Towing a 23.5

[SFKjeld]

Posted a general question about towing with a BMW X3 on the Trailer Sailors forum. A lot guys guys chiming in. One guy comparing it to towing an 8.8k lb Catalina. Finally a guy that had actually owned a 23.5 raved about what a good great tow vehicle the X3 was and how terrible the cheap f250 pickup trucks everyone recommended are.

So now posting where I should in the first place. The book I have says trailer, motor, gear, 23.5 comes in at 3k lbs. is that in the ballpark?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Figure about 3200 with t=gear. Do you have brakes on the trailer? If not, then there are some things you need to know in addition.

 

[SFKjeld]

Figure about 3200 with t=gear. Do you have brakes on the trailer? If not, then there are some things you need to know in addition.

I am going to upgrade the drum to disc brakes on my trailer. I bought the boat in Reno, Nv. I picked it up with a U-Haul. The drum brakes on the trailer had just failed. Drove it over the Sierras and thru the windy Ca valley without issue.I have launched and retrieved the boat a few times with my car and no prob.

So Dave, what do you think? If I put the motor in the car and drove 50-55 (which I tow my Potter 15 at), should it be ok?

 

[Mike in Cape Cod]

I tow my 1993 H-23.5 with a 91' Chevy 4X4 Blazer, no problem at 55 or 60 MPH and have no brakes on the original single axle trailer. Mike

 

[Kivalo]

The F250 is a great towing vehicle but in this case its over kill. I don't need an F250 to tow my 260, no way would you need one for the 23.5.

I'd comment on the BMW but I have never driven one.

 

[cbuce01]

I am curious. What do you use to tow your 260?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

My wife used her dodge caravan to tow a 240 and the 23.5 is lighter than that.

 

[Brian M H23]

You're going to be close to maxed out on the towing capacity, but really the 110" wheelbase is your biggest downfall. "zippy" vehicles with short wheelbases turn quickly without a lot of input, and you're talking about having 3200 lb trailer dragging your back end around
The most critical thing here is going to be the tounge weight - you definitely need to make sure that trailer is set up for the vehicle's 350lb capacity by getting at least 300 lbs of tongue weight for sway considerations. This might mean moving the bow support forward a few inches.

How that SUV handles 300 lbs on the hitch and a trunk full of gear is the big question. BMW has been advertising how every vehicle is 50/50 weight distribution from the factory, which means you will be quite significantly rear-heavy.

It's far from ideal. Personally, as a guy who tows stuff, I would rather tow that boat with a $500 1992 6 cylinder F150

It's going to feel fine until you have to react to something. By leaving lots of distance and going slowly, you can significantly reduce the odds you need to panic stop or change lanes quickly, and be pretty safe. It's just the sort of situation where you've got enough horsepower to very suddenly be unsafe

 

[Fred White]

Towing 23.5

I am going to upgrade the drum to disc brakes on my trailer. I bought the boat in Reno, Nv. I picked it up with a U-Haul. The drum brakes on the trailer had just failed. Drove it over the Sierras and thru the windy Ca valley without issue.I have launched and retrieved the boat a few times with my car and no prob.

So Dave, what do you think? If I put the motor in the car and drove 50-55 (which I tow my Potter 15 at), should it be ok?

I also have a Hunter 23.5 that I tow with my Buick Roadmaster wagon, engine, 5.7 liter, great tow car. The problem is the trailer that came with the boat. Not a good one for sure, starts to fishtail at 60 mph. and brakes do not work. Of course 60 mph is plenty fast enough, but it does keep the driver torqued going down the road.

 

[SFKjeld]

You're going to be close to maxed out on the towing capacity, but really the 110" wheelbase is your biggest downfall. "zippy" vehicles with short wheelbases turn quickly without a lot of input, and you're talking about having 3200 lb trailer dragging your back end around
The most critical thing here is going to be the tounge weight - you definitely need to make sure that trailer is set up for the vehicle's 350lb capacity by getting at least 300 lbs of tongue weight for sway considerations. This might mean moving the bow support forward a few inches.

How that SUV handles 300 lbs on the hitch and a trunk full of gear is the big question. BMW has been advertising how every vehicle is 50/50 weight distribution from the factory, which means you will be quite significantly rear-heavy.

It's far from ideal. Personally, as a guy who tows stuff, I would rather tow that boat with a $500 1992 6 cylinder F150

It's going to feel fine until you have to react to something. By leaving lots of distance and going slowly, you can significantly reduce the odds you need to panic stop or change lanes quickly, and be pretty safe. It's just the sort of situation where you've got enough horsepower to very suddenly be unsafe

I've driven an F150 and I am not sure it is safe over 60 without a trailer, let alone a $500 one. But i am sure you are right about the tongue weight. Will check this weekend. Have been in touch with a guy in Florida who claims his X3 was a great tow vehicle for his 23.5. I'll probably take it out to see how it feels. My X3 has a 6sp manual, so i don't have to worry about an trains cooler. Thanks Dave.

 

[SFKjeld]

I also have a Hunter 23.5 that I tow with my Buick Roadmaster wagon, engine, 5.7 liter, great tow car. The problem is the trailer that came with the boat. Not a good one for sure, starts to fishtail at 60 mph. and brakes do not work. Of course 60 mph is plenty fast enough, but it does keep the driver torqued going down the road.

