Launching / Retrieving a Catalina 22 with a Prius....?

JRacer

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Aug 9, 2011
1,331
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
I'm no expert but I've been in a prius before, and it did not have "lots of torque on the low end." I've never heard someone describe a prius that way.
This has lots of torque on the low end! :biggrin:
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Nov 26, 2012
1,653
Hunter 34 Berkeley
I think it would be ok as long as the ramp is not too steep. The main thing about using vehicles for towing is transmisson wear and braking power. You don’t have those issue since you are just going 30ft. If it will get the boat out then you should be ok.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
I'm no expert but I've been in a prius before, and it did not have "lots of torque on the low end." I've never heard someone describe a prius that way.
Ok, but “enough”, I would have think. I suppose it would depend on just how steep the ramp is. We never encountered problems going up hills, or in towing the Jetski, despite the manufacture’s recommendations. Of course, with the trailer it was not much over 1000 pounds.

Not sure how you would judge the torque, by simply riding in one, separate from acceleration. No, it wasn’t a fast accelerater, but it didn’t struggle on hills or mountains.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
I'd bet Toyota knew the Prius has electric drive when they recommended not towing with it.
You suppose? I’m sure their lawyers knew that, too, In case someone complained that it wouldn’t tow their boat. My point was, in addition to the small gasoline engine that is “not high reving”, it has an electric traction motor that works at the same time. Pretty much everyone knows electric motors have nearly all their torque even a low rpms, so they don’t have to rev to 3000 rpms before they produce their peak HP.
 

srimes

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Jun 9, 2020
211
Macgregor 26D Brookings
Ok, but “enough”, I would have think. I suppose it would depend on just how steep the ramp is. We never encountered problems going up hills, or in towing the Jetski, despite the manufacture’s recommendations. Of course, with the trailer it was not much over 1000 pounds.

Not sure how you would judge the torque, by simply riding in one, separate from acceleration. No, it wasn’t a fast accelerater, but it didn’t struggle on hills or mountains.
It was my friend's car. He stopped on a hill and floored it, and the car sloooowly took off. It was an older model, maybe they've gotten better.

I have a chebby volt, and it has plenty of low end torque. The traction control will kick in often if you're not gentle on the pedal. No doubt its motor could pull a boat as long as there's enough traction.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
My '66 GTO clutch linkage broke once. No way to start, put it in gear and get going,. So I put it in gear and cranked on the starter. It drove the car forward until the engine started and away I went.
Yes, electric motors are powerful. Is it a good idea to abuse them? Probably not.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
I have a chebby volt, and it has plenty of low end torque.
We had a Volt also. Great car! Wish we still had it. We traded it for a Jeep before we moved down here. Thinking about getting g a 2019 for here - which we can charge with solar. The Volt definitely had plenty of torque.
 

srimes

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Jun 9, 2020
211
Macgregor 26D Brookings
My '66 GTO clutch linkage broke once. No way to start, put it in gear and get going,. So I put it in gear and cranked on the starter. It drove the car forward until the engine started and away I went.
Yes, electric motors are powerful. Is it a good idea to abuse them? Probably not.
Starters connect to the engine with something like a 20:1 gear ratio. They only need to get the engine spinning a few hundred rpm.
Standard procedure for manual transmission rock crawling if the engine dies is to restart in gear. Not a problem in low range.
I bet many 4wd pickups could pull that boat up the ramp a bit with just the starter in low range. May not make it all the way before the starter overheats though as they aren't made to run more than a few seconds at a time before they're given time to cool off.

The issue is gearing and low-speed torque more than power.

I like to put my suburban in low range when launching/retreating my little boat. Not that it needs it, just lightens the load and give better low speed control. Also gives more confidence that it'll hold in park as the parking break isn't so great and I've seen the videos of trucks going for a swim at the ramp...
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
You could do it no problem, if the Priass was connected to a F150 (Boat, Priass, F150)........