Pathfinder or 4 Runner V6 3.5L tow CD22 Cruiser?

S

Silver Orcas

New member
Just purchased a CD22 Cruiser and wondering if a Pathfinder or 4Runner 3.5L will tow it on freeway 200 miles with some inclines no summits maybe twice a year.
Anyone using Pathfinder or 4Runner?
Thanks, Silver Orcas
 
You can do it with a 4Runner or Pathfinder but it leaves on wiggle room. I went through the same dilemma recently as a new CD22 owner. You will be towing about 3500 lbs to 4000 lbs. Even if a 4Runner can tow that amount, it leaves no room for winds, or more importantly, the boat weighs almost as much as the vehicle. That is not safe. You need a tow vehicle that is substantially heavier than your CD22. We looked at the V8 4Runner. I think it can tow 6,000 pounds, but weighs only slightly more than a loaded CD 22.

We settled on a Ford Expedition. It weighs over 6,000 lbs and will tow 8500 lbs. We can tow our CD22 very easily. The bad thing is the gas mileage is only about 16 when not towing and about 13 when towing.

You should get some other input here as well. if you do a search on my name, you will see alot of threads where i was asking similar questions.

I see you are in Eugene. I live in Corvallis. Where are you intending to tow your C-Dory?

Best wishes,

Terry
 
We had a cd22 with a single axcel trailer(900lb) boat ,motor ,trailer weighed about 3500lb -up to 4000lb . We first had a Mazda MPV (96) then traded in for a honda 4whl drive Pilot (06) with a 3.5L 250hp (weight 4400lb) No problem towing through the south east some small mountains .I looked at pathfinder 4runner and pilot The pilot was the best equipped for the money and drove the best .
After buying the cc-23 (venture23) we upgraded to a Toyota Sequoia (07) weight 5100lb it tows a lot better it handles the tougue weight a lot better then the pilot

1-Pilot tow rating 3500-4500 depending on whether 2or 4 whl drive

2-pathfinder the new one tow rating is 5000lb theold one was 6500 lb ?

3-4runner tow rating 5000lb with v-6 with v-8 it was 6500lb

4-toyota sequoia 02-07 6500lb tow rating

If the cd -22 is your last boat then a honda pilot would be a great tow vehicle if you might want the bigger boat get a bigger tow vehicle .I think for safety the tow vehicle should weigh more then your boat if you tow more then a few times a year .
 
We towed ours all over the west with an 89 Pathfinder, and it always worked very well, even in mountains and considerable crosswinds. Ours had the higher quality, "offroad" or some such, suspension, which made it much more stable and controlled than our neighbor's standard suspension version. It also had a 5-speed manual. The only significant limitation was that we had to gear down some going up a long steep hill - it was only 190 hp IIRC - but that's not a safety issue. As long as you have gears, engine power may be the least of your concerns.

BTW, we tow New Moon (11,750 lb on the trailer) with a 6700lb Diesel Ram. More than 60,000 miles so far with nary a hitch. Tow vehicle weight is one factor, but also its length, a robust and quality suspension design, brakes and tires are key.
 
It really does come down to three issues.

First, safety in emergency situations. The light tow vehicles mentioned will work but true emergency maneuvering, stopping and so on will be taking your life in your hands towing a fully loaded 22. On my long haul towing trips, there is always the need to quickly dodge the tire carcass or get out of the way of the sloppy driver. On pretty much every trip.

Second, wear and tear on the tow vehicle. Having to run at high rpm in lower gears up grades, and constant shifting with automatics and the heat produced by all of that will shorten the life of the drive train on those smaller tow vehicles when you do a lot of towing in any hilly country.

Third, is the having to run at sometimes snail paces up mountains, and then having the boat pushing the lighter tow vehicle down the other side.

So, for flat landers who tow short distances, anything will work. But if you want to get your boat out and see the country and a lot of new waters, the bigger the better for the tow vehicle.

In my 45 years of towing lots of loads in lots of conditions, anything less than a half ton is putting your life on the line safety wise if you intend to tow a lot. Anything smaller than a gas V8 or diesel is going to wear out pretty quickly if you tow a lot and would like to cruise comfortably at 60 or 65 up and down the hills and in head winds. The newer half and three quarter ton trucks get good MPG unloaded or towing, as good as you will get with the lighter tow vehicles mentioned so far. So, if you are going to buy one, the bigger the better is a general good rule. If you have a light tow vehicle that will do the job, and have the towing and driving experience to handle the emergencies, you are good to go until it breaks down and you need to replace your current ride.

The safety key for lighter vehicles is cruising at speeds from 60 to 65 at the max lots of stopping distance, anticipate cross winds, care passing 18 wheelers, etc. etc.

