I have an O'Day 222 and am thinking about replacing my tow vehicle. I currently tow it with a Jeep Cherokee 6cyl with a 4.0L engine. That is ok for relatively flat terrain, but it is a bit underpowered for more hilly areas. In addition, the weight of the vehicle is a bit low given that the trailer doesn't have brakes. Note I may decide to add brakes in any case. I want to make trips both in and outside of the midwest (e.g., New York, Texas, etc.) so traveling in more hilly terrain is an issue. I will also need room for a family of four. I am considering a variety of other vehicles, and would probably buy a 1-2 year old used vehicle. Among the models I am considering are the Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer and Expedition, Jeep Grand Cherokee, GMC Yukon, and any others that trailer sailors might consider appropriate. My wife does not want a full sized van. The boat and trailer come in at about 3300-3500 lbs. I am interested in hearing opinions about towing capacity, flexibility and storage capabilities within the vehicle, durability (assuming good maintenance), gas mileage (while towing and otherwise), and any other issues that might be important to consider. Any insight that can be provided would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Bruce Mulford
I had an O'Day 222 for 11 years and
...trailered it many times from the NJ shore to upstate NY (Lake George, etc.) and to Burlington Vt (Lake Champlain). Did several summer vacation trips to Champlain. Had a heavy duty trailer from Triad in Ct. which had full size tires and surge brakes. Pulled it with a stock Chevy Astro van 4.3 litre v-6 with the Chevy trailer package option. Van was loaded with 4 kids and all the gear for two or three week vacations. Except for slowing down up some of the larger hills, I never had any problems. All of the vehicles you mentioned should do just fine.
...trailered it many times from the NJ shore to upstate NY (Lake George, etc.) and to Burlington Vt (Lake Champlain). Did several summer vacation trips to Champlain. Had a heavy duty trailer from Triad in Ct. which had full size tires and surge brakes. Pulled it with a stock Chevy Astro van 4.3 litre v-6 with the Chevy trailer package option. Van was loaded with 4 kids and all the gear for two or three week vacations. Except for slowing down up some of the larger hills, I never had any problems. All of the vehicles you mentioned should do just fine.
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Ray Bowles
Dave, Any of the rigs you mentioned will pull that
boat. I pull my 95 H26, at 4600# with a 1/2 ton 93 Ford 4X4 pickup. It has a 300 cu in 6 cyl with manual trans. While underpowered for some of the mountians ( Rockies) it otherwise pulls the boat fine. Your main concern should be wheel base length and tow rig weight. A 3800# and above truck with at least a V6 would work on the lower end of the scale. Tow rig weight allows you to stop this package without the boat pushing the truck down the road. Trailer brakes will also do this. Wheel base length just adds stability while towing and this is critical downhill or when slowing down. A Durango would pull my boat easly. Now, any one with an Expedition should just turn that puppy over, impail it in the mid section with a long stout pipe, hang a square rigged sail upon this erection and sail over to the mid east and fight for more oil. Ray
boat. I pull my 95 H26, at 4600# with a 1/2 ton 93 Ford 4X4 pickup. It has a 300 cu in 6 cyl with manual trans. While underpowered for some of the mountians ( Rockies) it otherwise pulls the boat fine. Your main concern should be wheel base length and tow rig weight. A 3800# and above truck with at least a V6 would work on the lower end of the scale. Tow rig weight allows you to stop this package without the boat pushing the truck down the road. Trailer brakes will also do this. Wheel base length just adds stability while towing and this is critical downhill or when slowing down. A Durango would pull my boat easly. Now, any one with an Expedition should just turn that puppy over, impail it in the mid section with a long stout pipe, hang a square rigged sail upon this erection and sail over to the mid east and fight for more oil. Ray
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Jim B
The rule of thumb is the rated towing capacity....
of the vehicle should be twice that of the load. In your case that would be 6600 to 7000 lbs. Before you buy get the VIN nunber and call the factory and ask them what the rated towing capacity is. There can be as many as three different differentials, towing packages etc that effect towing capacity for a particulat model. You can probably get by with less but based on my 15 years experience towing boats and travel trailer I would stick with the rule of thumb, definately if hot weather or mountains are involved.
of the vehicle should be twice that of the load. In your case that would be 6600 to 7000 lbs. Before you buy get the VIN nunber and call the factory and ask them what the rated towing capacity is. There can be as many as three different differentials, towing packages etc that effect towing capacity for a particulat model. You can probably get by with less but based on my 15 years experience towing boats and travel trailer I would stick with the rule of thumb, definately if hot weather or mountains are involved.
