Just because you 'can' do it doesn't mean you should. If you get in to an accident and hurt someone pulling that load be prepared for a civil suit and be prepared to lose everything. Towing a load larger than the manufacturer of the vehicle states in your owners manual is HUGE ammunition for a trail lawyer.
towing challenger 1800
- Thread starter cjb
- Start date
- Status
Just because you 'can' do it doesn't mean you should. If you get in to an accident and hurt someone pulling that load be prepared for a civil suit and be prepared to lose everything. Towing a load larger than the manufacturer of the vehicle states in your owners manual is HUGE ammunition for a trail lawyer.
If they do make a class 3 hitch for the Nissan Rogue you may want to send Draw-tite a note then letting them know that the Rogue is only rated to tow 1500lbs (and that is with the right equipment from the manufacturer - 1000lbs otherwise). A class 1 hitch (2000lbs, 200lbs tongue weight) would be the most you could use with it. Class 3 (5000lbs+, 500lbs at the hitch) is more than overkill.
As far as the Camry is concerned, again, if Draw-tite makes a class 2 hitch for it then they are going overboard for it also. I don't know of any recent Camry's that are rated from the manufacturer to tow more than the 2000lbs that a class 1 hitch provides. Most recent Camry's are rated to tow 1000lbs max.
I would guess that Draw-tite does make these hitches for these cars because there is a demand for them. Even though they are overkill if the auto manufacturers specs are followed many people don't pay attention to those specs - or they just want a higher class hitch for the added security that it provides (they only tow 2000lbs but use a class 2 hitch just to be sure).
Information?....
As Karl has said, the towing capacity of the vehicle is rated by the manuafacturer and is usually posted on the vehicle idetification inside the door jamb.
There are 5 types of towing classes and each is designed for certain purposes and will only mount on certain vehicles.
For instance, your not going to find a VW beetle towing a class III or class IV trailer hitch. It's just not possible.
As Karl has said, the installation for classes above III will normally come with a transmissionn cooler. With the extra load on the drive train, the hydraulic oil tends to get hotter; and will cause the bands to slip. Automatic transmissions already have a cooling system that uses the radiator to cool the oil. The additional cooler is normally mounted on the front side of the radiator and gets the second pass of the oil leaving the heat exchanger of the radiator.
Here is a link you might find useful..... http://hitches4less.com/trailer-hitch-classes.html
The only thing I didn't see was the use of power assist from the watercraft's engine, while loading up a ramp. It's used on a regular basis here at the deep sea ramps for the big open ocean fishing boats. They have these huge trucks, but still use the power off the outboards to get the trucks rolling up the ramps. As soon as the motor breaks the surface of the water, they kill the engines......
Back in the early 90's, I had a 19 foot Marquis with huge deep-V and used the in/outboard to help get the truck rolling. If I used just the truck, I could get it out, but I would, at some point, break traction. With power assist, I never put a strain on my truck motor or drive train.
Front wheel drive verses rear wheel verse all wheel.......well, that's kinda easy. All wheel would be ideal........but, when you look at the front wheel verses the rear wheel. The theory of pushing verses pulling comes into affect. It's easier to build torque pushing, than it is to pull. The front wheel drive will do better then a rear wheel drive on a snow covered road, but not on an incline with the weight of a 18 -21 foot boat sitting behind it, pulling upward on the front end. Center of gravity is lost.
This was a good thread. I enjoyed reading it.........and of course, putting MY two cents worth in also.........:cheers:
As Karl has said, the towing capacity of the vehicle is rated by the manuafacturer and is usually posted on the vehicle idetification inside the door jamb.
There are 5 types of towing classes and each is designed for certain purposes and will only mount on certain vehicles.
For instance, your not going to find a VW beetle towing a class III or class IV trailer hitch. It's just not possible.
As Karl has said, the installation for classes above III will normally come with a transmissionn cooler. With the extra load on the drive train, the hydraulic oil tends to get hotter; and will cause the bands to slip. Automatic transmissions already have a cooling system that uses the radiator to cool the oil. The additional cooler is normally mounted on the front side of the radiator and gets the second pass of the oil leaving the heat exchanger of the radiator.
Here is a link you might find useful..... http://hitches4less.com/trailer-hitch-classes.html
The only thing I didn't see was the use of power assist from the watercraft's engine, while loading up a ramp. It's used on a regular basis here at the deep sea ramps for the big open ocean fishing boats. They have these huge trucks, but still use the power off the outboards to get the trucks rolling up the ramps. As soon as the motor breaks the surface of the water, they kill the engines......
Back in the early 90's, I had a 19 foot Marquis with huge deep-V and used the in/outboard to help get the truck rolling. If I used just the truck, I could get it out, but I would, at some point, break traction. With power assist, I never put a strain on my truck motor or drive train.
