Towing a BOAT !

[Andrey]

I was wondering if anybody towing a boat with VX. I am about to buy 19 foot Forester which is 3500 pounds and I have no idea how hevy is the trailer. I will be buying either 2 axel or one. Any thoughts/suggestions. I ve already emailed Tone on his hitch.


Found info that it is 2050 pounds... much better for VX :)

Thanks

Andrey

[psychos2]

i have the dalan hitch and have towed boats. i towed a 22 ft donzi classic from boston mass to lake george ny . boat weighs about 3,700 lbs + trailer. also had 3 passengers in the vx. the vx tows well and did not wander at speeds up to 75 mph. the longer you tow the less you notice the weight. the engine adjusts to the load and the loss of power is less noticable. the fuel consumption goes up quite a bit. this trip is mostly highway driving. the trailer was also a dual axle trailer. can it tow it? yes! is it safe ? i don't know . i will leave it up to you whether or not you decide to tow something that heavy. hope this helps. shawn

[AndyC]

Andrey, I pull a 16'6" Sea-Doo Speedster jet boat with my VX.
I purchased Tone's hitch since I though it looked the best. I don't have any problems pulling it but as Shawn mentioned You will notice a drop in mileage :)

Andy

[psychos2]

AndyC ,
you are talking less than 2000 lbs. Andrey is saying the boat alone weighs 3500 lbs. big difference. is the boat your getting a pontoon boat? shawn

[Andrey]

No, it is a Phantom 190 (19 ft) 5.0 L Cobra engine 195 horses, inboard, OMC outboard drive. Can cruise at speeds up to 60 (?) miles, all fiberglass. I do not know which trailer I will be getting for it. It was originally on single axel trailer but owner did not take it on highway. He towed only several miles locally on Lake Sabago, Maine. Tone pointed out that two axels will be better for weight distribution.
I'll post some pictures as soon as I will install hitch and learn how to tow :)

[TYGVR]

I have a pop-up trailer. Which gear should I use when towing? (City and expressway driving)

[transio]

Along the same lines... I'm gonna be getting a Lotus Elise soon, which weighs about 2000 pounds, and I'm gonna want to tow that to meets and events with my VX. I will be getting a flat bed trailer for it. Not sure of any of the specs, cause I don't have the car yet. Should I be worried?

PS - what hitches are good, and how difficult are they to install?

[t2p]

just my two cents .........
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If I was going to tow a big load - 3500+ lbs or so - OFTEN, I would invest in a 3/4 ton pickup ......... preferably with a diesel ....... V10 ........... or (if GM) maybe the new 8.1 ...... 8100 ....... or whatever.
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Tone's hitch looks like the way to go if you are going to tow with the VX. The VX has a full frame, 200+ hp, and low gearing, so it should tow relatively well. One caveat: The short wheelbase may be an issue.

Gearing (again): the VX gearing is ideal for towing. Few vehicles sold today are equipped with gearing as low as the VX.
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A trans cooler may be a good idea - I don't know. I installed one on a car twenty years ago - and have not thought about a trans cooler since then.
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[VehiP&J]

I have one of the hitches from U-haul. Been using it to tow a 17.5 foot inboard omc outboard all fiberglass w/ 3.0 merc. with no problems. I am using a single axle drive on trailer. I normally tow it 25-30 miles each way. The vx loves to eat gas while towing it but besides that it does great. It is great seeing these guys with there denali's, new tahoo's, or there new escalade towing there boat trying to get the boat out of the water and all they do is spin there tires. The VX just pulls it out no tire spin no problems nothing. I have to back the boat into it's parking spot, when backing it in I have to back up hill in grass put it in low and she works like a champ. I should be getting a chance to tow a 19.5 footer exactly like yours. One of my friends has it if and when i get the chance to pull it I will let you know how it does.

[Andrey]

I stand corrected - I've just learned that this boat is 2050 pounds - so that is a releaf.... I really wanna go with Tones hitch but can not find anybody who can install for now. Will keep looking in Boston.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

My experience towing my landscaping trailer with the VX has been that the biggest change for me was getting used to backing up using your side mirrors exclusively.
My other vehicles offered much better rear visibility out the back window so I often looked over my shoulder when backing up a trailer. Not a good method with the VX.
Doesn't hurt to have someone standing outside to help guide you when backing up until you get the hang of it!