Towing a 21'

[NastyNebs]

What is the smallest size SUV/Truck one would suggest for towing a 21' Essex
I am looking at the Toyota Tundra and the Chevy TrailBlazer

[MudPumper]

I'd go with the Tundra over the Trailblazer for towing.

[rivercrazy]

The Tundra would tow it like its not even there...

[lardog_hb]

You should always get the largest tow vehicle you can afford.
If you grow out of your boat you will also have to buy a new
tow vehicle to go with it. A plus is the added safety of a larger tow
vehicle. Never look at gas mileage, this will cause you to buy
small. Buy a tow vehicle to TOW and for flexability of future use.

[OGShocker]

I think you should ALWAYS buy a Chevy!;) IMHO:D

[Dave C]

one bit of advice I learned the hard way. look at the "cooling" capability of the radiator and transmission. i.e. make sure it won't overheat going uphill in that big ol desert you guys got down there.
very importante.
the GCVWR doesn't tell you the whole story sometimes.
by default full size trucks have larger radiators to keep things cool. Most come with extra tranny coolers also.

[Dr. Eagle]

Either will do fine........
I am partial to the Domestic vehicle personally.
I towed my21' Ultra with my wifes Grand Cherokee a couple of weeks ago and it pulled it like it wasn't even there....

[Dave C]

ya but towing on level ground is much different than going uphill in the heat with the accelerator stuck to the floor. with 100+ degree heat, thats a receipt for disaster.
I used to overheat the sh*t out of mid-sized truck going uphill with a small ass jet boat let alone a heavier 21' boat.
most A/T wear occurs as your overheating the tranny by towing something heavy and not having an appropriate cooler on it.
(BTW, 1 post away from 1000, have I reach post-*****-dom yet?)

[Havasu_Dreamin]

Get as much tow vehicle as you can. The 21 Essex is a heavy boat. I ahd no trouble towing ours behind my Suburban with a 454. Towed uphill like it was not even there.

[boatnam2]

my buddy had a 21 essex and towed it with a small chevy blazer not bad until you hit a bump then it felt like it would jar your molars out.

[NastyNebs]

ALl the info helped, I think I am going to look at the tundra, and then probably the F-150, it is also my work vehicle, so I was trying to get a good estimation on what I could use, now I see what I need, and that's more important fo-sure

[summerlove]

Originally posted by OGShocker
I think you should ALWAYS buy a Chevy!;) IMHO:D
Crap, we agree!:D

[shockwaveharry]

The TrailBlazer will pull it no problem. Accelleration was better than most.
http://www.rivertoys.com/images/harrysboat/Hshockwave3.jpg
The truck never ran hot pulling the grade out of Indio with the a/c on full and 120 degrees outside. The only thing I didn't like was that with the cruise set at 65, it would drop down to second and hold the engine at 5000 rpms on that grade. Kinda stressful. If I dropped down to 60 or accelerated above 70 it would drop into third. I had one of the first ones on the road so maybe thats not an issue anymore. The 8 cyl won't do it for sure.

[spectras only]

I towed my 20.10 spectra [ 4050lbs w/trailer] with this vehicle [ rated for max 5000 lbs] like the rig wasn't even there http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/spectralincolln666.1.jpg Now I have a 1998 GC with factory tow package towing a much larger [ 24.6 spectra , 6000lbs with trailer] boat with no issues . For my biggest surprise , can't see a difference in fuel economy , between flatland and mountain towing:confused: .With all my other vehicles ,the mpg dropped almost half with my boats:( . I'm very satisfied with the GC.

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by summerlove
Crap, we agree!:D
Don't you hate it when that happens........?:D

[Dave C]

that's pimp style....:D
Originally posted by spectras only
I towed my 20.10 spectra [ 4050lbs w/trailer] with this vehicle [ rated for max 5000 lbs] like the rig wasn't even there http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/spectralincolln666.1.jpg Now I have a 1998 GC with factory tow package towing a much larger [ 24.6 spectra , 6000lbs with trailer] boat with no issues . For my biggest surprise , can't see a difference in fuel economy , between flatland and mountain towing:confused: .With all my other vehicles ,the mpg dropped almost half with my boats:( . I'm very satisfied with the GC.

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by Dave C
that's pimp style....:D
Complete with suicide rear doors......:D

[Danhercules]

What about that new Nissan? Any reviews on that one?
Gas mileage I would guess the Yoda would be better if using it for work.
Do they both come in 4WD? I wonder if you might struggle pulling it out with out 4WD?
Any help on that issue?