Front wheel drive verses rear wheel verse all wheel.......well, that's kinda easy. All wheel would be ideal........but, when you look at the front wheel verses the rear wheel. The theory of pushing verses pulling comes into affect. It's easier to build torque pushing, than it is to pull. The front wheel drive will do better then a rear wheel drive on a snow covered road, but not on an incline with the weight of a 18 -21 foot boat sitting behind it, pulling upward on the front end. Center of gravity is lost.
This was a good thread. I enjoyed reading it.........and of course, putting MY two cents worth in also.........:cheers:
One other thing to keep in mind is that the tow ratings for vehicles are affected by the load you have in the vehicle itself. If you plan on loading up your SUV with 5 adults and their luggage then the amount you can tow safely will be less that the tow rating for that vehicle.
Do that with your Sea-Doo and you are looking for trouble though!
I have seen a lot of vehicles out there with class 3 hitches that have manufacturer tow ratings of 2000lbs or less (i.e. only really need a class 1 hitch). I can't say that I have seen any Bettles with class 3 hitches but i have seen a lot of the newer smaller SUVs with class 3 hitches. SUVs like Hyundai Tucson's, Honda CRVs, etc.... (and yes, draw-tite does sell a class 3 hitch for both the Tucson and the CRV even though they are rated to tow 2000lbs and 1500lbs respectively). Hell, I pulled my speedster behind a Tucson with a class 3 hitch for most of the summer now (but only 1 mile to and from the ramp).
sporsterjoel
New Member
Get a jeep grand cherokee, Mines a V6 and has a 5000lb+ towing rating and the V8's are close to 7000 i think.
Just get yourself a truck. Mine is a 4x4. But honestly, I have never had to use it. Even with the lowpro tires i get plenty grip just by using RWD.
Oh and since were talking about the hitch area... Thank god for the fold away tongue!! I refuse to pay the $75 a month storage fee and boat winterization costs:cheers:
Oh and since were talking about the hitch area... Thank god for the fold away tongue!! I refuse to pay the $75 a month storage fee and boat winterization costs:cheers:
Power assist......?
O.K....Gerapau......you've got my attention. Why would it be a problem with a power assist from a Seadoo verses an outboard......with the Seadoo, you don't have to worry about scraping your prop on the cement of the launch. Which, most remember to trim their foot.......I learned that the hard way.
But the Seadoo has no prop, so if you got the larger Utopia or Challenger, I don't see what power assist would do when starting up the ramp. Now, keep in mind, that doesn't mean going to full throttle, literally pushing the car/truck up the ramp. It's generally used to hold forward pressure on the towing vehicle until momentum is established. Most of a vehicles horse power is used in the first few seconds, gaining traction while pulling the weight of the boat.......
If you did this with a sandy bottom or with loose rocks, then I'd worry about picking up a rock, but only if I was trying to gun it to 7k to start the rolling.....that's NOT the idea in power assist.
Oh course, nothing smaller than 18 foot would even think about doing this.
Throw me a bone, give me something to chew on. I'm eager to hear your reasons why power assist is a bad idea...........as for me now....I have a much better, reliable truck (Ford F150 XLT).:cheers:
O.K....Gerapau......you've got my attention. Why would it be a problem with a power assist from a Seadoo verses an outboard......with the Seadoo, you don't have to worry about scraping your prop on the cement of the launch. Which, most remember to trim their foot.......I learned that the hard way.
But the Seadoo has no prop, so if you got the larger Utopia or Challenger, I don't see what power assist would do when starting up the ramp. Now, keep in mind, that doesn't mean going to full throttle, literally pushing the car/truck up the ramp. It's generally used to hold forward pressure on the towing vehicle until momentum is established. Most of a vehicles horse power is used in the first few seconds, gaining traction while pulling the weight of the boat.......
If you did this with a sandy bottom or with loose rocks, then I'd worry about picking up a rock, but only if I was trying to gun it to 7k to start the rolling.....that's NOT the idea in power assist.
Oh course, nothing smaller than 18 foot would even think about doing this.
Throw me a bone, give me something to chew on. I'm eager to hear your reasons why power assist is a bad idea...........as for me now....I have a much better, reliable truck (Ford F150 XLT).:cheers:
Last edited by a moderator:
Just get yourself a truck. Mine is a 4x4. But honestly, I have never had to use it. Even with the lowpro tires i get plenty grip just by using RWD.
Oh and since were talking about the hitch area... Thank god for the fold away tongue!! I refuse to pay the $75 a month storage fee and boat winterization costs:cheers:
I need something like that for my trailer. I have my boat inside my garage now but i had to put in a angle because tongue wont let me close the door. I guess ill have to look in to it.
seadoosnipe - for the exact reason that you stated. Using the power of the boat when it is that close to the bottom is inviting something to be sucked through the pump. I am not sure about where you put your boat in but most ramps I have seen have a lot of small stones and the such on them. You're right though, if you are going to go light on the throttle then you should be fine.
