Minimum sized car to tow a tinnie...

[frankgrimes]

Been giving the green light to get myself a tinnie(yay!) - Only problem is that both our cars do not have tow balls :( I've got a holden ute with body kit(So putting a tow ball on it is going to be a mission), and the missus has a Lancer(Front wheel drv)....just wondering what the minimum sized car would be to realistically tow/launch etc a 12-15ft tinnie ?

[Jabiru658]

My other half just sold her 2004 Lancer and that had a tow bar kit on it (dealer fitted), the maximum weight on the bar is 1000kg with 100kg down force.

The restriction is that the 1000kg needs to be braked and from memory the unbraked capacity is only 500kg. Only smaller open boats on trailers with light motors would be under this unbraked limit. Another possibility would be to option a braked trailer.

But if you can get a tow bar on the Holden ute (even if it requires modifying the body kit) then it would be without question a much better tow vehicle.

The only thing we ever towed behind the Lancer was a 6x4 trailer and it wasn't great even doing that.

[Hamish73]

the lancer should do it fine, providing you arent planning a round oz trip.
The unbraked limit for trailers is 750kg's
An old bloke u knew used to tow a cuddy cabin with a ford laser, so the lancer should tow the tinny no worries

[cobiaman]

i tow a 14ft fibreglass boat with a 50hp 4stroke on the back with my hyundai accent and dont have any worries so im sure you will be fine.
cheers graeme

[Marlin_Mike]

The Lancer should tow fine going by what youre buying.

Ya cant ruin the holden with a tow bar......LOL....not the holden ute. :):)

Remember to give us some pics when you get your new woman........i mean boat..............:)

Mike

[Jeremy]

my only concern with the lancer would be on slippery or steep ramps being a front wheel drive. Might be a problem with traction at times?

Jeremy

[finga]

My Wally the wagon (old Mazda 626 with 2.2 engine) tows the tinny no worries at all.
We go everywhere. The tinny is only a 3.7 Edgtracker though.
Down at the beach it tows the big boat (5m glass) and still no worries getting up the ramp. It struggles a bit though on the highway with the big boat.
But it tows my brothers 15'er no worries on the highway.

So I reckon the size of the boat that you would be chasing would be very dependent upon the ease in which you would be prepared to travel.
Do you want to tow comfortably or are you prepared to let the vehicle do some work??
Don't forget to check the max. towing capacities of the car though because this is the limiting factor.

If you don't want to put a towbar on the ute...bung a fifth wheel setup in it and then you can go huge in boat size ;D

[bootyinblue]

Yea but imagine the size of the 'tinnie' you could tow with the ute...

Aim high son, aim high!!

[scuze a me]

My tinnie is a Stacer 3.75 Proline with 15hp Mercury I have no trouble on ramps with 1.6lt Daewoo Lanos so you should be fine.

[Kleyny]

I tow my 4.6 Dory with my wifes Hyundai Lantra wagon.
I have just finished putting a tow bar on my VW Baja which should also tow the 750 trailer.

Have a look on google you should be able find your lancer tow capacity.
Also it might be in the handbook if you still have it.

As someone else has said if you go too heavy with the boat you might have trouble on a wet ramp.
i just choose my ramps by the angles.

neil

[bushbeachboy]

I've used my sister's 1.5l Hyundai Excel to tow my Polycraft 4.1 punt with no troubles. And the poly's a heavy hull (265kg hull only) plus 30hp motor and all the stuff for a day's fishing. The little car towed it all really well, no worries on the ramp etc. The Lancer should have no worries depending on the size of the boat. There are some big 4.5 metre tinnies out there.
Cheers mate

[frankgrimes]

Thanks for all the replies - The Lancer is only a 1.5l...but should be ok for the tinnie I intend to get....hehe I would certainly love to be getting something larger, but for my first boat, I think I'll take little steps! :)

[finga]

Thanks for all the replies - The Lancer is only a 1.5l...but should be ok for the tinnie I intend to get....hehe I would certainly love to be getting something larger, but for my first boat, I think I'll take little steps! :)
A very wise man :)

[BaitThrower]

Dragging up an old thread, but how has the Lancer performed draggin the tinnie? Thinking of putting one on my Lancer to tow my small boat. I'm sure there would be no problem. My boat is small and fairly light weight.

