On Apr 1, 3:51*pm, "D-unit" wrote:
wrote in ...

On Apr 1, 2:37 pm, "D-unit" wrote:





"Robert M. Gary" wrote in ...

I was thinking of taking the new boat to the lake this afternoon using
my wife's car. She has a FWD Saturn Vue with the factory larger tires.
It has the towing capacity but a friend warned me that FWD vehicles
may be more likely to spin out pulling a boat out of the water. The
car as electronic traction control. If it slips does it help to let
air out of the tires? I do carry a 10,000 lb tow rope. If someone is
around and I can't get it out I guess I could ask for a pull, but
hopefully I won't have to. Any tricks are appreciated, hopefully it
won't be an issue but I don't want to get stuck.

-Robert

I may have a similar issue to deal with this year. I keep a boat (21' Carolina skiff)
in a neighborhood with a boat ramp. Travel from my place to the ramp
is 3 blocks. I'd like to *attempt* to load and unload the boat with my
Honda Accord. (try not to laugh). It would keep me from driving
a gas guzzler to/from said beach place (approx. 160 miles) *and*
keep me from having to leave a pickup truck down there solely for
that purpose which is what I did last year. I don't think loading the
boat into the water would be a problem. I like to shuttle back/forth
to the beach house in the Honda for obvious reasons.

The ramp is not very steep and there's very little tongue weight by
the trailer.. Ramp wetness would probably be an issue.

Falling tide = wet ramp
Rising tide = dry ramp. (most of the time when I would use it)

db~still trying to decide if this is a good idea.

See my above post... Wind = wet ramp, lot's of traffic does too.
Washed up vegitation, mud, and anything else you can think of makes
for what you are calling "wet ramp", too...

Sliding back down the ramp into the water is not a pleasant thought.

db- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

OH, it sucks, lemme' tell ya'

Are you going to tow with this car often? See if someone makes a front
hitch for it. Or, yo can get a weight distributing hitch and put some
of the weight back on the front wheels.

I towed a 1500lb boat and trailer with a FWD car and had little
issues. Just do not apply to much gas.

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:36:23 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary"
wrote:

I was thinking of taking the new boat to the lake this afternoon using
my wife's car. She has a FWD Saturn Vue with the factory larger tires.
It has the towing capacity but a friend warned me that FWD vehicles
may be more likely to spin out pulling a boat out of the water. The
car as electronic traction control. If it slips does it help to let
air out of the tires? I do carry a 10,000 lb tow rope. If someone is
around and I can't get it out I guess I could ask for a pull, but
hopefully I won't have to. Any tricks are appreciated, hopefully it
won't be an issue but I don't want to get stuck.

-Robert

I pulled a 15' Whaler with a VW Jetta for about three years. It pulled it
very well, and never had a problem getting the boat out of the water.
Usually the pavement is dry where the front wheels are, so you're not
fighting slick stuff. If I were you, I'd not worry about the front wheel
drive bit too much.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
...
I was thinking of taking the new boat to the lake this afternoon using
my wife's car. She has a FWD Saturn Vue with the factory larger tires.
It has the towing capacity but a friend warned me that FWD vehicles
may be more likely to spin out pulling a boat out of the water. The
car as electronic traction control. If it slips does it help to let
air out of the tires? I do carry a 10,000 lb tow rope. If someone is
around and I can't get it out I guess I could ask for a pull, but
hopefully I won't have to. Any tricks are appreciated, hopefully it
won't be an issue but I don't want to get stuck.

-Robert

One big problem with the front wheel drive is... the tongue weight way back
on your hitch makes the front end of the tow vehicle lighter....reducing
traction.
I towed a 2200lb sailboat/trailer combo with a Plymouth Voyager 3.0 liter V6
and 3 speed auto transmission without problem.
As others said...any seaweed exposed at low tide must be raked to the side.

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:36:23 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary"
wrote:

I was thinking of taking the new boat to the lake this afternoon using
my wife's car. She has a FWD Saturn Vue with the factory larger tires.
It has the towing capacity but a friend warned me that FWD vehicles
may be more likely to spin out pulling a boat out of the water. The
car as electronic traction control. If it slips does it help to let
air out of the tires? I do carry a 10,000 lb tow rope. If someone is
around and I can't get it out I guess I could ask for a pull, but
hopefully I won't have to. Any tricks are appreciated, hopefully it
won't be an issue but I don't want to get stuck.

Well, think about it. You have 3,000 lbs hanging off the back with
4/500 lbs of tongue weight on a incline that might be slippery with
vegetation, water, etc. The weight of a small engine over the wheels
isn't going to make much of a difference. Add in how much time you
have on the tires, the tread pattern, etc. I don't know about the
Vue, but it probably has "traction" control - you might want to check
if you can turn it off because if you can't, you will lose engine
power if the tires start to slip and you wont' be going anywhere.

The chances of having problems is very high given the right
circumstances.

I could go off on a towing rant here, but I will refrain.

I'm adopting a new philosophy - to each their own. :)

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:36:23 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary"
wrote:

I was thinking of taking the new boat to the lake this afternoon using
my wife's car. She has a FWD Saturn Vue with the factory larger tires.
It has the towing capacity but a friend warned me that FWD vehicles
may be more likely to spin out pulling a boat out of the water. The
car as electronic traction control. If it slips does it help to let
air out of the tires? I do carry a 10,000 lb tow rope. If someone is
around and I can't get it out I guess I could ask for a pull, but
hopefully I won't have to. Any tricks are appreciated, hopefully it
won't be an issue but I don't want to get stuck.

