Can I pull it...
- Thread starter Scotts56
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aggravation
Well the saga continues...spoke with Dodge corporate today. They consider ANY changes in features after the vehicle leaves the factory as "unauthorized" even if those changes are done with OEM parts by a factory approved shop ie dealership. So that means voided warranties if I make changes. Absolutely ridiculous ( actual language withheld as I'm new to this board)! Now to figure something out short of buying a vehicle to solely tow the boat.
Well the saga continues...spoke with Dodge corporate today. They consider ANY changes in features after the vehicle leaves the factory as "unauthorized" even if those changes are done with OEM parts by a factory approved shop ie dealership. So that means voided warranties if I make changes. Absolutely ridiculous ( actual language withheld as I'm new to this board)! Now to figure something out short of buying a vehicle to solely tow the boat.
What about a tow bar
First off does your vehicle have a tow bar, instead of pulling off your bumper. A tow bar ties right into your frame and is stronger. As to pulling, is your vehicle a six or four cylinder. I did pull my V222 six hundred miles with a four cylinder toyota pickup truck, when I picked the boat up. She pulled it at 60 mph without a problem. Since then though Ive moved up to a bigger tow vehicle. All of that makes a difference, and remember stopping power is important too, so always think ahead!
First off does your vehicle have a tow bar, instead of pulling off your bumper. A tow bar ties right into your frame and is stronger. As to pulling, is your vehicle a six or four cylinder. I did pull my V222 six hundred miles with a four cylinder toyota pickup truck, when I picked the boat up. She pulled it at 60 mph without a problem. Since then though Ive moved up to a bigger tow vehicle. All of that makes a difference, and remember stopping power is important too, so always think ahead!
an update
Despite the lack of info from Dodge the internet never ceases to amaze me. Looking up options for new Grand Caravans the heavy duty tow package is itemized out. It appears the most critical pieces are load leveling rear shocks, an oil cooler, heavy duty trans cooler and radiator. Not a short list but hopefully manageable. As for the hitch I already have a classII w capacity of 3500# in place. We shall see.
Despite the lack of info from Dodge the internet never ceases to amaze me. Looking up options for new Grand Caravans the heavy duty tow package is itemized out. It appears the most critical pieces are load leveling rear shocks, an oil cooler, heavy duty trans cooler and radiator. Not a short list but hopefully manageable. As for the hitch I already have a classII w capacity of 3500# in place. We shall see.
i did it and it worked but
it wasen't comfortable in the van. when younger i pulled our 15ft runabout/ski boat with a VW beatle 3 kids & camping 2wks so expected better results. decided i could find an older used PU with rear wheel drive for about the same as a rebuild on the trans in the caravan. Found a '69 well used Ford pu that gets 20 "nice truck"s to any nice van. mpg worse (1/3)- no air -bench seat- smile on my face. It's a sailboat
it wasen't comfortable in the van. when younger i pulled our 15ft runabout/ski boat with a VW beatle 3 kids & camping 2wks so expected better results. decided i could find an older used PU with rear wheel drive for about the same as a rebuild on the trans in the caravan. Found a '69 well used Ford pu that gets 20 "nice truck"s to any nice van. mpg worse (1/3)- no air -bench seat- smile on my face. It's a sailboat
Got it home...
Only one flat tire thank goodness. I did use an SUV for the tow though. But here's a question. I thought I had the weight distribution as far forward as it would go but it still trailed poorly with that lateral sway at 55-60 mph. Now I was on the interstate and I do realize there is a wind out there but no one else seemed to be effected by it. Plenty of trailed boats and trailers flew right on by. It wasn't the trucks power it had plenty to spare. So my question is what do I need to do to abolish that "trailer wag"? I can lower the hitch ball and I can lengthen the tongue. Ideas/ solutions would be appreciated. One more thing...once off the interstate she trailed just fine at similar speeds.
