Long distance towing?

[trophycraft]

Hello Everyone,

I'm thinking about towing my G3 Angler 165 to Lake of the Woods and back this summer. It's 1800 kilometers each way. Boat, Motor and Trailer weigh about 3200 lbs with gear. I would be towing it with my 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan which has a 3600 lb towing capacity. I would repack the trailer barrings before going and take a spare hub with me. I would also change the oil in the van and get the brakes serviced before heading out. With two people and and gear in the van I will be getting close to the recommended towing capacity. I have towed by boat from Sudbury to Toronto with no complications but this is a very long way to tow a boat. I would love to have my own boat to fish from but I could rent  a lesser boat from the resort at $1200.00 plus for the week. I'd love to hear from those of you that have experience towing a boat long distances or tell me if I'm crazy for considering this? What would you do if you were me?

Thanks in advance for your input!

[SpoonPullers.com]

[SizeMatters]

It'll come down to dollars and cents. I'm sure you know your mileage when pulling so that'll be easy part. Are you comfy your tow vehicle won't break down or at least are prepared for major vehicle repairs on the road, i.e. tranny or suspension issues?

I pulled a light tinny (1900#) Toronto to Ivanhoe Lake (Timmins) and was happy too do so as the only rental boats didn't look that comfortable.

Good luck

[Floater]

I've towed my 14 foot tin boat fully loaded with camping gear and fishing gear all over Ontario with a small suv. The only thing I would recommend to you is take out as much stuff as you can and put it in the van to lessen the load towed.

[rockin-steelhead]

I would also recommend if you don’t already have one is get a tranny cooler.

[b_anu00]

Do you have electric breaks on the trailer? Perhaps a nice addition for 1/2 ther cost of the rental?

[fisherman]

When you're pretty much maxed out, I would check into CAA towing with the extra trailer package if something blows up on you.  Take the time and go to your local weigh station with the set up you have and get an accurate weight to start with.  Municipal dumps and gravel pits have the scales.

[CATNIP II]

I would also recommend if you don’t already have one is get a tranny cooler.

X2.  You also might have headlight alignment problems.  In moose country it's best to drive in daylight if at all possible in any case.

[Tom McCutcheon]

Sudbury to Toronto is one thing, but heading to Lake of the Woods is another. There are a lot of lonnnggg uphill stretches of the highway (in both directions) where you might run into problems with the tow vehicle. Some have already mentioned the transmission cooler and trailer brakes. These would be good additions if not already part of the package.

Personally I would look into the rental boats up there. It's only for a week or two and I could accept the downgrade from my own boat to one of theirs for that short period of time and peace of mind regarding my tow vehicle possibly breaking down along the way.

[cams]

I made the trip from the GTA to Sioux Narrows last summer.  I towed a similar boat with a Cherokee with the same towing capacity.  I do, however, have a transmission cooler.  Ensure your trailer tires are at the suggested pressure, check the tires and hubs for excess heat and wear every time you fuel up, which will likely be every 300-400 km.  I also stayed in a motel overnight and split the the travel into two days.  Take your time avoid excess speed and braking, large inclines potentially down shift and use the compression to aide in limiting speed down hill.

Also make sure you have good tires on your tow vehicle, or potentially rent a larger vehicle for the trip.  A pickup or full sized suv might actually be more fuel efficient.   My Jeep Cherokee averaged about 18L/100 for the trip, whereas with typical highway driving  it averages 9L/100

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[Hipboots]

I'd say take good care of your trailer and go for it. Maybe take #11 instead of #17 though. The north shore of superior is a bit steep. I'm in the Peterborough area and have a camp on Nipigon Bay, Lake Superior. I try to spent as much of June as possible up there each year.  Towed a 16' lund rebel  with a ranger and now a 19' Harbercraft behind an f150 annually for almost 15yrs without any major breakdowns.

[BillM]

I tow my rig up and down the 17 from Barrie to Tbay 4 times a year.   No big deal.  Keep up on the maintenance and stop every once in a while to check things. 

[CATNIP II]

A few years ago my brother, his wife and I drove their motorhome from Saskatchewan to Toronto towing a car. Took three days.  We stopped near Kenora and Wawa. In my opinion, the worst stretch of road for towing is from Wawa to Sault St. Marie.  Lots of steep grades and sharp turns.  If your vehicles are properly equipped and well maintained, you should be fine.  If not, there's always CAA.

[rockin-steelhead]

As mentioned other option is to rent something that has more towing capacity. See what that cost would be if you’re worried about the capacity of your vehicle this way you still have your own boat to fish out of.

[Leo]

Drive in "D" rather than in "O" as in overdrive, as much as possible, especially in hilly areas. You will use up more gas, but it may save your transmission. And like other people say, definitely get a transmission cooler installed.

[Captain Steve]

I'd say take good care of your trailer and go for it. Maybe take #11 instead of #17 though. The north shore of superior is a bit steep. I'm in the Peterborough area and have a camp on Nipigon Bay, Lake Superior. I try to spent as much of June as possible up there each year.  Towed a 16' lund rebel  with a ranger and now a 19' Harbercraft behind an f150 annually for almost 15yrs without any major breakdowns.

X2.     11 has far less up and downs.  17 is very hilly.  Your brakes will thank you!

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