Towing a 16
- Thread starter johne
- Start date
I am in the process of wondering whether to buy an 85 16ft and would like to know if there is anything that I should be looking out for. The reason I ask is that the last boat I owned turned out to have hull blisters and this was not an uncommon problem the that make of boat. Thanks again, John
johne":1v2pjzyv said:
From a quick search, it looks like towing capacity for a Forester is 2000-2500 lbs., depending on year and auto/manual transmission. However...that's with trailer brakes, which most 16 trailers don't have. Without trailer brakes, the limit is around 1,000 lbs. - far lighter than a 16 + trailer.
You might be within specs if you added trailer brakes, but IMO...it's not an ideal setup. I've got a buddy that tows his 14' aluminum boat/25HP main with his Forester, and he definitely knows it's back there - and that's a far lighter rig.
johne":1v2pjzyv said:
There are lot's of variables, but I'd not pay more than $4-7K for an older 16 that needed a new main, assuming sound hull. You're looking at roughly $6K for a new 40-50HP main, and older 16's seem to fall in the $10-14K range when updated with a new 4-stroke.
hello well i just finished doing the up grades 40hp honda with 8 hp honda kicker and a camper back and you be right roughly 8 grand but fits my budget just fine!!!! hopefully some day we will be able to afford a newer and bigger cdory, untill then the honey do list will work just fine for us.
oh we did tow with a toyota tacoma 6 cyl but found a dodge ram v8 to tow her too!!!!
oh we did tow with a toyota tacoma 6 cyl but found a dodge ram v8 to tow her too!!!!
John, your decision may have to come from comparing many only similar experiences. I brought my 16 home yesterday [pause for wild cheering and applause], behind a Toyota Highlander. The vehicle is rated for 2000# as is, 3500# with special gear --on the vehicle. With the boat empty and no motor(s), it pulled "like it wasn't there" (except for that infernal jiggling) --until I went to slow.
This Highlander that once stopped in less than its own length in city traffic, cycling the ABS three times, could not slow the boat much even at surprisingly high pedal pressure. I'm pretty sure the problem would be worse on the Subaru with brakes originally built for a lighter vehicle. Maybe both of us should see a Magic Tilt dealer about adding trailer brakes.
This Highlander that once stopped in less than its own length in city traffic, cycling the ABS three times, could not slow the boat much even at surprisingly high pedal pressure. I'm pretty sure the problem would be worse on the Subaru with brakes originally built for a lighter vehicle. Maybe both of us should see a Magic Tilt dealer about adding trailer brakes.
Guys/Gals,
Pulling the boat is NOT why those vehicles have such a low tow rating. It is braking power! DO NOT try towing something at the limit of the towing capacity and expect to get away with it for long! That boat will push you right through a stop sign next time it rains and bad things will happen! If you have trailer brakes it will help but I sure wouldn't try it. You simply need a bigger tow vehicle. Take it from a former tow truck driver, you really don't want what you are towing pushing you around. It can be one of the scarriest events of your life!
Pulling the boat is NOT why those vehicles have such a low tow rating. It is braking power! DO NOT try towing something at the limit of the towing capacity and expect to get away with it for long! That boat will push you right through a stop sign next time it rains and bad things will happen! If you have trailer brakes it will help but I sure wouldn't try it. You simply need a bigger tow vehicle. Take it from a former tow truck driver, you really don't want what you are towing pushing you around. It can be one of the scarriest events of your life!
I agree with Gary. You can pull anything with a go-cart if you apply enough power. The problems come with handling and stopping, or not. I am planning on buying a 16 cruiser later this year. Not wanting to become a statistic or be concerned if I had a big enough vehicle, I decided on overkill. I bought a used F250 Super Duty long bed pickup with a V10 engine and 5 speed manual trans. It should still be OK if I upgrade to a 22 in the future.
Shoot Dave, You could tow my 27' with that! 
I use a '93 F250 Diesel 4X4 Extended Cab rated at 10k lbs towing capacity for my boats now. Before the 27' I used to use a '97 Dodge Dakota Extra Cab 4X4 or a '98 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both were very good for my uses while towing the sled (About 3500 lbs). The Dakota was a much better ride while towing. Both of them had the 318 V8. I managed to get both of them stuck on River Banks trying to launch/retrieve the boat though!
My suggestion Johne would be to shop for a truck to haul your boat. With the high fuel prices a lot of people are selling their trucks at very low prices now. You can often get really good older trucks for half of what they were a year ago! My truck sits in the driveway unless I need to haul something. With the way Washington taxes Diesel the fuel price is just out of site. I've even gone to running Biodiesel in it as it is now quite a bit less.
I use a '93 F250 Diesel 4X4 Extended Cab rated at 10k lbs towing capacity for my boats now. Before the 27' I used to use a '97 Dodge Dakota Extra Cab 4X4 or a '98 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both were very good for my uses while towing the sled (About 3500 lbs). The Dakota was a much better ride while towing. Both of them had the 318 V8. I managed to get both of them stuck on River Banks trying to launch/retrieve the boat though!My suggestion Johne would be to shop for a truck to haul your boat. With the high fuel prices a lot of people are selling their trucks at very low prices now. You can often get really good older trucks for half of what they were a year ago! My truck sits in the driveway unless I need to haul something. With the way Washington taxes Diesel the fuel price is just out of site. I've even gone to running Biodiesel in it as it is now quite a bit less.