Smallest tow vehicle for 22' boat

Currently I have a 05 F150 4x4 supercrew but I have to sell it to get a wakeboard boat. I have been looking for some kind of tow vehicle for under $3K. I am looking at 01-03 Supra SSV's (21-22ft), moving up from a Seadoo jet boat... Going from a 16ft single axle to a 22ft double axle... Any ideas... will a early 90's 4Runner with a v6 and tow package work or will have to be something more heavy duty? Thanks

so you are selling a new reliable truck so you can get a boat and an old truck? doesn't sound like a good plan to me

so you are selling a new reliable truck so you can get a boat and an old truck? doesn't sound like a good plan to me

I have a 2001 honda accord now... its reliable enough... getting rid of the truck due to the 15mpg and it will be sitting if I dont...

I pull a 19' ski nautique 2001 with my 97 grand cherokee 6cyl. The pull is a little hard on hills, but on flat terrain its ok. I am going to purchase a 21' mastercraft 205 this winter so I hope it still has enough power to pull that.

If you have an everyday vehicle I would just buy some old farm truck. I think a 4runner would do it but a half or 3/4 ton truck would do alot better. Alot depends on how far you are towing.

It's a class three tow. The older (pre larger V6) 4 runners were a little anemic but can safely tow that on flat territory.
They'll handle the tongue weigh fine, they should be able to stop the load OK - just make sure you stay under the GCVWR.

the closest lake is Lake Arlington, which we is only 3 miles away from us. Usually only go there during the week. But on weekends we normally go to eagle mountain lake, a 25 mile trip. I was actually looking at the grand cherokees also. half ton trucks in texas hold their value better than any other car, they are pricey. Does anyone know the weight of the SSV's. I have been looking everywhere and cant find specs back to 2001. Thanks

3050 LBS dry weight, boat only. Add trailer, gear, and gas also.

1/2 ton, full size, V8. Some of those "trucks" you mentioned will pull it, but not very well. Steep, or wet, ramps will drive you crazy. And IMO, it just isn't safe for any distance over a couple miles. After owning four half ton full sizes, a 3/4 ton, and a dually, I'd own nothing smaller than 3/4 ton if I'm pulling anything over 4500LBS. Sure gas sucks, but you gotta pay to play. Your boat is gonna burn a whole lot more gas than the truck.

i own a nissan frontier and pull a 5000lb boat with it

I pull our 22v with a Silverado 1500, Does a fine job! Any full size truck with a V-8 should work out great, but I must say I sold a F-150 with 200-k miles and a V-6 for $5k last year.

It will be hard to find something for less than 5k with a v-8.

My problem with a v-6 is pulling the boat out on a steep ramp. I have pulled 2 V-6's back up the ramp with small runabouts, one was a chevy pick up and one was a jeep cherokee.

Good Luck

I towed a 22' Supra w/ a 99 4runner for four years up big hills/mountains. It worked but is was a little sketchy. The total weight was right at the limit of 5000 lds. I figured with boat, gear, gas, and trailer. My 5spd transmission was starting to make really bad sounds but, I think the auto trans would not have made it that long. I fyou have another car go with a full size truck.

Toyota 4Runners were never much for towing capacity. If you check the Trailerboats.com database for tow vehicles, it lists the 1992 4Runner at 3500 max tow weight with a maximum tongue weight of 350 lbs. I think most boats in the size you're talking about are well over 3,500 when you include the trailer, gear, fuel, etc.

Here's a direct link, you should browse around in there for the trucks you're interested in:
http://www.trailerboats.com/towrating/

But make sure you select the right Make. e.g. "Toyota Truck" instead of just "Toyota".

true boarder here gonna sell his nice truck for a boat..sounds like a good guy to me...a toyota will probably get yanked around by that boat man

seadawg, thanks, great site

Anytime. Let us know what your searching comes up with.

I picked up a 1998 GMC Sierra , extended cab with the V6 with 120,000k for around 4k. Towed my '01 Super Air and '03 Super Air Team all over the east coast 20k+ miles, with ease. I can honestly say that my '05 Silverado with the 6.0L Vortec V8 does not tow noticably better on highways and back roads, it does burn a lot more gas though.

I use a Jeep Liberty to tow a 22 ft Moomba - weighs in close to 5000 with the trailer/gear/gas. It does great on the highway, but revs up a little going up the ramp. If your careful, you can make what you got work. Just know if you have a 6 cyl that you need to take more time to get up to speed...and especially up the ramp.
I am also considering getting a larger tow vehicle... but V8 means more gas money that I could be putting into the boat...

Used trucks in Texas hold their value, especially V8 or anything heavy-duty, even if high mileage. Can be tough to find.

For $2K to $3K you can get a "land yacht" sedan, like a Delta 88 or station wagon, with V8 and a solid tranny. Add a transmission cooler, some shocks and a frame mounted tow mount. I see 'em for sale in the Wal-Mart parking lot all the time.

Not cool, but in the price range.

Also look at old cop cars - Ford Crown Vic and Chevy Caprice. Either can tow a boat with the mods Rich mentioned, and service package cars will already have the tranny cooler.

like "The Blues Brothers"

Sweet, you could be on a mission from god. They'll get around 20-25 mpg when not towing, too.

Well I'm leaning towards a 93-94 v8 jeep cherokee laredo with tow package. There are a couple of them in my area for less than $3K... thanks to everyone who has helped..

mini me

You mean Grand Cherokee? Did the Cherokees ever come with a V8? IMO there's a big difference as a tow vehicle. I'd feel fairly safe in the GC, but I don't think the Cherokee would be much better than a Wrangler. Watch the trannies on the GCs.

Yeah i meant Grand Cherokee... with a V8... I dont proof read very well...

I have (well my daughter has) a '95 4Runner with the 3.slow motor - it'll pull my boat outta the water and around to my house, but that's about it...boat and trailer weigh a bit more than the car...NOT a safe on-the-road situation....

Get some American iron if you want to go anywhere - oh yeah, I used to have an Excursion - towed the boat, camping gear, six people, etc. in comfort as well as being able to accelerate up the hills, gas milage - 9.8...I had the V-10...I suspect the diesel would do better...

Wes

Just be aware that grand cherokee's are notorious gas guzzlers. Towing or not. With a V8 should tow just fine. I'm on the other side, I have a 98 Isuzu Rodeo 3.2L. I wouldn't try towing my boat on a long trip but it does surprisingly well towing my boat, (with about 1500lbs of non water ballast.)

1995 Suburban 1/2 4x4 pulls just fine, got this from craigslist for 2,600.00, but I am paying for it at the pump, 13 mpg pulling the boat.

I know about the gas guzzling cherokee, I get 13 max when pulling our boat with the 6 cyl.

I will have to look at craigslist. thanks. well like someone said earlier, you have to pay to play... or in my case... my friends have to pay to play on my boat. Hopefully gas will go down a little though.

How about this: 1975 Austin Cooper Mini Delivery

My Tahoe tows my Nautique SV211 great. But, when the wife takes the dogs that leavs me with the V6 Chevy Silverado, my "landscaper's truck". It hates hills but does well on the flats. It does bounce quite a bit as well. I also towed with my Grand Cherokees (had 3 of them). They work OK too but not ideal and not comfortable for long tows.

In general a bigger vehicle = more comfort/safety. You just start making sacrafices the shorter you go. While I was in New Zealand I saw them towing big boats with the little Ford Falcon, it's a minitruck with a V8, kind of like the old Ranchero. Here in the US we like to SuperSize...