Vehicle to tow a 22' Cruiser

B

BuildItOnce

New member
Hello C-Brats! I'm new to the site. I don't own a C-Dory just yet, but have been shopping around for one and looked at several now. What a wonderful boat! I am more-or-less sold on the 22' size and am still a little up in the air about the Cruiser vs Angler, but leaning more heavily toward Cruiser.

I have a few different towing vehicles and I'm wondering what everyone else tows their 22' Cruiser or Anglers with? I have a Diesel F250 I can pull it with no problem, but I'm also interested in using a 2000 Toyota Tacoma to pull the boat. I had the Tacoma's bed loaded with dirt last year and it felt like the truck was skating around... a bit of a white-knuckled ride to the organic recycle place just down the road that I don't ever want to repeat again. After running some calculations it looks like I probably loaded the bed up with around 2800lbs when the payload capacity is more in the range of 1600-2000lbs.... so it looks like I was severely overloading the truck, but boy did it feel squirrelly on the road!!

I know pulling a trailer will be different with this truck vs. loading the bed, but if it feels anything like a bed full of dirt then I won't consider using the Tacoma to pull a 22' C-Dory.

I'm just interested to see what everyone else is pulling their 22' C-Dory's with and if anyone is pulling it with a similar truck or SUV.

Thanks!
 
A 22 cruiser weighs around 4500# including the trailer.

One difference between the truck with a big load in the bed and a boat on a trailer is that the trailer will have brakes.

Define "squirrelly". Perhaps you're just not used to driving such a heavy load.

I tow my 22 with a minivan and it is not the least bit "squirrelly". The only noticeable difference when towing the boat is that the acceleration is a bit slower and the stopping distance a bit longer, but that is to be expected.
 
ssobol":2pnyx9uy said:
A 22 cruiser weighs around 4500# including the trailer.

One difference between the truck with a big load in the bed and a boat on a trailer is that the trailer will have brakes.

Define "squirrelly". Perhaps you're just not used to driving such a heavy load.

I tow my 22 with a minivan and it is not the least bit "squirrelly". The only noticeable difference when towing the boat is that the acceleration is a bit slower and the stopping distance a bit longer, but that is to be expected.
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Right, I expect the towing to be a little different with loading the bed vs pulling a trailer... just curious what it will really be like.

When I say squirrelly I mean it felt like the body was floating on the chassis... I'd turn corners and it almost felt like skating on ice when really it was the body skating on the chassis.

I've loaded my diesel F250 bed up with 4000lbs+ and other than increased braking distance and a little slower on acceleration, it felt NOTHING like overloading my Tacoma.

It's great to know you are using a minivan. May I ask which van you're pulling it with? We also have a minivan with a tow package as another option (Honda Odyssey), but as I understand it the max tow capacity on the Odyssey is 3500lbs.
 
I once did the same thing and loaded by Nissan small truck full of wet mulch. I had probably 2,000 lbs in the bed and I suspect it was only rated for 1,000. The extra weight unloaded the front wheels to make it squirrelly as you said. This won't happen when towing a trailer unless you tongue weight gets up above 500 lbs which is probably the tow limit if that vehicle.

But is it a V6. I would be careful about towing long distance with the four.

David
 
DavidM":vf8hd7en said:
I once did the same thing and loaded by Nissan small truck full of wet mulch. I had probably 2,000 lbs in the bed and I suspect it was only rated for 1,000. The extra weight unloaded the front wheels to make it squirrelly as you said. This won't happen when towing a trailer unless you tongue weight gets up above 500 lbs which is probably the tow limit if that vehicle.

But is it a V6. I would be careful about towing long distance with the four.

David
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I think most of my towing would actually be local. I'm in the 10-15 mile range from the boat launch, so most trip would be short. Maybe it's best to use the F250 for the longer trips!
 
There is a big difference between bed load capacity and towing capacity for trucks. Depending on your model Tacoma, it can haul up to 1620 lbs in the bed and tow 6800 lbs. Soil weighs about 2000 lb per yard, and your bed is likely much larger. A cubic yard of soil doesn't look like much, and you could easily have had 3000 or 4000 lb in the bed.

Did you notice if you pushed the suspension down onto the axle with the load? Not having any suspension except the give of the tires would likely give you poor handling like you mention? I hauled 2 yard of soil once, and it was big mistake for the 1500. Early on I replaced the crappy tires that came with it with higher capacity tires after having major problems with getting flats off-road. That solved the problem, and should reduce my tire, but not my suspension problems with a heavy load.