Only one flat tire thank goodness. I did use an SUV for the tow though. But here's a question. I thought I had the weight distribution as far forward as it would go but it still trailed poorly with that lateral sway at 55-60 mph. Now I was on the interstate and I do realize there is a wind out there but no one else seemed to be effected by it. Plenty of trailed boats and trailers flew right on by. It wasn't the trucks power it had plenty to spare. So my question is what do I need to do to abolish that "trailer wag"? I can lower the hitch ball and I can lengthen the tongue. Ideas/ solutions would be appreciated. One more thing...once off the interstate she trailed just fine at similar speeds.
My experience
when I went to pick my boat up, and pulled her the 600 plus miles, she had sway at 55 to 60! After I got home and worked on the situation, I did lower the hitch, and pulled my single axle forward on the trailer, centering the boat more to ride over the wheels. I also added ballast, which made the boat a bit heavier and this I believe helped too. She does great now at 60, and i dont pull her faster than that. I did try 65 one time to see if she would sway with all the changes, and there was none. Congrats on your new boat and pleasent sailing to you. Just to mention also my trailer is not a Mac trailer, but a stock boat trailer, so everything on it is adjustable.
when I went to pick my boat up, and pulled her the 600 plus miles, she had sway at 55 to 60! After I got home and worked on the situation, I did lower the hitch, and pulled my single axle forward on the trailer, centering the boat more to ride over the wheels. I also added ballast, which made the boat a bit heavier and this I believe helped too. She does great now at 60, and i dont pull her faster than that. I did try 65 one time to see if she would sway with all the changes, and there was none. Congrats on your new boat and pleasent sailing to you. Just to mention also my trailer is not a Mac trailer, but a stock boat trailer, so everything on it is adjustable.
Hey Lloyd!
Is that Silverton Colorado? Are you sailing the Highland Mary? Lake Emma used to be one of my favorites.
Is that Silverton Colorado? Are you sailing the Highland Mary? Lake Emma used to be one of my favorites.
Can I pull it?
The next question would be can you stop it? Stuff happens even on the interstate. If some body cuts you off and locks up the brakes will you be able to control a 2000/2500 # boat pushing you down the road?
The next question would be can you stop it? Stuff happens even on the interstate. If some body cuts you off and locks up the brakes will you be able to control a 2000/2500 # boat pushing you down the road?
too light?
Maybe it's just me, but I think that any kind of front wheel drive minivan is a little light in the back for pulling much weight. Maybe you have trailer brakes but even so, what about a blow out at hi-way speeds? I have a V-21 and a V-222, neither of which cost me very much but are dear to me, and I wouldn't want to lose one and possibly my tow vehicle because it is too small for the job. Once you're loaded up and on the way to the water, your trailer load is probably heavier than you expect! Just me, but I have an aversion to minivans as tow vehicles for much of a load. MG
Maybe it's just me, but I think that any kind of front wheel drive minivan is a little light in the back for pulling much weight. Maybe you have trailer brakes but even so, what about a blow out at hi-way speeds? I have a V-21 and a V-222, neither of which cost me very much but are dear to me, and I wouldn't want to lose one and possibly my tow vehicle because it is too small for the job. Once you're loaded up and on the way to the water, your trailer load is probably heavier than you expect! Just me, but I have an aversion to minivans as tow vehicles for much of a load. MG
Scotts56, You have the weight of the boat
AND the trailer and the Anchor AND the outboard engine and the fuel and you family. Find a place with truck scales and drive the whole train onto the scales and weigh it. With front wheel drive I wouldn't make any bets on your ability to pull the boat and trailer up a wet launching ramp. Fishtailing is most often caused by not having enough load on the hitch. A couple of hundred pounds is a practical minimum. Mark a stick without the trailer hitched up, then stand on the hitch and have someone mark the stick again. Now you have a proper load indicator for the hitch load. Next step is to hitch up the loaded trailer and check your hitch load.
AND the trailer and the Anchor AND the outboard engine and the fuel and you family. Find a place with truck scales and drive the whole train onto the scales and weigh it. With front wheel drive I wouldn't make any bets on your ability to pull the boat and trailer up a wet launching ramp. Fishtailing is most often caused by not having enough load on the hitch. A couple of hundred pounds is a practical minimum. Mark a stick without the trailer hitched up, then stand on the hitch and have someone mark the stick again. Now you have a proper load indicator for the hitch load. Next step is to hitch up the loaded trailer and check your hitch load.
