Will my van tow a Mac 26M ???

[FLembo18]

I have a Chevy Astro Van, V6 (3. 2wd... is this enough to tow, launch and de-launch a Mac 26M ?? Please advise.

[Québec 1]

Crossed the Appalachian Mountains and launched and retrieved from the Atlantic on a ramp with no docks as well as numerous launch and retrievals off the St Lawrence. I always plan my lauch and retrievals for high tide and dry ramp times. Rides well at 100km per hour unless winds are strong at which time reduction of speed is necessary. No white knuckle driving experience yet!

[NiceAft]

This question has been discussed many times, and there are quite a few opinions. For me, what matters is how long is the haul? How steep are the hills? How fast are you going? think it's not worth ruining the vehicle. Do a search on the topic of tow vehicles. See what others have said.

Ray

[Don T]

Hello,
Short version = Owned a Safari, tail waged the dog, badly. Sold The Safari! Not long enough, not heavy enough and soft loosey goosey suspension.

[Divecoz]

As Has been said by others ... how long is your drag?
How often will you be doing it?
Over what kinds of roads will you be dragging it?
These are all important questions to be answered. I had the Ford Explorer Sport 4x4 ( Short wheel base) 4/0 HO V6 and HP wise she could pull it fine but that trailer controlled the tow vehicle. That situation was NOT Good, Not Enjoyable, Not Safe !
I did, in time bite the bullet sell my very very very pristine low mileage Explorer and bought a Dodge 1500 Quad Cab SLT 4X4
What a difference! My usual 90 minute, very stressful, white knuckled ride became nothing more than a cruise down the Toll Way at 60 to 70 mph just plain and simple No Issues..
I vacillated between the 2x and the 4x and choose 4x4 . I dont drive that much so gas is not really an issue for me . With the 4x4 I am assured as can be that the boat comes out where ever I launch her. 2x4 doesnt guarantee that in some cases. But seeing its such a dream to tow behind the Truck , I am now for the first time in four years of ownership, taking the boat on a long trip that I have always wanted to do but could never force myself to do with the other shorter lighter tow vehicle.
To and for me ....the cost of the better Tow vehicle was money well spent. Right Now is the time to buy a Tow vehicle BTW.
I bought a 3 year old Dodge 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 SLT with leather interior and 30,000 miles on it etc. etc. for $14,500.00 That truck New Sold for Window Sticker $36,000.00 +

[bscott]

I have a Jeep GC 4.7 4x4 that I have towed numerous trailers. My single axle was not fun to haul. I just converted the trailer to tandems with great success. I was seriously planning to trade the Jeep for a 1/2 ton PU but now will keep the Jeep for a few more years as the truck is too big for my other uses. The $2,000 spent on the trailer also gives me more confidence that a flat tire will not be a disaster waiting to happen.

Bob

[tompolak]

I have read many of the forums on towing before I bought my Mac (2001 X). Here is what I concluded. Many people tow with marginal vehicles (now I am included on that list) and many people tow with a "real" tow vehicle.

I have a 2002 Lexus RX 300 (V 6, 3.0 Liter). It has a 3500 tow rating and tows great. Now here is the thing, the previous owner upgraded to a dual axel trailer and put on electric brakes. I do not have an electric brake controller on my car, and will probably just convert the trailer back to surge brakes. I can stop fine with the trailer (without trailer brakes), but I know that if I stop too fast the trailer will probably come around on me. I also have strict rules on towing, only one other person in the car with me and a top speed to 55 MPH. Doing 55 I get fairly good gas mileage at around 17 MPG (normally gets around 20 on highway). Being a Lexus it has a lot of features that I think help with the safety when towing, luckily I have not had to use them yet. With all that being said, the longest trip was from MI when I picked up the boat. Once I got back, I made sure to check the transmission fluid and it was warm, but by no means hot. My car will never take the boat over any sort of mountains. I usually take it from the Rockford, IL area up to Madison or Lake Michigan, both are pleasant trips with my tow vehicle.

