maybe a new hauler? Something that's gets good MPG?

kenkindy1 · Mar 14, 2012

I towed a Hunter 240 with a 3.0 V-6 ranger for a few years. It was OK on the flat ground and great for getting the boat in and out of the water (we had a dry slip/parking space/mast up/just launch) scenario at that point. If I hit any hills it was trouble though. We used that truck to take the boat to a bigger lake about an hour south and on the way home hit a big uphill that had us downshifted to second and the engine roaring at about 4500 rpm to make it to the top. At that point I bought a bigger truck. MPG on that truck was about 23 highway -no boat.

How about keeping the cheapy launcher truck and buying a commuter car? I've got a Silverado and a Pontiac G6 that does 34 mpg on the highway.

I'll keep the Silverado as long as possible as I'm also not planning a 40k outlay on a vehicle!!!

Ken

Paul Brinkley · Mar 14, 2012

Hi, Joe- I pulled my Mac 26S with a 2003 Ranger 3.0 V-6 from 2007 until last summer when I broke down and bought a new Ford F-150. The Ranger pulled the boat easily, but stopping it left me a little nervous sometimes. When my wife and I wanted to take someone else sailing with us, we had to drive two vehicles. I work with a boy scout troop, and often need to carry more people than my Ranger would hold. For those reasons, I bought a crew cab. I did not get 4-wheel drive; if my 2-wheel drive Ranger worked for me, certainly I shouold have no trouble with the heavier, more powerful (V-8) F-150. The F-150 also has a 6-speed automatic transmission which helps the gas mileage- 20-21 with no boat (actually a little better than the Ranger! I have been very happy with the truck.

Unless the ramps in your area require that you have 4WD, you might consider trading for a newer (but not necessarily new) 2WD that will get better mileage and still pull your boat. Good luck. - Paul

cephius (Dave) · Mar 14, 2012

In the past I borrowed friends suburbans twice a year. These are typically under utilized, so friends are more than happy to loan them out. When you bring it back with a full tank, they always let you borrow again.

Filling those giant tanks was expensive, but it was only twice a year and I wasn't paying a loan or insurance.

Merlin Clark · Mar 14, 2012

I'd try to go with Dave's plan and borrow, hire or rent a truck. Our Lowes and Home Depots rent pick ups by the hour. Or you could ask some young guy with a pickup or heavy SUV and tow hitch if he'd like to make 50 bucks a pop to move it and you're golden.

dlandersson · Mar 14, 2012

Why not just rent a tow vehicle for the few times you need it?

Ray Bowles · Mar 14, 2012

Your truck will pull that combo without a problem. We pulled a 26' Hunter over 6,000 miles with a Ford F150, 6 cyl and 5 speed trans. For the limited trip time you think you will need the truck in the future why spend any money? The cheapest thing by far is to use a truck that is paid for and will do the job. Unless there is another needed use for a different truck or unless you simply want to look a bit better sitting high then you are already set to go. That's more money for the boat!
That said, there are still times I fire up my 3mpg 57 Chevy to just be sitting high while driving 1 mile to the store for something I don't need.
Ray

shawnee_sailor · Mar 15, 2012

Other folks have given most of the same advice I would give you. But really, since you now only need the truck for launching/pullout, why mess with it.

Now for the reality check. No, you won't find any vehicle capable of towing that much weight SAFELY that will get better mileage.

Now, I see on this list and others, many people saying that they tow 2000# and up with small vehicles with a V-6. They may think that's OK, but they are kidding themselves. If everything goes well (no big hills, no quick/panic stops necessary), yes you can get away with it, but never kid yourself, it's not safe towing.

For example, I had to get my Starwind 19 from my house out to the lake last year. I too have a Ford Ranger 3.0 with 4.10 gears in the rear end. It will pull that much weight (just about exactly 2000#) but braking leaves a bit to be desired. I rented a U-Haul F-250 for the trip (cost just over $100) and with that much more power/weight/brakes, it trailered like a dream. None of this trailer wagging the truck...

Just my 0.02 worth.

Good luck, If I were you though, I'd either keep the truck you have for launching, etc., or if you can't afford to keep that and need something to drive the rest of the year with better mileage, sell the truck, buy something else and either rent or ask some young guy who's into his big 4x4 way more than he ought to be to give you a hand with launching...

Anyway, just remember, the sailing is the important part....Enjoy...

c_witch · Mar 16, 2012

Puller

Hiee,

We bought a 22 foot yankee condor in ontario a few years ago and used a 3.0 L windstar to pull it home. No problems to speak of. Our weight was just tipping at 2500 lbs. We had to disable the overdrive as per the manual instructions and that hurt fuel a bit. Still in calculating the fuel we got ~31mpg on the trip there and with towing home still managed a respectable ~25mpg. Most the the route being on 100 series hyways here in Canada not unlike your interstates. There is one section though when passing thru Quebec into New Brunswick which is still the old road with somewhat steep inclines and declines. Even here though it seldom downshifted more then one gear. The only thing I would add for total peace of mind would be surge brakes to the trailer for the once in a while panic stops. The boat trailered like a dream also some 1400 miles. Last year we missed sailing her due to the van having mechanical issues still unresolved. This year we have a mooring for her and if need be we'll rent a PU to tow and launch and again to bring her home the end of fall. This being if we can't find someone with a truck to do the service for us.

c_witch

abruzzi · Mar 16, 2012

If you need towing capacity and mileage, look at diesels. I have a friend with a F250 diesel towing a tool trailer everywhere, and he gets mid 20's.