Your comments and opinions are taken very seriously here. And for good reason. I am sure you have helped hundreds - if not more - of people with your informative posts. You have help me save a lot of time on more than one occasion. I just wanted to make sure that someone didn't read your post and decide to go out and try it - and go a bit overboard and suck something up. Many new jet boaters have no idea how easy it is to suck something up until it is too late. I personally have seen someone suck a 2 or 3 inch rock up from the bottom in 3 feet of water. Of course they were gunning it though.
Your comments and opinions are taken very seriously here. And for good reason. I am sure you have helped hundreds - if not more - of people with your informative posts. You have help me save a lot of time on more than one occasion. I just wanted to make sure that someone didn't read your post and decide to go out and try it - and go a bit overboard and suck something up. Many new jet boaters have no idea how easy it is to suck something up until it is too late. I personally have seen someone suck a 2 or 3 inch rock up from the bottom in 3 feet of water. Of course they were gunning it though.
This is very true..not more than a week ago I witnessed some start there seadoo with the back end beached....its sound like a blender chopping ice!! I would have warned them but I didn't think anyone would ever think about doing that!
Matt
That is also very true!
The swing away tongue kit is made by Fulton. It cost between $100-130 depending where you go. Just take the kit with your trailor to a welding or a boat repair shop to have it installed and painted. I told them to relocate the jack to the side of the trailor. If it was not for this kit, i would not have bought my boat. I only have 10 inches in the rear and 7 inches in the front to play with in the garage.:cheers:
I have a 01 ford e250 cargo van with 4.2 V6 and RWD. crappy tires to add as well. And I used it twice to tow my challanger which is I dunno some 2500lbs on trailer think. Van was struggling to get it up some hills and brakes are not that great either even with 4wd disc abs. I use it primarily to tow my jet ski.
I used a 05 nissan frontier V6 4wd but didnt even needed 4wd, just in 2wd mode was fine. truck engine is quite powerfull being a V6. I think its probably one of the most powerfull V6's in class with 260hp. if you gun it it will spin tires till tommorow. I really like Nissans, they have some great deals now. check your local nissan dealership, I would love to get a Titan with tow package.
I used a 05 nissan frontier V6 4wd but didnt even needed 4wd, just in 2wd mode was fine. truck engine is quite powerfull being a V6. I think its probably one of the most powerfull V6's in class with 260hp. if you gun it it will spin tires till tommorow. I really like Nissans, they have some great deals now. check your local nissan dealership, I would love to get a Titan with tow package.
timmyboy76
New Member
cjb...have you measured to see if the fold-away tongue would benefit in the garage. Bummer to spend the money for kit, and still kick her sideways...
Good point!......
You've made a very good point. I sometimes take for granted, that eveyone hears understands and knows things without being point specific. But if that were the case, then my advice here would not be needed.
I have used the power assist most of my life. It is an art. You have to finesse the throttle ever so gently, to keep the vehicle from rolling backwards. I have seen trucks and cars, roll down the ramp from owners and operators, letting off the emergency brake and dropping into gear and either dragged into the water or just simply not expecting the weight and rolled into the water. This type of boat retrieval IS not for the un-experienced.
Therefore, with a good point being made by Gerapau, I'd like to add, "this procedure can be very dangereous if not done correctly. It is easy to pull a rock up by the suction of the pump, damaging the impeller, wearing ring and quite possibly the ride plate. This maneuver should only be done as a last resort for removing boat from dock."
That being said, the same can be true, driving your boat onto the trailer. When you idle the nose into the center of the trailer, it's probably not a good idea to use much throttle to get onto the trailer, so, be careful when in shallow water!.........
I do stand corrected. Thanks for the input, I am just as human as any of you. It's easy to take your (my) experience for granted, when you've done this all your life.........:cheers:
You've made a very good point. I sometimes take for granted, that eveyone hears understands and knows things without being point specific. But if that were the case, then my advice here would not be needed.
I have used the power assist most of my life. It is an art. You have to finesse the throttle ever so gently, to keep the vehicle from rolling backwards. I have seen trucks and cars, roll down the ramp from owners and operators, letting off the emergency brake and dropping into gear and either dragged into the water or just simply not expecting the weight and rolled into the water. This type of boat retrieval IS not for the un-experienced.
Therefore, with a good point being made by Gerapau, I'd like to add, "this procedure can be very dangereous if not done correctly. It is easy to pull a rock up by the suction of the pump, damaging the impeller, wearing ring and quite possibly the ride plate. This maneuver should only be done as a last resort for removing boat from dock."
That being said, the same can be true, driving your boat onto the trailer. When you idle the nose into the center of the trailer, it's probably not a good idea to use much throttle to get onto the trailer, so, be careful when in shallow water!.........
I do stand corrected. Thanks for the input, I am just as human as any of you. It's easy to take your (my) experience for granted, when you've done this all your life.........:cheers:
Last edited by a moderator:
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked