185 Sport - What do you tow it with?

E

emilime75

New Member
Mar 12, 2020
29
Boat Info
2006 185 Sport
Engines
3.0
It's getting time to retire my 05 Chevy Suburban that I've been using to tow my 2006 185 Sport. Not sure I want to replace it with another full size SUV, so I'm curious as to what others are using to tow their similar size and weight boats. A pickup does not suit our needs and wants as this will also be used for family road trips and doggo transport.

Most times, the lakes we go to are within a 30 minute drive on regular roads, but occasionally we want to go to some further away spots that will require some interstate travel.

So, let's have it. What do you use? What year/model/weight is your boat? What's the experience like, does it handle it well, feel safe, struggle on inclines or pulling it out at the ramps???

Thanks.
 
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I had a 2004 S/R 180 Sport with Shorelander trailer. I towed it everywhere with my Honda Pilot which had their version of tow package. Easy to hook and load. I always kept Michelin LTX tires on this vehicle and never struggled pulling it out of ramps wet or dry...paved or not.
 
Figure out what your towed weight will be a find a vehicle that has a tow rating of about 10% more than that. You should have a lot of choices in midsized SUV's like the Pilot. That said I've never been a fan of towing much of anything with a unibody vehicle. I've always wanted a full frame to attach a hitch. Less flex to the overall vehicle. Those choices are getting fewer and fewer today. I towed a 205 Sport with an Envoy (Trailblazer) for a number of years and it served me well. I went the opposite direction and went up to a Tahoe. It is a great mule especially with the HD tow package. More tow rating than I need now but who knows.......maybe a bigger boat is in the future and I will need the capacity. Maybe a Tahoe or similar would be a good compromise for you. Once you have towed with a Suburban anything smaller with seem inadequate. IMG_2201.jpg
 
Do midsized SUV's come with brake controllers, and at what size would you have electric brakes on your boat trailer? Stopping is more important in an emergency. I tow my snowmobiles with my 2021 Tahoe. About 7,000lbs including the trailer, and it tows great. I do have electric brakes on the trailer.
 
We have been towing 19' bowriders for 35 years. Total weight about 3000 pounds. For many years we used an old Pontiac sedan. You know, rwd, full perimeter frame, V8 engine, 3-spd auto. People laughed at me, until they saw their 2wd pickemuptrucks spinning on a wet slimy ramp, while I pulled her out with no effort.

Then, I switched to a Chevy Equinox. With the V6 it had ample capacity. With the AWD it even exceeded the Ponch's ability.

Today our family boat is a 190 that weighs in at about 3500 pounds. The Equinox is right at the limit, so we use the Chevy Traverse instead. Actually, its the best tow vehicle I ever owned.

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spikedaddy99 said:
Do midsized SUV's come with brake controllers,
Click to expand...
The Chevy Traverse equipped with a Class 3 package DOES come with an electric brake controller. Don't know about others.
 
I’ve towed my 170 sport and now a 200 sport with my 06 and now 2016 Toyota Highlander. That’s size seems to handle it well and isn’t bigger than I would want for daily use. Like you I don’t tow far nor often. They dont come with brake controllers but most small boat trailers have surge brakes anyways.
 
I use my 2015 Honda Pilot...2wd. As stated...came with factory installed receiver/hitch. Just know weight of boat and trailer versus what your towing capacity of your vehicle is. Also know the terrain you will be towing. We moved from Fl to AZ. Decided to go boating at Lake Roosevelt in AZ. Very mountainous terrain to get there from Phoenix. Put a strain on transmission with no cooler. Did that trip only once. Would rent a truck if I do that trip again. Around Phoenix....no issues with the lakes here especially with good tires. Mainly boat at Lake Pleasant.
 
I've towed my 185 with my wife's Lexus RX330, only on short trips. It has a factory tow package, that is rated at 3500lb - I would not recommend any routine towing with this setup - I was right at and probably over 3500lb and had to be very careful, the boat was pushing that car all over the place. This would go for all the small SUV, like the Lexus, Acura, Highlander - most are rated at 3500lb. For some longer trips I rented a Toyota Tundra - a world of difference! If you don't want another full size SUV or Truck - which you can't beat for towing BTW, I would look at something like the Toyota Forerunner, Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, Chevy Blazer, etc - most of those have a 5000lb tow rating.
Tow vehicles are a lot like boats, there is just no replacement for displacement.
 
