I've recently purchased a great trailer sailer, but she's heavy and she's resting a long way from home (on a tandem axle trailer with electric brakes). At 4150 pds, (5400 pds whith trailer)I'm expecting my 2200 mile jouney to take some time. How far in a day can you reasonably plan to travel? Can you drive 50mph on a flat decent highway? Is 55mph too fast? How often would I need to regrease wheels? Any advice on type of tires? I'm planning on buying a 2000 Chev Astrovan (GMC Safari) which is rated at 5800lbs. tow capacity. Is this enough vehicle? (I have a pile of kids so having 8 seats is quite important) The Tanzer 7.5 has an 8ft. beam which I understand allows it on all American and Canadian roads. Am I correct? Any wisdom you experienced road warriors can provided would be welcome. Committed to getting her home.
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My experience
Here is my experience. I trailered a 1993 Hunter 27 fixed keel diesel from south Florida to Iowa. It was 1500+ miles The boat has a tandem axle trailer with a gross tow weight of 6500 lbs. I pulled it with a 1/2 ton pickup with towing package. That means it has a transmision cooler and heavy duty suspension. We had about 350 lbs of tongue weight and total width of 9.0 ft. We pulled through the Blue Ridge mountains without difficulty. We pulled 60-63 miles per hour and drove from about 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. It took us two long days to get home. I would not tow over 50-55 until you feel confident in the rig and handling. Every trailer / vehicle combination is different. What works for me may not work for you. Take it easy until you get comfortable. Make sure your Astro van has a towing package. Oil cooler.heavy suspension, low geared rearend. Talk to your dealer about all the towing options available on that van. Don't skimp too much. A well set up tow unit will last for years. Hope this helps Ward
Here is my experience. I trailered a 1993 Hunter 27 fixed keel diesel from south Florida to Iowa. It was 1500+ miles The boat has a tandem axle trailer with a gross tow weight of 6500 lbs. I pulled it with a 1/2 ton pickup with towing package. That means it has a transmision cooler and heavy duty suspension. We had about 350 lbs of tongue weight and total width of 9.0 ft. We pulled through the Blue Ridge mountains without difficulty. We pulled 60-63 miles per hour and drove from about 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. It took us two long days to get home. I would not tow over 50-55 until you feel confident in the rig and handling. Every trailer / vehicle combination is different. What works for me may not work for you. Take it easy until you get comfortable. Make sure your Astro van has a towing package. Oil cooler.heavy suspension, low geared rearend. Talk to your dealer about all the towing options available on that van. Don't skimp too much. A well set up tow unit will last for years. Hope this helps Ward
An Alternative
The van would probably be fine for shorter trips. I think I would rent a UHaul or the like and then not have to worry about the van handling the load. To do this routinely I'd look for a full sized van with the tow package.
The van would probably be fine for shorter trips. I think I would rent a UHaul or the like and then not have to worry about the van handling the load. To do this routinely I'd look for a full sized van with the tow package.
Astro
I used to have an Astro - 96 model. I feel it would be unsafe - a real risk - towing that heavy a load. I used mine ONCE to pull a 5300 pound travel trailer and it felt like the trailer was in control. Now I'm using a Ford F250 and it is a piece of cake. They make a crew cab which can seat 6 very comfortably. The big diesel engine gets about 12 mpg on the highway at 65-70 and will accelerate uphill on just about any grade. Most of time the transmission stays locked into overdrive although it will automatically drop down on very steep grades or when passing. The Astro is a nice van but I'd personally not want to routinely use the maximum allowable weight. You should also consider that a fully loaded boat, van with fuel, passengers, cargo, etc... will probably exceed the maximum combined weight rating for the tow/trailer combination. Problems could occur in emergency braking/manuevering situations.
I used to have an Astro - 96 model. I feel it would be unsafe - a real risk - towing that heavy a load. I used mine ONCE to pull a 5300 pound travel trailer and it felt like the trailer was in control. Now I'm using a Ford F250 and it is a piece of cake. They make a crew cab which can seat 6 very comfortably. The big diesel engine gets about 12 mpg on the highway at 65-70 and will accelerate uphill on just about any grade. Most of time the transmission stays locked into overdrive although it will automatically drop down on very steep grades or when passing. The Astro is a nice van but I'd personally not want to routinely use the maximum allowable weight. You should also consider that a fully loaded boat, van with fuel, passengers, cargo, etc... will probably exceed the maximum combined weight rating for the tow/trailer combination. Problems could occur in emergency braking/manuevering situations.
