[shabah96]

Hi,

I am going to pick up the 200 Mariah Shabah I purchased. It is about a 3 hour drive to haul it back. I asked on here and checked the boat weight in the brochure and it says the boat weighs 2550lbs. I don't know the weight of the trailer but it is a single axle eagle spirit, guessing the weight is about 1000lbs, is that about right? There is no extra stuff in the boat and the gas tank I assume will not be full. As a result I am figuring the total weight to be between 3550 - 3800 lbs. Is that about right? My dilemma is I don't really want to drive my GMC 2500 Cargo Van to pick it up, I rather drive my Ford Edge but it is only rated for 3500 lbs towing. I know this is only for selfish comfort but could I haul it with the Edge.

thank you

[simpleaz]

You probably could however most towing is recommended at 80% of rating and you will be around 100%. Also if things go bad, you could wreck the boat and also the car and maybe yourself. Then again, I can convince myself to try it.

Ford Edge SEL | Boating Magazine

[mikeyt]

I haul my 180 with a Mazda Tribute and usually with a few extra things in the boat. I know i'm pushing the tow rating but i've done it for 5 yrs now and as long as i take my time & brake early i've been okay.
Like simpleaz, i could convince myself to use the Edge just for the extra comfort factor.

[nglauer]

I pull our 180 Diablo with a Chevrolet Equinox. I pulled it on a 6 hour round trip yesterday and didn't have any issues.
Ironically I watched someone towing a slightly larger boat with a Ford Edge on the interstate yesterday. It seemed to be doing fine. You'll probably need to flip your draw bar depending on how much tounge weight the boat gives you. I have my 3.5" or maybe its a 4" drop flipped upward with the 2" ball. This keeps the trailer level, but does squat our baby SUV.

The equinox is also rated at 3500lbs... I could probably convince myself to towing something larger, especially after I install air bags in the rear coils this spring.


Good luck,
Nick

[nglauer]

Scratch that... I did not see an Edge, I guess it was a Ford Flex. I'm assuming that they share some of the same towing characteristic's though. I will say, our Equinox ran fine on the interstate, but if you plan on hitting any large hills you'll probably want to carry as much momentum as you "legally" can. It's kind of hard to do this in Ohio, the Highway Patrol LOVES to issue tickets.

If your vehicle has a trans temp gauge keep an eye on it. Our vehicle does not, but I also plan on adding a trans cooler and gauge to be safe.

Nick

[shabah96]

Thanks for your input guys and the article link. This makes me feel more comfortable about taking the Edge. It is pretty much a flat drive so there should be no issues there. Just going to take it easy and drive carefully. Just needed some reassurance from guys who have some experience with this.

thanks
Les

[nglauer]

Does the boat trailer have a spare? If not make sure you inspect them... and throw in a can of fix a flat as a precaution. That way if something were to happen.. perhaps the temporary fix can get you to a station.

[shabah96]

Thanks Nglauer didn't think of that, I did check out the trailer and it looked in great shape. The guy I bought it from hauled it about 10km to the lake so that I could test it out. It does't have a spare tire though, so I will definitely go pick up a can.

thanks
Les

[shabah96]

Well the trip has been completed but not without incident. On the positive side the Edge handled the haul just fine. On the negative side about half way back the trailer shreaded a tire into bits. I did not have a spare and the can fix was not going to help in this situation. Ended up calling a flatbed tow truck which towed the boat to the nearest shop in the middle of nowhere but they luckily had the tire I needed. This added an extra 3 hours to the trip as well as an extra $360 to the price tag but all is well and the boat is home. Took the boat for a spin and I have a new question regarding the trim but I will start a new thread for that.

thanks
Les

[Z 202]

Yeah, something I should invest in. A spare tire. Not that I trailer much..
Glad to hear your towing went without incident. I used to pull my 202 with '89 chrysler turbo minivan, though it was boosted a little over stock...