mickvyse Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 I'm wondering what vehicles people use for dragging their boats around. I'm in the market for a 2nd hand car that will be towing my Windrush, hopefully on a weekly basis. I'll be driving for at least an hour each way at 80-100km/hr including a large descent/climb (Mt Ousley near Wollongong) as I head to Port Kembla Sailing Club. At the moment I'm thinking a 2nd hand diesel ute (Hilux or similar) would work well, as i can also put it to use for gardening and work and the fuel economy wont be ridiculous when going uphill, but would like to hear what other people are using before I spend the serious dollars a diesel ute requires over other cars. ThanksMick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobblyoldjimbo Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 I have a Kia Rio, base model which works just fine and is quite a competent vehicle for its price ($14k new). You could probably pick up a new VW diesel pretty cheap now that they've screwed themselves in the whatsit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 I have 3 "tow vehicles" to choose from...... Cruiser pulls like a freight train and uses fuel like it has a long set of rail cars behind it. 15mpg is as good as it gets as soon as anything is hooked onto the towball but it pulls regardless of the weight behind it be it a lightweight mozzie or 3ton of firewood on the triaxle. Hills are an issue as speed is slowly lost and the gears get a workout V8 Statesman Stronger than the cruiser and far better economy, I can get atleast 22mpg even with the RL42 on behind and I run it at 85~90kph, once that 100kph mark is achieved then it falls back to the 18mpg mark Hills aren't such an issue with this one provided your prepared to 'waste' a little extra fuel to keep speed Supercharged VS V6 Statesman does everything the V8 statey does with one big difference, off the mark it easily out accelerates the other 2 vehicles. With the lighter boats its almost as if they aren't there, the RL24 is noticeable behind it on the bigger hills when you want to overtake a slow moving diesel ute I've had the small 4cylinder diesels in the past and thankfully there are none here any more, they really don't do anything that good when they are running empty, they are just plain hopeless when a hint of a load is added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickvyse Posted October 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 Thanks Knobbly, I think I'm probably in the market for something a bit larger. I like the economy i would get from the small 4 cylinder on my work commute but would be worried about the wear and tear on the engine and transmission using it to tow up and down hills on weekend. wouldn't mind a small diesel but everything I've read says you're better to get a slightly larger engine that you expect to need for towing to reduce engine wear and the huge jumps in servicing requirements and fuel consumption when towing and as the engine slowly dies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickvyse Posted October 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 Thanks Pirate, I considered larger 4WD like the Cruiser but figure i'd go with something with a tray if i go down that route so i get some additional practicality out of it. We've already got a forester in the stable for shopping/camping/carting kids so the interior storage/boot isn't so important. 11L/110km is much better than I would have expected from the V8. I was looking at V6 VY wagons as they're probably in the price range. Would like a VE sportswagon but won't be able to enough cash together for a good one I don't think. What do you mean by 'waste' a little fuel? Does you consumption jump when you start going up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickvyse Posted October 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 anyone had any experience towing up and down hills with a Forester or Outback? AWD and manual sounds like a good towing combo but I'm not sure about how the engine and transmission would stand up to regular towing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newwind75 Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 Mick its only a Windrush..You can comfortably tow one with a 20yr old 4cyl Pulsar up Mt Ousley.No need for you to purchase a 4wd or larger engine tow vehicle if that is only towing you going to be doing considering we dont need the V8 power or 4WD grip on a slippery boat ramp as other boaties may need for launching.I wouldnt go buying a petrol guzzler just for the weekly PKSC trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Marine WA Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 Mick Anything will tow a windrush, no difference to a 6*4 trailer. But any towing done under load should always be in a lower gear and never in top gear.For this reason try to get something that is a 5 or 6 speed.I tow a F18 all the way across the Nullarbor every year in a 5 speed ford ute, but unless I have a tail wind I am in 4th gear all the way.Yes adds a little to fuel, but doesn't hurt the transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobblyoldjimbo Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 We did have a Navarra ST-R for three years. It was a nice looking truck but very, very dangerous. My daughter learned how to control fish-tailing in it when she took off in the wet and the turbo kicked in (she never drove it again after that). Later (after new tyres which made a heap of difference) my good wife managed to do a 360 near a bunch of school kids waiting for a bus. The rear was too light (even with a couple of sacks of concrete that I took to putting there). Quite impractical too with a hard boot lid - couldn't even put a bike in the back easily. It towed my Careel 22 really well though. Got a Landcruiser 4.2 diesel instead - wife has horses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sando Posted October 7, 2015 Report Share Posted October 7, 2015 As a Wollongong local I would suggest nothing less than a 2 ltr vehicle to travel Mount Ousley regularly. My last two cars have been 2ltr turbo diesels, great torgue and fuel economy. Look forward to meeting you at PKSC soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTMD Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 We used to travel up and down the east coast with camping gear for 4 and a hobie 14 behind a gen1 Honda Accord with a 1.6L engine. I don't think there is a car on the market that won' be able to tow your Windrush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dood Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Model T ford. will work a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquoll Posted October 9, 2015 Report Share Posted October 9, 2015 I've found towing with a car too small did wear out the engine prematurely. And there wasn't enough weight on the front wheels, so it would wheel-spinin 2nd trying to get up hills and skid under brakes.That was a Holden Barina (Suzuki Swift) towing 2 paper tigers on a big 7 x 4 box trailer...Photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=488568279866&l=26e50b48cbThe little Barina towed those boats from Mallacoota to Melbourne, to Kembla, to Canberra, to Lake Macquaire, to Batemans Bay. Probably of the 100,000km I did in it, more than half was towing boats.I upgraded to a Ford Laser (Mazda 323) with big heavy iron 1600cc up front. Works SO much better!Here's us crossing the Great Diving Range, in snow, on the way to PT State Titles at Wagga: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150466375824867&l=9729750d1a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobblyoldjimbo Posted October 9, 2015 Report Share Posted October 9, 2015 That's commitment Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Planet Posted October 10, 2015 Report Share Posted October 10, 2015 I would have thought that the fastest 14 should be towed by the fastest possible car?Maybe befitting it's heritage - a Valiant Charger 265 Hemi? (I believe it was even faster accelerating than a GTHO Falcon)Thing is I just bought one - (no, not an E38 or E49 - alas) – but I'll be damned if I'm gonna stick a towbar on it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newwind75 Posted October 10, 2015 Report Share Posted October 10, 2015 Yeah No Towbar for my XY 351. