5k tow limit

[Jimxo]

Anyone tow a Yamaha 242 with mid size SUV?

I have a 2014 Acura MDX AWD rated at 5,000 pounds, hoping it can hall family of four plus boat on short trips 1-2 hours.

Dealer wants $1700 for hitch and trans cooler.

TIA

 

[swatski]

Since you ask... Can you do it? Sure. But...
The boat with trailer is over 5,500lbs. You will not like the way it feels behind the MDX. The MDX will hate you. Transmission would be one of the first things to worry about (beefed up cooling would help). You may get excessive squatting due to tongue weight, the bow roller post can be pushed back to help with that. DUal axle trailers need to be leveled really well for best results.
Maybe others will chime in with more technical knowledge.

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[JDRacing]

You might want to repost this up in the Tow Rig forum. Probably will get more looks.

My $.02 is that it's less about the maximum tow weight in your situation than it is about the wheelbase of your Acura MDX. You've got about 26 feet of boat and trailer hanging off a, what, 17 foot vehicle? Once it starts oscillating it could be difficult to bring under control, I'd think. And coupled with the towed weight closing in on the weight of the tow vehicle plus load, it could really be a handful. You can try it out, without the family first, and see how it feels, but pay close attention to whether the boat and trailer is more in charge of what your rig is doing than you are.

Jeff

 

[2kwik4u]

Nope, Nope and more Nope. You're 10% over the published rating just in boat/trailer. Adding people/gear/coolers/etc is only going to make it worse. Cooling, Brakes, Transmission, Chassis strength. All legitimate concerns at that level of overload. Around the block I might try it. 1-2hrs at a time, no way.

Wife had a Traverse with a 5,200lb rating. With 6 people, a dog, adn 3 coolers in the car. Our little AR190 was more than it could handle on some hills. Stopping became sketchy as well. Keep in mind tow ratings are with a single 150lb driver, so anything you add in the vehicle takes away from your tow capacity. Same with gear in the vehicle. Just not quite enough vehicle there for the boat you have picked out.

Smaller boat or larger tow vehicle will get you on the water. I hear the 190's are really nice, and seat as many people as you can fit in your MDX

If you must have a 242, and must keep the MDX.....Rent a proper tow vehicle once or twice a year to tow it to a marina and keep it on a lift or in a slip.

You need somewhere in the 6.5-7k range of capacity to safely tow the 24ft boats with family and gear aboard.

 

[Beachbummer]

The price for the cooler and hitch is too high, should be about $1000 or less...call around other dealers. Maybe the honda dealer will do it for you cheaper. I recommend the transmission cooler as it will likely extend the life of the transmission (if you plan to keep the car over say 60,000 miles.) I have a Pilot which shares some engine and suspension components, and I had this installed on mine when I bought it in 2007.

If you were doing a single 2 hour trip per year..I'd consider it..but multiple long trips...the MDX won't be happy. The rear suspension will feel it.
10% tongue weight means 550lbs right on the back of the MDX. Get two big men to sit on the tailgate so you can see what happens.(275lbs each, or combination) you will see there is an impact to the suspension.

Short trip to the ramp is probably a non issue, but emergency stopping at 75 MPH in the highway won't be fun. If you were set on doing it, against better judgement, a set of suspension air bags will at least save the suspension from premature implosion. Keeps the vehicle level with the added weight, so there is an illusion of safety

Do NOT reduce the tongue weight [EDIT: to below 5% of load]...it is needed so the trailer does not sway...there are some youtube videos that show how this works with play cars.

low tongue weight= boat and trailer sway uncontrollably=death or worse.

Let us know what you decide!

 

[swatski]

Do NOT reduce the tongue weight...it is needed so the trailer does not sway...there are some youtube videos that show how this works with play cars.

This has been discussed at length here... The manufacturer, Shorlandr, recommends 5-7% tongue weight. Pushing the bow post back in new 240/242 trailers does wonders to towing - all good. Of course one does not want to be overdoing it, but the correct tongue weight is somewhere around 350-375lbs if I remember correctly, with the bow stop pushed 5-8" on average, I'll need to find the thread.

Here is the shorlandr info, strait from horse's mouth:
https://www.shorelandr.com/pages/pf_trstep3.htm

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[Beachbummer]

Thank you for pointing this out...I stand corrected, but I was thrown off by "Balancing", which I normally interpret as equal weight at both ends. As a kid my dad towed a 10TON boat and trailer combo with a CJ-7 jeep about 200 meters every weekend. We had the weight so balanced the trailer would pop 2 inches off the ball and hover in place. I think back to that, and how that would NOT have been a good set up for any towing at speed.

I will adjust my post to say don't adjust to below 5% of tongue so no misinformation is spread. My point stands, don't try to compensate for the SUV low tow rating by lowering the tongue weight below a safe margin.

 

[Neutron]

I wouldnt tow a 24foot Yamaha with anything less than a 6500lb towing rating.
That boat will push that MDX all over when braking. And you will stretch those clutch packs every time you pull accelerate from a stop

 

[robert843]

I agree with @Neutron its not that the MDX can't pull the boat in a straight flat line it's that it can't stop it fast enough if needed. If I was pulling the boat 1 mile or less to the ramp each time and its flat maybe I wouldn't worry about it but anymore then that it will require a larger tow vehicle or your tow vehicle will require a smaller boat.

 

[Maccam26]

Also consider that insurance companies (your and other people’s) in a road incident. They would lookup the values of tow rating from the factory for your MDX and could (read will) use this to either deny claims or place fault. That’s why it’s important to be within ratings as well.

