have the suspension and torque to lay power to the road in the event of a cross wind or draft that upsets the balance of the whole rig at speed. 

And finally, with pontoons, the weight is only part of the equation. It's big and boxy and has a windage profile much bigger than it weighs. Just for consideration. 

Towing is the most dangerous thing I do with my boat. And I'm very serious about proper equipment when I'm hauling around my wife and family with the boat back there. I know you only asked what we tow with, but I thought I'd do this long diatribe regardless. Just in case it helps.

-J
 
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1999 F250 5.4 with tow package. Bought new and only use it to tow the toon now. It is only about 4 miles from storage to the ramp.
 
2013 F150 5.0 V8.  I pull a 2014 20SFX with no issues.
 
JeffS said:
A true tow vehicle is a full frame pickup truck or SUV with a V8 engine and a heavy duty transmission that is equipped with a trans-fluid cooling system.
Click to expand...
Sorry I have to strongly disagree with the V8, the Ford Ecoboost six cylinder in a f150 has more towing capacity, more torque, etc. than their own small block V8. The capacities are better than almost every small block V8 by any auto manufacturer. That little 6 is a beast! And with the Max Tow package that little 6 gives you your 11,000 pound tow capacity you're looking for.

Steve
 
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I have heard about the new 6 cylinders having more power now than some of the V 8 , I am needing  more power for my towing. I have a 2011 GMC 4x4 1500 with the 5.3L. It pulls fine as long as you have the radio loud enough to cover the engine noise. But the problem upgrading is to get anything larger you have to go 2500 or 50k minimum on a 1500. I dont like the ride nor do I need the suspension of the 2500. 

Jeffs i like your breakdown, There is not allot of education on towing especially from the dealerships,
 
Used to tow with a 5.3L Tahoe (320hp 335lbs torque), it seemed to strain to pull a hill. In 2012 I bought a F150 crew cab for towing with the standard tow package (up to 9800) with the little ecoboost engine (365hp, 420lbs torque). It is night and day over my Tahoe!

I pull a cargo trailer weekly on about a 60 mile round trip, my Tahoe pulling some hills would drop a couple gears (maybe 3 at times) rev to 4000 rpm just to maintain 70 mph. I have made this trip hundreds of times.... with my ecoboost it will stay in 6th gear at 1800 rpm and stay at 70 mph.... if I drop to 5th it will slightly accelerate up the hills, an amazing difference!

Now GM has the EcoTec3 engines, I haven't heard much about those yet.

Steve
 
The ecoboost is building boost at 1800 rpm? Must be a tiny turbo.
 
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