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Denny P.
Throw out the anchor!!!!!
Used ta tow my 24' boat with a 4x4 ford ranger with a smallsih V-6. I found, even on the flats of Florida that this vehicle was WAY underpowered for the job!! Several times, on the way to the Florida Keys with enough junk aboard for a weeks stay had the boat push the truck into situations that I really wanted to throw out the anchor,,Yikes, can't stop!! (especially in the rain) I coulda installed trailer brakes but the ranger still wouldent go over 55 mph and forget passing a tourist on the highway with this load.. I finally bought a (i know, wifey hates them) full size ford van with a 302 V-8 and along with the extra capacity for haulin the extra junk we were quite happy!! best of luck on your choice, just make sure that you can stop!!!!!!!!.....Denny P.
Used ta tow my 24' boat with a 4x4 ford ranger with a smallsih V-6. I found, even on the flats of Florida that this vehicle was WAY underpowered for the job!! Several times, on the way to the Florida Keys with enough junk aboard for a weeks stay had the boat push the truck into situations that I really wanted to throw out the anchor,,Yikes, can't stop!! (especially in the rain) I coulda installed trailer brakes but the ranger still wouldent go over 55 mph and forget passing a tourist on the highway with this load.. I finally bought a (i know, wifey hates them) full size ford van with a 302 V-8 and along with the extra capacity for haulin the extra junk we were quite happy!! best of luck on your choice, just make sure that you can stop!!!!!!!!.....Denny P.
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Chris Gonzales
No "rule of thumb"
You need to take the unloaded weight of the vehicle/vessel you are towing, add the weight of cargo in the towed vehicle/vessel, add the weight of yourself and passengers and cargo (including fuel) in the tow vehicle and be sure that comes under the tow rating of the tow vehicle. There is no problem towing at your maximum rating, just don't exceed it. The fact is, though, that many people are towing over their rating purposely or don't even know they are. The best way to know what is going on is to load your boat normally and go weigh it on the trailer. The result may suprise you. I have been selling towable RVs and matching tow vehicles with them for 18 years. I also have towed many myself including a C22 and C25. Over those years I have noticed that people think they should be able to fly along at "normal" speeds on the freeway and still go up hills as if there is no weight at all behind the tow vehicle. What's NORMAL is to pull a load at 30-40 mph up a steep hill and the vehicle to WORK at it with the engine in a higher rpm range to get the job done and to go slower all other times. California state law requires brakes on the trailer if it is over 2,500 lbs. Similar laws exist in most other states. It is dumb to pull anything as heavy as a 22' boat without trailer brakes. You are just asking for trouble should you need to make a panic stop. It is also hard on the tow vehicle's brakes. I you get caught towing without brakes you may end up having your boat and trailer impounded via a flatbed tow truck. Myself, I like to keep a cushion between actual tow weight and tow rating of maybe 15-25%. But you can't always do that and often the situation is such for personal or financial reasons that a person won't buy a different tow vehicle to accomodate a new towable boat or rv and make do with what they have. In this case just don't go ever your rating and be sure the tow vehicle is in good repair. Another point. Longer wheelbase and heavier gross weight tow vehicles will do a safer, more stable job of towing than lighter, shorter vehicles even if their ratings are similar. An example would be a 2002 Dodge Durango with a V8 with a 7,650 lb rating vs a 2002 Ford Expedition with the same rating (7,600). The Expedition is bigger, longer, heavier, will squat less and will tow better. Engine power is only part of the equation. Check out our tow guides using the link below. Feel free to email me at cg2chris@pacbell.net if you like. Chris
