Minimum tow rating fo sx230

[BlkGS]

Looking at options for a new tow vehicle for my sx230. It will be getting a new aluminum trailer, I'm ballparking around 1000 pounds. The boat is 3000 dry, so with fluids and gear and beer, I'm guessing 4000 pounds. That's a combined weight of 5000 pounds.

Looking at a few options. If I can convince the better half to drive the tow vehicle, that's more better for me. Unfortunately, she doesn't want a huge vehicle like a Tahoe, nor does she want a dodge like a durango. A touareg is a maybe, but I am very leery of German cars. She would be ok with a highlander, ascent, mdx, or similar but those all tow around 5k, leaving no safety margin. Explorer is an option, but it does 5600, which is "technically" enough with a 10% safety margin, but likely more a marketing required number to have a competitive advantage than any real capability improvement.

So am I going to miss that extra 600 pound capacity? It will be in Florida, so flat but hot. I'm not opposed to adding coolers if need be, use will be mainly around town but likely will cross the state with it too. I expect we will be using it frequently to tow, every other week or so on average.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Tru KS to convince her to drive a larger suv so I can drive sports cars? If this all fails, I get stuck driving something larger like an srt suv or explorer st.

 

[Dixie Highway]

The advantage to the new Explorer is it is built around RWD architecture, vs FWD underpinnings in the others mentioned. Instead of defaulting to FWD unless slip is detected, it will default to RWD resulting in a better towing dynamic. Back when I was road racing, I looked at grip as a circle of sorts. Asking a tire to steer and provide braking and acceleration pushes it closer to the outside of that circle resulting in slippage. When you load a FWD vehicle behind the rear axle as towing does, the front tires actually unload resulting in a smaller "grip circle". Granted AWD will mitigate this to a point, but you can't cheat physics. Same goes for the Durango, those two are heavier and longer wheelbase than most of the others (besides maybe the Highlander). Just my $.02

 

[dgfreeze]

I was just recently in your shoes. I've got virtually the same boat, and needed an SUV for the wife to use to tow the boat, while I haul the RV when we go camping. Due to the weight of the boat, I had a pretty hardline tow rating set at a minimum of 6k. Wife also wanted it to be small, and it had to be anyway to fit in our garage. It came down to the Grand Cherokee, Q7, and Durango. She's not a Ford fan, but if she was, I might've added the Explorer....maybe. We eventually settled on the Durnago RT. If you're going to haul it any distance, don't cheat yourself on tow rating. Brakes, vehicle weight, and stability are just as (if not more) important as horsepower. We love the Durango RT, it pulls great, is very stable, has good strong brakes... it was a great decision for us. In fact, I choose it over my 06 3/4 ton Cummins to haul the boat around, even if we aren't taking the camper anywhere. Drove 5 hours a couple weeks ago down to Cumberland Lake, loaded down heavy with luggage and 4 people. Drives like a dream. All this said, everybody's different, and have different needs.

PS, my wife has ragged on Dodge ever since I met her, but she loves her 'Rango

 

[BlkGS]

Totally agree, but if we got a durango, it'd likely be mine, I just don't think she will be swayed. I think durango is the best option, I just hit a wall convincing her of that, haha.

 

[dgfreeze]

If you're able to, request to test drive an Explorer with your boat hooked to it. I'd certainly be a little nervous about buying a dedicated tow vehicle that's only rated for about 600 pounds more than the trailer, and there aren't very many "mighty mouse" SUV's on the market. I guess a very large factor is how far you'd be towing it also... if you're gonna be a half hour or less from the water, it wouldn't concern me too much, but if you're gonna be towing a decent distance every time you hit the water, that changes things a little...

PS, my wife put up a fight also, until I simply said "these are your options, take them or leave them, it's out of my hands". Lol, then she softened up a good bit. My hands were tied, and I just had no other vehicles that fit the bill...

 

[GTBRMC]

I was in the same boat as you (literally).

The first tow vehicle I used was a 2008 Durango. It was the old, traditional-truck-body-on-frame design with a Hemi and tow package. It was really the only tow vehicle that hit my needs as I calculated roughly 5,000 all-in tow load plus I wanted a 50% safety factor. Also, wife drove a Caravan at the time and we had a very narrow two car garage, so I needed a narrow tow vehicle. I believe the Durango had tow rating somewhere around 8,000 lbs (it was 11 years ago, not sure if I am remembering correctly). It had PLENTY of drivetrain for the task, but it's front suspension was very jittery in curves and the brakes were mediocre. It was an OK daily driver, but really not the best.