Towing with Astro/Safari Vans
Since 1995 I've been using Chevy Astro vans to trail my O'Day 240 -- 4-wheel trailer, surge brakes; 8-Hp Honda; 5500 lbs. total trailed load + 4-adults and stuff in van. Vans have heavy duty trailing package (important) and 3.42 (very important!) rear axle ratio. No problem running at 60 mph (but for ease of mind keep below 65) on the level roads. Long grades of 5% or more slow rig to about 45 mph. Van model years 2000 and newer have tow/haul button that moves transmission gear shift-points to higher rpms (good for the big hills). Make sure that the trailer tires are 6 or 8 ply rated (don't use passenger car tires on the trailer). Mine are inflated to 65 psi. Keep them firm. Use bearing buddies on the trailer wheel hubs. Squirt grease in them and keep them filled, especially before any long trips, and before dunking trailer at launch ramp. I get about 10 mpg with this rig. That works out at 10 mpg for the trailer, 10 mpg for the van = 20 mpg.
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Since 1995 I've been using Chevy Astro vans to trail my O'Day 240 -- 4-wheel trailer, surge brakes; 8-Hp Honda; 5500 lbs. total trailed load + 4-adults and stuff in van. Vans have heavy duty trailing package (important) and 3.42 (very important!) rear axle ratio. No problem running at 60 mph (but for ease of mind keep below 65) on the level roads. Long grades of 5% or more slow rig to about 45 mph. Van model years 2000 and newer have tow/haul button that moves transmission gear shift-points to higher rpms (good for the big hills). Make sure that the trailer tires are 6 or 8 ply rated (don't use passenger car tires on the trailer). Mine are inflated to 65 psi. Keep them firm. Use bearing buddies on the trailer wheel hubs. Squirt grease in them and keep them filled, especially before any long trips, and before dunking trailer at launch ramp. I get about 10 mpg with this rig. That works out at 10 mpg for the trailer, 10 mpg for the van = 20 mpg.
, Hire a towing co.
If your are unsure of your vehical, hire a moving company. It could be the safest way.
If your are unsure of your vehical, hire a moving company. It could be the safest way.
Good points, Jon,
about trailer maintenance. I would add that it is a good idea to check the hub bearings (feel with your hand for excessive heat) every time you stop, and couple of times in the first 100 miles. When you know how they normally feel, you can tell easily if one is running dry (and hot). Check tire pressures frequently. It would be smart to have a spare tire/wheel/hub/bearing assembly with you and the tools to replace them if necessary. Your most critical situations will be when going downhill in traffic - leave lots of room between you and the car in front.
about trailer maintenance. I would add that it is a good idea to check the hub bearings (feel with your hand for excessive heat) every time you stop, and couple of times in the first 100 miles. When you know how they normally feel, you can tell easily if one is running dry (and hot). Check tire pressures frequently. It would be smart to have a spare tire/wheel/hub/bearing assembly with you and the tools to replace them if necessary. Your most critical situations will be when going downhill in traffic - leave lots of room between you and the car in front.
Towing trailers
I have a 272LE on a custom built trailer, total combined weight is 7500#. I tow it with a Dodge Durango quite nicely. It has a 9600# towing capacity I agree with the one respondent that for the long haul you should consider just renting a U-haul to ensure you don’t burn up your vehicle. Yes its in its towing capacity, but test by manufactures to determine maximum ratings are loads being towed under ideal conditions without regard for longevity after the test. When I had a smaller boat I towed it with a Caravan that was within its towing capacity but near its max and wore out the CV joints pre maturely. The other thing to keep in mind is the towing equipment you are using. Be sure your hitch is capable of handling the load and you have load bars and a sway bar. This way the “tail doesn’t wag the dog” .
I have a 272LE on a custom built trailer, total combined weight is 7500#. I tow it with a Dodge Durango quite nicely. It has a 9600# towing capacity I agree with the one respondent that for the long haul you should consider just renting a U-haul to ensure you don’t burn up your vehicle. Yes its in its towing capacity, but test by manufactures to determine maximum ratings are loads being towed under ideal conditions without regard for longevity after the test. When I had a smaller boat I towed it with a Caravan that was within its towing capacity but near its max and wore out the CV joints pre maturely. The other thing to keep in mind is the towing equipment you are using. Be sure your hitch is capable of handling the load and you have load bars and a sway bar. This way the “tail doesn’t wag the dog” .
my second thought.....