You need to take the unloaded weight of the vehicle/vessel you are towing, add the weight of cargo in the towed vehicle/vessel, add the weight of yourself and passengers and cargo (including fuel) in the tow vehicle and be sure that comes under the tow rating of the tow vehicle. There is no problem towing at your maximum rating, just don't exceed it. The fact is, though, that many people are towing over their rating purposely or don't even know they are. The best way to know what is going on is to load your boat normally and go weigh it on the trailer. The result may suprise you. I have been selling towable RVs and matching tow vehicles with them for 18 years. I also have towed many myself including a C22 and C25. Over those years I have noticed that people think they should be able to fly along at "normal" speeds on the freeway and still go up hills as if there is no weight at all behind the tow vehicle. What's NORMAL is to pull a load at 30-40 mph up a steep hill and the vehicle to WORK at it with the engine in a higher rpm range to get the job done and to go slower all other times. California state law requires brakes on the trailer if it is over 2,500 lbs. Similar laws exist in most other states. It is dumb to pull anything as heavy as a 22' boat without trailer brakes. You are just asking for trouble should you need to make a panic stop. It is also hard on the tow vehicle's brakes. I you get caught towing without brakes you may end up having your boat and trailer impounded via a flatbed tow truck. Myself, I like to keep a cushion between actual tow weight and tow rating of maybe 15-25%. But you can't always do that and often the situation is such for personal or financial reasons that a person won't buy a different tow vehicle to accomodate a new towable boat or rv and make do with what they have. In this case just don't go ever your rating and be sure the tow vehicle is in good repair. Another point. Longer wheelbase and heavier gross weight tow vehicles will do a safer, more stable job of towing than lighter, shorter vehicles even if their ratings are similar. An example would be a 2002 Dodge Durango with a V8 with a 7,650 lb rating vs a 2002 Ford Expedition with the same rating (7,600). The Expedition is bigger, longer, heavier, will squat less and will tow better. Engine power is only part of the equation. Check out our tow guides using the link below. Feel free to email me at cg2chris@pacbell.net if you like. Chris
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Paul
gear ratios as important as engine size
Many trucks come with overly tall gears to boost highway MPG. Your Cherokee likely has the stock 3.08 axles. It would have towed much better with the optional 3.73 gears. I've seen 4 cyl Toyota trucks that could tow 3500 lbs easily and V8 trucks that struggled with 2000 lbs. The shorter gears are usually included in towing packages or off-road packages. It's a good thing to look for if you are buying a new truck. Paul
Many trucks come with overly tall gears to boost highway MPG. Your Cherokee likely has the stock 3.08 axles. It would have towed much better with the optional 3.73 gears. I've seen 4 cyl Toyota trucks that could tow 3500 lbs easily and V8 trucks that struggled with 2000 lbs. The shorter gears are usually included in towing packages or off-road packages. It's a good thing to look for if you are buying a new truck. Paul
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Charlie -
small truck
I tow my '86 cat 22 with a '93 2 wheel drive 4.3L chevy s-10 with a class III hitch. The boat in on a trailrite with 10' brakes and I've had no problems. I launch and retrive from a fairly new sate ramp with no dificulty. I only go 15 miles twice a year, but if I went farther or more frequently , I'd invest in a transmision cooler before I thought of the expense of a new (bigger) truck.
I tow my '86 cat 22 with a '93 2 wheel drive 4.3L chevy s-10 with a class III hitch. The boat in on a trailrite with 10' brakes and I've had no problems. I launch and retrive from a fairly new sate ramp with no dificulty. I only go 15 miles twice a year, but if I went farther or more frequently , I'd invest in a transmision cooler before I thought of the expense of a new (bigger) truck.
