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ducatichris
08-21-2009, 09:51 PM
New to the forum as I just purchased my 1st boat, A 2005 outback.

All the literature states the boat and trailer weighs 3600 lbs.

We have a 2005 Toyota Sienna van with the towing package and it states max towing capacity of 3500 lbs.

Does anyone here trailer their boat with a minivan or have any advice for me?

Will I be OK towing it?

Thanks

Chris

Waynes345
08-21-2009, 10:05 PM
I've got an Outback and used to tow it with a Buick Rendevouz that was not rated that high for towing. It was tough on some ramps and the brakes got a workout, but as long as I took it easy and watched the temp, I'd get it where it needed to be. Works a heck of a lot better with the Z71 Tahoe I have now.

ian ashton
08-21-2009, 10:14 PM
We tow my Outback with a Chrysler minivan, no problems at all.

zegm
08-21-2009, 10:40 PM
Well if you do the math then you are 100lbs over your max towing load so now you know that this is an issue with the Toyota. But to put it in another quantitative term you are not quite 3% percent over your limit, so it doesn't sound so bad.
Most likely your rear suspension and the frame where the hitch is mounted are the limiting factors. If the boat trailer has brakes and they are in good condition then this would not be "the" issue.
So with that said the question needs to be asked how far are you towing the boat? And does it feel like the boat is pushing the rear of the Toyota around? Is the back of the van sitting much lower than normal? How is the "seat of the pants" feeling when you tow?
If everything feels OK and you are not towing very far then you can answer your own question. But keep in mind that transmissions and drivelines while not so much a factor in the "feel of how it is being towed" do work very hard and while towing and I wouldn't expect them to live as long as if you weren't towing. And again the question here is how far?

zabooda
08-22-2009, 01:35 AM
The 3600 lbs is dry weight and when you add fuel, food and beer (if you chose to haul the latter in the boat) then you are looking at another 300 pounds. I had a mini-van with the large engine and I wouldn't use it mainly because I didn't want to draw a crowd watching me trek on up the ramp. Just get those tires rotated often.

sandm
08-22-2009, 01:56 AM
I wouldn't recommend it.

problem isn't the driveline, it's that one panic stop because someone in front of you has an issue. that toyota isn't rated to stop almost 4000lbs.

zegm
08-22-2009, 09:58 AM
sandm
while I wouldn't tow it either the fact remains that if he has trailer brakes and they are in good working order they will stop the boat and trailer. That mini van itself weights about 4200 pounds. Again i wouldn't do it but if the distance wasn't very far and I went slow it wouldn't stop me from using if that was all I had at the time.
Just to put this in perspective a Chevy Silverado can weight as little as 440lbs and it is rated to tow 7500lbs. Again it is the strength of the frame and the load rating of the suspension that help determine the load rating.

ducatichris
08-22-2009, 10:33 AM
Thank you guys for all responding.
I have not attempted it yet. Not sure if I will or not.
Yes the trailer has the disc brakes on it but won't I need a brake booster installed in the van to operate those correctly?

Our lake is about a 40 min drive.

The towing hitch has the smaller square hitch receiver not the larger one. It also has the flat 4 pin (3 female + 1 male) So I will need to conver that to a 5 pin set up or the big round plug.

Any advice on that?

Thanks again,

Chris
Grand Rapids, Michigan

maxpower220
08-22-2009, 11:03 AM
Which Ducati do you have?


Check local auto part stores or your local Toyota dealer for a "in-line" wiring harness with a 5 plug pin. That will eliminate the need to cut or splice wires. However, the 5 pin only adds the Reverse lockout. You or any camper/boating store can wire it up in 30 mins or less.
The trailer brakes are surge brakes, so once the weight of the trailer "pushes" against the coupler, the brakes activate. No need for an in cab booster.