[Kilrtoy]

This is like a boat motor
You
never
ever
never
ever
hear anyone say "I should have got a smaller motor".
The same applies to trucks
Save yourself the headache and go big, unless you like towing slow and burning up that motor

[Dr. Eagle]

IMHO, like Kilr said, get a V-8. The Chevy is available with one. Also get a vehicle with front and rear disc brakes. My jeep grand cherokee has a V-8 and F/R disc brakes.
The only thing is that because of the shorter wheelbase you feel the boat a lot more. That is why I love to tow it with my Suburban. You hardly.....well actually you don't even notice it is there.
:D :D :D :D

[BajaMike]

I suggest the following:
1. the truck should have a tow rating about 2000 lbs higher than the dry weight of your boat and trailer.
2. 3/4 ton trucks are always better than 1/2 ton trucks...heavier frames and rear end.
3. Get a low rear end (one of the most important things), a 4.10 is best, 3.73 is good, anything less is a problem.
4. Get the factory tow package with trans cooling.
my 2 cents

[SeaRayPat]

Pick a tow vehicle with the most torque the tundra is nice but the torque is only so so :eek!:

[Daytona19]

Tundra by far, plus its a much quieter ride and is bullet proof. Oh by the way its what I have and at 52000 miles not 1 problem.

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by BajaMike
I suggest the following:
1. the truck should have a tow rating about 2000 lbs higher than the dry weight of your boat and trailer.
2. 3/4 ton trucks are always better than 1/2 ton trucks...heavier frames and rear end.
3. Get a low rear end (one of the most important things), a 4.10 is best, 3.73 is good, anything less is a problem.
4. Get the factory tow package with trans cooling.
my 2 cents
Well said. The tow rating is not the weight of the towed package, but the weight of the towed package plus the people and luggage/cargo over and above the driver. If you load a pile of stuff in the car, and 4 or 5 more people, and tow a boat that is say 6,000 lbs with a 7,000 pound rating, you are getting far too close to the edge, if not overloading the rig.
Just like Mike said:
Allow at least 2000 lbs if not much more
get at least a 3.73 rear end ratio
get the tow package
bigger is better
3/4 ton will last longer
And I will add, fill the boat up like you plan to tow it, drinks, ice, gear, camping stuff, whatever... and tow it to a moving and storage place with a public scale and weigh it. It may surprise you how much the combination will actually weigh. Whatever the trailer and boat mfgs are saying their weights are are likely to be low. And it is very possible to get several hundred pounds or more in the boat in gear.

[DeltaSigBoater]

Originally posted by Dr. Eagle
IMHO, like Kilr said, get a V-8. The Chevy is available with one. Also get a vehicle with front and rear disc brakes. My jeep grand cherokee has a V-8 and F/R disc brakes.
The only thing is that because of the shorter wheelbase you feel the boat a lot more. That is why I love to tow it with my Suburban. You hardly.....well actually you don't even notice it is there.
:D :D :D :D
The jeep has the ability to pull 6500bls and does so nicely. You do notice the boat back there. But that short wheel base does come in handy when backing in a tight spot. Its never had a problem pulling the 27'er out of the water.

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by DeltaSigBoater
The jeep has the ability to pull 6500bls and does so nicely. You do notice the boat back there. But that short wheel base does come in handy when backing in a tight spot. Its never had a problem pulling the 27'er out of the water.
Actually I would rate the Grand Cherokee pretty high on the tow rig scale. Only thing I would do if I were towing with it a lot would probably be airbags......

[clownpuncher]

Seems to be a consensus here. Did I say that? :D
Bigger is always better when towing. Don't just think abotu pulling ability either. You gotta figure stopping ability, trans temp, engine efficiency/work load.
The smaller brakes will heat up way to fast and fail you when you need them most. The trans works harder than you think. Cooler trans temps can be had by towing with a vehicle equipped with a tow package. IMO, diesel is the only way to tow. Cooler temps, more pulling power, less work on the engine as opposed to a gas motor.
Go big young man, go big. You won't regret it

[Dr. Eagle]

Yeah, bigger is better to a point. When you get a tow rig that has a tow rating of 14,000 pounds and you are pulling a boat/trailer combo of 4,200 pounds I think that is a little bit of overkill.
My .02 get the rig that meets your needs and is the maximum you can afford. Honestly the suburban I have I bought to tow a 9,500 pound combination. Now I sold that and I have a 4,000 boat. It is really overkill. If I didn't own it outright I might downsize it a bit...
Just remember to give yourself some room in the tow rating and be sure that (many of the new vehicles have these) you have 4 wheel disc brakes. Again, the tow package needs to include a trans cooler. Research the transmissions reliability in consumer reports or MSN Auto.
Do your homework!