In terms of towing a CD22, I towed mine from Bakersfield CA to Anderson Island WA a couple of years ago with my Dodge 1500 with the 6 cylinder engine. My bed load and tow capacity are similar to the above. I weighed and checked the tongue weight, 4300 lb for the whole thing towing and I decoupled and rested the tongue on the scale. The tongue was initially light, but I moved load to the front of the CD until it was between 400-500 lb. I believe 10% tongue vs total is usually what is recommended. I also checked the trailer bearings and brakes before I made this trip.

I have towed lots of things with lots of rigs, and this setup was pure joy. Clearly, acceleration and braking were slower, and it knocked my gas mileage from 20 to 14, but it towed easily, including up and down some major mountain passes. It got really windy, and I was passing other large trucks towing boats. One Grady White towed with a Ford F350 was squirreling all over the place and doing about 40 mph in a 70 zone. I was mostly worried about being stopped for speeding. I fully expected this cabin boat to behave badly in the wind, but it didn't.

You can check out my pictures to see one of the rig towing the CD22, including the pop-up camper made by All-terrain campers.

I don't think you'll have a problem with the Tacoma at all. I've driven them many times, and if I could have had one for the price of the RAM 1500, I would have bought one.
 
BuildItOnce":6l4w2q8o said:
...It's great to know you are using a minivan. May I ask which van you're pulling it with? We also have a minivan with a tow package as another option (Honda Odyssey), but as I understand it the max tow capacity on the Odyssey is 3500lbs.
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06 Toyota Sienna.

I live in the Mid Atlantic region so the "mountains" here are less than out west. The biggest mountains I go over are the Allegheny Mountains in western PA and MD.

I've towed my boat on trips of up to 1200 miles at a time. After 5 years with the CD and a couple of years with a smaller boat before that, there have been no ill effects to my vehicle.

There have been other posters on this site that also have used a Sienna to tow their C-Dorys including at least one based on the west coast.

I have looked at other tow vehicles like the Durango and Pathfinder. Compared to the Sienna these vehicles appear to be a lot smaller physically. The wheelbases are shorter and a bit narrower. The interior space is way less in either of these compared to a minivan. The Durango is unibody and can tow over 7000 lbs. Depending on the model year the Pathfinder can be either frame or unibody construction. The current version is body on frame and can tow 6000 lbs.
 
I would be cautious towing with a "unibody" type of vehicle vs a framed vehicle. The framed vehicle attachment points and suspension are far better for towing.
 
When I bought my C-Dory I owned a 2000 Tacoma, and pulled the boat home with it, all of 5 miles, no problem, well I didn't have any drag race starts or panic stops. Good thing. Later when I was doing some "testing" , the stopping distance about sent me into a panic. Taking the boat from home to the mechanics for service, I used my "truck" (the Tacoma), and going over the highway from home to Port Townsend, the down hill curvesshowed me I needed full slow to keep the cart in front of the horse. It wasn't long before I acquired a 2001 Tundra. Much more comfortable for towing, steering, stopping and comfort.

I have pulled loads all over the west, with everything from a Jeep CJ5 to a Dodge Ram 3500, and yes, the Tacoma can do it, but it is working hard and you are on the edge, safety wise. Why do that if you have a logical alternative.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
The Toyota Tacoma trucks are great trucks, but I think you would be happier pulling the C-Dory 22 Cruiser with a full size truck. Our Venture 23 with full fuel and some water weights about 5000 lbs. towing weight. Pulled it with a 2002 Dodge Dakota (Similar in size and power to a Toyota Tacoma) with tow package and I felt very unsafe doing so at any distance. Both truck and boat in tow weight were equal at about 5000 lbs. and it was definitely like the tail waging the dog. We bought a full size truck to tow the boat and find we are much happier and more relaxed while towing now.
 
