[Rhodes22-list] Towing

[Jim Connolly]

On the other end of the towing spectrum, I offer my experience.   I tow twice a season, 35 miles one way, relatively flat and more than half of that is interstate highway.   My ramp is top notch, if it has a drop-off, I have not seen it.  It was built in the 1930's to launch flying boats.  

My boat/trailer is probably on the lighter side.  It is a 1985 without enclosed head and few options. Trailer is a single-axle Triad.  Motor is a 58 pound two-stroke.

I do fine with a 2008 Toyota Highlander with 5,000 pound tow package.  Previously I did fine with a 1998 Chevy Blazer with a tow package.   If I went farther or much more often, I might use a heavier vehicle.

I do use a anti-sway weight distributing hitch when the boat is loaded. It is made by www.equalizerhitch.com.  It does not interfere with the trailer surge brakes.

My $0.02.

Jim Connolly 

Jay Curry <jac2 at wavecable.com> wrote:

>If anyone is considering a tow vehicle, I thought our experience with our 
>two different trucks and boats might be helpful.
>
>Our first boat was a Hunter 260 with a trailer weight around 5,000 lbs after 
>you drained the 250 gallon water ballast tank. We tried towing it with a new 
>Dodge 1500 with a 5.8 Liter V8.  It was a disastrous combination. Even on 
>short, small inclines, we were almost immediately forced into low gear and a 
>max speed of about 45 MPH. Towing gas mileage was around 7 MPG and about 14 
>MPG otherwise. The truck even had trouble on hills when not trailering 
>anything. The trailer weight was about 75% of the rated weight for the truck 
>if my memory serves me correctly. The dealer could not help. I always 
>suspected engine performance could be improved dramatically by tuning the 
>electronic control, but doing so voided warranties.
>
>We traded the 1500 truck on a 2002 F-250 7.3 Liter Diesel Power Stroke with 
>3.73 Gear Ratio and 12,500 lb trailer weight. It has been the most reliable 
>and capable vehicle that I have ever owned. It is comfortable on long trips, 
>fast, powerful and in general, a joy to drive. It pulled the Hunter easily 
>and pulled the trailer up short steep hills without any loss of speed. On 
>Longer hills, it would still pull at speed if you pushed it, but was more 
>comfortable at around 55 at worst.
>
>We used it recently to pick up our refurbished 92 Rhodes from Edenton, NC 
>and return it to Port Angeles Washington. The return trip with the Rhodes on 
>its dual axle trailer was about 3,300 Miles. The outgoing trip without the 
>trailer was about 3,000. We kept detailed mileage records. We averaged 18.5 
>MPG with high events of 22 MPG and lows of about 16 MPG on the outgoing 
>trip. On the return trip we averaged about 13 MPG with highs of 15 MPG and 
>lows of 11 MPG. It pulled the Rhodes easily up the mountain passes and 
>operated downhill with very little braking. I would never even consider 
>another type of truck for this purpose. I am sure other makes with similar 
>features will have similar performance.
>
>After trailering both boats extensively, I am convinced that a diesel is the 
>only reasonable engine option and staying at around half of the rated 
>trailer weight is about as far as I want to go. It keeps wear and tear at a 
>minimum and ensures I have the power and maneuverability to handle 
>unexpected traffic and road conditions. More than that is fine occasionally, 
>but in my opinion, for routine long distance trips, using more than half the 
>rated trailer weight would reduce the life of the truck significantly, 
>create problems in traffic, on hills and significantly increase maintenance 
>costs. We have had our truck now for ten years and with just routine 
>maintenance, it still drives like new.
>
>Jay Curry
>Port Angeles, WA 
>
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