[polky]

I,am sure the lancer will tow a 15ft tinny without much dramma, problem is now I want to see some pics of the ute with the body kit. I agree with others that ute will tow a BIG tinny. Polky.

[BaitThrower]

Towbar going on the Lancer Monday :)

[PlayerOne]

BaitThrower, how big is your boat? could you keep us posted on how your car handles......

I'm thinking of getting a 4.5m tinney (open) and overall it's bordering on the 500kg towing capacity of my car.... (its a '06 Mazda 3)....

Thanks.

[BaitThrower]

Towbar on today. Good job by the blokes at Aranda Towbars! Umm my boat is a 3.4m fibreglass. Doesn't weigh a whole lot so Lancer should pull it ok. I'm not one to put pedal to the metal when towing so it shouldn't burden the engine too much. Slow and steady wins the race. Today I saw a few towbars on even smaller cars like a Daihatsu Charade and another 1.3L car, so I feel more confident now :P

[cbruh1]

Hey Baitthrower.

Mate your lancer will tow your little fibreglass boat no problems, My lancer tow my 4mt tinny with a 15hp no problems, I have also towed her from brisbane right up to arlie beach and back with no troubles at any hills or any ramps i came across. Great little car to use for towing the boat, doesn't affect the drive or the fuel consumption that much, a fraction slower to take off then without the boat. So you should be fine. And also the guys at aranda tow bars are great. thats where i got mine done.

Good luck with it

Cheers Callum

[kitch76]

Mazda 6 = 1000kg towing capacity
Quinny 385 explorer + 25merc = ATM 700kg

Tows like a dream

Player one I'd be suprised if the 3 had a 500kg towing capacity, if so a 4.5m will have a ATM higher than my 385.

[kitch76]

I stand corrected, just eyeballed the mazda web site and 500kg or 900kg braked. for the mazda 3's so u realy should put brakes on whatever trailer u buy

[Kleyny]

BaitThrower, how big is your boat? could you keep us posted on how your car handles......

I'm thinking of getting a 4.5m tinney (open) and overall it's bordering on the 500kg towing capacity of my car.... (its a '06 Mazda 3)....

Thanks.

i think your pushing the limits
I've got a 4.6m tinny and by the time you put all your gear and the trimings/additions on the boat you are starting to push over the 750+ mark.
i have towed mine with the wifes hyundai lantra it does ok at 80km but anything over this i think you would have trouble if something was to go wrong.

you also have to think of what the ramps you are going to use are like.

neil

[the baker]

It's not good when your car dose not have balls (tow balls I mean);D :-X

[BaitThrower]

BaitThrower, how big is your boat? could you keep us posted on how your car handles......

I'm thinking of getting a 4.5m tinney (open) and overall it's bordering on the 500kg towing capacity of my car.... (its a '06 Mazda 3)....

Thanks.

The Lancer has a 750kg tow capacity. I'd thinkt he mazda 3 would be at least 750, or perhaps even 1000kg being a slightly bigger car with a bigger engine and probably stronger chasis etc?

[PlayerOne]

Thanks for the replies.

I was initially looking at a 4.2 Dory.... but for similar price could get a 4.5 brooker Safari (2nd hand)...... the boat will only be towed 10mins each way to the boat ramp, any further i could borrow dad's 4x4 hilux.

decisions, decisions decisions.......

[Bear001]

Geez Honky Dory -a 4.6 tinny is a fair slab compared with a 12 or 14ft tinny.

I towed my 12ft tinny with all our crap for a week with my little excel (front wheel drive) no worries.....besides the big GREAT DIVIDING RANGE we have to cross to get to those nice concrete ramps all you guys have on the coast....;D ;D

[kitch76]

The Lancer has a 750kg tow capacity. I'd thinkt he mazda 3 would be at least 750, or perhaps even 1000kg being a slightly bigger car with a bigger engine and probably stronger chasis etc?


As i thought too but as I said earlier I just eyeballed the mazda web site and 500kg or 900kg braked. for the mazda 3's