Absolutely! We noticed that when we drove back from Reno. 55 is fine, 65 scary.

 

[Chief RA]

More tongue weight and load levelers will fix your trailer fishtail problem. Whats all this BS about F150's? They were/are great trucks! Chief

 

[Kivalo]

I am curious. What do you use to tow your 260?

I've used a 2003 Silverado 1500, a 2003 Escalade and a 2007 F150.

 

[SFKjeld]

Well, if you have a road worthy F150 for $500, I'd like to drive it. Have driven a friend's newish one, and the vague steering and mushy brakes are not my cup-o-tea.

 

[Chief RA]

Your friend needs his truck repaired. Chief

 

[Rick Webb]

How Much is a Clutch for a BMW X3?

Stay tuned, we will hear soon.

Not a knock on the BMW (that would be too easy) but a manual transmission and a boat ramp is not a preferred combination.

Bet you can get an old F-150 for less than the price of a clutch replacement.

 

[Chief RA]

Thats good Rick! Chief

 

[Benny17441]

Tow ratings are calculated after considering a number of vehicle and road factors. Towing specs in the US for family vehicles have been kept low basically because of the higher allowed towing speeds. The truck manufacturers lobby on the other hand have secured the right to publish some unrealistically high numbers for many of their models. Your vehicle in the UK is rated to tow 4,400 lbs for a braked trailer limited to a towing speed of a maximum 60MPH. What I would be concerned about your vehicle is rated figures for the hitch. Is it factory and can you confirm the specs? I could not find the figures but the consensus of users seems to be 3,500lbs which would render a tongue weight of 350 lbs which could be marginal for your boat. I find that hitch specs are controlled by its design and the vehicles attachment points. Undue torsion forces could deform and damage points on the vehicles. At 3500 lbs if confirmed you should be OK for towing the load but be cautious of the additional load when pulling boat out of the water; do it slowly. There is a couple of things that will help you tow the boat and that is keep a weight distribution where more than half of the load sits forward of the axles in the trailer. Adjust the load so that the trailer rails sit parallel to lavel ground when loaded with a tongue weight of 10%-13% of the actual load. Make sure you have the proper tongue weight and that the rear of the vehicle does not sag. First and foremost maintain stability by limiting your towing speed. Speed is the great equalizer for differences in load distribution and a high ratio of trailer load to vehicle weight as far as stability is concerned. It is easier to recover from any sway at slower speeds as well as to come to a stop if needed. I recently read a good article where truck manufacturers test a tricked out model for the high ratings but that most models that are sold would be hard pressed to match the performance. I guess that happens as larger tow ratings sell most trucks but that is coming to an end in a year or two when a standard system is adopted.

 

[SFKjeld]

Stay tuned, we will hear soon.

Not a knock on the BMW (that would be too easy) but a manual transmission and a boat ramp is not a preferred combination.

Bet you can get an old F-150 for less than the price of a clutch replacement.

Yes, but then I'd be stuck with an F-150. Have to store it or worse yet, make it my daily driver.

Thanks for the ramp advice. I have no problem with a clutch tho. The point was, a manual transmission does not require a cooler. And let's see.... What would I rather have anyway. A new clutch in the BMW or an old F-150?..... Easy choice.

 

[SFKjeld]

Tow ratings are calculated after considering a number of vehicle and road factors. Towing specs in the US for family vehicles have been kept low basically because of the higher allowed towing speeds. The truck manufacturers lobby on the other hand have secured the right to publish some unrealistically high numbers for many of their models. Your vehicle in the UK is rated to tow 4,400 lbs for a braked trailer limited to a towing speed of a maximum 60MPH. What I would be concerned about your vehicle is rated figures for the hitch. Is it factory and can you confirm the specs? I could not find the figures but the consensus of users seems to be 3,500lbs which would render a tongue weight of 350 lbs which could be marginal for your boat. I find that hitch specs are controlled by its design and the vehicles attachment points. Undue torsion forces could deform and damage points on the vehicles. At 3500 lbs if confirmed you should be OK for towing the load but be cautious of the additional load when pulling boat out of the water; do it slowly. There is a couple of things that will help you tow the boat and that is keep a weight distribution where more than half of the load sits forward of the axles in the trailer. Adjust the load so that the trailer rails sit parallel to lavel ground when loaded with a tongue weight of 10%-13% of the actual load. Make sure you have the proper tongue weight and that the rear of the vehicle does not sag. First and foremost maintain stability by limiting your towing speed. Speed is the great equalizer for differences in load distribution and a high ratio of trailer load to vehicle weight as far as stability is concerned. It is easier to recover from any sway at slower speeds as well as to come to a stop if needed. I recently read a good article where truck manufacturers test a tricked out model for the high ratings but that most models that are sold would be hard pressed to match the performance. I guess that happens as larger tow ratings sell most trucks but that is coming to an end in a year or two when a standard system is adopted.

What amazes me about this thread, is that it sounds like a political or religious debate. People's opinions are so galvanized. Only one guy on the forums has responded that he has ever tried an X3 with my boat. He thought it was great. The only thing that worries me about his experience is precisely what you bring up. His trailer could be configured differently and have a different the tongue weight. Will resolve that this weekend.