Main thing is get out there and get that boat wet and stay alive doing it.
 
browntdb":3sibfhok said:
Even if a 4Runner can tow that amount ... ... the boat weighs almost as much as the vehicle. That is not safe. You need a tow vehicle that is substantially heavier than your CD22.
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I don't know if I'd say that's true, as a rule. I towed a 9,500# trailer cross-country last summer with a truck that probably weighs around 7,500# and it was not even towing up to rated capacity. It had a looong wheelbase though, and was a dream towing machine. I would guess that a fair number of vehicles have a towing capacity that's more than their weight, and can handle the load safely, even easily.

That said, given that the C-Dory 22 weighs around 4,500-5,000# all-up, then maybe most vehicles rated to tow that much will weigh that much or more more themselves (?) But I would think it's just that the 22 just happens to be in a zone where the weights work out that way. ( Not that I'm not recommending towing with an inadequate vehicle.)

I looked at the 4Runner as a theoretical tow vehicle for my 22. I ruled it out because I wanted to be able to make many/long/cross-country tows, and the wheelbase looked too short for long-term, comfortable towing. So the wheelbase ruled it out. But if I were looking at a 200-mile tow a couple of times per year, the tow capacity of the vehicle was enough to cover it, and I had another reason to want to own a 4Runner, I think I would have bought one.

Sure, everyone could just go out and buy a Mack Truck, but to my mind there is a place for a tow vehicle that is adequate (and rated accordingly) but perhaps not a "towing machine" that one would use for regular, long-distance towing.

Sunbeam

PS: Another factor related to the above: When I (or others) are towing long distances on a trip, we most likely have the tow vehicle loaded down with gear and supplies, may have "the whole family" in it, etc. On many smaller vehicles, this will cut into the towing capacity and make it so you are over limit. On the other hand, if you are making a once-per-year 200 mile tow, and the family/gear can go separately, then you won't have that additional weight to "subtract" from potential rated towing capacity.
 
Sunbeam":3s4tk5jj said:
browntdb":3s4tk5jj said:
Even if a 4Runner can tow that amount ... ... the boat weighs almost as much as the vehicle. That is not safe. You need a tow vehicle that is substantially heavier than your CD22.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I'd say that's true, as a rule. I towed a 9,500# trailer cross-country last summer with a truck that probably weighs around 7,500# and it was not even towing up to rated capacity. It had a looong wheelbase though, and was a dream towing machine. I would guess that a fair number of vehicles have a towing capacity that's more than their weight, and can handle the load safely, even easily.
<stuff clipped>
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I'd concur that the "rule" that the tow vehicle should weigh more than the tow is not a "rule" at all. The key issue is having a good braking system on the trailer and sufficient rear end suspension to handle the tongue weight. Nearly all commercial trucks regularly tow far more than the weight of the tow vehicle. However, their trailers are set up with proper braking systems. I towed a 22 with an Isuzu Trooper with no issues (even in panic stops). BUT I did make sure the brakes were working well on each trip and I did have to add some additional suspension support (air bags) to stiffen up the rear end.
 
A couple of years ago we met a gentleman at Cap Sante launch going to the FHGT that towed his 22 up from Colorado with a Toyota Tacoma V6. I belive the 4Runner and Tacoma are based on the same chassis. The only thing that I will say is be careful, if you are towing over your rated limit and something bad happens even if it is not your fault the insurance companies will have a hayday with you.
 
I have to agree with roger about brakes on the trailer. You did not mention having them. A good twin axel trailer with brakes is going to tow a lot nicer then a single axel without brakes.

When we had the 22 I towed with a ford ranger with a v6 4 liter. I would recommond a ford 4 liter over a toyota 3.6 or 3.8. Toyota are great. Susan had one with the 3.8 and put 250k plus miles on it but it did not tow near as well as my ford ranger 4 liter, which I put 230k miles on before selling.

The rangers are great rigs and cost less then the toys on the used market. I have now owned 3 ranger/sport traks, all with the 4 liter motors. Never had trouble with any of them. In the last few years you have been able to buy the ranger and the sport trac ( 4 door version of the ranger) with a v8. Toys are fine but the engine is smaller and you are spending money on a name.

Now before the ford haters start in with " they called it the ford exploder" That was the 3.8 liter ford motor which was shit. I mean you could dam near time that motor going up in flames at 89k miles. The 4 liter was the cure to that whole mess and is a out standing engine.

If you are just towing a few times a year consider getting a old ford or chevy half ton. something from the 7os or 80s? it does not have to look good. Just spend the money having the engine redone, Nothing beats a $1500 truck.
 
