Does anyone use the newer explorers to tow a 24ft jetboat

[2kwik4u]

.......I do not think a trailblazer is a fair comparison.--

I 100% agree I don't think that the Trailblazer is a fair comparison to the Q7 in terms of capability in real world usage. It was rated at 6,800lbs though, so by the book it should have "done just fine" at only a 900lb rated capacity deficit.

It's really hard to communicate to "not car people" how things like brakes, chassis, suspension, auxiliary coolers, and things like that add up. 4 piston calipers on a 13.5" rotor on your Q7 are going to stop SIGNIFICANTLY better than the dual piston 11" rotors on my old SS. But the tow rating says otherwise right? Those are the kind of things that are hard to quantify and explain I've found. So your experience and my experience that are both "close to the limit" are significantly different. Another piece of anecdotal evidence that flies around the internet and is super hard to justify.

This is the big reason why I like the SAE verified tow ratings. They level the playing field with a set of standardized tests that are "real world" based, and help quantify some of these things that are so hard to explain. It was really interesting when that SAE testing was first released some years back. Minivans jumped in capacity, and full-size pickups took a dive. Get the marketing department out of the mix and it's amazing where the ratings went

 

[robert843]

This is still a tough category to under stand for a lot of people especially with domestic vehicles as most think that you can go pick up an explorer and tow 5000# but that is way off. There are 9 different transmition configurations on the 2017 ford explore and only 3 that will tow 5000#. All three of those configs only get an EPA 16 city /22 hwy mpg at that point you may as well get a pick up. Also you have to step into there top two tiers of Explorers to get that package as it is not offered in the XLT or Limited package so a base explorer starts at $31,000 and the starting price of an Explorer with the towing package rated at 5000# starting price is $45,000 which is a huge jump. I have purchased several Lincoln Navigators now all used and I fell victim to not knowing the one I had before my current one had a class 3 hitch on it so I thought it had the towing package which would have rated it at 9200# but I found out later that wasn't the case and it was only rated I think for 6000#. When I bought my next one I called Lincoln before the purchase and had them run the vin to make sure it had the correct towing package. I would recommend calling the vin into a dealer before any used purchase anymore as there is very little you can tell by the eye to make sure the vehicle is actually rated what you think it is.

 

[Betik]

@virgil this is a bad place to ask for towing vehicle advice. These guys ( and gals) made me trade in a 3 month old Honda Pilot last November, LOL.
Now that I am done with the disclaimer let me put a new spin on this....

How about you get a Toyota yaris or Nissan versa for your commute and just keep your truck.!!!? Statistically speaking that is the 2nd cheapest option. You do not want to buy a $40K machine ( or $80K if your have @swatski's budget) to save 10mpgs. The math does not work out.

Speaking of math, if you are just trying not to spend unecessariy money, I would just drive your truck until the wheels fall off ( or it can no longer tow the bow).

 

[DieselCamel]

+1 for a tdi I have made 5 trips from NC to S. FL all with out issues if you don’t count tires. Touareg does a great job. Getting 12-14 towing depending on speed and 30 not towing. You can’t beat the comfort either.

 

[Jp127]

Friend of a friend had an Explorer. When he was pulling his fishing boat out of the lake, on a steep ramp, people had to lay on the hood so he could get traction. He only had the 2wd setup.

Just some extra food for thought. I'd also go with the Durango.

 

[blacksapphirez]

I had an opportunity to tow with a GLE350(short) and a GLS550(long 3 row seat) on a two separate occasions and it doesn't feel good towing.

full size truck for me for comfort and confidence in towing.

 

[stever40]

I will tell you I had a 2016 Explorer Platinum. The vehicle has enough power, stopping is fine however I will tell you I did it for 3 months and traded to a full size SUV. My problem was I bought the car before the boat. I also, have my boat on a lift so towing was limited.

Can it be done? Yes. Should it? No, not for a boat that size. You will find yourself completely max on weight every time you take it out. As several have said on this site....make sure you have about 20% extra capacity.

As for the WDH, Equalizer makes one however the dealership has told me that hitch mounted to the receiver is what they mean by WDH. You need to get the right angle to move the tongue weight to be in check as well. Ex. 5200lb towing capacity with 500lb tongue weight max.

Search the forum, you will see several threads on this. I will try and find and link the posts I have made.


https://jetboaters.net/threads/some-advice-on-hitch.8155/

 

[Dan_NC]

I haven’t seen anyone call out the GMC Canyon/ Chevrolet Colorado with the baby (2.8L) Duramax yet; figured I would throw in my 2 cents. It has 7600 lbs towing in the 4x4 model (7700 in 4x2) leaving plenty of room for towing a 24’ boat. The canyon is what I have currently, although I just stepped up to a 242x from a 192. I am already looking to trade for a full-size truck, which has nothing to do with towing capacity. It is a great truck with plenty of torque (love a diesel) but do not overlook the physics involved when you mismatch a truck to its trailer size. Wheel base is very important in towing, with longer being better. I am not really as concerned about the weight as I am with having a boat, dare I say, twice the physical size of the truck. The stability, or atleast the perception of stability, provided by a larger truck makes towing more confident and comfortable; mainly feeling planted in the truck. The wind resistance, inherent trailer sway, and lack of visibility make the ride less than comfortable. I haven’t had a single issue braking, especially with the engine brake. However, something about feeling like the rear wheels are going to come off the ground on a railroad crossing makes me really uneasy. If the boat/trailer was the same weight but half the physical size, I would keep the Canyon hands down. It is a great little truck which, like the TDI, provides fuel economy and towing capacity. I would keep this hands down over the explorer though.