my second, cuz my first thought would not have been very nice...anyways,,my two cents,,,, an astro van,, nah, i would go with a full size van or truck, too big...maybe, i own a cat 22, with trailer and boat, not quite 3000 lbs. i have a dodge full size half ton van that i used to pull my boat home. my boat was almost one and a half hours away. all freeway,in calif, speeds for towing are 55, but some go well over..not me, of course.ha ha,i had no problem doing the speed limit or above the few times i wasnt paying attention. i had no sway, and as my trailer has no brakes on it.. i watched my distances, but no problem the couple of times i had to press hard on the brakes., brakes on the trailer would be nice,but.... the only ..Problem?? i had was the view out my mirrors.. left to right no problem, but of course that rear view mirror was all filled up with boat..i've towed other things, but whoa,what a weird feeling seein a boat in ur mirror.. supposedly the astro has the ability to tow that wieght and it is a good running van. but to me.. (my opinion here)a bigger vehicle is going to mean alot less stress on you while ur toolin down the hiway, and u got alot of toolin to do..its gonna mean being less tired on ur part,and ur not gonna want to be tired driving that thing down the road..like someone else mentioned, bearing bearing bearings, make sure that trailer u pickin up has bearings that hold the grease in, mine were shot when i bought the boat,and i stopped i dont know how many times to keep puttin in the grease, the trailer gods were with me that day as i did get home, but geez i wont do that again....but hey dont get me started....good luck ..
my second, cuz my first thought would not have been very nice...anyways,,my two cents,,,, an astro van,, nah, i would go with a full size van or truck, too big...maybe, i own a cat 22, with trailer and boat, not quite 3000 lbs. i have a dodge full size half ton van that i used to pull my boat home. my boat was almost one and a half hours away. all freeway,in calif, speeds for towing are 55, but some go well over..not me, of course.ha ha,i had no problem doing the speed limit or above the few times i wasnt paying attention. i had no sway, and as my trailer has no brakes on it.. i watched my distances, but no problem the couple of times i had to press hard on the brakes., brakes on the trailer would be nice,but.... the only ..Problem?? i had was the view out my mirrors.. left to right no problem, but of course that rear view mirror was all filled up with boat..i've towed other things, but whoa,what a weird feeling seein a boat in ur mirror.. supposedly the astro has the ability to tow that wieght and it is a good running van. but to me.. (my opinion here)a bigger vehicle is going to mean alot less stress on you while ur toolin down the hiway, and u got alot of toolin to do..its gonna mean being less tired on ur part,and ur not gonna want to be tired driving that thing down the road..like someone else mentioned, bearing bearing bearings, make sure that trailer u pickin up has bearings that hold the grease in, mine were shot when i bought the boat,and i stopped i dont know how many times to keep puttin in the grease, the trailer gods were with me that day as i did get home, but geez i wont do that again....but hey dont get me started....good luck ..
towing and u hauls
Bruce, you might want to check with uhaul and or any other truck leaseing agent, U Haul would not alow anything but there trailer to be towed behind there truck (don't know about hertz or ryder) when I asked. I think it would also be very expensive. I think you would be ok with the set up you have however I would suggest using a weigth distrubtion hitch system. It will make the load weigth spread out evenly over the tow vehicle and the trailer.towing will be easier and safer with this weight distrubting hitch.You might want to thinks about "helper springs" or maybe air shock on the tow vehicle. Also think about safe and proper size rear (multi ply) tires on the van. As far as how fast and how many miles per day you will be the best judge of that after you have towed the trailer a little bit and how comfortable you are at what speeds.You could tow all day long if you are comfortable driving it and run the legal speeds if the units are set up correctly.Talk to a hitch trailer hitch manufactures rep or tech rep (at the factory)and get together with a good tire dealer to set you up with good tires for towing.As far as greasing the wheel bearing let me suggest you repack all the bearing before gong on a trip that long and check them every day(grease as needed)as well as the tires and air pressure in them. Carry spare bearings and seal as well as a good spare tire and wheel. Take a good look at the tires on the trailer now and maybe think about new tires and most trialer tire of any age have dry rot and might not make a 2200 mile trip so try and make a honest assesment. Like anything else being prepared and having the right equipment is the key to a good trip and and safe trip! To my knowledge a beam of 8 feet is legal in both the USA and Canada. 8 feet(96 inches)is the same width and a tractor trailer.Good Luck and have a good trip!
