pulling a pontoon with a minivan?

[sammyinafrica]

I have seen several pictures of minivans pulling pontoons. So....

I have an older model minivan that is in great shape. It has a nissan 3.0-liter V6 with a 4-speed automatic and 151 horsepower at 4800 RPM. Would this be sufficient to pull & STOP! a 22 foot or so pontoon. I would not be driving much longer than say 60-80 miles...(and probabley much shorter)

Thoughts?

[lakerunner]

What does book say is max tow weight? Does or will trailer have brakes? Is it set up with tow pkg?

[sammyinafrica]

I believe the book says 2000 pound max towing. I do not think my van has a towing package..but it is a 4 speed and I could run in without overdrive. I would probably put in a transmission cooler.

I am in the final stages of purchasing aboat, but would have to wait much longer since I thought I would have to buy a truck first inorder to pull the boat.

I can put trailer brakes on a boat, even if it means buying a new axel...

thoughts?

[Bmac]

Can you pull it, probably. If you were a few miles from the ramp,down county roads where you could take it easy,I'd do it. Wife has a Ranger that I'd jockey our's around with. But, if I was to jump out on a 65-70 mph highway or in hills,I dunno. I'd at least have trailer brakes (one on each axle). Loaded up it could weigh as much as the Van. Carry all the coolers and junk in the van,so the toon doesn't push as hard. The tranni cooler would help,and keep the rpms up on the motor.

Biggest issue then becomes what lakerunner asked. If your involved in an accident some lawyer is gonna ask what your tow rating was. At that point it may not matter whether or not your "at fault". Your insurance company may not stand behind you either.

[mike]

I pulled mine with my honda minivan but it was tow rated to 3500 pounds... I had no problems, I pulled out the middle and rear seats and didnt have anything in the van at all, I even installed a tranny cooler. It pulled and stopped just fine, but my van has 240hp. I never launched it with the van, that would have been the big unknown, I think a slippery ramp may have been a problem pulling the boat out in some cases?? I was not willing to take that chance so I launched with my truck! Good luck!!

[GXPWeasel]

In all honesty, I think you're asking for something to go wrong eventually. My guess is that a 22' toon with trailer probably weighs 2000 lbs. Then, I know vehicles say that they can pull a certain weight, but I don't know that I actually would with a front wheel drive vehicle. There is no way I would attempt it without trailer brakes, as once you hit the brakes in the van, the trailer will dive forward ( at least a little bit ) and then guess what, you've got a majority of the boats weight on the back tires of the van, which do about 25% of the stopping. Not a good situation. Then there is the issue of the boat ramp. Hell my 2wd. Silverado spins the tires sometimes when pulling up my 26' toon, I'd hate to try it with a front wheel drive vehicle. Finally, you might install a tranny cooler, but you're still working those gears harder than normal driving. No matter what the tow rating is, Front wheel drive vehicles weren't designed to pull trailers. The auto manufacturers just put hitches and tow ratings on them so people can pull little u-haul trailers and lawn mower trailers every once in a while.

Proceed with caution and you may be okay for a while, but I would then look into at least a cheap truck just to pull the boat with if I were you.

[WaltF]

Ahhhh No.
The van pulls 2000?
I dont think theres a toon + trailer out there that weighs less the 2000. Heck the trailer will be over 1000 just by itself....
Soooo No.

My 22 foot toon, although an I/O, weights in at just under 3000, and thats without the trailer.
With the trailer, id guess 4500.

Pull it around the block? I guess.
Down the highway? No fricken way.

Youll either be Blown off the freeway by an 18 wheeler. Blown off by the wind. Or unable to Stop.
That is if the hitch on the van doesnt get just plain Ripped off the van...

Simple math says dont try this.....

[mike]

[texaspontoon]

Obviously it can be done, but I agree with most. It is not the most advisable thing to do. Strongly consider finding something a little more suited to the task. Adding a towing kit, probably only $300. Adding trailer brakes $1000. A new transmission or having an accident (tough to put a price on!).

Do you have any friends you could invite/borrow their vehicle once in a while until you make a decision for sure? That is what I would try.

[dockholiday]

Sammy I pull with an explorer with 225 hp, it has the tow package an does fairly well. Think that is low as I would want to go since you sure know it is behind you. Even with adding a cooler etc to you mini, I just believe it is too much load an will certainly shorten the life of it. Might be better to find a mechanically good designated pick up, or an older SUV with a v 8.
doc

[sammyinafrica]

MY original plan was/is to buy a 4 door truck or mid-large SUV to pull the pontoon. I just saw a few pictures of the vanand thought I would ask. So I will probably stick with that plan. I will just have to save up for a while until I have teh cash.

Any thoughts on what types of truck to get? I am aware of all the opbvious ones like f150, 1500, Durango, Expedition...
but what what about other vehicles like the Dakota, explorer, trailblazer, etc...

I want to have a truck/SUV to tow the boat well, just incase I want to take it on a long road trip one day....

[mike]

Minivans are by no way optimal for the task but it can be done in a pinch, I only did it once and dont want to do it again but if you follow the tow ratings and weight ratings you should be fine (I am sure they must build a pretty large safety margin in these ratings)... You can find cheap suburbans in the 96 to 99 range that would work great for 2-5K

[GXPWeasel]

Any thoughts on what types of truck to get? I am aware of all the opbvious ones like f150, 1500, Durango, Expedition...
but what what about other vehicles like the Dakota, explorer, trailblazer, etc...

I want to have a truck/SUV to tow the boat well, just incase I want to take it on a long road trip one day....

Any of the vehicles you listed should do fine when pulling an 18-20 foot toon. One positive about the Explorer ( not the 2011) and the Trailblazer, Druango, etc. is that they have a traditional frame construction, like a truck. A minivan or Crossover SUV is build on a uni-body construction, like a modern car. These are much less suited for towing, and more geared towards people hauling and comfort. I don't see why a good sized V-6 SUV or truck would have any problems pulling and stopping a small to medium pontoon. Once you get into the 24 foot range and above though, I would consider at least a full size pickup or SUV like the Tahoe, Suburban, or Expedition.

[WaltF]

I dont even have a vehicle that can pull my toon.
BUT i have friends with trucks! And all i need is 1 pull to the slip at the beginning of summer and 1 pull back at the end...

IF i was to buy something to pull it around, it'd have to be a diesel.
The main reason being, the things get relatively Great millage when towing, not to mention you feel 'safer' while towing. They pull effortlessly.

I have two friends with F250's
One has the v10, the other a diesel.

Ive pulled my toon with both.
The v10 got 8 mpg while towing... ya... 8.
The diesel got 16.

The diesel F250 also gets better mileage when NOT towing as well..

There's no doubt in my head which truck id buy.
Either a F250 diesel or Dodge 2500 diesel.

[dockholiday]

Might be easier concentrating on the suv to have more choices. A little harder to find exactly the right pu with a crew cab.
doc