Jim,

Good explanation!

I was told that Front Wheel drive SUV is not good for towing a boat. The
problem is at the boat ramp when trying to pull the boat out of water. The
front wheel does not have whole allot of traction.

Is this true?

Thinh

"Jim Brinson" wrote in message
.. .
Most auto dealers will have a towing guide which will list the maximum
towing capacities of the vehicles they sell. These maximum towing
capacities are very much affected (downward) as you increase the payload
of the towing vehicle.
In other words, a truck rated to tow a maximum load of 5,000 lbs may not
be able to do that if, for example, you carry four passengers instead of
two and/or throw an additional 1,000 lbs of gear in the back.
When you feel that you might be approaching the towing limit of a
vehicle it is a good idea to go through a process known as "job rating"
to be sure you will not be exceeding the vehicle's limits.
In this process you add up everything that the vehicle will be expected
to carry (including your trailer's tongue wt.) plus everything you
expect to tow. The grand total should not exceed what is called the
"Gross combination vehicle weight rating".
If you are looking at new vehicles it would then be a matter of
selecting the one that meets the above requirements plus any other
criteria you might have. (2wd, 4wd,AWD,FWD, passenger car, SUV, Pickup,
etc.)
If, on the other hand, you must make do with what you have, then your
only choice is to tailor your usage to fit the vehicle.
One other and perhaps obvious thing: The person who only hauls his boat
around the corner to the launch need not be as concerned about the job
rating as the person who needs to trailer his boat over a hundred miles
of steep terrain.

Good luck and good boating,
Jim



Jesse Dinkin wrote:
I curious what people use to tow their boats and whether they are
satisfied
with the way it goes....what size boat vs what size vehicle?????.....do
I
need an 8 cylinder like a friend said??????....I have a 18ft bowrider
which
I presently keep at a marina but my wife thinks she may want to explore
other water options..........