Joe Blizzard wrote:
"V Crenshaw" wrote

You do NOT want anything with front wheel drive

Thanks, this helps a lot.


Don't forget to take free advice (including mine) for what it's worth. I
regularly pull my portly old 18' runabout up a steep ramp using my front
wheel drive Taurus wagon with no trouble atoll. When the pickup truck guys
have traction trouble, guess which wheels they lock in to get things going?
This is not to say you shouldn't get a big truck or suburban or something if
you can afford it, (I'd love to have one just for towing), but if you have
to make do with a compromise, you can. I don't take my boat on long trips
behind the Taurus, by the way, just ~10 miles to and from the ramp to plop
it in and pluck it out of the water.



Ditto.

Our 2 Taurus wagons have been superb tow vehicles including launch ramp
performance.

Rob

"Doug Kanter"

Keep in mind that Ford's engine manufacturing tolerances are measures in
feet, instead of thousandths of an inch, like Toyota's. So, even if Ford's
reliability ratings are close to Toyota's, the Ford will be puking burnt
oil
out of the tailpipe from the minute it's driven away from the dealer's
lot.
Chevy & Chrysler aren't far behind.











Something must be terribly wrong with my old 89 F-150 with the 5.0 (302)
engine. 294000 miles and still not burning a drop of oil. It has been used as a
tow vehicle too.

"Joe Blizzard" wrote in message
...
"V Crenshaw" wrote
You do NOT want anything with front wheel drive
Thanks, this helps a lot.

Don't forget to take free advice (including mine) for what it's worth. I
regularly pull my portly old 18' runabout up a steep ramp using my front
wheel drive Taurus wagon with no trouble atoll. When the pickup truck guys
have traction trouble, guess which wheels they lock in to get things
going?
This is not to say you shouldn't get a big truck or suburban or something
if
you can afford it, (I'd love to have one just for towing), but if you have
to make do with a compromise, you can. I don't take my boat on long trips
behind the Taurus, by the way, just ~10 miles to and from the ramp to plop
it in and pluck it out of the water.



Just before I decided to get rid of my Taurus, my mechanic suggested simply
changing the physics of the car a bit by adding air shocks in the rear. My
experience was like yours - the car did pretty well, maybe due to its
weight. Not great in all conditions, but not too bad, either.

I think you should re-check the weight. It is hard to believe a 21'
boat + trailer + tare (all the stuff inside including gas) is only
3000 lbs.

Bob


On Sat, 15 May 2004 15:49:16 GMT, "V Crenshaw"
wrote:

My husband and I have a 21 foot Searay. We have it in a slip at a marina
now.
Together it and the trailer weighs 3000 lbs.

We are going to buy a new vehicle and we are trying to decide what kind
would
most closely meet our criteria of
1) hauling misc things like building materials, tools, an occasional
sofa or washing machine
2) Holding 4 or more people
3) towing the boat
4) As fuel efficent as possible

Truck would be great for everything except the people and fuel. We were
thinking about
a minivan, but don't know how good it would be at towing the boat and more
specifically
launching the boat. I say minivan because he likes them better than SUV's.

Any advice would be appreciated.

V Crenshaw

"John H" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 15 May 2004 18:55:23 GMT, "Doug Kanter"

wrote:


"John H" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 15 May 2004 15:49:16 GMT, "V Crenshaw"
wrote:

My husband and I have a 21 foot Searay. We have it in a slip at a
marina
now.
Together it and the trailer weighs 3000 lbs.

We are going to buy a new vehicle and we are trying to decide what
kind
would
most closely meet our criteria of
1) hauling misc things like building materials, tools, an
occasional
sofa or washing machine
2) Holding 4 or more people
3) towing the boat
4) As fuel efficent as possible

Truck would be great for everything except the people and fuel. We
were
thinking about
a minivan, but don't know how good it would be at towing the boat and
more
specifically
launching the boat. I say minivan because he likes them better than
SUV's.

Any advice would be appreciated.

V Crenshaw


Here you go:


http://www.gmc.com/gmcjsp/sierra/ind...home&pageName=
#model2

I don't have the crew cab, but I love mine.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

How old is it?

