Which land-auxiliary is best for the SunCat?

[Joseph]

I need to decide on a land-auxiliary (i.e., a towing vehicle...) for the Sun Cat.  I am assuming that 4WD is a given and that towing capacity should be of 3000 lbs and up (particularly since the boat trailer does not have surge brakes).  I prefer a vehicle that could sit at least 5 (i.e. rules out pick-ups with single cabin). Currently thinking of a Ford Escape or Jeep Liberty, but am open to suggestions or preferences partlcularly if based on personal experience.

Much appreciated.

J

[Craig Weis]

Ford Expedition
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[Potcake boy]

Joseph,
I think that you would find that the boats tow easier than you might imagine - but you're correct to be concerned about stopping.  Luckily most new vehicles have ABS. The biggest risk in stopping hard while towing a trailer is loosing rear wheel traction and having the rig jackknife - which can flip your vehicle. That doesn't mean that you should carry the fear of death with you, I've towed many many boats of every size and description, and never had any serious problem. I know in Maryland the law required brakes if the combined trailer weight exceeded 2000# or 40% of the tow vehicle weight. By that formula you are on the cusp of requiring brakes or your vehicle should weigh at least 5000#.
I am quite comfortable towing my CP 19 with my Jeep Wrangler - actually I'd recommend it strongly against the Liberty. I've heard many fleet drivers remark that the Liberty feels "tippy" and it is a unibody platform as compared to a body on frame like trucks.
I suppose most importantly is your towing style - short trips to the local ramp or long haul to far flung destinations.  Of course a full size pick up would do a fine job but may not prove to be very economical to operate as an every day commuter.  My friend tows his Suncat cat with a Toyota Tunda V8. It certainly does a nice job but is a bit of overkill for that purpose alone.  Years ago I towed (all over the place) my CP16 with a little Mitsubishi coup with a 1.5 litre engine.  I only had aproblem once on a steep ramp with dirt at the top of the concrete incline, I had to get a man to sit on the hood for extra traction - I avoided asking a woman to apply her weight to my car.

Ron

[Craig Weis]

In The Handbook of Trailer Sailing, Bob Burgess towed his Com-Pac 16 all over the south with his Ford Pinto.
Gotta drive smooth and look way down the road. It won't be the rig that gets the driver in trouble...it will be the drivers driving habits me think.

How heavy is a Sun Cat? And how heavy is a CP-16? Trailers and gear on board are about the same so they cancel each other out.
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[Joseph]

Much appreciated! However, cost is a concern because I would not wish to spend on the land-auxiliary much more than on the boat itself! If going brand-new a Tahoe or an Expedition are likely to cost twice as much... Appreciate also the suggestions for using much smaller vehicles but there is also the issue of being legal. I understand that each State and Province has its own laws and regulations in this regard and without going for an overkill I would rather be on the safe side. I much appreciate the comment on the Liberty and  I actually like the idea of a Wrangler Unlimited (four doors).  Don't know much about the diffs among the X, the Sahara and the Rubicon but will start taking notice.

J

[Craig Weis]

I think the trouble with some Jeep products is that the floor pan is so high that there is not a lot of vertical room 'tween the pan and the roof. So you sit on the floor with legs out front. Well I did when I test sat the Jeep I was thinking about. Is Jeep going to be an orphan with Chrysler going away?
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[Craig Weis]

ABS won't improve the braking power of the four disc brakes or disc/drum combos, but will attribute to the control when hard braking. My Com Pac-19 insurance is about $25 for the season, but it is going up due to Gov. Doyle of Wisconsin...know why? Even if you are 1% responsible for a accident, you could be 100% responsible for the damage's to both vehicles. A pay-back to the trial lawyers for Gov. Doyle's campaign war chest. I hate democrats!
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[jdonaldson]

U.S. Cars - Ixnay!  Go with Japanese -- many choices.  The Suncat with some gear + the trailer is about 2300 lbs.  I've weighed it.  We pull it with a Subaru Outback with a 3.0L flat six, rated up to 3,000 lbs.  Doesn't break a sweat.  Braking is only slightly longer.  You also can tow it with the Outback 4-cyl., rated up to 2700 lbs., and even the Subaru Forester, rated up to 2400 lbs.  If you think you want more margin, get the Toyota RAV4 with the V-6, rated to pull 3500 lbs.  All of these have superb repair records (see Consumer Reports annual April issue)

I need to decide on a land-auxiliary (i.e., a towing vehicle...) for the Sun Cat.  I am assuming that 4WD is a given and that towing capacity should be of 3000 lbs and up (particularly since the boat trailer does not have surge brakes).  I prefer a vehicle that could sit at least 5 (i.e. rules out pick-ups with single cabin). Currently thinking of a Ford Escape or Jeep Liberty, but am open to suggestions or preferences partlcularly if based on personal experience.

Much appreciated.

J

[Joseph]

Agree that the Orient seems to have upper hand at least in what concerns cars. However, would preffer staying within NA if at all possible. The Subaru 3.0L is on the $$ side. Also its 3000 lbs rating is for a trailer "with brakes".  Don't know what's the rating w/o. Interesting that Subaru has introduced a Diesel in Europe with 1000 lbs more towing capacity. On the Oriental small SUV side have also been looking at the Nissan XTerra and the Toyota Highlander.  XTerra has huge towing rated capacity and some very nice features. Highlander comes also as hybrid, but doubt whether this would make any difference when towing.

J.

[Craig Weis]

My sailing buddy was coming home from teaching school in Green Bay and he broke a timing belt on his Honda CR-V and of course the engine quit. He pulled over. Towed in~bent enough valves and holed enough pistons to require a junk yard motor with about 44,000 on it for $1700 or a factory rebuilt with zero miles and warrentee with it for $2700 and in both cases the same fee ?? to install either engine. Down time three weeks. That's why I go with American iron. It is cheaper in the long run. And won't care if it breaks a timing chain. Take the front cover off and put on a new chain. That will never happen.
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[tmorgan]

We pull our Suncat with a GMC Envoy two wheel drive.  It pulls it with ease.  I put a pull out extension on the hitch which give me about 8' more before the rear tires reach the water at shallow ramps.

[Craig Weis]

The trailer I use from Performance was built with a slide in-slide out hitch extension.
Works great. skip.

Get caught on the slope of the ramp. Hummmmm that's some slope indeed. Push it right over and let it scrape on the blacktop. No big deal me thinks.

[Joseph]

I will need a swing tongue in the trailer if I wish it to fit inside my garage.  I also thought about an extension. However, most Sun-Cat sailors have indicated that an extension may not be needed. One problem that I heard related to extensions is that depending on the angle of the ramp they may get caught at the crest of the ramp. My bet would be to try it first w/o an extension and take it from there since extensions can be added later.

J.

[kickingbug1]

   i tow a cp 16 with a 2001 s 10 v6 automatic. i just got back from a 470 mile round trip (some in the hills) no problems. i have heard so much bs about jap vehicles im sick. i did my own comparison and found our stuff to be just as good or better. try the new ford edge or the chevy traverse-they are impressive (much better than the honda pilot my brother in law has. for the 19 i would go with v8 power depending how far you are going to tow. the suncat doesnt weigh that much more than my cp 16 ---i wouldnt be afraid to tow it with my s 10   happy sailing.