I need to buy a tow vehicle for my 26D. Trying to keep the initial cost low as possible, be reliable, carry 3 passengers min, and be able to tow the 26D. Suggestions? Marty.
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Whichever you choose
Make certain it is a rear wheel drive towing vehicle and not a front wheel drive. Trailering a boat puts plenty of weight on the rear axle, while at the same time making the front axle lighter ... If the vehicle is front wheel drive, well, you can imagine what that does to traction and stability. An SUV, truck or van is top choice here. Tom
Make certain it is a rear wheel drive towing vehicle and not a front wheel drive. Trailering a boat puts plenty of weight on the rear axle, while at the same time making the front axle lighter ... If the vehicle is front wheel drive, well, you can imagine what that does to traction and stability. An SUV, truck or van is top choice here. Tom
Astro
I tow my 26S with a AWD Chevy Astro van, and overall, I have been pretty happy with it. I owned the van before the boat, and its limitations helped me decide on the Macgregor. The Astro has a large 6 cylinder that has pulled my boat from Seattle to Montana, and to several lakes and reservoirs in MT and WY. I can usually Maintain 65 to 70 mph on the flats, slowing to 40 - 45 on some of those passes near Seattle. Occasionally I have had the tail wag the dog, and have had to slow down. There are plusses and minuses to this vehicle. On the plus side it is cheap. On the used market they seemed to be quite a bit cheaper than a comparable SUV or 4WD pick-up, and they have been making them for years so there are a lot of them out there. The AWD version is great for pulling the boat up a ramp, and it does well on snowy road too. Be aware that it also comes in a 2WD version, and I am not sure if those are front or rear wheel drive. They also make a short version that illiminates the storage area behind the last seat. The long version is a true 8 passinger vehicle- lots of room for 3 or 4 people plus gear and even a dog. On the minus side, I think that an 8 cylinder motor would probably get similar mpg while towing, and provide more power. I get around 10 mpg while towing, 19 mpg without the boat. Our van came with a 5000lb hitch. The only modifications I made for towing was the addition of a transmission cooler and an electrical plug. This winter I plan to add overload springs and new shocks. From where I live, I have to drive at least 1.5 hours to the nearest lake, usually longer. The Astro has met my needs very well as a tow vehicle, as well as my everyday car.
I tow my 26S with a AWD Chevy Astro van, and overall, I have been pretty happy with it. I owned the van before the boat, and its limitations helped me decide on the Macgregor. The Astro has a large 6 cylinder that has pulled my boat from Seattle to Montana, and to several lakes and reservoirs in MT and WY. I can usually Maintain 65 to 70 mph on the flats, slowing to 40 - 45 on some of those passes near Seattle. Occasionally I have had the tail wag the dog, and have had to slow down. There are plusses and minuses to this vehicle. On the plus side it is cheap. On the used market they seemed to be quite a bit cheaper than a comparable SUV or 4WD pick-up, and they have been making them for years so there are a lot of them out there. The AWD version is great for pulling the boat up a ramp, and it does well on snowy road too. Be aware that it also comes in a 2WD version, and I am not sure if those are front or rear wheel drive. They also make a short version that illiminates the storage area behind the last seat. The long version is a true 8 passinger vehicle- lots of room for 3 or 4 people plus gear and even a dog. On the minus side, I think that an 8 cylinder motor would probably get similar mpg while towing, and provide more power. I get around 10 mpg while towing, 19 mpg without the boat. Our van came with a 5000lb hitch. The only modifications I made for towing was the addition of a transmission cooler and an electrical plug. This winter I plan to add overload springs and new shocks. From where I live, I have to drive at least 1.5 hours to the nearest lake, usually longer. The Astro has met my needs very well as a tow vehicle, as well as my everyday car.
Chek out "Showcase"
Hey Marty, If you havn't already found it, Showcasing the Tow Beast in in this forum is very interesting. People are towing Macs with everything from Subarus to semis.
Hey Marty, If you havn't already found it, Showcasing the Tow Beast in in this forum is very interesting. People are towing Macs with everything from Subarus to semis.
Thanks Blake
Thanks. I have kind of been leaning toward the astro.Tow capacity over 5000 and can haul passengers. Since it would be my personal vehicle when not towing the Mac (95% of the time)I like the m.p.g factor. Any other Ideas anyone? Anyone have anything to say about the Astro van?
Thanks. I have kind of been leaning toward the astro.Tow capacity over 5000 and can haul passengers. Since it would be my personal vehicle when not towing the Mac (95% of the time)I like the m.p.g factor. Any other Ideas anyone? Anyone have anything to say about the Astro van?
Astro hitch
Just a little clarification on that towing hitch. The hitch itself is rated to 5000 lbs. I'm not sure what my fully loaded boat and trailer weigh, (I don't have the standard Mac trailer)but I would doubt that it weighs over 3000lbs. I'm also not sure what an Astro can ultimately pull, but I wouldn't want to pull anything much heavier than my boat.
Just a little clarification on that towing hitch. The hitch itself is rated to 5000 lbs. I'm not sure what my fully loaded boat and trailer weigh, (I don't have the standard Mac trailer)but I would doubt that it weighs over 3000lbs. I'm also not sure what an Astro can ultimately pull, but I wouldn't want to pull anything much heavier than my boat.
coulda' had a V8
A small fantasy of mine is to put a V8 into an Astro. JTR supplies parts and instructions to do it. They say it's one of the easiest swaps out there. Common sense and lack of time has kept me from selling my Aerostar and doing this.
A small fantasy of mine is to put a V8 into an Astro. JTR supplies parts and instructions to do it. They say it's one of the easiest swaps out there. Common sense and lack of time has kept me from selling my Aerostar and doing this.
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