It's a '95.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

I have a 2004 Chevy crew cab and love it. Just took a 700 mile round trip
this weekend with the camper on the truck and averaged a little less than
than 16 mpg at 70 mph. this included a lot of mountain running. SF bay
area to Eureka, Calif for a graduation ceremony. Mine is a 3/4T diesel.
And just turned over 2k miles when getting home last night. The crew cab
will carry 5 people in comfort, and haul all the rest of the stuff. My 99
Expedition will carry 8 people, but would have trouble with the rest of the
stuff. Messes up the leather.
Bill

"V Crenshaw" wrote in message
m...
Well no, it is a 1989 200 Bowrider, 2500 lb. Custom trailer is 500 lbs as
stated on the sale receipt and label on
the trailer (not tandam axle/brakes) You are right about the gas and
contents.

I might have missed it in the thread - for a boat this weight a minivan like
a Chevy Astro (and it's GM counterpart) would pull it. I don't even know if
they make them anymore. But those vans were/are? built on a truck chassis,
so the capacity would be there. Reliability, repair records, etc. are a
different story. FWIW

Cam

PS: rather than argue with the folks who think you might be underestimating
the weight, I'd suggest taking it to a scale and actually weighing it - full
of gas and all the gear you might be trailering. Even if you're confident
about the wt. estimate (which it sounds like it's a reasonable estimate to
me), it's still a good idea before you actually narrow your vehicle choices.
The data might help you narrow the field.

C.

Also Sprach Not:

I think you should re-check the weight. It is hard to believe a 21'
boat + trailer + tare (all the stuff inside including gas) is only
3000 lbs.

I tend to agree.. My pop has a 21' Whaler Outrage center console with a
175 HP Evinrude OB and two 18 gallon fuel tanks, on a galvanized EZ
Loader. Fully fueled, the boat and trailer weigh 3450 lbs on a certified
scale. I would think a 21 foot cuddy cabin with a sterndrive would weigh
more than a 21' center console with an outboard. FYI, he used to tow it
with a Dodge Caravan, which was on it's third transmission when he sold
it. He "upgraded" to a Lexus RX300, which now has mysteriously lost it's
overdrive.

Dan

--
It seemed to me that any civilization that had so far lost its head as to
need to include a set of detailed instructions for use in a package of
toothpicks, was no longer a civilization in which I could live and stay sane.

--Douglas Adams, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (Wonko the Sane)

Marshall Banana wrote:
Also Sprach Not:


I think you should re-check the weight. It is hard to believe a 21'
boat + trailer + tare (all the stuff inside including gas) is only
3000 lbs.


I tend to agree.. My pop has a 21' Whaler Outrage center console with a
175 HP Evinrude OB and two 18 gallon fuel tanks, on a galvanized EZ
Loader. Fully fueled, the boat and trailer weigh 3450 lbs on a certified
scale. I would think a 21 foot cuddy cabin with a sterndrive would weigh
more than a 21' center console with an outboard. FYI, he used to tow it
with a Dodge Caravan, which was on it's third transmission when he sold
it. He "upgraded" to a Lexus RX300, which now has mysteriously lost it's
overdrive.

Dan


The RX300 is supposed to be a pretty decent tow vehicle.

Please post back and let us know how he did with the transmission trouble.

Rob

"Marshall Banana" wrote in message
...
Also Sprach Not:

I think you should re-check the weight. It is hard to believe a 21'
boat + trailer + tare (all the stuff inside including gas) is only
3000 lbs.

I tend to agree.. My pop has a 21' Whaler Outrage center console with a
175 HP Evinrude OB and two 18 gallon fuel tanks, on a galvanized EZ
Loader. Fully fueled, the boat and trailer weigh 3450 lbs on a certified
scale. I would think a 21 foot cuddy cabin with a sterndrive would weigh
more than a 21' center console with an outboard. FYI, he used to tow it
with a Dodge Caravan, which was on it's third transmission when he sold
it. He "upgraded" to a Lexus RX300, which now has mysteriously lost it's
overdrive.

Does the Lexus have a transmission cooler?