Geof

CPseudonym · Mar 17, 2012

joes new addiction said:
Sold the Toyota, picked up a '94 Ford F-150 stepside 4 whl drive truck. V-8 5.0 (302), 5 speed.
I Like the truck, but not the 14 mpg 17 tops
Should pull the boat and trailer, (both weigh @ 3500 #s).
Do you think a Ford Ranger V-6 could pull the set up?
Joe
So many questions, so few $$

Joe, let's be honest. The difference in gas milage between the 3 vehicles mentioned is not that big. I own a '99 Toyota Tacoma, owned a '92 Ford 150 and '88 Ranger V6 4x4. I also drive a 2011 Ranger 4 cylinder for work.

14 - 17 mpg is really not that far from what I average in the 2011 4 banger(18 - 19 mpg city driving)

Can the Ranger do the job? Yes.

Will it be as safe as the '94? No way!

The biggest lie people use to convince themselves to buy a new or newer vehicle with is gas mileage savings. When you commit the math to paper you often find you can buy a lot of gas before you break even. It really often is a false economy.

Now if this truck is your primary daily driver as well as tow vehicle and you drive multiple thousands of miles per year such as long distance commuting, that's a totally different issue.

I personally use a young man down the street with a 2008 3/4 ton Dodge Quad Cab 4x4 to do all my towing/hauling I feel uncomfortable doing in my Toyota. He appreciates the opportunity to make a little extra money showing off his trucks horsepower. It also saved me buying a $45,000 truck I was looking at a few weeks ago

Fly_H23 · Mar 17, 2012

Right now with fuel near $4.00 a US gallon, why not look for a cheap low miles 1/2 ton SUV or pickup?

My 98 Dodge Ram gets 15 mpg towing a 4000 lbs trailer. I go slow and only use this truck to haul stuff and tow.

Segeln macht Spass · Mar 18, 2012

The 2005/6 Jeep Liberty comes with a 3.7l Mercedes Diesel engine. Rated towing capacity is supposedly 5000lbs. I thought about getting that one for our H240. The Liberty is on the small side of SUVs though...

kenn · Mar 19, 2012

We have a 2000 Xterra 4x4 with a 3.3L V6. It can allegedly pull up to 5000 lb.

All I know for sure is that it's been a competent hauler for our boat & trailer with a gross weight of around 1600 lb.

LloydB · Mar 21, 2012

I also had thoughts of better millage but stayed with my used '79 2WD F150. Advantages of low tech parts and labor have offset any savings in gas so far. I did a quick calculation now and just figuring an even $1000 to trade up to own a 30MPG different rig. With current prices I would have to drive around 8000 miles just to break even and if I only drove 4000 miles there'd still be interest to be paid on the unsaved $500 (if a loan purchase). just my 2cents

watercolors II · Mar 21, 2012

Everything about sailing is a trade off!

History, I pulled a loaded Catalina 22 with trailer weight of between 3200 and 3500 lbs with a Ranger 3.0, 2WD, auto with (2.73) gears about 1000 miles a year for 10 years. I did this in western PA with a little steeper hills and worst roads that you have in the Poconos, but we have less traffic than you have. Towing from Altoona to Bradford PA, Jamestown and Watlins Glen NY, I only towed at 45 mph at most and maybe 52 mph on the intestates, pulling many hills at 15 mph and down hill at 30 mph for safety. I felt safer than all the rigs passing me at 65 mph, actually I felt safer then than now riding with my son pulling our enclosed motorcycle trailer weighting 2000 lbs. 70 mph with a GMC 3/4 ton.

Now, my set up was maintaining surge brakes on the trailer, when towing replacing rear tires with quality winter tires already mounted on wheels and adding a combo transmission/engine oil cooler to handle the heat generated by the heavy load a ‘92 Ranger was only rated a 2000 lbs towing where our new Escape V6 is rated at 3500 lbs.

So to answer your original question;

“Do you think a Ford Ranger V-6 could pull the set up?”

YES

but, as with any mechanical device purchased today please read all the warning bloged before me.

Phyrexii · Mar 29, 2012

Another thing to consider: an underpowered rig that gets better mileage unloaded could get *worse* mileage when towing, because it will spend more time trying to make power and less time loafing in its comfort zone. That's one of the reasons why diesels (in general) are better for towing than gas engines. They make a lot of torque low in their power range, so they don't need to shift into a lower gear when you need a little more power (to get up a slight incline, for example). A gas engine (or a smaller, less powerful engine) would need to downshift to bring rpm's up, the fuel would have to be enriched, etc, all of which drops its economy. Plus, less powerful engines are generally coupled to weaker drive-trains, etc, so there is more wear and tear on the system as a whole.

I am not implying that this is always true, just something else to consider

(BTW, I know there are other reasons why diesels get better mileage - more energy extracted from a given amount of fuel, etc - I was just using that as an example of using the right tool for the job, so to speak)