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Posts: 9
| My father in law just bought a new 23' cabin cruiser and offered me his old one. I don't have the brand or year, but I do know that its a 18' open bow with an old 75 hp Johnson motor. My dilema is that I sold my 1999 Chevy Blazer 3 weeks before he offered it. I currently own a 20005 Impala and 2008 Honda Odyssey. Neither of which were made for towing. So I am now looking into buying an old truck/SUV to tow the boat. I'm looking to spend about $3,500 max. I am looking for some advice on what truck/SUV I should be looking for. With 2 kids, I think I need an SUV and I think I need 4 WD, but I would really appreciate any suggestions or advice.
-Thanks
Matt |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | If it's just for towing, does it really matter? Any reliable half ton truck/suburban/bronco will work. I'm a Chevy guy myself. You can probably find a higher mileage Tahoe or Suburban for that kind of money.
Jeff |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | Jeep Cherokee...you cannot kill one. The only disadvantage in towing w/ one is the light weight and rear drum brakes. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | If you are shopping for a used vehicle in a low price range, it won't really matter what brands we suggest. Your choice will depend on availability in your area. good hunting! m |
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Posts: 9
| Thanks for the replies guys. This is actually why I wanted to ask the question. I was looking at a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but I was concerned about the weight. The boat is not too heavy. I'm guessing around 1000 pounds with trailer. If anyone has any concerns over the Cherokee, please let me know.
-Thanks again guys
Matt |
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| OHMH-
For an "older" boat I'm thinking your guess of 1000lbs is about 1/2 of what it actually weighs. I'm thinking more like 1700 to 2000. Better to overestimate than to underestimate the weight of what you're towing when you're making a decision on what to tow it with.
My Tuffy is a 17' 2001 with a 60 Merc on it +/- 2k on the weight. There is no way I would tow it with any less than a full sized vehicle. That's just my personal opinion.
Hope this helps. |
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Posts: 227
Location: New Brighton, MN | I tow a 16.5' lund/75 hp outboard with a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 4.7L. I can hardly tell it's back there. Plenty of power. Pay attention to the weight limits of your hitch too. |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Matt- If not sure about the weight and to ensure a safe match with the tow vehicle, I'd take it to a scale & get it weighed. Possibilities are local truck stop, local construction material's suppliers, i.e., most have scales, another is local landfill.
Have fun!
Al |
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| Gotta have a tow vehicle to get it to the scale! Get the Jeep. You'll be fine. Until you weigh it, and then find out it's like 4000 lbs more than you thought!
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | My Jeep just has an inline 6, but I have never felt underpowered towing. I'd guess my 17' Javelin with a 115 weighs 2500 lbs. I also never had trouble towing a 2200 lb car trailer with a large Deere lawn tractor on it. The Grand Cherokees are rated to tow 7000 lbs I believe. They are bigger than the XJ Cherokees. |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Guest - 4/15/2008 2:50 PM
Gotta have a tow vehicle to get it to the scale! Get the Jeep. You'll be fine. Until you weigh it, and then find out it's like 4000 lbs more than you thought!
You don't think the father in-law already has a tow vehicle- this is a no brainer!
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 4/16/2008 1:34 PM
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