My CD22 on an aluminum tandem axle trailer weights between 4800-5100 lbs, depending upon how heavy I have it loaded. I have 460 lbs of tongue weight. In the past, I pulled it with a 2010 Toyota Highlander with the 6 cylinder. It's spec'd to pull 5,000 lbs, so I was pretty much at it's max capacity. It did a great job and I towed round trip over the Rockies twice. Now I tow with a 2016 Ford F150 with the 5.0 liter engine. It too does a great job. It also feels "beefier" than the Highlander, which would be expected considering the Highlander is a Unibody. I also run electric brakes on both axles of my trailer. That makes a big difference in mountain driving. Or anywhere else for that matter, in stopping distances. If the Tacoma is rated to pull at least 5000 lbs, and you have brakes on your trailer, I think it will do fine. Just don't over drive the conditions! Colby
 
hardee":1j3iylgp said:
yes, the Tacoma can do it, but it is working hard and you are on the edge, safety wise. Why do that if you have a logical alternative.
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Harvey said exactly what I was thinking...The 22 tows like a dream with the F250, so why put that kind of extra stress on your Tacoma if the Ford is an option? Having had both trucks, I can't think of any scenarios where I'd prefer to use the Tacoma over the F250 for towing the 22, if both were readily available. But yes, Tacoma will do it if you don't exceed the capacities for your particular model; The F250 just does it so much better.

I will also add this. With the 16' and the F250, I never once used the Ford for towing because I got so much better mileage with a 4 cyl SUV, and it was fully capable of that task. So maybe you are thinking of better mileage with the Tacoma? But the 22 and 16 are apples and oranges, so the F250 would be a no-brainer for towing the 22' given the choice.

Good luck on your search for a 22, you can't go wrong with either model! (although if you are searching used, you may find more Cruisers available on the market).

-Mike
 
MikeR":20vnegvx said:
hardee":20vnegvx said:
yes, the Tacoma can do it, but it is working hard and you are on the edge, safety wise. Why do that if you have a logical alternative.
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Harvey said exactly what I was thinking...The 22 tows like a dream with the F250, so why put that kind of extra stress on your Tacoma if the Ford is an option? Having had both trucks, I can't think of any scenarios where I'd prefer to use the Tacoma over the F250 for towing the 22, if both were readily available. But yes, Tacoma will do it if you don't exceed the capacities for your particular model; The F250 just does it so much better.

Good luck on your search for a 22, you can't go wrong with either model! (although if you are searching used, you may find more Cruisers available on the market).

-Mike
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Only reason I’d consider the Tacoma is because it’s a 4WD. My F250 is a 2WD and doesn’t have a limited slip/posi rear end. The boat launch I use now is great and have no problems launching with the F250. The Tacoma would allow me to launch at sketchier launch sites.
 
In over 60 years of trailering boats, I have only owned one 4 x 4, and one all wheel drive. It is extremely rare that I use 4 wheel drive. One issue with pickups is not enough weight in the bed and on rear tires.
 
I've only towed with 4WD vehicles, and while I can say it's not often, there have still been enough times where I've had to use 4WD at the ramp, I would be nervous launching/loading without it! I've towed with SUV's and Pickups. I think in the end it boils down to, make sure your tow vehicle is spec'd to handle the load you are towing. Have trailer brakes. Keep both tow vehicle and trailer maintained. Maintain a reasonable speed and distance. Drive appropriately for the conditions, and know your own limitations. Colby
 
If you have ever tried hauling a heavy boat (close to the TV's weight) up a steep, wet ramp you will appreciate 4WD.

We tow a camping trailer with our 4WD Nissan Pathfinder which weighs about 3/4 of the Pathfinder's weight. We camp in state and national parks and forests. They are not primitive by any means but some have steep gravel driveways down to the campsite. At least once or twice a year I have to use the 4WD to get up a dry gravel road.

I think the break point where 4WD is useful is if the trailer is greater than half the weight of the TV, which is about where you should also be considering trailer brakes.

David
 
I used to tow the tomcat with a 89' chevy 3500 duely. It had plenty of power (454 gas guzzler), but it was rear wheel drive with an open differential. I got stuck on launch ramps multiple times. From now on i'm 4x4 guy.
 
Salmon Fisher":i7wk5ry8 said:
Might try pricing installation of a posi differential for your 2WD.
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Yeah, I thought about that years ago after the first time I got stuck in the grass in my yard on a wet day on a very, very small incline. Maybe now is the time to pull the trigger on that!
 
I tow my 22 Cruiser with a Navigator 4wd. Its rated at 6,000 towing capacity. I like to use 4wd "low" for pulling the boat out of the water at the lower tides levels. There seems to be less stress on the motor and transmission.

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