[rivercrazy]

Originally posted by Dr. Eagle
Actually I would rate the Grand Cherokee pretty high on the tow rig scale. Only thing I would do if I were towing with it a lot would probably be airbags......
And I'd rate the Tundra higher than the Grand Cherokee. They have a 7,200 pound tow rating, heavier duty suspension, brakes, full truck frame (not a unibody), etc! :D
And I agree with guys on answering the original question. Its not like he is planing on towing a 38' fifth wheel or something :D

[dc96819]

I pulled a 20 from oc to Havasu with my 86 4cyl 4x4 turbo,slight problem going up the 10 fry if i went below 55mph so i tried to keep it at 70 an that was easy:)

[spectras only]

They have a 7,200 pound tow rating, heavier duty suspension, brakes, full truck frame (not a unibody), etc! :D The GC has a uniframe not a unibody [big difference] GC = 3.73 gear ratio , Tundra= 4.10 , hence the higher rating.The 1998 GC has a 5.2 pushrod engine with max torque at lower RPM's [3200] than the OHC Tundra . The newer 4.7L OHC GC , max torque comes at 4200rpm
:( . The original question was about smallest SUV ,not trucks .Interestingly the GC is classified as a 1/2 T truck:p .The body is one of the stiffest , no wonder it's trail rated:wink:

[spectras only]

BTW , I had a 1985 Cherokee pioneer with a measly 2.1 L 4 cyl turbo diesel , towing the 20.10 spectra for years with .When Jeep comes out with a min 3.5 L diesel & AT it will be a hot item for boats to 21 feet:cool:

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by spectras only
[B] They have a 7,200 pound tow rating, heavier duty suspension, brakes, full truck frame (not a unibody), etc! :D The GC has a uniframe not a unibody GC = 3.73 gear ratio , Tundra= 4.10 , hence the higher rating.The 1998 GC has a 5.2 pushrod engine with max torque at lower RPM's [3200] than the OHC Tundra . The newer 4.7L OHC GC , max torque comes at 4200rpm
:( . The original question was about smallest SUV ,not trucks .Interestingly the GC is classified as a 1/2 T truck:p .The body is one of the stiffest , no wonder it's trail rated:wink:
I had a regular old cherokee with the I-6 to tow my old boat that was about the same size, configuration and weight as the Ultra. It towed it great, I pulled it to Las Vegas from Folsom and to Havasu a couple of times back in the early 90s. IT performed exceedingly well. No where near as comfy as the burb, but adequate.
My wifes GC has the 4.7L V-8 and it pulls that 21' Ultra up the steepest hill w/o a problem. The brakes are as solid as my suburban's for stopping the rig. The Uniframe is solid as a rock. Its not like you are trying to tow it with a Taurus... My only complaint was the rear end sagged from the tow weight and it bounced more than I would have liked. Even though I changed out the shocks to Rancho 5000s. I think it just needs an assist from some air bags.
That's why I would of the two originals I would have picked the trailblazer, great room inside for a mid size SUV and it is available with the 5.3 engine.......

[Essex502]

I tow our 21' Essex Sterling behind a Dodge Dakota with the 4.7L V8. Does an admirable job but you can't see around the boat. Struggles a little up long steep grades like the Baker Pass and the I-40 coming back from Laughling/Havasu. Tends to heat up a bit on those grades but as an occasional hauler it works great and gets 13-14 MPG towing the boat and 18-20 highway w/o it. Good compromise but if you want a better tow go with a full size American made truck - forget the Jap trucks.:)

[little rowe boat]

Stay away from anything that says GM, or Chevy.Go with the Tundra.:D

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by little rowe boat
Stay away from anything that says GM, or Chevy.Go with the Tundra.:D
Everyone has an opinion on this one.........;)

[Chase]

Originally posted by spectras only
I towed my 20.10 spectra [ 4050lbs w/trailer] with this vehicle [ rated for max 5000 lbs] like the rig wasn't even there http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/spectralincolln666.1.jpg Now I have a 1998 GC with factory tow package towing a much larger [ 24.6 spectra , 6000lbs with trailer] boat with no issues . For my biggest surprise , can't see a difference in fuel economy , between flatland and mountain towing:confused: .With all my other vehicles ,the mpg dropped almost half with my boats:( . I'm very satisfied with the GC.
Is this what you were pulling with when I saw you in Kelowna last year?? I thought you had an explorer or something like that then..??

[spectras only]

Hi Kelly, you saw the GC I tow with nowdays. BTW I see you left the igloo and back on the water;) :p

[manuel]

Don't forget about doors, get LOTS of them if you any kids & dogs,
or want to bring friends along, here's a good example.:D
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/950130Nigel_Hooks_6_dr_Dually.jpg
Nigel hooks' 6-door dually, Lucas oil #7 offshore race boat tow rig

[Chase]

Originally posted by spectras only
Hi Kelly, you saw the GC I tow with nowdays. BTW I see you left the igloo and back on the water;) :p
Well the igloo has seemed to re-erect...well for today anyway. Things are supposed to be better again tomorrow.
It was a great feeling to get back out onto the water, except when I sat on the "swim platform" and dangled my legs into the water........it was painfully cold..
We were digging throught the glove compartment on the boat the other day and we found your business card there..that brought a smile to my face...:D :D