 

[2kwik4u]

Also consider that insurance companies (your and other people’s) in a road incident. They would lookup the values of tow rating from the factory for your MDX and could (read will) use this to either deny claims or place fault. That’s why it’s important to be within ratings as well.

You know, a LOT of people use this mindset when considering tow rating. Myself included. Liability is one of those things that nobody likes to discuss (like estate planning), but is important to do. Staying within published limits is an easy way to hedge against getting raked over the coals by insurance if the worst comes to be.

I'm curious though, has anyone heard of this happening? Anyone have any stories/anecdotes/incidents that involve an insurance company looking up tow ratings, towed weights, etc, and using those as legal evidence against/for a claim?

 

[Maccam26]

You know, a LOT of people use this mindset when considering tow rating. Myself included. Liability is one of those things that nobody likes to discuss (like estate planning), but is important to do. Staying within published limits is an easy way to hedge against getting raked over the coals by insurance if the worst comes to be.

I'm curious though, has anyone heard of this happening? Anyone have any stories/anecdotes/incidents that involve an insurance company looking up tow ratings, towed weights, etc, and using those as legal evidence against/for a claim?

I used to work for an insurance company in Canada, i've seen denials based on this a few times.

 

[Maccam26]

And here's a story from the US from a previous State Farm Sales Person... I'm sure there are more

02-06-2013, 01:28 AM
[HASH=13]#5[/HASH]
B757
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast
Posts: 391

I use to sell insurance for State Farm. We had a insured that had an accident while towing. The truck was overloaded beyond the stated capacity. The trail lawyer for the injured party was able thru research and interviews. Establish that our insured both knowingly and willfully exceeded his trucks capacity. Long story short. State Farm denied his claim. I'm not saying they were right for doing that but they had just cause presented to them during the trial.

One thing I have learned in my many professions. How will it sound when you have to explain yourself in court or on an accident report. Will it sound better to say i had taken every precaution or that i cut a few corners. That has thus far kept me out of trouble.

Reply

 

[2kwik4u]

Thanks for the replies. Glad to know it's a legit concern, and not just "all in our head"

 

[Maccam26]

Yeah, I think it's a greater risk from the liability side if you injure someone like in the state farm story above. If you just had a solo claim where you had trailer damage by yourself, they ..."key word" MAY not review that and cover damage... but as soon as injuries are concerned, the amounts are usually big dollar claims and they will take any out they can in the contract to avoid payment.

 

[jcyamaharider]

@Jimxo I know you may be thinking that we are beating you up a little bit. Being on camper forums those people are brutal when talking about towing capacity and if you have the right size truck. Of course we are talking about 3/4 to full ton and above SRW and DRW trucks.

I wouldn't even think about putting that boat behind your vehicle. Not enough weight or over sized brake power to stop it. Adding in the factor of the family in the vehicle and supplies for a day outing just makes it worse.

We are just trying to keep you and your family safe and enjoy that beautiful new boat of yours.

I am attaching a pic of what my boat looks like behind my dually. The truck doesn't make the boat look small. Just imagine what it would look like behind your MDX.

 

[Mainah]

This thread is feeling reminiscent of how @Betik got introduced to the forum and he ended up buying a new boat and tow vehicle. @Jimxo everyone here means well and instead of just saying not a good idea they are qualifying to supply the whys so you can make an informed decision. My guess is that you ended up here as you already had your doubts and want to do the right thing. We welcome new members and it gets us upset when dealers give bad advice to make a sale. Especially when that advice may put you or others at risk of bodily harm. Frame, wheelbase, torque, cooling, tires, brakes, vehicle weight, weight capacity, weight distribution, and more all make a difference. There are devices desinged to help with some of that but physics always wins.

Lots of great info here from electronics, grills for the boat, best way to set up for tow sports, and much more. Welcome and good luck with the boat hunting.

 

[2kwik4u]

@Mainah is spot on. We probably sound like a bunch of jerks, but it's not because we're jerks, it's because we honestly want you to make an informed decision to keep you and your family safe, others on the road safe, and have a good experience boating.

Having overheated a truck while towing (head gasket problem, not overweight), I can tell you that NOBODY in the vehicle is happy about waiting on a tow truck/rescue friend after a day on the lake. Especially considering some summer heat and a few sunburns! It's worse when you have to stop multiple times on the way to your destination to let the tow vehicle "rest" to prevent overheating. I've sunk a truck/boat at the ramp before as well, so I've been around the block on having less than adequate equipment. It really is worth the money/time/effort to have the right tool for the job here!

 

[suke]

@Mainah is spot on. We probably sound like a bunch of jerks, but it's not because we're jerks, it's because we honestly want you to make an informed decision to keep you and your family safe, others on the road safe, and have a good experience boating.

Having overheated a truck while towing (head gasket problem, not overweight), I can tell you that NOBODY in the vehicle is happy about waiting on a tow truck/rescue friend after a day on the lake. Especially considering some summer heat and a few sunburns! It's worse when you have to stop multiple times on the way to your destination to let the tow vehicle "rest" to prevent overheating. I've sunk a truck/boat at the ramp before as well, so I've been around the block on having less than adequate equipment. It really is worth the money/time/effort to have the right tool for the job here!

LOL Damn dude what's the story on sinking a truck/boat? WTF were you towing?


Coming from someone that tows def at the limit an MDX would be pushing it big time for a 23ft boat. If you do plan to do it short distances look into air suspension. These are affordable and great. Even if I had a full size I'd have a pair of these under my truck.

https://www.airliftcompany.com/vehicles/acura/mdx/

 

[Jimxo]

Great information, thank you.