[sundrop]

My Yukon was getting "quirky". It was an 03 , had only 135k on it but had developed electrical bugs with the dash and gauges, a few months ago a cable broke on a window regulator and when I went in the door to replace it everything was seriously rusty inside. Made me suspect that this truck ( which I bought used in New Bern) Might have had some beach or flood history. Not a spot of rut outside but lots inside the doors. Transfer case had started whining after an incident in the snow last year etc. And 99% of the time it was only transportation, gas guzzling, single driver transport. Just made sense to get it gone while it still cleaned up well and drove good otherwise. My wife has been wanting to get back into a car, she drives a Honda Element, great little truck, only 114k so its got a long way to go and gets 24mpg. So, I was a little concerned whether or not it would pull my boat, but figured it would make a good driver, is built to camp in by design, and has a lot of life left in it and its paid for. So bye bye Yukon, she bought a steal of an Accord I found, and I inherited the Element. Ordered a trailer hitch and crossed my fingers.
Today I hooked up the boat. Its not a small boat. 1976 model , wide and 16ft long so its got "beef" but it has had all of the flooring redone and the floatation replaced when converted to a CC. I think the fact the trailer is a dual axle is saving me as it doesn't drop the rear of the vehicle much and pulls really smoothly. I went for a ride, kept my overdrive off, and hauled all around town and out on 264 at speed, braking hard a few times to see how it would do. I know to plan ahead and keep my distance in traffic.
I have to admit I am impressed with that little 4 banger and the truck overall. I know some ramps will be impossible when wet or steep because it is front wheel drive but for now, I think I'm ok. I will add a trans temp gauge if I continue to use it long term and a cooler if needed. I went from a v8 4x4 getting 14-15mpg to this little box getting 23-24 not towing, wife went from 24 to 30-32 and got her sunroof she wanted LOL

 

[meenyt]

Sounds good, just be careful on the stops! Lots of vehicles will pull a load, but stopping is another thing. You will probably do alright. I bet your mileage will go down a bunch when you tow, but sounds like a win-win! Keep the wife happy, and you will be happy too, lol!

 

[Crummy]

The gauge clusters in those year model Tahoe/Yukon are notorious for misreading or going out all together. All of them eventually do it. Simplest fix is have it rebuilt vs. buying the whole cluster. I had mine done.(04 Z71 Tahoe)

I am currently shopping for a budget 4x4 truck. 4cyl etc. I don't tow much now other than a utility trailer occasionally. Wanting back in a truck.

*04 Z71 Tahoe for sale* 110,000 miles. Clean. Rear bench, no third row. Camping is a breeze.* Will post in Classifieds.




PS. Dealers have absolutely lost their mind with the prices on older model 4x4 Toyotas. That is all

 

[biglenr]

Brent - You know a heck of a lot more about cars than I do... And maybe I'm a wuss.

But your Element is only rated for 1500lbs and that's for something with trailer brakes (and a brake controller wired into your Element). 1000 lbs otherwise. I'd say your trailer and boat motor weigh more than that, without the hull and everything in it.

Is it something you can do? Of course, you just proved it. But are you sure that this is something you want to do? Pulling that out of the water, up the ramps, etc.... Gonna be really hard on your tranny. And you're going to be in a bad situation where your trailer may weigh more than your tow vehicle. That causes some nasty problems.


I wish you luck with it... But in my opinon, you're stressing out that nice little Honda.

Time for a jonboat or kayak on a trailer... Something much lighter.

 

[sundrop]

Brent - You know a heck of a lot more about cars than I do... And maybe I'm a wuss.

But your Element is only rated for 1500lbs and that's for something with trailer brakes (and a brake controller wired into your Element). 1000 lbs otherwise. I'd say your trailer and boat motor weigh more than that, without the hull and everything in it.

Is it something you can do? Of course, you just proved it. But are you sure that this is something you want to do? Pulling that out of the water, up the ramps, etc.... Gonna be really hard on your tranny. And you're going to be in a bad situation where your trailer may weigh more than your tow vehicle. That causes some nasty problems.


I wish you luck with it... But in my opinon, you're stressing out that nice little Honda.

Time for a jonboat or kayak on a trailer... Something much lighter.

No Len, you are absolutely right. I am going beyond the recommendations of the manufacturer, and if I allow myself to get distracted and not keep in mind my weigh, speed, road conditions, travel distance behind other vehicles, upcoming stops, curves etc I can end up in a bad way very quickly. I am over working the Honda, and will keep that in mind by keeping the overdrive turned off, accelerating slowly from a stop rather than gunning it, thus not over heating the tranny as easily. Some ramps will be too steep to even try, others to wet and slick so this is not a long term answer. I just know that for now, as long as I am careful, I can make do. That was my biggest concern as I cant run out and buy anything right now. I will eventually pick up an old truck just for hauling/camping. I drove 18 wheelers so it comes more natural for me to watch and plan ahead. They don't stop on a dime, or handle like a sportscar. I pulled that old red and white Chapparal trihull I think you've seen at Bay river with a ford Taurus the first year I had it..LOL
I hauled a 3000lb dragcar on a 800lb trailer with over 400lbs in tools and gear back and forth to the dragstrip 40-65 miles each way with a 1985 2.9l V6 4x4 Ranger with a automatic transmission for over 2 yrs sometimes 3 times a week. Was it smart NO was it safe NO, did I respect the fact that I had to be very very careful doing it, YES. And to be fair I did screw up one time and grace was on my side. I didn't plan my stop at an intersection and the load pushed me right through it, sliding all 4 tires.

 

[speckhunter80]

http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/

 

[papadave]

And to be fair I did screw up one time and grace was on my side. I didn't plan my stop at an intersection and the load pushed me right through it, sliding all 4 tires.

Brett, not tryin to be a wise pratt(which is unusual for me I know), but grace was on the side of anyone who might have been approaching that intersection. I know you have plenty of experience towing, and you're much more capable of handling it than the average yahoo, still, please careful with that thing man.

 

[meenyt]

You are absolutely correct about dealers. I have been checking places like Carmax and they want more for used Toyota trucks than I can get one brand spanking new for. Absolutely crazy. I often wonder how they sell anything, but I guess there truly is one born every minute.

 

[sundrop]

You will be hard pressed to find a "deal" on a Toyota truck anywhere but from an individual. Dealers treat them like gold and apparently somebody is paying the price because they sell quickly.

 

[Brenardo]

I have a very rough 87 4 runner with a blown head gasket if anyone is interested?

Head has been to the machine shop and all it need is to be thrown back together.

Salvage title. And it is rough.

 

[meenyt]

At least with that year, you could get it inspected with little problem. My 97 always gives me fits due to the OBD, always some sort of sensor out of whack. Gotta love this state with their vehicle rules.

 

[Neilslure]

Bad idea IMO. Youll kill the car and maybe someone else too.

 

[cnoffsin]

Sundrop how bout an overhead shot of that boat in the pic?

I wanna see what it looks like since you converted it to cc and changed the floor!

 

[sundrop]

Her is the original post on it. I bought it converted.. I just have been adding stuff, wiring etc. Still more design I want to do, like a casting deck, bow mounted troller and storage, but it's gonna have to wait until winter. I wanna fish!

http://www.ncangler.com/forums/threads/59313-It-runs-good-and-it-floats!!?highlight=cruiser