 

[Ancient canoe]

So pretty much every tow rating published is with the asterisk requires a weight distributing hitch, yet very few people actually tow with one. Is that just the manufacturers going into CYA mode or is it something people should be doing?

As for the rest don't purchase a new tow vehicle that is under the needed capacity and don't purchase a new vehicle to chase MPGs.

 

[2kwik4u]

So pretty much every tow rating published is with the asterisk requires a weight distributing hitch, yet very few people actually tow with one. Is that just the manufacturers going into CYA mode or is it something people should be doing?

As for the rest don't purchase a new tow vehicle that is under the needed capacity and don't purchase a new vehicle to chase MPGs.

It's something that people should be doing. The shorter the wheelbase the more important it is IMO.

Also, GCVWR (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating) is what should be considered, not rated tow capacity. That is the total weight of the entire setup including people and cargo. EVERYTHING is based off that number, including the axle weight ratings, and the towing capacity.

 

[smack]

Before I parked my 24 in a marina, I towed with a Q7 - barely knew there was a boat back there and never any issues getting up the ramps. Great tow vehicle for anyone wanting a semi-luxury 7 seater that can pull a 24.

 

[Beachbummer]

I had terrible reliability on my VW Eos and like to keep cars a long time if they behave.

Our pilot has had zero issues to 140k miles, then asked for an alternator.

Tdi touareg or q7 look great on paper. What can you share in terms of long term reliability?

 

[DieselCamel]

2015 Touareg only issue so far has been DEF heater. Covered under warranty. Pushing 50k. Only con I can think of is. Touaregs like tires. Burns a little oil between oil changes if you tow a lot. Normally < 1qt. Per 10k

 

[smack]

Q7 are also tire eaters though once I switched from the Pirellis they came with to a set of goodyears I got better life out of them.

 

[Bryan mazanec]

My .02, had a 2016 explorer with the eco boost 3.5. It did okay hauling my 24’ chap but struggled on the hills in North Carolina. Purchased a grand Cherokee Hemi and noticibe difference, but not so much in fuel economy running at 70 to 75, but there was a fee mpg difference around 40 to 50mph

 

[Wr3ckdiver]

Eh, rather just keep my Toyota Tundra, no problems towing anything. Even towed a 20ft trailer with 10000lbs of household goods from California to Florida with no issues even though I exceeded the rating.

 

[Adrian242]

When it comes to any of the newer 24' I wouldn't want to use a any SUV over long hauls. Its just going to burn it out over time. Not worth it. Don't even bother with the mid size gmc, chevy canyon etc.
f150 or comparable imo.

 

[06c6z06]

Bought an new Grand Cherokee Summit diesel in 15 just for pulling. Last Monday I just bought a new 2016 SX240 700 miles away from my home. Just wanted to chime in on towing with the Grand Cherokee. When I picked up the vessel it was 15 degree and too cold for a southern boy. Going up I got 29 miles to the gallon and 17.5 mpg coming back with the 240. That's running between 65 and 75. Coming from a Tahoe, which is a frame/body to the uni-body, the only thing I noticed was the noise from the hitch comes straight inside the vehicle. After I got use to that, everything was fine. My GC has a Green Diesel Engineering engine and transmission tune. I now put out 420 ft-lbs at the rear wheel, which is 475 ft-lbs at the crank and 256 hp vs 240. That is backed up with a ZF 8-speed transmission. The GC also has a two speed transfer case and air ride. I also run distilled water instead of DEF fluid. My oil with the tune is just as clean as a gas motor. Before it was like the Q7 oil. The biggest thing for me was that I wanted a rear wheel drive vehicle with a north/south motor instead of an east/west motor for towing. My engine is the same engine as in the Ram truck, but the truck has the longer wheel base ,therefore it can tow 9600 lbs. I am basically a GM person and wanted a diesel Tahoe and I would have taken a Ford Exp. but no diesels. The diesel in the GC is basically a baby duramax, because GM owned 50% of the Italian company when it was designed before GM sold to FCA. That's the hold reason I bought the GC. Therefore I would recommend a Grand Cherokee vehicle if you want a mid size vehicle with good fuel mileage that can tow 7200 lbs/4 wheel drive or 7400 lbs/2 wheel rear drive. Now looking for the new 3 l. diesel from Ford and the straight six diesel from GM for the Tahoe/Exp. Ford. If I up size that is what I would buy. Longer wheel base and heavier chassis will tow more. I think the new 2018 Ford Exp is rated at 9200 lbs.

 

[AZ Native]

I wonder if Virgil who started this thread ever bought a new tow vehicle? I’m not a good one to ask about mid-sized SUV’s because I drive a 2017 Infiniti QX80 Limited (this is my third one). I also drive about 25,000 miles a year, but I would never sacrifice comfort and safety for better gas mileage. I often wonder when friends start talking about changing trucks for better mileage if they actually do the math on the costs. Unless you tend toward the tree hugger crowd, mileage is only about costs, and let’s face it, we are towing boats that hold 50 gallons and get at most 3.5 MPG. Even if you drive a lot, spending a lot of money on a new truck that get’s a few MPG better, with todays gas prices, just doesn’t compute. Go buy the right (safe) truck that you like driving and go buy your coffee at 7Eleven instead of Starbucks to pay for a little extra gas.

 

[Wr3ckdiver]

Still don't get you guys towing a boat at75 miles an hour can you imagine If you had a blowout on the trailer?