Hey guys, I have searched the archives and know the Sabre weight is around 3500 lbs total. My van is rated for 3500lbs. Has anyone actually got the
boat/trailer weighed? How will this effect my vehicle after towing for a few years? Is this a bad idea? Is there a way to increase the towing capacity of
the van? Any help would be appreciated.
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Sabre FTD
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 richstadler |
Sabre FTD |
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Posts: 5 (04/30/08 09:37) |
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AzDesDweller |
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Posts: 177 (05/05/08 10:47) |
When towing a boat and trailer it is best to always have at least an additional 50% extra rating on the tow vehicle. The reason being is when you are pulling a
boat out of the lake you are pulling up hill and pushing a lot of water, this puts a significant amount of extra strain on many parts of a tow vehicle. You
must also not think of the just the boat , but the gear, fuel/oil, water in the live wells, the beer/ice still in the cooler and the trailer. From my
recolection most smaller vans are built with a unibody construction so the hitch is not connected to any kind of real frame work. IMHO this would be a bad
idea. I would be on the lookout for a bigger van.
Ted |
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Bass Cat Boats |
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Posts: 11592 (05/05/08 10:54) Registered User |
It depends on the Van? Raul Morineau and Byron Velvick each put several hundred thousands miles each on
Chevy Astro vans with V-6 engines. Byron dressed up in the early 2000 era and Rauls went deep six during a hurricane in long term at the Houston airport. Both
had over 300,000 miles each and much of that pulling rigs, if not most.
If your van has the range then a good hitch can be made and adapted.
Last Edited By: Bass Cat Boats
05/06/08 05:45.
Edited 1 times.
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dbasketman |
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Posts: 2113 (05/06/08 09:00) |
The Astro van was unique in that it was on a truck frame and was rear wheel drive, and properly equipped it was rated to pull 5500lbs, and that was with a 4.3
litre V6, which is a strong engine. I have the same engine in a Silverado WT and it will pull anything ! good luck, D.
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AzDesDweller |
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Posts: 178 (05/06/08 04:37) |
Astro van not a problem and many of them came with all wheel drive which made it a great tow vehicle, but I'm guessing more like an Uplander or Windstar or
something similar and front wheel drive. Pretty much anything front wheel drive is going to be built with unibody construction and does not have the load
capacity to handle the tung weight or the stress of pulling a fully rigged and loaded boat up the ramp with out doing significant damage over time.
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PhilAddison |
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Posts: 2718 (05/06/08 05:30) |
I can vouch for Raul's numbers. He fishes a tournament every weekend between Sam Rayburn and where ever. And he drags that yellow and black Puma/FTD behind
it!
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richstadler |
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Posts: 6 (05/10/08 06:08) |
It is an Uplander with a 3.9 V6 It really sucks cause my comute to work is so long. I had a Tahoe but the Gas was killing me. I will be a Cat owner by the
end of the year even if I have to buy a tow vehicle just to pull it. Thanks for the info guys.
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Bass Cat Boats |
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Posts: 11622 (05/10/08 06:44) Registered User |
A 3.9 might be a little small but only by a half (.5) or so. We would hook a friends boat up and give it a tow to make a decision.
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JohnM17 |
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Posts: 29 (05/11/08 07:23) |
If I am not mistaken the Uplander is rated to tow 2000 pounds. I normally feel OK using about 75% of a vehicles rating with trailer brakes. IMHO you will kill
that mini van with a loaded Sabre.
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richstadler |
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Posts: 7 (05/11/08 07:51) |
It actually has a 3500lb rating. I think with a cooler and synthetic oil, it might be ok. I would take it easy pulling out of the ramp. I can always use our
company truck for long distance towing. I am checking into a new Arcadia right now which has a 4500lb rating. I am considering a Pantera and I would think
that vehicle would be fine for either. I will let you know what I decide. Thanks for all the input!
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LA Elwood |
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Posts: 235 (05/11/08 09:10) |
My Toyota has a 3.4 liter and it has never had a problem towing at 65 mph or yanking the Sabre out of the water. The truck is rated for 5000 lbs though.
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