Towing a boat??

[plumbjo]

Hi, I wondered if I could pick your brains as I'm new to 4x4
I'm going to buy a surf to pull my 21ft rib boat. Weighs about a ton including the trailer. I mainly want to use the surf to put my boat in the sea.
Which surf do I go for, the auto or the manual? I have never owned an auto car before but i'm not especially bothered either way.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Jody

[The Lang-Shankit Scunner]

Hi, I wondered if I could pick your brains as I'm new to 4x4
I'm going to buy a surf to pull my 21ft rib boat. Weighs about a ton including the trailer. I mainly want to use the surf to put my boat in the sea.
Which surf do I go for, the auto or the manual? I have never owned an auto car before but i'm not especially bothered either way.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Jody

I prefer the auto for towing but im lazy, 3.0 litre is a definite though, the extra power makes all the difference so im told

Welcome to the forum

[plumbjo]

Thanks,
After I posted the thread I saw all the other towing threads, oops.
It's mainly pulling the boat out on the slip way i'm bothered about i suppose.
My mate told me autos are rubbish off road too. The autos seem much more plentiful and cheaper! Does the 3.0l drink the juice bad?

[Antshiel]

Auto's are fine, manuals are much harder to come by. I pull my boat with 3.0ltr auto, don't even know it's there half the time. I launch on slipways and beech with no problems whatsoever. About 20-25mpg is average ish.

PS. WELCOME onboard

[stormforce]

most of us have auto's and we use them off road aswell with out any trouble.Take a look thru the off road section and you will see by the pics how capable they are off road.I won't go back to a manual now unless i really had to.
Let the mods begin

[Phantom]

I have an 18ft Phantom that weighs 1080Kg on the trailer. I towed it to Wales this summer with my 3.0L auto. It was perfect pulled it out of the sea no problem. Putting it in was a different matter my trailer is really high and i had to put the truck in upto the floor, but made sure i gave it a good wash off when i got it out. I towed it 500 miles and used about 2 tanks of diesel but it is on 33" tyres. You shouldn't have a problem hauling your boat with an auto surf, I don't.
Steve.

[KERRSURF]

Thanks,
After I posted the thread I saw all the other towing threads, oops.
It's mainly pulling the boat out on the slip way i'm bothered about i suppose.
My mate told me autos are rubbish off road too. The autos seem much more plentiful and cheaper! Does the 3.0l drink the juice bad?

yer mates talking nonsense.
If you dip the clutch on a manual you lose momentum and thats not good.
auto you are always powering the wheels, goes anywhere.

3.0lt is a def for lugging yer boat around.

[Antshiel]

I have an 18ft Phantom that weighs 1080Kg on the trailer. I towed it to Wales this summer with my 3.0L auto. It was perfect pulled it out of the sea no problem. Putting it in was a different matter my trailer is really high and i had to put the truck in upto the floor, but made sure i gave it a good wash off when i got it out. I towed it 500 miles and used about 2 tanks of diesel but it is on 33" tyres. You shouldn't have a problem hauling your boat with an auto surf, I don't.
Steve.

Where about in Wales do you go. We go to porthmadog most weekends in the summer. We'll have to do a "Surf with Boat" offroad(beach) meet

[plumbjo]

Nice one, you guy's don't mess about posting reply's!!
Seems like the 3 litres the boy for the job.
Is there anything to look out for when i'm viewing?

[plumb bob]

I've got one of the rare manuals, and believe me, on and off roa I wish it was an auto.

As said, when you dip the clutch to change up or down a gear, you lose drive and momentum, and in some situations, run the risk of smashing a diff or driveshaft if you drop the clutch too heavyly.

I'm debating whether to spend any more money on mine, or just chop it for an auto.

The auto's cope better with the big tyres too.

[Phantom]

Where about in Wales do you go. We go to porthmadog most weekends in the summer. We'll have to do a "Surf with Boat" offroad(beach) meet

I go to Oxwich bay south Wales £3 to park 6£ to launch bargain. Better than Kingsbury water park up near you £500 for the year and i hit my prop on the floor twice not happy.
Yeah love to meet up in the summer some time maybe get some of the other forum members out do some tubing. Make sure Vatch comes he a good marine mechanic apparently.
Steve.

[mud skipper]

spent last sunday with simply 4x4 laning in n wales 3 discos 2 landys a paj and my box std 3 gen auto



the only vehicle not to have any probs was the
























































































my surf

[nero279]

the 2.4s pull like a train aswell, not quite in the leagues of a 4.2 litre landcruiser or a defender, but cheaper than the first and far more comfortable than the 2nd. Mine always towed far better than my mates 2.8 pajero which was 4 years newer.

If you can afford it i'd still go for a 3.0 litre though.

[joymic]

hi can anyone sail in the sea or do u have to have some kind of lessons, or test??? mick!

[stormforce]

hi can anyone sail in the sea or do u have to have some kind of lessons, or test??? mick!

as long as you got a boat you can sail...