Well, think about it. You have 3,000 lbs hanging off the back with
4/500 lbs of tongue weight on a incline that might be slippery with
vegetation, water, etc. The weight of a small engine over the wheels
isn't going to make much of a difference. Add in how much time you
have on the tires, the tread pattern, etc. I don't know about the
Vue, but it probably has "traction" control - you might want to check
if you can turn it off because if you can't, you will lose engine
power if the tires start to slip and you wont' be going anywhere.

The chances of having problems is very high given the right
circumstances.

I could go off on a towing rant here, but I will refrain.

I'm adopting a new philosophy - to each their own. :)


This might be a good site to dig around in...
http://trailerboats.com/output.cfm?id=1199251

On Apr 1, 2:45*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:36:23 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary"

wrote:
I was thinking of taking the new boat to the lake this afternoon using
my wife's car. She has a FWD Saturn Vue with the factory larger tires.
It has the towing capacity but a friend warned me that FWD vehicles
may be more likely to spin out pulling a boat out of the water. The
car as electronic traction control. If it slips does it help to let
air out of the tires? I do carry a 10,000 lb tow rope. If someone is
around and I can't get it out I guess I could ask for a pull, but
hopefully I won't have to. Any tricks are appreciated, hopefully it
won't be an issue but I don't want to get stuck.

Well, think about it. *You have 3,000 lbs hanging off the back with
4/500 lbs of tongue weight on a incline that might be slippery with
vegetation, water, etc. *The weight of a small engine over the wheels
isn't going to make much of a difference. *Add in how much time you
have on the tires, the tread pattern, etc. *I don't know about the
Vue, but it probably has "traction" control - you might want to check
if you can turn it off because if you can't, you will lose engine
power if the tires start to slip and you wont' be going anywhere.

The chances of having problems is very high given the right
circumstances.

I could go off on a towing rant here, but I will refrain.

I'm adopting a new philosophy - to each their own. :)

I'm always amazed at how people will try to pull a boat or trailer wih
a car half the size of the boat. I was always leary of vehicle makers
*maximum* tow ratings. too many decieving circumstances involved.

3500 lb tow rate? "OK, lets tow 3500 lb.s hey no problem, can't do
over 45 but thats ok, OH man, theres a school bus stopping in front of
me! I thought this thing had brakes!" or... 3500 lb. on a flat paved
surface in the dry. now lets tow uphill from a wet loading ramp with a
now amplified 3500 lb from a dead stop. now it's more like 4500 lb.

Well, pay your dues, take your chances.

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 21:25:24 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

On Apr 1, 2:45*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:36:23 -0700 (PDT), "Robert M. Gary"

wrote:
I was thinking of taking the new boat to the lake this afternoon using
my wife's car. She has a FWD Saturn Vue with the factory larger tires.
It has the towing capacity but a friend warned me that FWD vehicles
may be more likely to spin out pulling a boat out of the water. The
car as electronic traction control. If it slips does it help to let
air out of the tires? I do carry a 10,000 lb tow rope. If someone is
around and I can't get it out I guess I could ask for a pull, but
hopefully I won't have to. Any tricks are appreciated, hopefully it
won't be an issue but I don't want to get stuck.

Well, think about it. *You have 3,000 lbs hanging off the back with
4/500 lbs of tongue weight on a incline that might be slippery with
vegetation, water, etc. *The weight of a small engine over the wheels
isn't going to make much of a difference. *Add in how much time you
have on the tires, the tread pattern, etc. *I don't know about the
Vue, but it probably has "traction" control - you might want to check
if you can turn it off because if you can't, you will lose engine
power if the tires start to slip and you wont' be going anywhere.

The chances of having problems is very high given the right
circumstances.

I could go off on a towing rant here, but I will refrain.

I'm adopting a new philosophy - to each their own. :)

I'm always amazed at how people will try to pull a boat or trailer wih
a car half the size of the boat. I was always leary of vehicle makers
*maximum* tow ratings. too many decieving circumstances involved.

3500 lb tow rate? "OK, lets tow 3500 lb.s hey no problem, can't do
over 45 but thats ok, OH man, theres a school bus stopping in front of
me! I thought this thing had brakes!" or... 3500 lb. on a flat paved
surface in the dry. now lets tow uphill from a wet loading ramp with a
now amplified 3500 lb from a dead stop. now it's more like 4500 lb.

Well, pay your dues, take your chances.

I was told years ago by a SAE type that tow limits are exactly that -
limits. Meaning that it will tow up to X amount, no fudge factor. And
that's not a tested figure - it's basically a design calculation and
if you have any sense, you wouldn't go above 80% of it's rated limit.

Another factor people don't consider is length of the trailer as
compared to the car. Tow vehicle size and weight is as important as
the ability to tow X amount of pounds - has to do with trailer weight
and length compared to vehicle weight and length.

I feel a rant coming on.

I will refrain. :)

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

Another factor people don't consider is length of the trailer as
compared to the car. Tow vehicle size and weight is as important as
the ability to tow X amount of pounds - has to do with trailer weight
and length compared to vehicle weight and length.

I feel a rant coming on.

I will refrain. :)

A deer taught me a real good lesson about braking and
maneuverability while towing.

On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:22:48 -0700, -rick- wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

Another factor people don't consider is length of the trailer as
compared to the car. Tow vehicle size and weight is as important as
the ability to tow X amount of pounds - has to do with trailer weight
and length compared to vehicle weight and length.

I feel a rant coming on.

I will refrain. :)

A deer taught me a real good lesson about braking and
maneuverability while towing.

Damn straight. Around here, that's a real problem in the mornings and
late evening. You just never know when the critters are going to come
out of the wood work.