The one thing I have noticed, many rear wheel drive towing vehicles are not that great. At the ramps at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, IL, they are very steep and very long. Once they get wet, it is fun to watch the rear wheel drives try to pull a boat out. The wheels are spinning like crazy. Me with my Lexus, I back up hook the boat up (avoid stepping in the water), and pull out with little to no effort with no wheel slippage. Then the next trick I learned let the water drain for a minute (all that is needed because of the ramp steepness) and then drop the boat back into the water, do a few more cranks on the wench handle and then pull out. That way I avoid the dreaded Mac bump.

I think you vehicle will be fine, but I am sure some people will tell you it will not be. Just remember what you are towing and take your time.

[FLembo18]

Thanks to all for the good advice. I'll be picking up my Mac 26M this coming Saturday, NOV. 8th... very happy to say. My boss is letting me use his Ford 250 Quad Cab to pick up my Mac, I'll be driving from Greenwood Lake, NJ, mostly on I-84 West, to Falls, Pa. (near Scranton, Pa.) approx. 125 miles. The drive should be uneventful by using the F-250 and keeping to 55-60mph limit. As for my Chevy Astro, V6, 3.8 2wd, it should be ok for short drives (e.g.,Lake Winola 3.5 miles from home and Harvey's Lake 14 miles.), till I get a larger 2nd vehicle, then I'll be able to go to the Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, New Jersey Shore and beyond. Thanks to all !!! Will keep you guys posted after I pick-up my Mac. Woo-Hoo !!! BTW--hope the Winter zips by.

[David Mellon]

Congratulations!! The winter will be a great time to choose your mods and get them done. I drove an Astro for years, I expect you will be okay if you respect the mass of your Mac. Remember it is tail heavy and will want to swap ends when braking on corners on wet pavement, start slow, brake early and post pictures of your great times!

[nedmiller]

I had an Astro for a while and it pulled the just fine. If you have any tail wagging, move a bit of weight forward.
SILK

[NiceAft]

I would seriously consider having a transmission cooler installed on your Astro. I don't think the cost would go over a $150. The savings could be the cost of an engine or new transmission.

Good luck, and congratulations with the new boat.

Ray

[Zoran]

I towed my X with Astro for 4 few years, longest tow was 1500 km (950 miles if I am correct) with no problems. I had transmission cooler. A bit underpowered on steep hils but it can handle it nicely. Than I switched to Hnda Civic -manual transmission (just for launch and retreival) and now I am launching with Nissan Rogue. I must admit a lot easier than with Civic. So be carefull and aware of limitation of your rig, if it sways add more weight on the front of the boat and you will be fine with Astro,

Zoran

[TonyG]

I bought my 2005 mac from Bill in wisconson.
Towed it back home to Pennsylvania with my 1998 Chevy
conversion Van 1000 miles. The V8 did a wonderful job.
Speeds were above 70 many times.Never a problem
until the hills of Pennsylvania were I had to go up in third gear.
Had a trans cooler installed b4 the trip.

[McTexan]

If memory serves, I believe you will find that the van you have is one of the few, if not only, mini van that is a true half ton truck. I had occasion to research this in the past, but the figures are not fresh in mind. I'm guessing you're good to go. The closer you get to the vehicles capacity, the more you'll want to look at "helpers" like suspension air bags, load leveling hitches, sway control etc. There is nothing worse than the "death waggle" than can occur when towing a trailer at highway speeds. The longer the tow vehicle, the less likely this is to occur. Adequate weight on the hitch also helps. How you distribute the weight in the boat does make a difference.
The larger V6 in the Astro is a work horse, in my opinion. I had a carbeurated version back when that got 20 mpg
when properly tuned and power to spare for towing. I'm thinking you'll want a receiver hitch installed. On some of the newer frame alloys there are restrictions about welding, so you'll want to consult someone knowledgable about getting that done. Transmission cooler is a good idea.

some info here:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-part ... -chart.htm

[puggsy]

this is my tow "beast"...
2 WD....flat back ute...4 cylinder motor...nothing too special...and seems to handle the job...but not with ballast in...have to dump that...





Puggsy