what to tow with
 

I know I will be buying a boat in a few years and I'm considering what
I will need to tow it. Currently, I own a Toyota Sienna and am about
to replace my other vehicle. The Toyota website says the Sienna has a
towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. Is this enough to pull a ski boat?
One of the vehicles I'm considering is the Tacoma, which also lists a
capacity of 3,500 pounds.

Would there be a towing difference between the two vehicles, or should
they perform about the same?

what to tow with
 

On 3 Aug 2004 20:02:11 -0700, (Pete
McKinney) wrote:
I know I will be buying a boat in a few years and I'm considering what
I will need to tow it. Currently, I own a Toyota Sienna and am about
to replace my other vehicle. The Toyota website says the Sienna has a
towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. Is this enough to pull a ski boat?
One of the vehicles I'm considering is the Tacoma, which also lists a
capacity of 3,500 pounds.

Would there be a towing difference between the two vehicles, or should
they perform about the same?
========================================

The best choice is a pick up truck, followed closely by a full size
SUV. Everything else is a compromise in some way. A lot depends on
distance and conditions however. Short distance, low speed and no
hills, you could tow with almost anything that meets legal towing
capacity. Take the published weight of your boat and trailer, add in
your fuel capacity at 7# to the gallon, and then add another 500# for
gear, etc. Ideally the total of all that is less than 80 percent of
rated capacity.

what to tow with
 

Consider this, the gross tow weight also includes what you put inside the
vehicle. So if you carry 3 people, coolers, gear, etc inside your vehicle
which totals about 800lbs and have a tow rating of 4000lbs then what you tow
can only total 3200lbs.

"Pete McKinney" wrote in message
om...
I know I will be buying a boat in a few years and I'm considering what
I will need to tow it. Currently, I own a Toyota Sienna and am about
to replace my other vehicle. The Toyota website says the Sienna has a
towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. Is this enough to pull a ski boat?
One of the vehicles I'm considering is the Tacoma, which also lists a
capacity of 3,500 pounds.

Would there be a towing difference between the two vehicles, or should
they perform about the same?

what to tow with
 

"Pete McKinney" wrote in message
om...
I know I will be buying a boat in a few years and I'm considering what
I will need to tow it. Currently, I own a Toyota Sienna and am about
to replace my other vehicle. The Toyota website says the Sienna has a
towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. Is this enough to pull a ski boat?
One of the vehicles I'm considering is the Tacoma, which also lists a
capacity of 3,500 pounds.

Would there be a towing difference between the two vehicles, or should
they perform about the same?

Like others have said, it depends on many factors. I own a 2002 Tacoma (6
cylinder automatic) for towing because with a sedan (93 Taurus 6 cyl), and
on windy days, the car didn't have a stiff enough suspension to not be
jerked around by the trailer at high speeds. Now, if this problem only
existed for short drives, I'd put up with it, but much of the time, I'm
towing for 2-6 hours. That's more time than I want to be putting up with a
swaying tow vehicle at 65 mph. By the way, my boat & trailer weigh about
1500 lbs, so a larger one would make matters worse. The Tacoma is rock
solid.

Now....is it worth it? For me, yes, in terms of peace of mind. But no matter
WHAT anyone tells you and regardless of how efficient Toyota motors are, the
Tacoma gets 17-18 around town, so I'm burning more gas than I'd like to when
I'm not towing. If most of my towing was local, I would've gotten a
different tow vehicle and modified it a bit.

If your Sienna has been well maintained, there's no reason not to tow with
it. Specifically, you should be AHEAD of the maintenance schedule for
changing TRANSMISSION fluid & filter. Shocks should be in good shape, not
just "passable". And, you might consider air shocks for the rear, if you
find that the vehicle sags under the weight of trailer, luggage and
passengers. I believe your car is front wheel drive, right? That's another
reason to keep the trailer from taking weight off the front wheels,
especially when it's raining hard.

If your manual's like mine, it'll define "towing package" to include a
different fan clutch, which is denoted by a colored band on the fan's hub.
You may not want to change the fan clutch, but at least be very attentive to
cooling system maintenance. The best mod you could do would be to add a
transmission cooler, which is like a small radiator installed inline with
the tranny fluid. U-Haul advertises this service, but I'd lean toward having
it done by a trusted mechanic or the Toyota dealer. It's not rocket science,
but you don't want your tranny fluid draining out on the highway because
some hack used a rubber band instead of a hose clamp.

what to tow with
 

"Pete McKinney" wrote in message
om...
Currently, I own a Toyota Sienna and am about
to replace my other vehicle. The Toyota website says the Sienna has a
towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. Is this enough to pull a ski boat?

A very light ski boat, like a 16 foot outboard. I certainly wouldn't
recommend it for a good sized tournament ski boat.

Would there be a towing difference between the two vehicles, or should
they perform about the same?

There are several issues about towing that you need to consider.

When towing down a freeway the drag of the trailer will increase the load on
the car. In most cases a boat is fairly good in this regard as they are
fairly streamlined and low profile. A whole lot better than say a camping
trailer!

Wheelbase is another issue. When the trailer starts to sway, a short wheel
base tow vehicle can get pushed around pretty bad.

