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Random Quote: give a man a fish feed him for a day teach him to fish he will be dead of murcury poisening in 3 years
I'm in the market for a new tow vehicle. Towing capacity needs to be 6,000 or more (I need to get the new boat weighed). My guess is the boat weighs about 5,000 loaded up. Hull 2,600, engine 500, trailer 800 plus fuel and gear.
In the past I have always had an SUV and folded the back seat and layed rods and gear in the back with rod tips between the front seats. For whatever reason, I always felt gear was safer inside.
I have a 60 mile drive to the ramp each way. How do you guys transport your stuff? Rods in leaning post rocket launchers? Custom rack in the back of a pickup? Just looking for ideas to help decide between SUV & P/U.
If nothing is to be left unattended enroute, I just throw it in the boat.
Jim - Do you just put the rods in the rod holders? I have room for 6 on the leaning post and 7 on the T-Top, plus 4 in the gunnels and 3 more in verticals on the transom. Are medium weight spnners too light?
Expensive gear gets tied down. My gear gets tied down even when on the boat moving from spot to spot on the water. Donations to the bottom are not allowed.
There are not many smooth bridges here in MA. I've seen more than one rod/reel combo in the gutter.
__________________ 2003 Boston Whaler 255 Conquest w/ twin 200 HPDI's
I've never been a racist. I don't like the white half either.
I'm in the market for a new tow vehicle. Towing capacity needs to be 6,000 or more (I need to get the new boat weighed). My guess is the boat weighs about 5,000 loaded up. Hull 2,600, engine 500, trailer 800 plus fuel and gear.
In the past I have always had an SUV and folded the back seat and layed rods and gear in the back with rod tips between the front seats. For whatever reason, I always felt gear was safer inside.
I have a 60 mile drive to the ramp each way. How do you guys transport your stuff? Rods in leaning post rocket launchers? Custom rack in the back of a pickup? Just looking for ideas to help decide between SUV & P/U.
I think there are more important reasons to decide between an SUV and Pickup.
I would secure everything that could possibly bounce or be blown out of the boat or truck bed. I once lost a PFD while trailering because it wasn't tied down.
I wouldn't trailer with fishing rods in rod holders because of the air flow past them and the danger of hitting signs and tree limbs.
An option for everything but fishing rods is a cover on the bed of the pickup truck.
I have a super-crew PU and feel it's the perfect tow-motor for me...anything transported in the pu bed or in the boat is either too heavy to blow out or is secured...all my rods are in a portable rack (stores in the truck's back seat while fishing)...the rack goes butt-end into the cuddy and other end is supported via bungie straps for a non-impact ride...I don't tow w/rods in rod-holders because I believe the line can vibrate against whatever it might come in contact with and weaken/abrade the line...ridin' in a 65 mph wind for and hour or more doesn't sound good for the line to me JMHO
I tow with a pickup. My nearest ramp is three hours drive away. I carry everything on the boat that I won't need during the tow. For trolling rods only, I use the vertical holders in the bow, the in gunwale rod storage, and the rocket launcher. I don't use the t-top holders, because that would be too tall and there is no wind break. I don't use the gunwale rodholders because I'm afraid I'd rub the rod tips on a tractor trailer. I carry spinners in the gunwale storage, they can blow out underway, let alone on the highway. Make sure the drags are tight on the reels and that all of the slack is taken up. A previous post was right, a little loose braid can beat the finish off of your rod wraps either under way, or on the highway. I always pull off line and re-tie my terminal gear before fishing, so that takes care of the line fatigue that will be exerted, going down the road.(as the previous poster also mentioned) Secure your gear in your boat, just like you were getting ready to get underway.
Most gear I keep in the back of my Toyota 4Runner and the rods get placed in the gunnel rod holders. I don't like putting rods in to truck simply because they take up so much room.
Sprockets,
If you decide on an SUV I can't recommend the 4Runner highly enough. I have the 8 cylinder, all-wheel drive Limited, with tow package. I use it to tow my 24' Grady White. Boat, motor trailer weigh about 6000# plus change. No problem at all on any ramps, ever. I take my foot off the gas and it starts to roll uphill.
Sprocket, I pull a 24 foot Carolina Skiff with a 2007 Toyota Tacoma; six cylinder, six speed stick, 4WD, with a stretch cab. Plenty of truck for this weight boat.
Bulky gear, like ice coolers, anchors, etcetera goes in the boat, with the lids either duct taped or tied close. The truck has a shell; all tackle boxes, fishing rods, etcetera go in the truck bed. On our previous truck shell, we had rod holders mounted on the inside roof of the sheel.........worked great, and kept them out of the way.
I put a shell on my first pickup. It was great in many ways but it pretty much killed visibility to the rear and sides, it made some wind noise, and I suspect, reduced fuel mileage. On my current truck I just have a locking, folding metal flat cover. It''s a personal prefference, I guess.
Thanks for all the input. I weighed the boat on a scale yesterday and it hit 4,720. This is with about 3/4 tank of gas and no coolers or ice. I've decided to go with an SUV so when we take it on family trips luggage and other "stuff" will be inside and a cooler can be accessed. Adding coolers, ice and more fuel will push it to around 5,300.
I believe the V-8 4-runners are rated for 7,200 which would work. The Sequoia would be nice too. I think the Tundra Crew Cab is totally bad-ass but not practical. My current vehicle is a Honda Pilot rated for 4,500. I've pulled the boat a few times now and it did fine but I know it's not a smart solution. I've only had 1 American vehicle, a 1998 Mercury Mountaineer V-8 that was OK but started having issues (A/C, pinion gear/axle) by around 60K. Other than that it has been Toyotas and Hondas for 30 years.
I have decided to look for a late model used vehicle for the first time in 20 years to save a few bucks. I know a broker who assists in buying direct from the auctions. The local Manheim location runs over 5,000 vehicles a week, mostly lease returns and rentals.
Unfortunately, I am also looking for a new trailer, so I have my hands full along with an upcoming mountain vacation next week.
Transporting gear to the ramp 