Spike":n2zz7uhu said:
A couple of years ago we met a gentleman at Cap Sante launch going to the FHGT that towed his 22 up from Colorado with a Toyota Tacoma V6. I belive the 4Runner and Tacoma are based on the same chassis. The only thing that I will say is be careful, if you are towing over your rated limit and something bad happens even if it is not your fault the insurance companies will have a hayday with you.
Click to expand...
The Isuzu was rated to tow 5000lb and it handled the 22 without problems (legal or otherwise).
 
Brakes: You are going to have to have brakes to be legal. Many states require on both axles if tandem.

Tow 200 miles a couple of times a year with the lighter SUV--yes, but be cautious.

I agree with all that Potter Water says, with one exception--that is some of the V6's are pretty strong engines, such as the Ford Eco Boost. Yes, I went with a V8 and full size long wheel base SUV for the 22. We have gotten over 22 mpg on the road non towing. 14 to 16 towing. The newer multi-speed transmission are a great help with the economy.

The beater trucks are great--but the insurance and registration may make it a questionable investment.
 
Roger
Not saying your Isuzu, or any other make and model for that matter will not tow a 22 fine. Just passing on what my insurance agent said about towing over the rated limit of the tow vehicle. You hear alot of folks talk about how good this rig or that rig tows with out knowing their ratings or just how much what they are towing weighs. And I'm not talking just here on this site. I am amazed at what some people show up at the ramp with, on both sids of the hitch. A guy can take what I'm saying for what it is worth.
 
Spike":2s1gmpkh said:
Roger
Not saying your Isuzu, or any other make and model for that matter will not tow a 22 fine. Just passing on what my insurance agent said about towing over the rated limit of the tow vehicle. You hear alot of folks talk about how good this rig or that rig tows with out knowing their ratings or just how much what they are towing weighs. And I'm not talking just here on this site. I am amazed at what some people show up at the ramp with, on both sids of the hitch. A guy can take what I'm saying for what it is worth.
Click to expand...

Agreed - one certainly needs to look it up, not only for insurance but for safety. The Nissan Pathfinder is rated for max 5000lbs.
 
I've heard a lot of discussion about the importance of wheelbase when considering a tow vehicle.

What's the physical reason for wanting a low wheelbase? Does that make the vehicle less likely to be fishtailed around by the weight it's towing?

The wheelbase alone should have no impact on the ability of the tow vehicle to stop; that's controlled exclusively by the mass of the tow vehicle [mu * F(normal), for you mechanical nerds out there] and the braking power of your calipers or drums. So it must be some second order effect...

Thanks!
 
not a low wheel base but a long wheel base. its easier for a trailer to turn a short wheel based car side ways on a hard stop. Now I am no engineer but I have been towing thing since 82 at least and drove for 10 years for a living, believe me its true. Longer is better when non breaking weight is pushing on your hitch.
Thats why I like twin axles with four breaks. When its slick out I set my trailer break ( electric over hydraulic) so that the trailer slows the truck. As long as its dragging it should not jack knife.
 
Longer wheelbase vehicles normally track better and don't tend to dance sideways in a washboard type of situation. Buying a beater truck sounds great but to rebuild the engine and maybe the transmission you would end up with a lot more money than its worth. Try insururing it for what you have in it. This usually results in having to hold on to it longer to get your money out of it. If your a flatlander towing a couple hundred miles max almost anything will do as long as you watch tongue weight and maintain your brakes. We tow a 23' Venture and coming home from Florida this month we hit winds that moved our 3/4 diesel pickup truck around. We sometimes will do 650 to 800 miles in a day towing the boat pretty comfortably. On a windy day I'd be glad I was not in a Ford Ranger without towing the boat. :D Trying to get by with less has killed a lot of people, not just towing boats.
D.D.
 
I was the first to reply to your question. As I have read all the replies, I realized that none of us asked if you already have a 4-Runner or a Pathfinder?

If not, you might want to rent/borrow one and tow your CD22 to Roseburg on I 5. There are a few places where there is a little grade, but not too steep. Rice Hill and just before Sutherlin, and south of Cottage Grove. You said that you only wanted to tow it 200 miles. We initially were in the same situation. We live in Corvallis and want to use our CD22 in Puget Sound. After getting our Ford Expedition, we are glad that we did, because we are already thinking about using our boat in other locations that are longer distances or over more steep terrain.

I was jus thinking that if you could "test out" a rig like you are thinking about, it might give you some insights.

The number one recommendation that I got from C-Brats when I asked the question in the Fall was, yes it will work, but it leaves no margin for error and that it is unwise to use a tow vehicle with approximately the same weight as the boat. It is hard on the vehicle, and in cross winds it can be a real challenge when the boat wants to drive the vehicle. The C-Dory has a high wind profile. I also did not want to be towing something approximately the same weight coming down a long grade.

Just some things to consider.

Terry
 
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