Towing a boat with smaller car?

Question

I have a 1992 Toyota Corolla and I was wondering if it is possible to tow a 14ft to 20ft boat with it. It is a stick shift and 4cylinder. The car is in great shape and we have never towed anything with it. We are getting a boat pretty soon to go camping and other trips. This trip we are going on we would be driving the boat from Seattle WA to Wenatchee WA Then we would be towing it with a RV. Most of the trips with the boat would be less then 3 - 4 hours. Would this work. We also have a 2004 Toyota Prius V4 and a 1998 Toyota Avalon V6

Thanks

Answer 1

Hey W...calm down a little. You came into this forum asking for advise and you're getting it. Just because you're not happy with the responses given doesn't mean you have to come down on the folks who provided the answers.



My opinion...don't do it with a 4 cyl, regardless of make. I don't care if you've been towing for years you're still talking about a 4 banger engine and a trans that might handle a 14' boat but sure as heck isn't going to pull a 20 footer for any length of time without clutch or transmission issues coming at you fast. Plus you seriously have to think about stopping the car and boat and the brakes on this car probably will not be able to handle a panic stop.



Why even think about ruining the car? Go out and get a truck that has the engine, transmission and brakes to handle what you end up getting.



And please remember that you have to think of other drivers on the road too and their safety. You traveling slowly, or maybe not being able to stop the vehicle/trailer, or being knocked around the road by passing vehicles is not going to win you any friends on the highway at all...not at all.

Answer 2

It depends on the wieght of the boat and trailer plus gear. As far as towing goes up hill is the easy part beilieve it or not because when pulling dead weight it hangs off the back fine, downhill is the problem, too much weight will actually push you off the road into the ditch. Im no boat expert but between boat and trailer 3000 lbs would probably be higher than it is. Those gas statiions that cater to big rigs often have a scale you can wieght the boat and trailer with motor only for a fee and see what you have. Those little subarus are butt kickers those small engines make thier horsepower revving up so the more rpm the more horsepower, Im sure you could figure out a way to simulate the boat ramp angle too. If the boat will be towed long distances, I suggest a heavy duty set of shocks front and rear, this will take the weight of the boat out of bouncing you around a lot , especially after the stock suspension gets hot after a few hour drive.

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

Towing With A Car

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

Towing a boat with smaller car?

I have a 1992 Toyota Corolla and I was wondering if it is possible to tow a 14ft to 20ft boat with it. It is a stick shift and 4cylinder. The car is in great shape and we have never towed anything with it. We are getting a boat pretty soon to go camping and other trips. This trip we are going on we...

Answer 6

Don't do it. You need a trans oil cooler on it and the Corolla with a 4-cylinder is too small to tow a boat. The Avalon V6 would be a better idea. Call your Toyota dealer to ask. It's not worth burning up a transmission to tow a boat for a few hours.

Answer 7

Reminds me of my young and foolish days, lol. I used to tow an 18ft boat with a 1975 Toyota Celica. It had a 5 speed, It would tow it, but wouldn't go much faster than about 55 MPH on a level road. The real fear was stopping it without any trailer brakes. It pulled it out of the water without any problem, but yours being a front wheel drive, might have trouble getting traction. I would be hesitant to tow one in Western WA with all the hills. IF you do decide to do this, I would find a trailer with brakes!

Answer 8

I can definitely tell you have never ever done any significant towing in your life. Under no circumstances can any of your passenger cars tow any trailer of any size without wrecking your transmission and possibly engine too.



First off, passenger cars are NOT made for towing. How do you think they get that great gas mileage, while also struggling at steep roads, and also get pulverized during high speed impacts. They get it by having a small engine and a very light vehicle that can only tow passengers.



Second, passenger vehicle brakes are horrible for towing. Light SUV's and some Medium SUV's brakes are also very weak as well. Vehicles that can't brake well when towing are a disaster waiting to happen.





In short, you need at minimum a V6 Truck or SUV capable of towing at LEAST 5,000 pounds for most towing needs.



I recommend a Full sized truck with a V6 or small V8, look for a well maintained used model with reasonable mileage.

Answer 9

your Corolla can pull up to 1,500lbs., the Avalon can pull up to 2,000lbs



recommend that you use the avalon for towing. be careful to keep the total weight of the trailer, boat, engine and gear under 2,000lbs. remember that you will be climbing a mountain pass from Seattle to Wenatchee , and going back down the back side. it will help if you equip the avalon with a good oil and transmission cooler, and make sure the brakes are in good working order.



hope this helps.

Answer 10

The answer to your question is in the car's owner's manual. The Manual will provide instructions for towing including the maximum weight of the trailer and the maximum hitch weight.



If you don't have a manual, go talk with a business that installs hitches such as Uhaul. They will be able to look up the information.



I did find that your 2006 Avalon will tow up to 1000 lb trailer.

Answer 11

1. the frame has to hold it.

2. the drive train has to pull it.

3. the brakes have to stop it.



When a car maker specifies a towing weight for a passenger car (as opposed to a vehicle designed for towing, like a pickup), the limiting factor is usually the brakes.



Seriously, don't exceed the capacity in your owner's manual, in fact, try to stay under 70% of it -- it *will* push you out into an intersection, or into that a**hole who just cut in front of you on the freeway (and he *will* cut in front of you, believe me).



Trailer length is also a factor -- a longer trailer can take control of a short-wheelbase vehicle.



Of course, the strain on the transmission (not to mention clutch) will seriously shorten its useful life (heed the "external transmission cooler" advice above).



You asked "would this work" for 14 to 20 foot boat -- my opinion, for a 14' flatbottom jonboat with a 6-horse motor, sure. But 16, 18, 19, 20-footer...please, please don't do it. There are people on the road whose families depend on 'em, and killing another motorist is one sure way to ruin an otherwise perfectly good fishing trip.

Answer 12

Read your owners manual.



I'm going to wager 'no', the 4-bangers don't typically put down enough torque for towing. However, like I said, read your owners manual, it will tell you the towing capacity of the vehicle. Then you can look for hitches, which will list their tongue weight and total capacity.



If you DO wind up towing with it, I would make sure you add a few things to the car, such as an external transmission and oil cooler, which will help the fluids of the car stay somewhat cool while on the highway.

Answer 13

NO.



i had a s10 truck w/ a 4-cyl. and tried to tow my 17' boat with it, and it barely was able to to it. the fast i was able to go was about 50mph, and the rear of the truck was, no joke, about 2 inches from hitting the ground, and it was stock height.



so there is no way a corolla could tow it.



now i have a jeep w/ a v6 and it tows it fine. but i wouldn't think the prius or avalon could tow it.

Answer 14

boat weight cant be more than car or it will push sorry you need a truck for a 14 ft boat