Later, I upgraded to a 2012 Tahoe with tow package and air bag rear suspension. It had less pure grunt than the Durango, but was a superior tow vehicle in every other way and was a much better daily driver. The automatic self-leveling air bag much improved the ride dynamics when towing. It was wider than the Durango, which helped significantly (we had moved to a different house with a better / bigger garage).

As others have said, the tow vehicle's ability to handle all of the dynamics of towing (wind resistance, sudden braking, majorly increased heat and stress on the transmission, etc.) is every bit as important as ability to pull boat from water and down the road in a straight line. The newer unibody SUVs (I believe every option you mention is a unibody) can be equipped to tow a load like the SX-230, but there is less room for error.

Also, 4WD or AWD is a must if you are going to launch and retrieve at a boat ramp. Not usually significant going down the highway, but very important on slimy ramps where your rear tires are in the water when you apply power.

Of the models you mention, if an Expedition or Tahoe is out of the question, I'd lean toward a VW Touareg or a Dodge Durango as they are more heavily built. Good luck!

Edit: transmission cooler is a must for anything beyond very short local towing

 

[TimW451]

The tow vehicle options greater than 3,500 lbs, but less than 5-6,000 lbs (i.e. full size pickup & SUV) are limited. Especially if you eliminate pickups. This is from 2018, but it will get you started: What is the Best Midsize SUV for Towing 5,000 Pounds? [Ask TFL] - The Fast Lane Car Take a look at the tow rigs thread and see what others are using. I see a lot of other vehicles, but they could‘ve been towing 19 footers. I don’t think you should worry about being close to the max rating. The factor of safety built into the ratings would avert disaster. Of more concern would be durability with respect to the frequency and duration that you tow (aux. oil coolers, etc.). Also consider the ramps you go to, not only is RWD important, but you may need 4WD. I would have preferred a four door Jeep Wrangler, but 3,500 lbs wasn’t going to cut it so I ended up with a full size truck.

 

[Julian]

If looking used see if you can find a Q7 TDI....LOVED Mine....

 

[ninjakris]

I'm towing my 05 SX230 with a 2015 V6 Grand cherokee. No issues at all. I do have the factory tow package and even have aftermarket air bags in the rear springs although I haven't used them while towing the boat. I actually got the GC for towing my race car around and the market for a 5-7K lb towing capacity smaller SUV is pretty limited. I don't regret the GC but if I were in the market again, I'd look harder at a used Q7, Toureg, or Ceyenne. Especially in a turbo or diesel.

 

[Chillypilot]

I just started towing with a Jeep Gladiator.

 

[TimW451]

If looking used see if you can find a Q7 TDI....LOVED Mine....

I wish I had bought one of these before dieselgate. I was just enjoying no car payment too much and still haven’t been able to justify spending so much money on a vehicle.

 

[Julian]

I wish I had bought one of these before dieselgate. I was just enjoying no car payment too much and still haven’t been able to justify spending so much money on a vehicle.

I would think that after dieselgate they'd be cheaper? I got paid a TON of money for mine (like 19k more than blue book!) Got almost 15mpg towing my SX230 with it too (65-70mph)

 

[TimW451]

I would think that after dieselgate they'd be cheaper? I got paid a TON of money for mine (like 19k more than blue book!) Got almost 15mpg towing my SX230 with it too (65-70mph)

I haven’t looked, but my understanding is that their value increased as vehicles not “turned in” or “updated” became desirable due to all the prior positives and new appreciation that they weren’t so “smog controlled” to reduce performance. The chief editor of Car and Driver bragged about how great his Q7 TDI was, and more so after dieselgate. I assume you sold yours back to VW/Audi?

 

[anmut]

Looking at options for a new tow vehicle for my sx230. It will be getting a new aluminum trailer, I'm ballparking around 1000 pounds. The boat is 3000 dry, so with fluids and gear and beer, I'm guessing 4000 pounds. That's a combined weight of 5000 pounds.

Looking at a few options. If I can convince the better half to drive the tow vehicle, that's more better for me. Unfortunately, she doesn't want a huge vehicle like a Tahoe, nor does she want a dodge like a durango. A touareg is a maybe, but I am very leery of German cars. She would be ok with a highlander, ascent, mdx, or similar but those all tow around 5k, leaving no safety margin. Explorer is an option, but it does 5600, which is "technically" enough with a 10% safety margin, but likely more a marketing required number to have a competitive advantage than any real capability improvement.