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Les
Need That Gear
I agree with Paul of Vancouver gear ratios are as important as engine size. Many trucks new come with tall gears to boost highway MPG. Did your Cherokee come with a towing package. I have 3 tow vehicles a GMC 1 ton dually with a 454 a 78 Chevy 3/4 ton with a 350 and a 87 Cheorkee 2wd with a 4.0. They get 8,14,20 mpg. The Cheorkee has 224,000 miles and still runs good. I use the Cheorkee to pull my 19'oday or 19' Airstream to the lake or coast up and down hills and on the Interstate in North Carolina. I love the big trucks amd the big truck do a great job, but boy do you PAY PAY PAY. OPEC will send you a Thank You letter after you take a trip. Gas goes up every day it seems. So if you want a newer truck Go FOR IT. But If you can get the right truck for the job, too much truck can be costly to run. Try to get the seller to let you pull your boat with the truck to see how it handles the job. Fair Winds and Following Seas Les
I agree with Paul of Vancouver gear ratios are as important as engine size. Many trucks new come with tall gears to boost highway MPG. Did your Cherokee come with a towing package. I have 3 tow vehicles a GMC 1 ton dually with a 454 a 78 Chevy 3/4 ton with a 350 and a 87 Cheorkee 2wd with a 4.0. They get 8,14,20 mpg. The Cheorkee has 224,000 miles and still runs good. I use the Cheorkee to pull my 19'oday or 19' Airstream to the lake or coast up and down hills and on the Interstate in North Carolina. I love the big trucks amd the big truck do a great job, but boy do you PAY PAY PAY. OPEC will send you a Thank You letter after you take a trip. Gas goes up every day it seems. So if you want a newer truck Go FOR IT. But If you can get the right truck for the job, too much truck can be costly to run. Try to get the seller to let you pull your boat with the truck to see how it handles the job. Fair Winds and Following Seas Les
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Dave
Thanks for all the input
I appreciate all of your insights. The points regarding brakes on the trailer, and the gear ratio on the tow vehicle were noted and well taken. The Cherokee that I have does not include the tow package, so I will look for that option in whatever replacement vehicle I settle on. It is getting to be that time of year again, even in Wisconsin. Again, thanks to all who provided comments. Best regards, Dave
I appreciate all of your insights. The points regarding brakes on the trailer, and the gear ratio on the tow vehicle were noted and well taken. The Cherokee that I have does not include the tow package, so I will look for that option in whatever replacement vehicle I settle on. It is getting to be that time of year again, even in Wisconsin. Again, thanks to all who provided comments. Best regards, Dave
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TW
Brakes on trailers Tow Vehicles
Trailer brakes are great and for the most part a new thing for normal sized trailered boats. I've never heard of anyone getting a ticket or having their trailer impounded for not having trailer brakes on normal sized boat trailers. Very silly argument considering up till just a few years ago you had to have trailer brakes added to your horse trailer which in most instances weighs more than most trailered boats. Plus the cargo has a tendancy to move around which makes things even more complicated. Tow Vehicle. Go for quality, reliability and weight with towing capacity and cargo loading in mind. 3300 LBS falls into most V6 truck/SUV towing capacities. One thing most people forget about is windage created by your trailer. If your boat has the potential for excessive windage and your traveling long windy sections of road you should consider a step up in tow power. My Toyota 4runner is terrible as a tow car and gets 11mpg towing hard with headwinds. My fathers V8 Explorer is great cruises right along and gets 15-18 MPG on the same windy stretch of road. If your looking at compact SUV's and import sized trucks you should probably get the trailer breaks. A full sized truck or similar SUV shouldn't have any problems dealing with 3300 LBS when stopping. If you plan on traveling through rural areas you probably want to get an American tow car that has parts available just about anyplace. Ford, Chevy then possibly a Dodge pickup. The Durango has had many issues from safety to simple quality of construction. The new Toyota trucks and Nissan's are much/much better for towing than just a few years ago. I wouldn't recomend an older import. You'll probably find the durability and quality of Ford and Chevy a little better than JEEP when it comes to towing as they have been the work horses for years. Good luck.
Trailer brakes are great and for the most part a new thing for normal sized trailered boats. I've never heard of anyone getting a ticket or having their trailer impounded for not having trailer brakes on normal sized boat trailers. Very silly argument considering up till just a few years ago you had to have trailer brakes added to your horse trailer which in most instances weighs more than most trailered boats. Plus the cargo has a tendancy to move around which makes things even more complicated. Tow Vehicle. Go for quality, reliability and weight with towing capacity and cargo loading in mind. 3300 LBS falls into most V6 truck/SUV towing capacities. One thing most people forget about is windage created by your trailer. If your boat has the potential for excessive windage and your traveling long windy sections of road you should consider a step up in tow power. My Toyota 4runner is terrible as a tow car and gets 11mpg towing hard with headwinds. My fathers V8 Explorer is great cruises right along and gets 15-18 MPG on the same windy stretch of road. If your looking at compact SUV's and import sized trucks you should probably get the trailer breaks. A full sized truck or similar SUV shouldn't have any problems dealing with 3300 LBS when stopping. If you plan on traveling through rural areas you probably want to get an American tow car that has parts available just about anyplace. Ford, Chevy then possibly a Dodge pickup. The Durango has had many issues from safety to simple quality of construction. The new Toyota trucks and Nissan's are much/much better for towing than just a few years ago. I wouldn't recomend an older import. You'll probably find the durability and quality of Ford and Chevy a little better than JEEP when it comes to towing as they have been the work horses for years. Good luck.
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