Bruce, you might want to check with uhaul and or any other truck leaseing agent, U Haul would not alow anything but there trailer to be towed behind there truck (don't know about hertz or ryder) when I asked. I think it would also be very expensive. I think you would be ok with the set up you have however I would suggest using a weigth distrubtion hitch system. It will make the load weigth spread out evenly over the tow vehicle and the trailer.towing will be easier and safer with this weight distrubting hitch.You might want to thinks about "helper springs" or maybe air shock on the tow vehicle. Also think about safe and proper size rear (multi ply) tires on the van. As far as how fast and how many miles per day you will be the best judge of that after you have towed the trailer a little bit and how comfortable you are at what speeds.You could tow all day long if you are comfortable driving it and run the legal speeds if the units are set up correctly.Talk to a hitch trailer hitch manufactures rep or tech rep (at the factory)and get together with a good tire dealer to set you up with good tires for towing.As far as greasing the wheel bearing let me suggest you repack all the bearing before gong on a trip that long and check them every day(grease as needed)as well as the tires and air pressure in them. Carry spare bearings and seal as well as a good spare tire and wheel. Take a good look at the tires on the trailer now and maybe think about new tires and most trialer tire of any age have dry rot and might not make a 2200 mile trip so try and make a honest assesment. Like anything else being prepared and having the right equipment is the key to a good trip and and safe trip! To my knowledge a beam of 8 feet is legal in both the USA and Canada. 8 feet(96 inches)is the same width and a tractor trailer.Good Luck and have a good trip!
another thought on towing
Brice, make sure your insurance covers you in both the USA and Canada for towing a boat and if the boat is covered and for how much.Sorry just one more thing to thinks about and check !
Brice, make sure your insurance covers you in both the USA and Canada for towing a boat and if the boat is covered and for how much.Sorry just one more thing to thinks about and check !
good tow vehicle
I did a lot of towing of campers and boats and before you buy that astro van look into a full size van or a chevy suburban they are good for towing and make sure you check the trailer bearing's and tire's, if something break's on the road it will cost you an arm and a leg check out that trailer real good, salt water is the worst on trailers
I did a lot of towing of campers and boats and before you buy that astro van look into a full size van or a chevy suburban they are good for towing and make sure you check the trailer bearing's and tire's, if something break's on the road it will cost you an arm and a leg check out that trailer real good, salt water is the worst on trailers
Smaller boat, lot smaller vehicle
I pull a bit smaller boat, the A-21, which with the trailer, when rigged for cruising, scales at 2800 lbs. This I pull with a little Ford Explorer. I do a 1200 mile trip every summer. Power is not everything. Just "drive" a far greater distance ahead than you would if you didn't have the load. Plan on letting the speed drop way down on hills (good idea to do that downhill too to increase your control). Watch your balance (load the boat so that the tongue weighs about 10% of the total weight. And be sure to take the advice about repacking (or better yet, having it professionally done) the wheel bearings before you roll out. Carry spare bearings along with at least one good spare tire and wheel assembly (I carry two). I had to pick up a set of bearings once on the road (a bearing burned out enroute)and that was really expensive on a Sunday in North Dakota. As to seeing that boat behind me every time I glance in the mirror, it's distracting so I always cant the mirror up out of the way. That way my eyes automatically go to the side mirrors first. I figure that sometime the speed in checking what's behind me ~might~ be important. Congratulations on the "new" boat. Enjoy.
I pull a bit smaller boat, the A-21, which with the trailer, when rigged for cruising, scales at 2800 lbs. This I pull with a little Ford Explorer. I do a 1200 mile trip every summer. Power is not everything. Just "drive" a far greater distance ahead than you would if you didn't have the load. Plan on letting the speed drop way down on hills (good idea to do that downhill too to increase your control). Watch your balance (load the boat so that the tongue weighs about 10% of the total weight. And be sure to take the advice about repacking (or better yet, having it professionally done) the wheel bearings before you roll out. Carry spare bearings along with at least one good spare tire and wheel assembly (I carry two). I had to pick up a set of bearings once on the road (a bearing burned out enroute)and that was really expensive on a Sunday in North Dakota. As to seeing that boat behind me every time I glance in the mirror, it's distracting so I always cant the mirror up out of the way. That way my eyes automatically go to the side mirrors first. I figure that sometime the speed in checking what's behind me ~might~ be important. Congratulations on the "new" boat. Enjoy.
