How many times have you and the wife contemplated adding a new boat to your family and then being faced with the issue of a tow vehicle? For many who are exploring the boating lifestyle the one big obstacle is “how are we going to tow this thing?” With all the different trucks and utility vehicles on the market today what is the best for my towing needs. Let’s take a look at several factors to be considered.

First and foremost what style of boat and what size are you considering? This is the most important question to ask and should be determined before anything else. Boats are measured in several different ways. Length overall or L.O.L., weight both dry and wet, and lastly what type of trailer is it riding on. Let’s start from the beginning. How big is this boat and of what style? Let’s consider today’s open fishing boats. A 22’ center console with a single outboard is far less in weight than the same size cabin cruiser with twin four cylindered I/O. So how do we learn the true weight of our boat?

Most every boat manufacture lists a weight of there products along with standard options they include. This is not to be confused with the total weight as we still have to add the motors, fuel and gear. Next let’s examine the power and fuel tank this boat is equipped with. For conversations sake lets say our 22’ open fisherman is rigged with twin Yamaha four stroke outboards and the onboard fuel cell will hold 100 gallons. These calculations, also found on-line with the manufacture, added to the listed weight of the boat has you almost to the total package poundage. Lastly the trailer. Trailers are shown as 300lb. for single axle and 500lbs. for tandem axle. These figures are used as industry standards when calculating towing weight.

Now that we have the total weight of our new boat, motor, and trailer package we can start the hunt for a tow vehicle. All auto manufactures will post the rated towing capability and distribution weight for each vehicle. This will get your list of prospective vehicles narrowed down quickly. Remember SUV’s fit into this category also.

Now let’s look at options. Gas v/s diesel. Both of these energy options make great power plants for towing. The diesel, while costing quite a bit more upfront, does a better job on the heavier rigs and will save on fuel burn. Gas engines on the other hand are great for loads up to 7K pounds +/- and are abundantly available. This time tested engine has proven itself throughout the years as a great power plant for a tow vehicle and is the most common seen today.

Two or four wheel drive trains. Most boat ramps you will visit will be in good shape. However there are those that demand the use of four wheel drive. It is best to visit some of your local ramps that you plan to use on low tide a gage for yourself the need for this feature.

Oil and transmission coolers. These two devises work much like the engine’s radiator. The engine and transmission oil runs through a smaller dedicated cooler to aid in keeping high temperatures to a minimum.

Brakes and stopping power. Your new tow vehicle should also come standard with over sized disc brakes that are designed to handle the stopping of both the vehicle and its load. If you’re unsure or the salesman can’t answer this question go get the boat and take it for a spin behind the vehicle your considering. Nothing like a true test.

Once you have established all the criteria for a proper tow vehicle buy something you look good in. There’s nothing worse than owning a truck that’s ugly.