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Hi,

I'm considering the purchase of new vehicle, one that could tow my existing boat, and potentially something larger in the next couple of years. Sorry, stupid question. If my 17' Montauk with motor and gear weigh approximately 1500 to 1600 lbs do I also need to factor in the weight of the boat trailer when I'm determining the towing capacity I need?

Thanks in advance for your kind consideration.

Matt

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Yes, the trailer and everything carried by it are counted toward your tow vehicle's weight limit. It may come as a surprise, but also included are passengers and gear IN your vehicle. My vehicle's owners manual spells it out in great detail.

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factor everything in..boat motor trailer gear , fluids..then leave yourself room for more..use a fudge factor..any vehicle will pull stuff..its the braking thats critical..u need big brakes..so use that for research..good luk in your decision making process, bob

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Yes, you should calculate with total weight including trailer. Compare to the max allowed towing weight for the car according to the registration papers. Also keep in mind that the towbar might have limitations.

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Just get you a 4dr 4x4 F350....no worries, tows anything and can stop to

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I have a SUV AWD that shows 1,500 lbs towing capacity. Does anybody has experience with a similar vehicle pulling a 150 Montauk.
Can I without ruining my SUV tow a Montauk 150 for long distance highway driving (800 miles) without any mountainous areas. Flat Mid-West driving. My wife is worried we'll be ruining our car doing a vacation trip to the Thousand Island area.

I'm talking about a 2008 Montauk 150 with standard Merc 60 and trailer. This is not a 17' as being talked about several other places here on WC.

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The gross weight of a 2008 Montauk 150 on its trailer can easily reach or exceed 2000 pounds. I would hesitate to tow with a vehicle that is only rated for 1500 pounds.

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What is the new vehicle in question?

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Yes, it doesn't take very much vehicle to tow a montauk. Most SUVs will be able to.

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Remember, the towing capacity is a maximum, and the load inside the vehicle also matters. Towing something close to, or at that maximum tow weight, is going to greatly affect acceleration, braking, handling, and longevity. A healthy reserve is a good idea, especially if you need to tow long distances. It's a real drag (pun intended) to be towing something a long way and to have to worry the whole way about whether you're pushing the limit.

Tim

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What vehicle are you talking about? There is a big difference between a Smart rolling coffin and a Hummer. It's really hard to give any kind of useful answer to your question if you don't provide the pertinent information.

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Matt-

A SUV/CUV with a tow rating of 4500-5000 lbs. would be appropriate for a Montauk 17 up to a Outrage 20.

You should look at a midsize SUV or pickup.

Explorer/Flex
4Runner
Pilot
Traverse
Acadia
XC-90
Santa Fe
X5

Remember the post-classic models are much heavier compared to the classics.

Skipper: to the ramp (5 miles or less) is borderline. Anything else is NOT advised.

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I have towed a classic 17 Montauk / Newport many thousands of miles with the following:
Multiple Chevy S10s 4.3 V6 4x4
Multiple Pontiac Grand Prixs 3.6 V6 FWD
Two Saturn L 300 3.0 V6 Wagons / Rebagded Saab 9 5 wagons FWD
Subaru Forester XT 2.5 Turbo AWD
Chevy Tahoe 4x4 5.3 V8
GMC 1500 Ext Long Bed 4x4to 5.7 V8

All of them did great for that classic hull.

I currently use my Ford Flex Limited AWD to pull my 20' Grady and it really has worked out well as a tow vehicle.

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To all that asked the above. It doesn't make a difference if it is a Ford, VW, Saab, Nissan, Smart car, etc. It is an AWD CUV with a tow rating of 1,500 lbs and that is what the rating is.

Tom thank you for your answer, that is what I thought too and I will use another vehicle to pull the boat for the planned 900 miles trip.

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EJO,

mattroche's post below is what I was replying to, not yours.I suppose I should have been more clear in my response to avoid confusion.

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Or EJO should have started his own thread as is customary to avoid any confusion.

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Thank you!

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EJO,

Just for everyone's information:
There is no such model as a Montauk 15'.

We have no idea if Whaler is going to name a boat like this in the future so we have to stay with the names that Boston Whaler calls them now and should also have that name on the boat somewhere.

In this case, you have a Montauk 150 no matter what length it is.
It is a Montauk 150 or 150 Montauk.
http://www.whalercentral.com/userphot...lbum_id=33

Everyone, please use the proper name for your boat.
For most models, (except the older and smaller Classics) the name of the boat is either on the outside of the hull or on the console.
If you have a name on the boat as shown below, then that is the model you have.
Montauk 150
Montauk 17'
Montauk 170
Outrage 19'
Outrage 190
etc., etc.

See this Frequently Asked Question:
http://www.whalercentral.com/faq.php?...p?cat_id=5

Thanks for your co-operation

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I'll step up and tell you what to get. Toyota Tundra with a 5.7L 381hp v-8. 10,000 lb tow capacity. I tow my 17 montauk with it and can hardly even feel it back there. And after all it towed the space shuttle I think it could handle just about any boat that fits on a trailer.

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I just towed my 1984 Montauk 17 with a 90 Yamaha 2 stroke, 2 batteries and 20 gallons of fuel on a 1300 mile trip with a Toyota 4Runner with a V8. At 60 MPH I got very slightly over 18 MPG. At 70 MPH I got slightly over 13 MPG. So my point is, when driving on a long trip, slow down and save some money.

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I brought my Montauk 17 home 5 hours drive with an old Volvo V70 144hp (5cyl).
It worked fine at about 60mph (26MPG)
I'm also looking for a new car and I would prefer a turbo diesel engine and RWD or 4WD. 150hp at least. SUV is not necessary for that small boat but of course better.