Recommend me a tow vehicle!

[Black88GTA]

I think I'm going to be buying a boat. Well, strongly considering anyway. But I'm going to need a tow rig, as I don't currently own anything I'd feel safe towing with. I know nothing about trucks, what ones to avoid, etc. The boat probably won't be much as boats go, the one I'm currently looking at is an 18.5 ft Sea Ray. Even though it's a relatively small boat, I'd still like to leave a comfortable margin between the max tow rating of the vehicle and the boat + trailer weight. This truck will only see occasional use, when I need to tow or haul furniture or something.

Ideally, I'd like something with a V8, although I'd consider a very capable V6 / I6. 4x4 is a must. Want to spend roughly $3000 or less - I don't mind if it's a guzzler or somewhat old (mid '90s is fine with me). I'm partial to Land Rovers, although would consider others The problem with the Land Rovers I'm looking at is the 188 hp V8 :roll: ugh. I understand that anything I get won't be a rocket, but I'm also looking for something with a decent amount of power that won't leave me foundering on an onramp with a boat in tow, or run out of steam on a grade.

So far, the short list - V8 trucks:
Land Rover Discovery (only 188 hp, possible reliability issues)
Jeep Grand Cherokee (problematic 5.2L V8?)
Chevrolet Tahoe / GMC Yukon (most in the $3k price range have a billion miles on them)
Dodge Durango
Ford Expedition

Any reason not to get a capable V6 / I6 truck for this?
Jeep Cherokee
Infiniti QX4
Nissan Pathfinder
Toyota 4runner
...???

Don't want a Suburban or an Excursion, way too huge. Don't want a pickup either, looking only at SUVs right now. Are there any specific models / engines / etc I should stay away from? What is a good value for a capable tow rig around the $3k price point?

I'm just in the looking around / deciding what to get phase right now. Probably won't actually buy something until March / April when the SUV market softens for the summer.

So, any recommendations or tips on things to avoid?

 

[Bignate603]

$3k may be a bit optimistic for a decent 4x4 V8 SUV that hasn't been thrashed. It's going to be a crapshoot what will be available.

I'd probably forget the V6 or I6 vehicles. While they can probably do a small boat with any of them OK you're going to be running much closer to their limits. Going up a long hill on a hot day with a fully loaded vehicle will be quite a bit harder on them than the larger vehicles. My personal pick out of those would be the I6 cherokee, you can get a decent 4x4 one in your price range. It's engine is pretty torquey. However, the engines are a bit touchy if you over heat them (very long heads warp easier if overheated) and the factory installed radiators aren't the best. The upside is replacement aftermarket radiators that cool noticeably better are CHEAP and replacing a cherokee radiator is about as easy as you'll find. If there is any doubt about the radiator I'd consider swapping it out with a higher performance one before you do any heavy towing. Be aware that the factory tow package on the cherokee has stronger mounting to the body than aftermarket hitches (factory used nut strips that spread out the load where it connected to the rails on the bottom of the unibody better than aftermarket hitches that usually used these square nuts that didn't distribute the load as well) but for a light boat this probably isn't a huge issue. I've mostly seen issues where people got the jeep stuck and were trying to yank it out using the hitch.

For a cheap tow vehicle I'd stay away from the land rover. You want this to be a cheap, while land rovers are nice vehicles the ones that make it to our shores aren't known for being the most reliable or cheap to maintain. The power on that V8 isn't really that impressive and is actually pretty close to that of some of the 6 cylinder vehicles.

My personal recommendation would be to take that list of V8 SUVs that you've got and grab the first one that's at a good price, doesn't have astronomical miles (in this price range for a large SUV you're pretty much stuck with high mileage), and has been well maintained. Any one of those V8 vehicles will do what you want and for vehicles this old the maintanence is going to be a much larger difference for you than which one of those SUVs you picked.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: Bignate603
$3k may be a bit optimistic for a decent 4x4 V8 SUV that hasn't been thrashed. It's going to be a crapshoot what will be available.

I'd probably forget the V6 or I6 vehicles. While they can probably do a small boat with any of them OK you're going to be running much closer to their limits. Going up a long hill on a hot day with a fully loaded vehicle will be quite a bit harder on them than the larger vehicles. My personal pick out of those would be the I6 cherokee, you can get a decent 4x4 one in your price range. It's engine is pretty torquey. However, the engines are a bit touchy if you over heat them (very long heads warp easier if overheated) and the factory installed radiators aren't the best. The upside is replacement aftermarket radiators that cool noticeably better are CHEAP and replacing a cherokee radiator is about as easy as you'll find. If there is any doubt about the radiator I'd consider swapping it out with a higher performance one before you do any heavy towing. Be aware that the factory tow package on the cherokee has stronger mounting to the body than aftermarket hitches (factory used nut strips that spread out the load where it connected to the rails on the bottom of the unibody better than aftermarket hitches that usually used these square nuts that didn't distribute the load as well) but for a light boat this probably isn't a huge issue. I've mostly seen issues where people got the jeep stuck and were trying to yank it out using the hitch.