40 mins is a long way to tow a boat. Another point to look at is that if you get into an accident, there is a chance that your insurance won't cover you if your boat exceeds your vehicles capacity. You may want to look at a "better" tow vehicle.

ducatichris
08-22-2009, 11:21 AM
I used to race in AMA Pro Thunder with a 748R. (Have since "somewhat" retired from Pro Racing)
I have a '66 Sebring 350, a 748R, 999S, and my newest one is on '08 Hypermotard S.

It actually is 32 miles from my house to the lake.

So you think it is a bad Idea to occasionally trailer it (a few times a season)?

Again thank you for the advice.

deerfield
08-22-2009, 12:17 PM
ducatichris - I recently bought a Toyota Highlander, AWD, w/ factory tow prep package, as a replacement for a Volvo S90. (Need to install a hitch on the Toyota.) As with your Sienna, the Highlander maximum tow capacity is 3,500 pounds. My 2007 Outback rides on a Boatmate tandem axle trailer w/ brakes. I'm comfortable using the Toyota for the occasioanal, short trip on local streets and moving the boat around my property. Because the overweight issue exposes me to risk and liability, I plan not to use the Toyota for longer distance, or highway towing. My primary tow vehicle is a K2500 7.4 L Chevrolet Suburban. - Deerfield

zegm
08-22-2009, 12:44 PM
I ended getting the Touareg because it was the only midsized SUV (a real SUV) that had a tow rating over 5000lbs. It is rated for 7800lbs and with 553ft-lb of torque she doesn't even know the Moomba is behind her!

Hopefully sometime next year I am going to get an Aprila SXV 5.5! The winner of the Pikes Peak Hill climb over ALL bikes!!!!
http://www.aprilia.com/en-US/Model/56/SXV+4.5+-+5.5/Overview.aspx

jester
08-22-2009, 01:33 PM
The one question i have is how many hills do you have to go up or down to get the lake. If the drive is more or less flat then it is not as big of an issue but if you have hills that you have to go up or down then this causes major strain on the tow rig. Down is not as big of a deal because of the trailer breaks but up can be the big issue. Also getting the boat out of the water depending on how steep the ramp is and how long it is.

zabooda
08-22-2009, 01:34 PM
You have to remember the liability issue if you were in an accident with an overloaded vehicle. It's great you got the boat but I think you got the cart before the horse. I would look around for a cheap tow rig that can pull 5,000 pounds (class III hitch) like some of the older pickups or SUVs. After Monday, they may be easier to find.

maxpower220
08-22-2009, 02:41 PM
Nice bike collection. I just sold my Ducati 749 about a month ago. I now have an aprilia SMV 750 Dorsoduro, very similar to your HM S.

ZEGM, I had the SVX5.5. That is a special bike, very fast, very unforgiving. It is really at home on a track. I was not at all happy with it for commuting. It has an on-off "light switch" throttle and keeping the front tire on the ground in the first 3 gears is next to impossible. That thing is no joke.

You have the car and only you know how it acts/reacts while driving with your boat attached. If you feel safe and you can feel anything that would cause you to worry for your safety and the safety of others, that is a choice for you.

BensonWdby
08-22-2009, 03:33 PM
I would recommend that you try to restrict your towing to 80% of the rated load. I have a 2001 Durango with V8 rated for 4500 lbs. I am totally unimpressed with it's ability to pull my 1999 Mobius. I would suspect that if you tow regularly with that Toyota you can expect transmission trouble and frequent brake replacment. One of the things that kept me from buying an inboard as long as I waited was because I did not want to have the additional expense of upgrading the tow vehicle as well. I pulled my Mobius with my chrsyler grand caravan - large V6 for a very short while after having pulled my lighter runabout for about 10 years. I went through 3 transmissions - buts that's chrysler....

maxpower220
08-22-2009, 11:13 PM
Main Entry: 1dodge
Pronunciation: \ˈdäj\
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1575
1 : an act of evading by sudden bodily movement
2 a : an artful device to evade, deceive, or trick b : expedient



