Towing Large Offshore Boat?

Hi Everyone,

I'm asking for a friend who is looking into buying a boat to take into the Pacific Ocean (fishing mainly outside the Golden Gate Bridge and Northern CA coast).

He has a 2018 v6 Tacoma with the tow package that's rated for 6800 lbs. He's looking at 20'+ aluminum boats which typically have dry weights of 2500 - 4000 lbs. That's not including trailer, 100 gallons of gas, and gear.

That being said, do you think that his Tacoma would be able to tow his boat regularly over some pretty steep hills in CA?

I tow a 15' Arima Sea Hunter that has a dry weight of 1,000 lbs and I think with the trailer and gear it's probably around 2,000-2,200 lbs and I don't have any issues but the engine does get up to 4,500 RPMs going up the hills. I feel like it's probably fine but it still makes me wonder what it's doing to the transmission haha (I tow the boat about 3-4 times per month and round trip is about 100 miles per trip).

Any experience/ thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

Towing occasionally, maybe. Towing regularly, not a chance. He's in full size territory no doubt

 

Yea, that's what I was thinking...if you're fishing hard and towing the boat regularly (3-4 times a month) then I don't think the Tacoma could handle being stressed with over 50% of it's tow capacity.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Full size boats require full size trucks to pull them with...
Plus once you get rolling you are gonna have to stop eventually. Unless you are speed launching your boat lolol

 

Hahaha yea that is for sure

 

Plus it would be amusing watching a tacoma try and pull that up a steep boat ramp.

 

When you add the weight of the boat engine or engines, trailer, 60 to 100 gallons of fuel, and other equipment you’re looking at another 3500 lbs or more. Combined weight over the Taco max. You need a full sized truck

 

Thanks for all the responses...you're basically confirming what I thought/ told him...hopefully he listens to all of us (he was skeptical of my advice haha).

 

I might use a Taco tow that thing at 2 mph just to move it around private property.

In other words no way. It's too much. I'd even feel unsure in a full size half ton. That's probably getting towards F250 territory if you want to feel confident about it.

 

I have a friend that tows his 23' Steiger craft on a dual axle trailer, 200 hp OB and 120 gallons of fuel to the boat ramp a couple times a year. I told him he's crazy but he thinks his 2nd gen is up to it. I think his rig is just over 7000 lbs. All flat land here, except for the ramp. The taco may be able to do it but why would you want to.

 

Large boats are kinda a misery to tow any distance. Big fuel tanks and odd weight distribution. I have a 21' aluminum with a 150hp outboard and tow it thousands of miles a year. It's sorta within the weight range of what a Tacoma can tow but no way I would have one as a full time tow vehicle.

 

I searched for the best and most elegant way to answer. All I came up with is
No.

 

Sure he can tow it. Is it safe, no, does it endanger everyone else on the road, yes.