We have a 2000 Ford Explorer XLT 6 cyl. 4 dr and we had a class 3 frame mounted hitch mounted over the weekend to pull our Catalina. It just seems like too much weight. I saw that a post said that this was an easy boat to trailer. What vehicles are you all trailering your boats? It seems like if we keep using our explorer we will lose our engine and transmission. We do have a new transmission and had a air cooler added. We have only trailered the boat the one time out last weekend. Thanks for your suggestions. Liza
Trailering advice for new Catalina 22 owner.
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RTM
Read the Manual. The Owner's Manual for the Ford Explorer will tell you what your are rated to tow. Most of the Explorers with the 'big' V6 will tow about 5000 lbs. If you have the 'little' V6, then it may be lower. You have got no more than 3500 lbs with the C22 rig. Your manual will tell the story. You should also have the towing package. I had a 1998 Explorer with the selectable 4 wheel drive to tow my C22. It was fine. Lots of balls. I sold my C22 last fall and got a go-fast powerboat. The whole rig comes in at about 7000 lbs. I had to buy the new Explorer with the V8 - rated to tow 7K.
Read the Manual. The Owner's Manual for the Ford Explorer will tell you what your are rated to tow. Most of the Explorers with the 'big' V6 will tow about 5000 lbs. If you have the 'little' V6, then it may be lower. You have got no more than 3500 lbs with the C22 rig. Your manual will tell the story. You should also have the towing package. I had a 1998 Explorer with the selectable 4 wheel drive to tow my C22. It was fine. Lots of balls. I sold my C22 last fall and got a go-fast powerboat. The whole rig comes in at about 7000 lbs. I had to buy the new Explorer with the V8 - rated to tow 7K.
R
R Kolb
Yukon
We tow our C22 with a GMC Yukon which is bigger than the Explorer and has a V-8. Having 3500lbs behind your vehicle does make a difference in the handling of the tow vehicle. I would think that an Explorer would be OK. Take it easy on the road and be especially careful in braking. Many C22 trailers, such as mine, do not have brakes. I am going to add brakes soon. The biggest danger is not in the going. It is in the stopping!
We tow our C22 with a GMC Yukon which is bigger than the Explorer and has a V-8. Having 3500lbs behind your vehicle does make a difference in the handling of the tow vehicle. I would think that an Explorer would be OK. Take it easy on the road and be especially careful in braking. Many C22 trailers, such as mine, do not have brakes. I am going to add brakes soon. The biggest danger is not in the going. It is in the stopping!
The book
I have been reading the manual but the question comes up with the axle issue. sliding or not, what the rating is. I don't know. I will take it to the Ford dealer for that part of it. Thank you for your posts it relieves me. I do not want to blow my engine and transmission! Liza
I have been reading the manual but the question comes up with the axle issue. sliding or not, what the rating is. I don't know. I will take it to the Ford dealer for that part of it. Thank you for your posts it relieves me. I do not want to blow my engine and transmission! Liza
22 Trailer
Liza: Be thankful that Florida is fairly flat. I suspect that your toughest pull is in pulling the boat out at ramps, and there your 4 wheel drive ought to be easily up to the task. Stopping is always a concern, but again its easier on flat land than down steep grades. When I got my C 22 several years ago, I switched from a Ford 150 6 cyl. 2wd pickup with a 3-speed OD manual transmission to a Chev. 2500 2wd pickup with a 5.7 V-8, and the later works fine except on real slippery steep ramps. Dick
Liza: Be thankful that Florida is fairly flat. I suspect that your toughest pull is in pulling the boat out at ramps, and there your 4 wheel drive ought to be easily up to the task. Stopping is always a concern, but again its easier on flat land than down steep grades. When I got my C 22 several years ago, I switched from a Ford 150 6 cyl. 2wd pickup with a 3-speed OD manual transmission to a Chev. 2500 2wd pickup with a 5.7 V-8, and the later works fine except on real slippery steep ramps. Dick
J
Jeffrey
Trailering the 22
Remember, give yourself lots of room. Your explorer will tow the boat. I would advise NOT using overdrive, and just put up with the decreased mileage. Make sure you keep your lights dry(use lights that you put on after you have loaded your boat) and on hills downshift when you feel underpowered and under braked. Put your weight in the Explorer and load the boat when you get there, keeping the weight where you want it -- in the tow vehicle. This also makes it so much easier to launch(particularly at low tide, if in ocean). Keep a jack and spare for trailer -- you will have flats. I think for every 200 miles you go, you should have 1 spare. Make traffic deal with you, don't pull over where there is no turnoff, etc. There are nasty pieces of metal, glass etc on the side of the road. Keep your rig on the safest part of the road. I use a 4.3l v6 Astro after using a v8 Grand Cherokee. Have a great summer! JCH
Remember, give yourself lots of room. Your explorer will tow the boat. I would advise NOT using overdrive, and just put up with the decreased mileage. Make sure you keep your lights dry(use lights that you put on after you have loaded your boat) and on hills downshift when you feel underpowered and under braked. Put your weight in the Explorer and load the boat when you get there, keeping the weight where you want it -- in the tow vehicle. This also makes it so much easier to launch(particularly at low tide, if in ocean). Keep a jack and spare for trailer -- you will have flats. I think for every 200 miles you go, you should have 1 spare. Make traffic deal with you, don't pull over where there is no turnoff, etc. There are nasty pieces of metal, glass etc on the side of the road. Keep your rig on the safest part of the road. I use a 4.3l v6 Astro after using a v8 Grand Cherokee. Have a great summer! JCH
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