Stopping: It is one thing to take a while to get the load going, it is
another thing to take a while to get it stopped. If your tow vehicle is
light then trailer brakes are essential.

Getting the load moving: This is where boats are far worse than any other
type of trailer. Launching the boat is easy, but eventually you need to put
the boat back on the trailer and take it home. The boat ramp can be steep
and the boat can be loaded with people, gear, and possibly a fair amount of
bilge water. The car has to be able to get this load moving up a very steep
hill. Automatics generally do better at this, I have seen underpowered
manual transmissions just burn their clutch up trying to haul a boat out.

In general, the larger the vehicle the better for towing.

Rod

what to tow with
 

I tow same weight or slightly more with a Plymouth Voyager mini-van with 3.0
litre 6.
I've been thinking of a Toyota Sienna, and with it's 3500 capacity
represents the best value in my parts.
(About $30K CDN.) Those Tacoma and Tundra trucks are way overpriced in this
market and according to Consumers Reports, the Tacoma is uncomfortable to
drive.

what to tow with
 

I read that CR story. Drive the truck yourself. When it comes to subjective
opinions, CR is often way off base.

"Don White" wrote in message
...

I tow same weight or slightly more with a Plymouth Voyager mini-van with
3.0
litre 6.
I've been thinking of a Toyota Sienna, and with it's 3500 capacity
represents the best value in my parts.
(About $30K CDN.) Those Tacoma and Tundra trucks are way overpriced in
this
market and according to Consumers Reports, the Tacoma is uncomfortable to
drive.

what to tow with
 

My 20' Malibu skier is 4200 lbs dry, with trailer...over the rating.

Have you looked at the Nissan Titan?

As for the difference between the two Toys, the longer wheel base will
favor...which is the Tacoma I believe.

Take care.

--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/

"Pete McKinney" wrote in message
om...
I know I will be buying a boat in a few years and I'm considering what
I will need to tow it. Currently, I own a Toyota Sienna and am about
to replace my other vehicle. The Toyota website says the Sienna has a
towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. Is this enough to pull a ski boat?
One of the vehicles I'm considering is the Tacoma, which also lists a
capacity of 3,500 pounds.

Would there be a towing difference between the two vehicles, or should
they perform about the same?

what to tow with
 

On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:27:48 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:

Those Tacoma and Tundra trucks are way overpriced in this
market and according to Consumers Reports, the Tacoma is uncomfortable to
drive.

================================

Can't speak about the Tacoma but I've had a Tundra for almost three
years and it's a great truck.

what to tow with
 

Thanks for the really great responses. Most of my hauling should be
short distances, so I think I'll try and stay with the Sienna. Nice
to get such quick, friendly and informative responses.

what to tow with
 

You're welcome.

"Pete McKinney" wrote in message
m...
Thanks for the really great responses. Most of my hauling should be
short distances, so I think I'll try and stay with the Sienna. Nice
to get such quick, friendly and informative responses.

what to tow with
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
================================

Can't speak about the Tacoma but I've had a Tundra for almost three
years and it's a great truck.


the local dealer is walking distance from my house. A couple of years ago
they bought a very big property and built a big sterile showroom. i went
down to see the trucks and all they had were overpriced crew cab types. The
Tundra was almost as expensive as a Sienna. I'd really like a 'Highlander'
SUV but they cost about $38k CDN. I'd have to end my 7 month retirement
and go find a job to afford that baby.

what to tow with
 

On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 00:26:46 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:
the local dealer is walking distance from my house. A couple of years ago
they bought a very big property and built a big sterile showroom. i went
down to see the trucks and all they had were overpriced crew cab types. The
Tundra was almost as expensive as a Sienna. I'd really like a 'Highlander'
SUV but they cost about $38k CDN. I'd have to end my 7 month retirement
and go find a job to afford that baby.
===========================================

I have the extended cab Tundra (4 doors, small back seat) with a
fitted cap over the cargo area, painted to match. From a distance it
looks like a large SUV and has many of the advantages at a much lower
price ( a bit over $30K USD plus $1700 for the cap). Those are three
year old prices of course. I can carry five people for short
distances, or longer distances if they are small or have a high pain
threshold :-)

what to tow with
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 00:26:46 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:
the local dealer is walking distance from my house. A couple of years ago
they bought a very big property and built a big sterile showroom. i went
down to see the trucks and all they had were overpriced crew cab types.
The
Tundra was almost as expensive as a Sienna. I'd really like a
'Highlander'
SUV but they cost about $38k CDN. I'd have to end my 7 month retirement
and go find a job to afford that baby.
===========================================

I have the extended cab Tundra (4 doors, small back seat) with a
fitted cap over the cargo area, painted to match. From a distance it
looks like a large SUV and has many of the advantages at a much lower
price ( a bit over $30K USD plus $1700 for the cap). Those are three
year old prices of course. I can carry five people for short
distances, or longer distances if they are small or have a high pain
threshold :-)


I understand the double cab version is pretty comfortable. Even in my
Tacoma, my 6' son is comfortable in the back, with the front seat at its
rearmost position.

what to tow with