Towing

[tcesni]

+1. FWD and towing up a steep wet incline is just a bad combo from the start. Ive had to give a yank to a minivan towing a boat it had no business towing up the ramp before and i dont ever want to be that person. Would be extremely embarrassing. Like mentioned there is a right tool for the job and lets leave the FWD cars to their job of commuting to work taking the kids to school and getting groceries. Right tool for the job is a mid sized truck and up for safetly and longevity of the vehicle. Sure some smaller vehicles have the “power” to get a load rolling but tow in the hills and you will soon dislike it. Also small transaxles are not made for heavy towing compared to an adequate truck or full sized suv. They will generate far more heat and hurt the tranmission life period. They are being overworked even towing 3000 lbs. Also in regards to fuel mileage i average 14-15 mpg towing my boat with my hemi and i have 400 horses under the hood ready to blow by anything i need to. Ill stick with my full size trucks its the best suited tool for the job IMO.

I towed a 17' 6" tin boat with a 90 hp motor for a decade up and down hilly Pennsylvania using a FWD "SUV" built on a unibody platform - a 2002 Mazda Tribute (Escape clone). And yes, occasionally it would spin a front tire going up the ramp but I would take the radical step of putting the gear selector in "2" and it would walk up any wet ramp without a bit of drama. As for the transmission, I changed fluid under the severe service schedule until the "SUV" met its untimely demise with a utility pole at 209,000 miles.
https://ibb.co/H7C6vnb

[FloridaFlyer]

There is "towing" as in will my car pull this, and is this a smart thing to do..... Sometimes the answer is yes it could pull it.....but is it safe and SMART....or is it "possible" but maybe not so smart.

Lots of things in life are like that. Some people's last words are --- Hey, look what I can do.

[Ranger9948]

I towed my 18 foot Skeeter with a 150 on it with my 2009 4cyl Toyota Tacoma single cab 5spd for over 80K miles. Thats 80K miles of towing. The truck had 180K on it when I sold it and ran like a top. Granted I upgraded to a v6 Tacoma as the 4cyl felt a little underpowered while on the highway and headed up hill. I'd tow at 65mph and could pull that boat anywhere I needed to go.

There is NO WAY I would tow the RT188 with a four cylinder vehicle. I towed mine some with Jeep Liberty which had 4WD and had a V6 in it. I was OK with that towing locally, but would not have been comfortable towing on a long trip and having to pass a semi with it.

There is a LOT of difference between a 4 cylinder and a V6. I doubt you will find anybody towing the 188 with a 4 cylinder.....comfortably.

[BOATS]

Might not be a good idea, I have experience trying to tow with a 4 cylinder.

Bayliner.jpg

[javjoe]

Might not be a good idea, I have experience trying to tow with a 4 cylinder.

Bayliner.jpg

Towing with a 4 cyl Truck or SUV is a little different than a compact car!

[BOATS]

Towing with a 4 cyl Truck or SUV is a little different than a compact car!

Mid size sir,MIDSIZE.

[j791]

I see small cars towing large boats all the time. It’s not about can the vehicle physically tow a boat. The question is what will the towing do to the engine, transmission and brakes over time?

[FloridaFlyer]

I see small cars towing large boats all the time. It’s not about can the vehicle physically tow a boat. The question is what will the towing do to the engine, transmission and brakes over time?

That is correct....but ALSO is it safe. You are risking your life and possibly others as well if you are towing something that you cannot stop quickly in an emergency. It's just not worth it to me...

[BigDozer66]

Can I tow my RT188 with a 4 cylinder crossover/SUV? I want to be able to pass a semi on a 2 lane road.

If the Semi was going 30 mph and you had a 1/2 mole or more to pass then you probably could pass it.

Another problem I could see is would it be able to pull it back up a steep, slick boat ramp?

[GeauxTide]

You may do it, but you'll drastically shorten the life of the engine and drive train. Most FWD 4 bangers are rated at 1,000#, tops. RT188 is GVWR at 2700#.