Thanks everyone
Considering my experience this past weekend with a small 4X4, the cost of upgrading my Grand Caravan to be even able to think about towing this boat and of course all the thoughts on this forum I'm seriously considering picking up a cheap, unattractive, gas hog 4X4 pickup for towing only. I think in the long run it will be cheaper and safer.
Considering my experience this past weekend with a small 4X4, the cost of upgrading my Grand Caravan to be even able to think about towing this boat and of course all the thoughts on this forum I'm seriously considering picking up a cheap, unattractive, gas hog 4X4 pickup for towing only. I think in the long run it will be cheaper and safer.
4WD
You won't likely need a 4WD to tow it, but you might need one to pull it out of the water. On my O'Day 25, I finally got things working with an extension that keeps my wheels dry, gets me out of the slime, etc, but I pulled the boat OUT of the water with a much less powerful 4WD that belonged to the previous owner. I think buying a "tow only 4x4" is a good idea.
You won't likely need a 4WD to tow it, but you might need one to pull it out of the water. On my O'Day 25, I finally got things working with an extension that keeps my wheels dry, gets me out of the slime, etc, but I pulled the boat OUT of the water with a much less powerful 4WD that belonged to the previous owner. I think buying a "tow only 4x4" is a good idea.
Worst Case
The older you get, the more you realize that things can go wrong and the more you stop assuming everything will be fine. When towing a boat there are a lot of potential snafus, and just as a good pilot will do a pre-flight check on his plane, it's smart to do a pre-tow check on the boat and trailer. Only this check begins with the selection of tow vehicle and towing equipment, always looking for the weak link or anything that appears marginal. I bought a boat that had been towed about 250 mi the year before on major highways. I took it home (about 45 mi) by backroads, and when I started really going over the trailer I'm sure my pulse quickened. Three of the four hubs were essentially empty of grease - the bearings were dry and scarred and could have seized at any time (though they didn't get real hot coming home). Spring shackle bolts were rusty. The tires were not trailer-rated and their combined load rating was just barely adequate for what the boat and trailer totaled. They had some great tread but noticeable dry-rot cracks. I should not have had that rig on public roads, but just figured that since the other guy had pulled it so far, it must be OK. Now, after replacing bearings, shackle bolts, and tires (1" larger and trailer-rated, and with enough reserve capacity that if one blows, the others are still rated to carry the load), I'm much more comfortable pulling my rig. It's all about being prepared for what might go wrong, not counting on everything going right.
The older you get, the more you realize that things can go wrong and the more you stop assuming everything will be fine. When towing a boat there are a lot of potential snafus, and just as a good pilot will do a pre-flight check on his plane, it's smart to do a pre-tow check on the boat and trailer. Only this check begins with the selection of tow vehicle and towing equipment, always looking for the weak link or anything that appears marginal. I bought a boat that had been towed about 250 mi the year before on major highways. I took it home (about 45 mi) by backroads, and when I started really going over the trailer I'm sure my pulse quickened. Three of the four hubs were essentially empty of grease - the bearings were dry and scarred and could have seized at any time (though they didn't get real hot coming home). Spring shackle bolts were rusty. The tires were not trailer-rated and their combined load rating was just barely adequate for what the boat and trailer totaled. They had some great tread but noticeable dry-rot cracks. I should not have had that rig on public roads, but just figured that since the other guy had pulled it so far, it must be OK. Now, after replacing bearings, shackle bolts, and tires (1" larger and trailer-rated, and with enough reserve capacity that if one blows, the others are still rated to carry the load), I'm much more comfortable pulling my rig. It's all about being prepared for what might go wrong, not counting on everything going right.
Tow vehicles
I found a dirt cheap (actually it was free) 1978 Suburban 3/4 ton model with a 7.4 liter V-8. It already had the tow package installed. For way less than what a newer truck would cost, I replaced the engine, radiator, brakes (including drums and rotors), shocks and rebuilt the transmission. It looks ugly, but tows anything, especially my Oday 26, which has a 4000 lb minimum trailer weight and sits on a 1500 lb trailer. Hills and mountains are no problem for it, but it gets only about 8 mpg when towing the boat.
