What vehicle to rent to trailer this boat?

[Telemark Sailor]

Looking at a Corsair F27- one site says its "typical" trailerable weight is 4100 lbs. I would need to rent a vehicle to tow it 1,000 miles from where I would buy it to where I will keep it. What would I need and where would I go to rent something suitable- a big Uhaul truck comes to mind but I'd rather rent something smaller with the same power like a big pickup or Suburban or something- but will car rental agencies rent you something with a hitch to tow something heavy like this?

And once I get it home, the plan would be to keep it moored in the summer and trailer it at the beginning and end of each season just a few flat miles from ramp to storage- could I get away with doing this with a Subaru or would pulling it out of the water be too much for the tranny (or maybe ok for launching but not for pulling out?)

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Probably won't need a BIG U-Haul. I pulled a 5300 pound boat plus trailer weight, about 7400 all up, from New York to Texas with a standard Chevy pick up with a 5.7 liter engine.

U Haul has smaller vehicles for rent too.

 

[Tsatzsue]

I agree. Standard pick up should be fine. Those trimarans are nice. Very fast!! Looked at a new one at the Boston boat show last week. I know a guy who got 22 knts!

 

[RECESS]

Make sure whatever you decide to rent, that it is approved for towing. Some rental trucks are not.

 

[Jackdaw]

I've pulled boats with rental trucks twice before.

Once with a small-ish U-haul truck one-way, as it was a spur of the moment thing. U-haul allows this; towing and one-way out of state. The truck was ratty, but got the job done. No cruise, AM radio, and the headlights were crap.

Once with an enterprise pickup. They allow towing, but there was a charge for taking the truck out of state (plus one bordering state). That was a round trip. They did not offer one-way rentals. The Truck was very nice, and pulled 6000 lbs easily.

 

[Tim R.]

It is not about the power, it is about the brakes. Most any vehicle can pull a trailer. Stopping a trailer is a whole different ball game especially if the trailer has no brakes. Make sure the tongue weight rating is sufficient.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I thought Uhaul only allowed (legally), tows of their trailers....
just read the contract... if you want insurance coverage.

What size ball? ? and what's the tongue weight?

at 4k, it sounds like you need class 3 hitch (at least).


-I've towed a lot of stuff with undersized vehicles.
brake in a straight line, go slow, (55-60mph max), look ahead.


& be lucky!

 

[Telemark Sailor]

It is not about the power, it is about the brakes. Most any vehicle can pull a trailer. Stopping a trailer is a whole different ball game especially if the trailer has no brakes. Make sure the tongue weight rating is sufficient.

re my second question, towing a few miles each year on flat terrain- I could drive 20 mph with the hazards on so braking should be ok- but would pulling a 4,000 lb boat out of the water hurt the transmission of say a newish Subaru Outback?

 

[Jackdaw]

I thought Uhaul only allowed (legally), tows of their trailers....
just read the contract... if you want insurance coverage.

You can tow your own trailer with a U-Haul truck.

Trailers

Most U-Haul trucks are fully equipped to tow a trailer. If you plan to tow a U-Haul trailer, you will be provided with the appropriate equipment and instructions. Read the U-Haul Trailer User Instructions thoroughly. Follow the instructions on how to properly load and operate your truck/trailer combination.

If you plan to tow your own trailer, check with a U-Haul representative to determine the maximum trailer weight you can tow. Make sure your trailer is properly loaded, that the coupler and safety chains are attached and that the trailer lights are working properly. See your trailer owner's manual for more information.

As for insurance, your boats coverage should cover the boat while moving, but always best to check with your agent in case you need a rider.

 

[dscribner]

Check the tow rating of your Outback. I'd bet it isn't 5200 pounds. Some Frontiers are rated at 6000. An F150 with a large engine does fine. And as important as brakes are, a burly transmission is just as important. A few miles might be fine twice a year but don't even attempt something long with an undersized vehicle.

 

[teebutch]

Look for a van. And see if it has a tow hitch.

 

[Benny17441]

The maximum towing capacity for a 2014 Subaru Outback is 2700 lbs. The engine is powerful enough but the uni-body fabrication may not be able to handle the forces which could lead to body components deformation. Most pickups, vans and some SUVs are built upon a rail chassis and these are the vehicles than can tow the heavy loads. I would recommend a V8 truck over a V6 as the larger engine will have more power and it will probably deliver better gas mileage than the smaller engine which would have to work harder. The Subaru is a fine vehicle and I would not risk damaging it by towing that load. You can rent, borrow or purchase a cheap truck for whenever you may need to move the boat.

 

[StinkBug]

Any regular full size truck or van will tow that without a problem. The Subaru will not. No way, no how. Forget killing the transmission going up the ramp, you'll buckle the back of the frame from tongue weight and even if you dont you'll have a hard time getting it moving or stopped. Adding anything at all to the boat will put you close to double the weight rating of that car. There is a reason they dont make 2" receiver hitches for Outbacks, it's because they aren't designed for it.

 

[LANCE ON CLOUD NINE]

Towing

if using a rental truck, if one with dual rear wheels is available it makes a huge difference in overall stability.

 

[Dunlookin]

Re: Towing

Right vehicle to right towable is the key. Solve that puzzle and you can overcome any obstacle.

Yesterday I saw a Smart car pulling a 4' x 4' trailer. Inside the trailer...one chair.

Made me laugh all day just thinking about a vehicle that does not have room for one chair...and the genius that made the trailor hitch.

Only in America.

 

[Jackdaw]

Right vehicle to right towable is the key. Solve that puzzle and you can overcome any obstacle.

Yesterday I saw a Smart car pulling a 4' x 4' trailer. Inside the trailer...one chair.

Made me laugh all day just thinking about a vehicle that does not have room for one chair...and the genius that made the trailor hitch.

Only in America.

Wonderful non sequitur... The Smart is made in France..

 

[RECESS]

I think he talking about the event happened in America. It is also a compliment to the ingenuity.

 

[Telemark Sailor]

Thanks for all your helpful replies.

Smart car with a one-chair trailer makes sense- you are not usually hauling a chair, so why always be pushing around a vehicle that can?

 

[StinkBug]

if using a rental truck, if one with dual rear wheels is available it makes a huge difference in overall stability.

A dually is entirely overkill for a ~4500lb trailer. Even a V6 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup is rated to tow over 7000lbs. My single rear wheel 2500 is rated to tow 14000lbs. The only reason you ever need a dually is if you're running seriously high tongue weights and need the axle strength.

 

[Gunni]

You will destroy that Subaru. Too much weight, too much windage. Unless you have a friend with a tow-equipped heavy vehicle you are looking at a RT rental truck. I would also require working trailer brakes.