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Random Quote: Karma Is A Bitch, But Sometimes She Puts Out
I've been looking at Hydra-sports 202DC's and ran into a little snag today...my truck.
I plan on trailering the boat quite a bit. My truck is a new Tacoma. It's rated for 6500 lbs and 650 lbs tongue load with a class 5 hitch. It has a 245 HP / 266 Ft.Lb Torque 4.0 V6.
That boat, 200 hp motor, and trailer, with a full tank of gas and a big cooler of beer is probably well over 5500 lbs.
I'm also looking at a Sea Hunt with an F150 and this probably turns out to be about 1200 lbs lighter, loaded up.
I'm wondering if I should skip the Hydra and go with something a bit lighter rather than abusing the hell out of my truck. Does anyone else out there push the towing limits on their new model Tacoma? Gas mileage?
I have a 2005 Tacoma, v-6, 6-speed, 4x4, double cab, Sport Pacakge w/tow.
I tow 2 diffrent boats:
1) 20'cc aluminum john boat at approx 2000lbs with trailer. The truck tows the boat great, no lack of power. 15mpg while towing.
2) 26'wa at approx 7000lbs with trailer. The truck is laboring to pull the load but it does so without feeling overloaded. I installed airlifts to help with the rear end sag and handling charateristics. I can't quote you a milage figure since it is only towed 5 miles to the launch. Stopping the trailer, you know you have a load behind you.
Hope this helps, MW
__________________ Thousands on the boat.
Hundreds on equipment.
Time away from the wife, priceless!
you will kill that 4L60E transmission in the sonoma dragging 6500lbs any distance, not to mention trying to stop the boat, it does not have enough wheel base, any turbulence will beat you to death. You need a min of a 1/2 ton to do this with..just my 2 cents
__________________
Hydro Sports Vector
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them." John Wayne
My friend had an 04 4runner with that V6. He tows a Four Winns Horizon 220 with it. I believe its around 5500lbs with trailer. The truck definitely knows the boat is there. Any kind of hill made the truck feel under powered. I tow my boat (Seaswirl 2101DC) with a GMC Envoy rated with a 6000lb towing capacity and it handles just like the 4runner. I tow about 10 miles each way on fairly level roads so the Envoy is just fine. But for the summer, I'll be keeping the boat in northern VT and I'll be renting a suburban to tow it the 300 miles through VT (very hilly highway). And there are always strange wind currents in the vallies which make short wheelbase vehicles feel very squirly. If you do any extensive towing, I would not recommend frequent towing with any mid-sized SUV or truck. Even though they are rated to tow the weight, the punishment the vehicles face will definitely shorten their life substaintially. If your towing route is fairly flat, go with the hydrasport.. Its a beautiful boat.
On a side note, the GM 4L60E tranny is used in the Suburban and would have no problems handling 6500 lbs..
Good luck!
I have a 05 Tocoma and pull my Sailfish 236 with it, but must say only locally. I don't think I would go to far or on highways etc, only to my local boat ramp and back.
'05 Tacoma Trailering 