Main Entry: 2dodge
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): dodged; dodg·ing
Date: 1680
intransitive verb
1 a : to move to and fro or from place to place usually in an irregular course <dodged through the crowd> b : to make a sudden movement in a new direction (as to evade a blow) <dodged behind the door>
2 : to evade a responsibility or duty especially by trickery or deceit
transitive verb
1 a : to evade by a sudden or repeated shift of position <dodge tacklers> b : to avoid an encounter with <celebrities dodging the media>
2 : to evade (as a duty) usually indirectly or by trickery <dodged the draft by leaving the country> <dodged questions>

— dodge a bullet also dodge the bullet : to narrowly avoid an unwelcome, harmful, or disastrous outcome or occurrence <coastal towns dodged a bullet when the hurricane veered out to sea>

Dodge defined means buy a Ford or Chevy.

kaneboats
08-24-2009, 12:51 PM
Don't mess around towing with a minivan. Get a Tahoe or something. They're cheap right now. Call a tranny shop and ask how much to get a new one installed in the minivan. It will make the decision much easier.

sandm
08-24-2009, 01:45 PM
After Monday, they may be easier to find.

how so?
if you are referring to the cash for clunkers, those cars are required to be crushed.

zabooda
08-24-2009, 02:01 PM
After today, there will clunkers being sold that aren't part of the program. It is probably hard to find a beater these days.

kaneboats
08-24-2009, 03:53 PM
I think that's what he meant: that there will be older trucks and SUV's for sale that would otherwise have been traded and never hit the used car market.

GeauxTigers
08-24-2009, 04:31 PM
I used to race in AMA Pro Thunder with a 748R. (Have since "somewhat" retired from Pro Racing)
I have a '66 Sebring 350, a 748R, 999S, and my newest one is on '08 Hypermotard S.

It actually is 32 miles from my house to the lake.

So you think it is a bad Idea to occasionally trailer it (a few times a season)?

Again thank you for the advice.

Chris:
I usually tow my LSV with either my wife's Lincoln Navigator or our motorhome. I also have a Toyota FJ cruiser that I will hook the boat up to and I will run it down the street to the dealership for service along surface roads only. We also use the FJ when we go on camping trips and I tow with the motorhome and my wife chases us in the FJ. We hook up to go to the boat ramp and such. On 4x4 mode, it pulls the boat up the ramp just fine. Mind you, the LSV is a bit heavier but our ramps are typically steep. I have seen people with 2 wheel drive only on small pick ups that can't pull a 21 ft boat out of the water because their tires just spin and spin. I can tell you that towing above 45 mph with my FJ is a bit scary because the LSV with all the gear, gas and beer weighs just about the same as the FJ (and my FJ is rated to tow 5K).
In a nutshell, it's up to you, but I would not go on a 30 mile trip like that. Find a beefier vehicle to tow.

OldeBoy
08-24-2009, 11:37 PM
New to the forum as I just purchased my 1st boat, A 2005 outback.

All the literature states the boat and trailer weighs 3600 lbs.

We have a 2005 Toyota Sienna van with the towing package and it states max towing capacity of 3500 lbs.

Does anyone here trailer their boat with a minivan or have any advice for me?

Will I be OK towing it?

Thanks

Chris

http://www.moomba.com/archive/#
Per the link above the boat itself weighs 2750 by itself. (dry) What about the trailer plus the gas and gear you typically have on board? I would advise against it. Can you swing an older heavier tow vehicle if possible?

The reason I say this, I have a 2002 ford ranger with a 4.10 rear end and a 4.0 V6 and am pulling a Boomerang which is 2000 lbs dry. (without trailer) This is well within the capacity for this tow vehicle and I can definitly tell it is back there. When the time comes I will get something more capable. Even though I am well within the towing capacity for this vehicle and would like something more. I would not want to tow something as far beyond the capacity especially if I had a family on board. Your call.