Towing capacity of towable vehicles

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FloridaMark

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I own a Four Winds Five Thoasand 28A that has become my home for the past six months as I travel for work in the film industry. I currently am towing a standard shift Ford Ranger but need something with more passenger/cargo room and as much of its own tow capicity as possible. Many of my projects are associated with the water and require me to tow a 25 foot boat, ideally with the RV and at times with the vehicle that I tow behind the RV. The boat weights 4300 lbs plus the weight of the trailer.

I am a little unclear as to what size standard shift vehicle can be towed without a tow dolly.

  Is there a vehicle that can do both. Tow behind the RV and at other times tow the boat?

 
FloridaMark said:
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I own a Four Winds Five Thoasand 28A that has become my home for the past six months as I travel for work in the film industry. I currently am towing a standard shift Ford Ranger but need something with more passenger/cargo room and as much of its own tow capicity as possible. Many of my projects are associated with the water and require me to tow a 25 foot boat, ideally with the RV and at times with the vehicle that I tow behind the RV. The boat weights 4300 lbs plus the weight of the trailer.

I am a little unclear as to what size standard shift vehicle can be towed without a tow dolly.

? Is there a vehicle that can do both. Tow behind the RV and at other times tow the boat?

There was until 1996 and I am driving one -- the Ford Bronco.  In auto and with a trailer package the 5.0 could pull 6600 lbs, the 5.4 7000 lbs.  Because it has part time 4WD it can be towed with the manual transfer case in neutral four wheels down with no alterations other than brake control.  That 4WD is nice on a slimy launch ramp btw. 

If you want to buy new, try for an SUV close to the Bronc's specs and weight.  If you don't want to lay out a hunk of money, look for a used Bronco.
 
FloridaMark said:
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I own a Four Winds Five Thoasand 28A that has become my home for the past six months as I travel for work in the film industry. I currently am towing a standard shift Ford Ranger but need something with more passenger/cargo room and as much of its own tow capicity as possible. Many of my projects are associated with the water and require me to tow a 25 foot boat, ideally with the RV and at times with the vehicle that I tow behind the RV. The boat weights 4300 lbs plus the weight of the trailer.

I am a little unclear as to what size standard shift vehicle can be towed without a tow dolly.

  Is there a vehicle that can do both. Tow behind the RV and at other times tow the boat?


There are two things that determine the amount of vehicle you can tow.

1: Maximum combined vehicle weight of your Motor Home - weight of motor home when fully loaded
2: Capacity of the hitch (normally 5,000 lbs for most motor homes, heaver hitches are optional, as are lighter)

Note: This is the same formula for figuring out if you towed can tow something

Now, the good news... Most of the trucks you can reasonably tow behind a motor home check in at less than 5,000 (I think that's an empty F-350 Straight truck in fact) And an F-350 or chevy 3500 should tow your boat without complaint.

Make sure you have proper brakes on both the towed and the boat, you want to be able to stop the "Trailer" (Be it boat or car) from the driver's seat without complaint,  You also want it to stop quickly should it part company with the towing vehicle.  A proper braking system will do all of this for you.
 

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