For a cheap tow vehicle I'd stay away from the land rover. You want this to be a cheap, while land rovers are nice vehicles the ones that make it to our shores aren't known for being the most reliable or cheap to maintain. The power on that V8 isn't really that impressive and is actually pretty close to that of some of the 6 cylinder vehicles.

My personal recommendation would be to take that list of V8 SUVs that you've got and grab the first one that's at a good price, doesn't have astronomical miles (in this price range for a large SUV you're pretty much stuck with high mileage), and has been well maintained. Any one of those V8 vehicles will do what you want and for vehicles this old the maintanence is going to be a much larger difference for you than which one of those SUVs you picked.

Yeah, I know the price point is a bit low. I'm only going to be using this truck very rarely - maybe a couple thousand miles a year if that - so I don't want to spend a ton of money on it. I can do maintenance and routine repairs myself, so that isn't a huge deal. Just looking for something that will do what I ask of it without straining too much. My plan is to keep my eyes open over the winter and see if any really good deals pop up.

I was thinking the same thing about the I6 / V6 trucks. Seems like they'd be a bit light for what I need. Plus, I think I can find a much better deal on a gas hog V8 truck that somebody is ditching cheap because of the fuel consumption. Although cash for clunkers kind of killed a lot of the good deals in that market.

I think I'll probably forget about the LRD and focus on something more powerful. All of the Yukon / Tahoe type trucks I'm finding are 250k mile fixer uppers.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

voted jeep cherokee for the 2nd poll by accident so -1 from that. sorry my dude

 

[iamwiz82]

The I6 Cherokee is too light to be a tow vehicle. It weighs significantly less than most sedans nowadays.

Find a 5.9L Grand Cherokee . I had a 5.2L Grand and it left my stranded once, but that was due to my own lack of maintenance. A idler pulley froze up.

Get something like this: http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/1367078689.html

 

[Pliablemoose]

LOL, am thinking you should buy a Land Cruiser, between that & a boat, you'll never be lacking something to fix :laugh:

 

[angry hampster]

You don't need 4 wheel drive to tow a boat.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
LOL, am thinking you should buy a Land Cruiser, between that & a boat, you'll never be lacking something to fix :laugh:

Pretty sure boats are more reliable than Land Cruisers.

 

[sdifox]

Dude, what you want is a diesel truck.

 

[Turin39789]

International Scout

 

[radioouman]

I have a 19 foot Bayliner that weighs 2100 lbs dry and it has about 500 lbs worth of trailer, so once we fill the 25 gallon tank and add gear to it, it weighs about 3000 lbs.

I pulled that with a V6 Dodge Dakota (3.9 liter) for several years, but it was far easier to pull it with a V8 Dodge Dakota (5.2 liter / 318). Mine didn't have trailer brakes so when I upgraded I found a truck that had the larger rear drum brakes and had proportional braking so more load in the rear = more braking from the rear. The brakes alone made a huge difference in how well I could stop it.

My V8 Dakota was a 1994 and with 150,000 miles on it we pulled the boat through the mountains of Tennessee at highway speeds and had no trouble last summer. I wouldn't even consider a V6 if your boat weighs anything near what mine does. The gas mileage will suck when towing (both my V6 and my V8 get 12 mpg towing) and the V8 is far more drivable. Much more torque for pulling the boat out of the water and much more power for maintaining speeds up hills.

I think that a 5.2 liter V8 or 4.7 liter V8 in a Durango would make a good to vehicle. I prefer pickups for pulling my boat, but an SUV should be OK. (It is much easier to see when backing down the ramp with a pickup. It is also better for throwing all of your wet stuff from the day in the back of the pickup so you don't stink up the inside of your SUV.)

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: angry hampster
You don't need 4 wheel drive to tow a boat.

You might be able to get by with a Caprice/CV/Grand Marquis. My old Grand Marquis did regular boat-towing duty before I got hit by another vehicle and the car totaled.

If you are looking cheap, you may not want to discount all i6 trucks. If you will remember, the F150 came with a 305 i6 a while back. The damn thing had such a low 1st gear that it could tow a house.. If you can find one that isn't beat to hell, that would make a great tow vehicle. (not sure if they came in 4x4 though...)

 

[radioouman]

One other thought: This summer I pulled my boat (same one as the post above) with a 2005 Honda Pilot with the 3.5 liter V6. It did it surprisingly well. It doesn't have the low end torque that the V8 Dakota had (I could chirp the tires from a stop with the boat in tow with the Dakota) and the Pilot only managed 10 mpg while towing and didn't have brakes that could stop the weight as fast as the Dakota, but it wasn't bad. It seems to have hill descent control or something because it doesn't want to roll down the ramp when I pulled the boat out of the water. (Most vehicles roll back quickly when you start to take off from a boat ramp.)

The Honda engine churned at 3000 rpm down the highway in "D3" whereas the Dakota was around 2500 rpm with overdrive turned off. I also don't think that the Honda would be able to handle the mountains in Tennessee as well as the V8 Dakota.

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: angry hampster
You don't need 4 wheel drive to tow a boat.

Maybe not to tow it down the road but pulling a boat out of the water on a steep ramp it makes a huge difference.