So am I going to miss that extra 600 pound capacity? It will be in Florida, so flat but hot. I'm not opposed to adding coolers if need be, use will be mainly around town but likely will cross the state with it too. I expect we will be using it frequently to tow, every other week or so on average.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Tru KS to convince her to drive a larger suv so I can drive sports cars? If this all fails, I get stuck driving something larger like an srt suv or explorer st.

Why not just a 4dr truck? The new Ford Rangers are pretty slick.

 

[Babin Farms]

Why not just a 4dr truck?

I agree 100%

Like stated in previous posts, if you are going to be hauling the boat more than 30min to 1hr I would go with a larger tow vehicle like a truck. Smaller vehicles can handle the tow but why be right on the ragged edge of capabilities of the tow vehicle?

just my .02

 

[mwalker4]

Unlike the past, there is now detailed standards for automakers regarding towing. A boat tows much easier than a camper, so I wouldn't have any issue towing up to the specs which need to include loading of the vehicle. Of course I drive like a granny when towing. This is from a bit from a previous post of mine:

If you want to understand towing capacity here is an older but decent article on how manufacturers determine it.

http://www.trucktrend.com/news/163-0910-truck-towing-capacity

"Vehicle synthesis engineer Jason Briggs adds that Chrysler (like everyone) uses a variety of public-road test sites: "Davis Dam in Arizona, which is used in the coming SAE standards, Eisenhower Grade in Colorado, Baker Grade in California. We do climate-control testing in Death Valley and in the Southeast for heavy heat and humidity. We also do city traffic, with and without trailers, for cooling performance." "

"When towing a trailer of any size, you need enough engine torque to get it launched from a stop, including uphill, and enough power to keep it moving at reasonable speeds up long, steep grades and to safely pass on two-lane roads. You need sufficient engine and driveline cooling to avoid overheating coolant or lubricants up long hills and in hot weather and sufficient brake capacity and cooling to safely descend long downhill grades. You don't want the trailer fishtailing or destabilizing your tow vehicle under any conditions, and you don't want to overload your tires, wheels, suspension, frame, or body structure."

So I feel very comfortable towing up to a vehicle's limits which need to include loading in the vehicle. Of note, almost all vehicle's require trailer brakes to tow anything over 2,000lbs. Many of the older 19' boat trailers do not have brakes.

 

[BigT51]

I have an older Touareg with the V6 and it towed my AR230 fine. All of the Touaregs had the same towing capacity - 7800 lbs for the V6, V8, and the V10 TDI. I upgraded to a RAM 1500 with over 10,000 lb towing capacity but still have the Touareg as a backup. I do notice a difference on the hills but other than that, not a major change.

 

[AZMark]

I went with a Toyota Land Cruiser for a mid sized SUV that would fit in my garage at home & work but still with a lot of power (same V8 as Tundra) and towing capacity (8500lbs).
The smaller Lexus SUV (GX) with the smaller V8 is also a good one (6500lbs towing) and a little less overkill on the off-road side.

 

[2kwik4u]

So I feel very comfortable towing up to a vehicle's limits which need to include loading in the vehicle. Of note, almost all vehicle's require trailer brakes to tow anything over 2,000lbs. Many of the older 19' boat trailers do not have brakes

Excellent post!

The "new" (now almost 10yrs old) SAE J2807 really showed the true colors between marketing and engineering. Many fullsize trucks got upgrades to "keep" their marketing derived tow ratings, and many minivans got higher ratings with the existing equipment. The unibody SUV's with the 5k ratings are a direct reflection of this empirical testing done now.

You make GREAT notes about brakes and tow vehicle loading as well.

My '17 AR190 DOES NOT have brakes, and I am therefore technically over my tow rating on my 1500 Sierra. It's rated at 9,200lbs with proper equipment, but only 3,500lbs without trailer brakes per the owner manual. Also, that 9,200lbs rating assumes only a single 150lb driver in the truck. I estimated last year for vacation I had somewhere around 1,500lbs of people and gear in the truck. That leaves 7,700 for the trailer, and of that I used ~4k for the boat. Had I started at 5k I wouldn't have made it "under the limit".

Wifes Traverse showed this very well also. It was rated at 5,200lbs. With the AR190, 4 adults and 2 kids inside, as well as a couple coolers and full fuel tanks I'm 99.9% certain I was over the GCVWR of that vehicle. It towed terribly at the limit with cooling and power uphills being the noticeable downfalls.

Again, excellent post!

 

[Brandon_SC]

Another vote and testament here for the R/T Durango. After 1 year in, it’s a beast and has plenty of frills.