Depends on needs
Bruce, While I agree with the caution suggested by the respondents to this thread and the excellent comments re: preparing for your trip, I'm not certain that you necessarily need to scrap your plans to buy the Astro van in favor of a much bigger vehicle. It really depends on the amount of towing you plan to do, where you plan to do it, and the other required uses for the vehicle. If the amount of towing is minimal each year, I'm sure the Astro will work fine. If it is extensive, and especially if it is on very hilly terrian, then a larger tow vehicle is probably warranted. If you need the interior space to haul family and other stuff, a pickup won't do so the choice is a full size SUV (where you still sacrifice storage space) or a van. I was towing a 3000 lb boat (O'Day 222) and trailer with a 6 cyl. Jeep Cherokee, and it did fine for short trips (several hundred miles) on relatively flat terrain as long as I took it easy (55-60 mph). However, for longer trips and in more varied terrain, it was inadequate. We really bogged down on some of the hills in the Ozarks for example. Since we decided to expand the range and frequency of our trips last year, we traded up to an Expedition and it tows the boat with no problem regardless of the terrain. Note we also got rid of our minivan so this became our primary hauling vehicle as well. We sacrificed quite a bit of hauling capacity as a consequence. In addition, with gas prices pushing $2 per gallon, it can get a bit expensive to bomb around town at 14-15/mpg at best. Think about how much you plan to tow and the other needs of the vehicle before changing your vehicle choice. Good luck. Dave s/v Hakuna Matata
Bruce, While I agree with the caution suggested by the respondents to this thread and the excellent comments re: preparing for your trip, I'm not certain that you necessarily need to scrap your plans to buy the Astro van in favor of a much bigger vehicle. It really depends on the amount of towing you plan to do, where you plan to do it, and the other required uses for the vehicle. If the amount of towing is minimal each year, I'm sure the Astro will work fine. If it is extensive, and especially if it is on very hilly terrian, then a larger tow vehicle is probably warranted. If you need the interior space to haul family and other stuff, a pickup won't do so the choice is a full size SUV (where you still sacrifice storage space) or a van. I was towing a 3000 lb boat (O'Day 222) and trailer with a 6 cyl. Jeep Cherokee, and it did fine for short trips (several hundred miles) on relatively flat terrain as long as I took it easy (55-60 mph). However, for longer trips and in more varied terrain, it was inadequate. We really bogged down on some of the hills in the Ozarks for example. Since we decided to expand the range and frequency of our trips last year, we traded up to an Expedition and it tows the boat with no problem regardless of the terrain. Note we also got rid of our minivan so this became our primary hauling vehicle as well. We sacrificed quite a bit of hauling capacity as a consequence. In addition, with gas prices pushing $2 per gallon, it can get a bit expensive to bomb around town at 14-15/mpg at best. Think about how much you plan to tow and the other needs of the vehicle before changing your vehicle choice. Good luck. Dave s/v Hakuna Matata
5400 is the absolute limit
Bruce, A Safari/Astro with Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) and a 3.73 rear end has the highest towing capacity for this vehicle which is 5400# (see link). I had a 92 Astro that would comfortably pull half that amount, but not more in hills. My 98 Durango is rated for 7500# and some fullsize vans are rated for up to 8650#. Some large pickups are rated for over 15000#.
Bruce, A Safari/Astro with Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) and a 3.73 rear end has the highest towing capacity for this vehicle which is 5400# (see link). I had a 92 Astro that would comfortably pull half that amount, but not more in hills. My 98 Durango is rated for 7500# and some fullsize vans are rated for up to 8650#. Some large pickups are rated for over 15000#.
brakes
Make sure your brakes are working!!!! I thought that mine were working until I had to stop quickly when a car cut over and braked hard. There was a light rain in Panama City Fl and all four wheels of the S-10 were sliding. Somehow we stopped before hitting the car. I had the brakes replaced and everything worked much better. The 4.3l S-10 pulled a Mac 26S OK in TN. The stopping and swaying when big rigs passed was a bigger problem. I only towed a few times a year so made do with the S-10. If I had towed a lot a bigger truck or van would have been better. We had an Aerostar that towed a Helsen 22 OK. Again stopping was a bigger issue than getting moving. Tom
Make sure your brakes are working!!!! I thought that mine were working until I had to stop quickly when a car cut over and braked hard. There was a light rain in Panama City Fl and all four wheels of the S-10 were sliding. Somehow we stopped before hitting the car. I had the brakes replaced and everything worked much better. The 4.3l S-10 pulled a Mac 26S OK in TN. The stopping and swaying when big rigs passed was a bigger problem. I only towed a few times a year so made do with the S-10. If I had towed a lot a bigger truck or van would have been better. We had an Aerostar that towed a Helsen 22 OK. Again stopping was a bigger issue than getting moving. Tom
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