Speechless!

That Acura MDX, approximately an '05, has a tow rating of 4500. That boat, which is NOT as big as so many of you are saying, looks like a Four Winns F244, it's not a "deck boat" its a bowlder sport boat and total, trailer and all, its around 6000 pounds.

This guy is a bit over but if he knows how to drive, he is gonna make it to the boat ramp, The car is all wheel drive and it will haul the boat out on a slippery ramp.

Personally I wouldn't do it, I'd use a truck to tow it, but it's not as bad as some of you are making it sound.
And someone mentioned weight-distributing hitch - boat trailers have surge brakes, not electric. Weight distributing hitches really don't work well with those.

One thing to keep in mind is... it's a boat. Boats tow a LOT easier than a TT. A friend of mine used to tow a 28" boat with twin V8s using a regular Chevy Astro van. A trailer that length and weight would have killed the Astro.

That said, it looks a bit light in the front. I'll bet this guy has some white knuckle moments at the boat ramp.

Just the fact of loss of steering control should be enough explanation.
The front tires are barely making contact.

While we don't know the specs and weights, it sure seems from the photo the Acura is likely over it's payload rating.

I could not tell, but it didn't look like any wdh was installed either.

Clearly this person has the financial means to have a proper tow vehicle. This is not about who can afford what. It's about someone who does not appear to understand weights, limits and payload.

There's nothing wrong with rving with an older truck and trailer. I actually like seeing them in the cg and being used. My camper is 28yrs old now. I want to see as many people out rving as possible, regardless of what they can or can't afford.

In my youth i towed a 21', single axle 1977 Go-Tag with an 1987 ford ranger 4x4. The ranger was way overloaded. Why? Because i was ignorant back then about weights/payload and didn't know any better. I think this is mostly why we see things like this. Folks just don't know any better.

Yes, back in the 60s and 70s, cars and station wagons were used to pull TTs, but let's be honest here, those full size cars and wagons were built as heavy as half ton trucks in frame, steering and suspension components you can't compare a uni body vehicle to one that's body on frame for heavy towing duty.

I'm very glad i had the forethought to get involved with this forum and it's great members. I've certainly learned a lot and had a few laughs along the way.

I hope yall are having a happy memorial day weekend. Remember our military and the ones that paid the ultimate price so we can live free and go camping.

dodge guy wrote:
I also remember not wearing a seat belt when I was 5 and driving from IL to NJ!

And yes if he's using an Acura SUV to tow his 25+ft deck boat then he has the financial means and the knowledge to know better!

And if 60's and 70's cars were so good then how come you guys aren't using them to tow your trailers?

Little off topic, which is weird because this thread like most is totally on track here on page 4, but, dude, I can't believe your parents let you drive when you were 5 years old!

On the old car topic, spoon said it pretty well a couple posts ago. Just because someone doesn't have the cheese for a high dollar ultra overly capable setup doesn't mean they're a menace to society. The point about the old cars is one I've made before. Most of y'all are umm, senior citizens, and I doubt highly that most of you were weighing your cargo on a gram scale to add to the equation or hitting every closed truck stop along the way to analyze your rear axle weight compared to the published specs. No, you, I, we hooked up and drove. Now, your cynicism with respect to these issues is simply a product of becoming more fickle and big dealing things that folks who have a lot more to do every day either don't think about or take for granted.
But hooking that big tub of a 4 winns to a compact SUV is pretty dumb.......unless maybe he was just tugging it a short distance from the launch.

Good thing I was 1275 miles away from this public menace when the offence occurred...

spoon059 wrote:

mkirsch wrote:
I am talking about situations as depicted at the beginning of this thread, where the trailer in tow is clearly exceeding the tow vehicle's capabilities.

Do we know the capabilities and the weights here? Assuming its an Acura MDX, but heck if I know. They are rated for 5500 lbs, depending on the year.

No clue what kind of boat that is. OP suggested its possibly a 26 footer with an inboard engine. Perhaps someone can chime in and identify the boat and model... but a 26 foot deck boat can be as light as 4000ish lbs and higher.

The Acura is really meant to be a more luxury vehicle, not necessarily have a rigid suspension. All are assuming its overweight, but without any specific numbers, we don't know.

And yes, as long as everyone gets home safe that IS all that matters...

I brought that up earlier. Looks to be the 24' Four Winns deck boat. Likely 5500 ish pounds. The MDX I looked at was rated 6500 pounds.

This isn't ideal, but not as bad as some make it to be.

mkirsch wrote:
I am talking about situations as depicted at the beginning of this thread, where the trailer in tow is clearly exceeding the tow vehicle's capabilities.

Do we know the capabilities and the weights here? Assuming its an Acura MDX, but heck if I know. They are rated for 5500 lbs, depending on the year.

No clue what kind of boat that is. OP suggested its possibly a 26 footer with an inboard engine. Perhaps someone can chime in and identify the boat and model... but a 26 foot deck boat can be as light as 4000ish lbs and higher.

The Acura is really meant to be a more luxury vehicle, not necessarily have a rigid suspension. All are assuming its overweight, but without any specific numbers, we don't know.

And yes, as long as everyone gets home safe that IS all that matters...

Again... you are missing the point. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am to be able to afford a (used) modern diesel and a nice travel trailer. Some people have to use older cars, older trailers, tents, or simply not go and enjoy these experiences with their families.

No, they do not "have" to, and that is sometimes the problem. People have their priorities so screwed up that they are putting their families in unsafe situations simply because they can't say "NO" either to themselves or their children.

I'm not talking about simply running "not new" campers and tow vehicles. My truck is 15 years old and my camper is 17 years old. I am talking about situations as depicted at the beginning of this thread, where the trailer in tow is clearly exceeding the tow vehicle's capabilities.

But I guess if you get from point A to point B without killing anyone, we should all just shut up and be okay with it.

Just let the boat forums worry about this guy...