[Chase]

OK for post #1000 I will throw in my 2 cents here and say that I am completely satisfied with my GMC 1/2 ton pulling my boat...no problems anywhere anytime. I have also documented gas mileage while pulling, and I am getting at least 16 mpg, and that was pulling through the mountains.
There was a person posting in here that said that thier tow unit with the cruise set, would hit like 5000 rpms trying to maintain the speed.....or something like that. Well my answer to that is to take the cruise off while climbing the hill and when it is starting to work harder, just touch the brake pedal, this will unlock the torque converter, and allows to maintain a higher speed without the tranny actually shifting down. This is something that you maybe wouldn't want to do on an extremely long hill, but it sure helps in other situations, by keeping your rpms down a little.
I have a tranny temp guage in my truck, so I am able to see if things are heating up a bit, and can tell when to drop a gear instead of running with the converter unlocked.

[spectras only]

Chase , a friend of mine was bitching about his 4L cherokee struggling uphill with a travel trailer. The dumbass never used the switch [ on the dash ] that you're supposed to turn on when towing to let the tranny stay in the proper gear longer. You know the steep grades here in b.c . I never had trouble with the GC pulling my rig [6000lbs] on the Coke with MY SWITCH ON:D BTW, hope the weather turns back nice for you ;) . It's beatiful & sunny here:p

[bonesfab]

towing is one thing but the important part to remember is STOPPING. the bigger the truck the bigger the brakes... the tow vehicle should out way the object being towed... just my 2cents..

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by spectras only
Chase , a friend of mine was bitching about his 4L cherokee struggling uphill with a travel trailer. The dumbass never used the switch [ on the dash ] that you're supposed to turn on when towing to let the tranny stay in the proper gear longer. You know the steep grades here in b.c . I never had trouble with the GC pulling my rig [6000lbs] on the Coke with MY SWITCH ON:D BTW, hope the weather turns back nice for you ;) . It's beatiful & sunny here:p
Silly Chase........
Switch on........;)

[Dr. Eagle]

I towed the 21'LX with the Grand Cherokee and it stopped better than my old 21' open bow day cruiser with my 92 suburban. The Old body style Suburban had front disc and rear drums.
Disk brakes on all 4 wheels is the only way to go. And several of the Japanese trucks and SUVs don't have them. And yes I totally agree the tow vehicle should outweigh the trailer being towed.

[spectras only]

Originally posted by bonesfab
towing is one thing but the important part to remember is STOPPING. the bigger the truck the bigger the brakes... the tow vehicle should out way the object being towed... just my 2cents.. , hey bone , we all know you're right ;) ,however we would all need a hummer2 at least [ 6500lbs] to tow with, to meet your criteria:p . I have 4 disc brakes with ABS , and brakes on the trailer.No problem stopping. Do you think, a semi trailer with full load [40T]scooting on the highway could really stop in time when getting cut off ? We just have to follow the manufacturers recommendation towing GCVW .:cool:

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by spectras only
, hey bone , we all know you're right ;) ,however we would all need a hummer2 at least [ 6500lbs] to tow with, to meet your criteria:p . I have 4 disc brakes with ABS , and brakes on the trailer.No problem stopping. Do you think, a semi trailer with full load [40T]scooting on the highway could really stop in time when getting cut off ? We just have to follow the manufacturers recommendation towing GCVW .:cool:
Not having thought about it, I think I would have had to have a Mack Truck to tow the offshore boat. Good point!:o

[spectras only]

These two trucks I've seen at our local pokerruns [ 42 outerlimit ] I wouldn't mind having one of them for my first big offshore boat;) http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/towtruck1.jpghttp://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/towtruck2.jpg

[Chase]

Those are sweet:D

[Riverready]

Go with the Tundra, My Dad pulls his 6500 pound 5th wheel with it, with some help of from Super Springs for the rear suspension!
-Justin

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by Riverready
Go with the Tundra, My Dad pulls his 6500 pound 5th wheel with it, with some help of from Super Springs for the rear suspension!
-Justin
Go with the 4 cylinder manual shift nissan.... LOL........:D

[CBLavey]

The Tundra will handle it no problem. We tow our 21 Lavey with my 2wd Tundra with no problem. In fact, it tows and stops better than my wife's 1/2 ton 01 Suburban. It pulls the grade on I-40 leaving Laughlin at 55 in second at the peak of the grade with no sweat and never overheats.
As far as braking goes remember that 3/4 ton trucks must have bigger brakes since they are much heavier and need a larger surface area to help them stop. If your trailer brakes are in good shape you won't have any problems with the Blazer or the Tundra. :cool: :cool:

[Dr. Eagle]

I was just yankin the chains.......