I found a dirt cheap (actually it was free) 1978 Suburban 3/4 ton model with a 7.4 liter V-8. It already had the tow package installed. For way less than what a newer truck would cost, I replaced the engine, radiator, brakes (including drums and rotors), shocks and rebuilt the transmission. It looks ugly, but tows anything, especially my Oday 26, which has a 4000 lb minimum trailer weight and sits on a 1500 lb trailer. Hills and mountains are no problem for it, but it gets only about 8 mpg when towing the boat.
plan b
don't really like the caravan, known for weak transmissions. i am assuming you don't have a hitch on it now. have you asked yourself what your plan b is going to be if the caravan breaks down on the way back wih the boat in tow. then you will have to find somebody with some equipment to get you home, but now you have to tow the boat and the van. just a thought take it or leave it. find someone who has a dependable truck and ask them to help you out. make it worth their while. for the money you would spend on hitch, oil cooler, and fuel i would think you could make someone a reasonable offer to get your boat home. if you were to break down in the caravan you will be back to square one only now you will have a substantial repair bill as well as a hefty towing bill. get the boat home and a good tow vehicle will come around. many folks are seriously thinking about getting rid of vehicles that dont get high mileage and as fuel goes up, there are some real bargains out there. just wanted to help you look at it from a different angle, cant help you on the ballast question-but i can just about bet there is someone that will give you exactly the info you need to know. bring tools, wire and crimpers,a sturdy floor jack, good spare, some grease, and pull over every so often and put a hand on those hubs to make sure they are not heating up. conservatively 400 miles should take you 8 hours, plan on 4 to six hours to get everything squared away when you get there, and 8 hours to get home. don't forget to bring a pair of good ratchet straps in case. duck tape and strips of old carpeting come in real handy also to keep things from getting chafed up. i pulled three boats home this year, seems like there is always something unexpected to fix, besides getting everything secured for the trip. you definitely do not want to be the guy on the side of the road broke down, or worse yet in a wreck. know your limitations, take your time and enjoy the ride. let us know when you get home and how it went dpatrick p.s. probably the best information i can give you is don't forget to include God Almighty in your plans, like Ollie North says"he doesn't always guarantee a smooth ride, but he promises a safe arrival." God's been good to me! and i want to give Him all the credit. thanks
don't really like the caravan, known for weak transmissions. i am assuming you don't have a hitch on it now. have you asked yourself what your plan b is going to be if the caravan breaks down on the way back wih the boat in tow. then you will have to find somebody with some equipment to get you home, but now you have to tow the boat and the van. just a thought take it or leave it. find someone who has a dependable truck and ask them to help you out. make it worth their while. for the money you would spend on hitch, oil cooler, and fuel i would think you could make someone a reasonable offer to get your boat home. if you were to break down in the caravan you will be back to square one only now you will have a substantial repair bill as well as a hefty towing bill. get the boat home and a good tow vehicle will come around. many folks are seriously thinking about getting rid of vehicles that dont get high mileage and as fuel goes up, there are some real bargains out there. just wanted to help you look at it from a different angle, cant help you on the ballast question-but i can just about bet there is someone that will give you exactly the info you need to know. bring tools, wire and crimpers,a sturdy floor jack, good spare, some grease, and pull over every so often and put a hand on those hubs to make sure they are not heating up. conservatively 400 miles should take you 8 hours, plan on 4 to six hours to get everything squared away when you get there, and 8 hours to get home. don't forget to bring a pair of good ratchet straps in case. duck tape and strips of old carpeting come in real handy also to keep things from getting chafed up. i pulled three boats home this year, seems like there is always something unexpected to fix, besides getting everything secured for the trip. you definitely do not want to be the guy on the side of the road broke down, or worse yet in a wreck. know your limitations, take your time and enjoy the ride. let us know when you get home and how it went dpatrick p.s. probably the best information i can give you is don't forget to include God Almighty in your plans, like Ollie North says"he doesn't always guarantee a smooth ride, but he promises a safe arrival." God's been good to me! and i want to give Him all the credit. thanks
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