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spikedaddy99 said:
Do midsized SUV's come with brake controllers, and at what size would you have electric brakes on your boat trailer? Stopping is more important in an emergency. I tow my snowmobiles with my 2021 Tahoe. About 7,000lbs including the trailer, and it tows great. I do have electric brakes on the trailer.
Click to expand...
You don't want electric brakes with a boat. Dunking electrical parts in the water is never a good idea. You could go to electric over hydraulic. It's a good system for large loads. Well maintained surge brakes with disks are more than enough for most trailer boats on single or dual axe trailers.
 
Doesn't your trailer have surge brakes? I'm guessing if you got the SeaRay(shoreland'r) trailer it does. This will provide you the extra stopping power you need without the need for an electric brake controller.
 
I tow my '04 with a 2013 Tacoma V6 with a towing package. 6500lb capacity. Trailer has surge brakes and has no problem towing.
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GypsmJim said:
We have been towing 19' bowriders for 35 years. Total weight about 3000 pounds. For many years we used an old Pontiac sedan. You know, rwd, full perimeter frame, V8 engine, 3-spd auto. People laughed at me, until they saw their 2wd pickemuptrucks spinning on a wet slimy ramp, while I pulled her out with no effort.

Then, I switched to a Chevy Equinox. With the V6 it had ample capacity. With the AWD it even exceeded the Ponch's ability.

Today our family boat is a 190 that weighs in at about 3500 pounds. The Equinox is right at the limit, so we use the Chevy Traverse instead. Actually, its the best tow vehicle I ever owned.

View attachment 97967

View attachment 97969
Click to expand...
Thats an awesome picture Jim! Reminds me of growing up with my dad towing our old Dorsett up to lake Erie behind a 75 Buick Regal.
 
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with Hemi is great! Uses a bit more gas but use it before it is banned. Locking center differential allows me to divert all power to front wheels which are still on drier ramp. Air suspension gets me 25" above water for the ramps with shallow pitches later in the season. Electronics are superior to my 2017 XT5 and straight line tracking is rock solid, unlike an AWD based on a FWD platform. Instant power when I put my foot into it. No waiting for a little engine to spin up or even worse, for turbos to spin up like a 737 at start of runway. 2003 21 ft Bowrider 5.0, 4500#s (inc. trailer). Tahoe is good if the parking spots haven't been shrunken.
 
GypsmJim said:
We have been towing 19' bowriders for 35 years. Total weight about 3000 pounds. For many years we used an old Pontiac sedan. You know, rwd, full perimeter frame, V8 engine, 3-spd auto. People laughed at me, until they saw their 2wd pickemuptrucks spinning on a wet slimy ramp, while I pulled her out with no effort.

Then, I switched to a Chevy Equinox. With the V6 it had ample capacity. With the AWD it even exceeded the Ponch's ability.

Today our family boat is a 190 that weighs in at about 3500 pounds. The Equinox is right at the limit, so we use the Chevy Traverse instead. Actually, its the best tow vehicle I ever owned.

View attachment 97967

View attachment 97969
Click to expand...

That photo of your old Poncho reminds me of my uncle. He had an 18' Bayliner bowrider. Tow vehicle? 1985 Chrysler Le Baron convertible. Even as a teenager I knew that was the wrong tow vehicle. I do remember my cousin taking the boat out, hauling butt close to shore and struck a tree stump. Put a hole in the bottom. He quickly went to the ramp and my uncle pulled the boat out. The boat was sinking and that little K car somehow pulled it out. I still laugh at that and it was 35 years ago!
 
2009 F-150 Lariat supercrew 2wd towing my 2006 Sea Ray Sport 195. It has a tow/haul mode but doesn't seem much different. Braking is my biggest issue but I've probably neglected the surge brakes on the trailer for a little too long.
 

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