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobblyoldjimbo Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 When I sailed Fireballs in the UK back in the 70's one guy still had his Morgan that he used to race. It was one with a flat radiator rather than the curved model. I drove it to the car park once, the clutch had two modes, on and off! It had a towbar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Gecko Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 Hi Mick, I have a Windrush that I tow with my Subaru Forrester to PKSC. The boats are so light that even smaller cars such as this are more than capable. You have an advantage of the all wheel drive that comes with a Forrester but you may want a little bit more grunt as the basic Forrester is lacking on the hills. Towing a Windrush is like towing a box trailer so I wouldn't worry too much as part of your purchasing decision. Looking forward to seeing you at the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim731 Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Hey mick, If its any help my old man used to tow his old 12ft windy with his old mini clubman and he lived in kiama and used to take it everywhere on holidays. Having said all that, that was back in the 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 I would have thought that the fastest 14 should be towed by the fastest possible car?Maybe befitting it's heritage - a Valiant Charger 265 Hemi? (I believe it was even faster accelerating than a GTHO Falcon)Thing is I just bought one - (no, not an E38 or E49 - alas) – but I'll be damned if I'm gonna stick a towbar on it...E49's out accelerated gtho's up to 100mph, after that the gtho crawled the gap back.The E55 (340 V8) also out accelerated the gtho and had a higher top speed as well down Conrod straight, the problem there were the brakes, they couldnt pull them up at the end of conrod and after many discussions with the then race organizers Chrysler withdrew from racing over being banned because of the bad brakes.The brake issues was evident throughout Chrysler chargers racing and was due to a penny pinching management team that insisted the std family sedan brakes were "good enough"My E55 last ran a 10.1 over the 1/4mile at Sydney .......Yes another Mopar ManI owned an RT E39 (90 mph 2nd gear), an E49, and a Sportsman (really rare now days) and I still have my E55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Back on topic ..Old mate has just got a quote to fix his 12month old hilux.....$8000 repair bill for 2 stuffed injectors, apparently 3 micron fuel filters dont remove the junk from Austrian diesel any where near well enough.So if your still thinking a small diesel is the go then maybe it might pay to do some research on repair costs..... I belive a holden V6 or ford 6 cylinder ute may be slightly higher in inital purchase costs but a 2nd hand motor can easily be found for under the $500 mark. ....My diesel work vehicle does 100kph..... empty !!!!!Put anything that resembles a load and 80 is its max....Load it to its so called carrying capacity and hook up a 6x4 trailer and 70kph is doable with a good tail windCant wait till the day it poops itself and I can drop in a V6..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newwind75 Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Basically just fit a tow bar to a vehicle you have now and turn up at PKSC.(Jess looking at a Mini atm ,so she will be towing her Windy "LADY & THE TRAMP" to PKSC and regattas behind a Mini ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Planet Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Nice - but is this becoming a Valiant Charger thread? No problem with that...I can't wait to put the triple webbers on it - tighten up the steering, and maybe swap the auto for manual later on - but I do need some good advice about this kinda stuff...Hey Pirate - need a cool car hoist at a nice 'sailor's price'? Let me know... or pop round to the showroom one day with your E55 - I may have my 'mild' Charger on display shortly...(www.herohoists.com.au)We're now in Sefton... right next door to the Sefton Playhouse... (…shameless plug…)But back to Windys - has anyone ever considered that the Windrush 14 was ( and still is) car-toppable? Sure, you need over-sized roof-racks - but it's entirely possible - and it does mean that the weight of the trailer is negated...My dad used to do this with our first boats - and as long as you know what you're doing when getting it on and off - no major dramas...PSYes, I know the Alpha Omega is still the 'fastest' - but it's not really in the same category - being centre-boarded and exotic construction/spinnacker etc...PP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickvyse Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Thanks everyone. Have been sussing out options and watching this conversation. Turns out I may be able to pay my work a rate and gets private use of the work vehicle, a 2012 dual cab diesel 4x4 hilux. Get good fuel consumption unloaded (comparable to my wife's 2009 forester) and I've towed 2 tonne off-road for work so know it won't have issues uphill towing a windy. Interested in potentially putting a ladder rack on it and car topping but not sure I could be bothered undoing it all and putting it back together again weekly! Also not too keen on the salt water dripping on the vehicle on the drive home.If that option doesn't work out it sounds like what I should be looking at is rear or all wheel drive and larger than 2L.... And some fake Valiant or Holden badges ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Planet Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Car-topping A W14 doesn't mean dismantling the boat. The hulls pivot inwards - so all that really needs to be done is to remove the tiller crossbar - and the rudders - which really doesn't take too long once you get a handle on it.4 screws get the crossbar off pretty quickly, and then simply remove the split-pins/G-rings that hold the rudder pintles to the gudgeons... this should take at the most 10 minutes.The technique for getting the boat onto and off the roof-racks needs to be understood - but once again - it's not that hard to do...PP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.