How much can I tow?

mrtopknight

mrtopknight

New Member
Oct 3, 2006
361
Lake Mary, FL.
Boat Info
2001 182 Sport
Engines
4.3L MerCruiser w/ alpha one
I have a BMW, X5 with a 6,000 lb / 600 lb tongue towing capacity. I am catching 3.5 itis, and would like to own a 22' Select, SD, or BR in the future. :grin:

Could my tow vehicle handle this? It tows/stops my 18.5' around with ease. :huh:

Also, do the 5.0 MPI motors on a 22' run as fast the 4.3 carb on my 18.5'? :smt017


Thanks,
 
I see the tow numbers but I just find it hard to belive that a cross over like the bMW X5 can tow that much when my F150 Supercrew Max tow is 7,500 and thats with the heavy duty tow package ( over sized radiator, transmission cooler, etc, etc, etc)

I wonder how much of that 6000lb capacity is for real.

as to the top end speed on a 22; my 220SD with the 5.0l bravo II drive used to top out at 52mph. only problem is when I would drop the hammer like that I could see the gas gauge move steadily towards E.

also remember it's not just the tow capacity, but also the 4 wheel drive low torque to get near 6000;bs of boat and trailer out of the water and up the ramp.....
 
I use a 2500HD 4X4 6.0L with 4.11 rear end to pull my 220SD. I like to have a comfort zone that exceeds the weight being towed. Your SUV is a nice ride, just not in front of a 22 ft boat. :wink:
 
My local dealer said it would pull it with no problem (of course they would say that), but I just wanted to check with you guys. I was thinking/hoping that I would be ok with a 22' boat and that it would be my max.
 
I think the crossovers are rated for total weight including passangers and gear. At the least I would put elect brakes on the trailer. good luck
 
mrtopknight said:
I have a BMW, X5 with a 6,000 lb / 600 lb tongue towing capacity. I am catching 3.5 itis, and would like to own a 22' Select, SD, or BR in the future. :grin:

Could my tow vehicle handle this? It tows/stops my 18.5' around with ease. :huh:

Also, do the 5.0 MPI motors on a 22' run as fast the 4.3 carb on my 18.5'? :smt017


Thanks,
Click to expand...

http://trailmanor.com/WebDocs/Campi...ear=2007&Make=BMW&Style=SUV&SearchModels=Go+>

Says a 2007 (I didn't know what year yorus was) can tow 6000

There is a search there to do a search on your year.

http://www.autoweb.com/content/rese.../make_vch/BMW/model_vch/X5/virsection/summary

This also shows a 2007 has 6000lb towing capacity.
 
Most of the Boat trailers in the FL area will come with dual disk surge brakes. unless you plan on staying in fresh water electric brakes just don't work around here.

the thing to remember is your 18.5 is about 2500lb + trailer (500-1000lb). the 220SD is 4500lb + trailer (1500-2000). you could be as much as 2 1/2 times heaver than you are now. personnally I would look at getting a tow vechile that is designed for towing.

my 2 cents.
 
I agree

I am far newer at boating than I am at towing.


The thing about a trailer that is "Just Within" the tow limits is, What happens when you are in the mountains, or loaded a little extra heavy because you took those friends who have to bring everything.

It also really depends on WHERE you will be towing. If you live a mile away from the dock and there isnt really a hill to speak of, and this is the ONLY place you boat, then you could most likely get away with it.

The best advice IMO, talk to the dealer of the car. Their service dept will be able to let you know what is too much!!!
 
My friend tows his Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV with his 07' X5. He says it tows that boat with ease and he's pushing the 6,000 limit. His X5 has the V8 with 350lb/ft of torque, 6speed auto, and the trailer has tandem brakes.

You could budget and find space for an old used one ton pickup, but that's not as cool as your X5.
 
why an old one ton?? after I looked it wasn't very much more to get a new one :) and in these parts.. its way cooler to pull with a dually then a soccer mom's car... heh ... jk!
 
I spoke to my sales guy at Aquapolooza this weekend. He said the towing capacities are nationally published and that here in Florida you can actually tow around 15% more than what you are rated for. This is because we do not have hills, mountains, etc.

Any thoughts?
 
mrtopknight said:
I spoke to my sales guy at Aquapolooza this weekend. He said the towing capacities are nationally published and that here in Florida you can actually tow around 15% more than what you are rated for. This is because we do not have hills, mountains, etc.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Yes - typical clueless salesman bs! Let me translate that for you: 'I will tell you anything you want to hear to get you to buy a bigger boat from me. Your safety and that of your family and others on the road are secondary to my commission.'

It's not about getting up hills - its about being able to stop quickly and control your load. I suggest you pose that question to your insurance agent and go with his advice.
 
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I think the guy is a clueless moron. It's prevalent in Florida however, land of the brakeless trailers too. I bought my boat there and it came with no brakes ("nobody uses them around here"). My boat is a 28' aft cabin which is about 10k pounds on the road. It was near impossible to find a set of brakes in stock anywhere to install before bringing it home, and then the clueless idiots (trailer manufacturer) did it wrong and they exploded on the way home.

On my way to getting the brakes put on I saw a guy pulling a 35+ foot go-fast with an explorer. I'm sure the dealer said he was fine.
 
How far are you going to be towing it? If you aren't towing very far and not on a highway I could see getting by, but I wouldn't tow it on the highway or long trips, not even just one time. Also, the shorter wheelbase of mid size suv's doesn't help. I had a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 4.7 V8 in it(I installed heavy duty springs and had load range E tires on it) and it towed and stopped a load very good. The only time I had a problem was when I had a load of lumber on a trailer shift and caused negative weight on the hitch...not fun! I was on a side street at low speed thank god. You could change the tires to load range e, but that will kill the ride for sure!
 
I think you'll be fine provided you have brakes on your trailer. I towed my 230 OV with my 1/2 ton Burb. I just today traded that in for a 3/4 ton 2500HD Silverado in our next step for our quest for a 260DA. I think as long as your trani and brakes are rated to tow that 6000lbs, with trailer brakes you'll be fine.
Salesman still may be an idiot however. :huh:
 
Wheelbase is a huge consideration when moving to a long trailer and short wheelbase vehicle as discussed above. You don't want the tail wagging the dog. I too had a grand cherokee "rated" to tow ~6000. Even w/ the springs/hitch set up for this weight it was much too squirrelly in my opinion. Having had the wind catch a trailer on the back of a pickup truck in my earlier years makes me a bit more cautious however. I don't want any "seat feel" when pulling a trailer.
 
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