 

[sonoma1993]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA
I think I'm going to be buying a boat. Well, strongly considering anyway. But I'm going to need a tow rig, as I don't currently own anything I'd feel safe towing with. I know nothing about trucks, what ones to avoid, etc. The boat probably won't be much as boats go, the one I'm currently looking at is an 18.5 ft Sea Ray. Even though it's a relatively small boat, I'd still like to leave a comfortable margin between the max tow rating of the vehicle and the boat + trailer weight. This truck will only see occasional use, when I need to tow or haul furniture or something.

Ideally, I'd like something with a V8, although I'd consider a very capable V6 / I6. 4x4 is a must. Want to spend roughly $3000 or less - I don't mind if it's a guzzler or somewhat old (mid '90s is fine with me). I'm partial to Land Rovers, although would consider others The problem with the Land Rovers I'm looking at is the 188 hp V8 :roll: ugh. I understand that anything I get won't be a rocket, but I'm also looking for something with a decent amount of power that won't leave me foundering on an onramp with a boat in tow, or run out of steam on a grade.

So far, the short list - V8 trucks:
Land Rover Discovery (only 188 hp, possible reliability issues)
Jeep Grand Cherokee (problematic 5.2L V8?)
Chevrolet Tahoe / GMC Yukon (most in the $3k price range have a billion miles on them)
Dodge Durango
Ford Expedition

Any reason not to get a capable V6 / I6 truck for this?
Jeep Cherokee
Infiniti QX4
Nissan Pathfinder
Toyota 4runner
...???

Don't want a Suburban or an Excursion, way too huge. Don't want a pickup either, looking only at SUVs right now. Are there any specific models / engines / etc I should stay away from? What is a good value for a capable tow rig around the $3k price point?

I'm just in the looking around / deciding what to get phase right now. Probably won't actually buy something until March / April when the SUV market softens for the summer.

So, any recommendations or tips on things to avoid?

my dad has a 1998 18.5 ft sea ray that he pull with a 2001 GMC Jimmy 4 x 4, which has the vortec 4.3L V6 engine in it. It pulls the boat just fine

 

[angry hampster]

Originally posted by: iFX

Originally posted by: angry hampster
You don't need 4 wheel drive to tow a boat.

Maybe not to tow it down the road but pulling a boat out of the water on a steep ramp it makes a huge difference.

Yeah if your tires are bald. Very, very little of your weight is on your front wheels while pulling a boat up a ramp. It will not make a difference.

 

[waffleironhead]

I vote for the grand cherokee with the 318, great pulling vehicle. I use one to pull a horse trailer. It does just fine.

 

[LTC8K6]

Originally posted by: angry hampster

Originally posted by: iFX

Originally posted by: angry hampster
You don't need 4 wheel drive to tow a boat.

Maybe not to tow it down the road but pulling a boat out of the water on a steep ramp it makes a huge difference.

Yeah if your tires are bald. Very, very little of your weight is on your front wheels while pulling a boat up a ramp. It will not make a difference.

If very little weight is on your front wheels on the ramp, something is wrong, I'd think.

Tongue weight isn't that high, so that doesn't seem like it would make much difference.

 

[SN4p]

A friend has a 21 ft sea ray and pulls fine with v6 F150.

 

[lokiju]

I'm thinking you'll have a hard time finding what you want for that budget.

I traded in my '99 Tahoe last year and the dealer gave me $3,000 for it even though it had almost 200,000 miles on it.

 

[radioouman]

Originally posted by: lokiju
I'm thinking you'll have a hard time finding what you want for that budget.

I traded in my '99 Tahoe last year and the dealer gave me $3,000 for it even though it had almost 200,000 miles on it.

That's possible. I sold me 1994 Dodge Dakota 4x4 with a 318 V8 and 165,000 miles for $2500 this summer.

 

[Chunkee]

there are a few expeditions that are used, 4x4..up your ante to 3800 and you find more...99 or 2000...strong vehicles with ability to carry friends and kids and gear also.

Like Santa Clause.

ENJOY

 

[Black88GTA]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I went and saw the boat I was interested in today...uhh, let's just say I won't be getting that one.

Kind of cooled off on the boat idea...after researching it a bit, looks like a massive expense and hassle no matter what I get, and I really don't need that right now. Maybe further in the future. I still sort of want to trade one of my cars in for some sort of used truck though, there have been tons of times when having a truck would have been very useful.

If I ever do go out looking to buy a truck, I think I've narrowed it down to either a Jeep GC 5.9 Limited or a Tahoe / Yukon. Those seem to fit the best with what I'd probably use them for, with good tow capabilities if / when I do pick up a boat.

 

[vshah]

one guy used his s2000 to pull his boat out of the water....

 

[mizzou]

you might want to consider yearly insurance costs with your vehicle as well, different brands/styles of the same vehicle type can have hugely different costs in insurance premiums.

I have a nice truck, 02 silverado z71 5.3l v8 and a beater car to drive around in, 96 Saturn. Just make sure to drive both of your vehicles often unless you got a nice shed =)

having a vehicle sit unused is horrible on the brakes and everything else that should be moving.