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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Can my Jeep Cherokee pull a Catalina 25

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Wind of Freedom
Deckhand

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USA
4 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/30/2007 : 07:12:40

I have a Jeep Cherokee Limited Edition year 2000. It has a 6-cylinder "High Output" engine with an automatic transmission. It is the traditional "squared off" style of Jeep. It does not have 4 wheel drive - it is a 2 rear wheel drive. It came factory with a towing package - the factory installed DrawTite hitch has a sticker stating "5000 lbs. Max Distributed Weight" and "750 lbs. Max. Tongue Weight." We plan on mostly trailering the boat from our home to a local ramp about 15 minutes away. We really don't plan on taking it on long trips at all. We are looking at purchasing a Catalina 25 Wing Keel or a Swing Keel. Will my Jeep work? Will a 2 wheel be able to pull it up a moderate type of ramp? Note: I would plan on getting a trailer with a braking package.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 07:59:02

If you are only going 15 minutes at a time, it should be fine. Cheers.

Edited by - on

atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 08:12:32

I have a wing on a trailer. With normal gear, it weighs in at 7700lbs on the trailer. I would not use your Jeep for towing it. Too many risks involved. The Jeep would get it moving but....there is no way it would stop it quickly. The wheelbase is another serious shortcoming. Ideally you want the tow vehicle to be close to the weight of the trailer. Also, the tounge weight takes away from GVW your truck can carry.

More C, Tom.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 08:34:56

15 minutes at what speeds, over what terrain, in what traffic, and how frequently?

Some unsolicited opinions: If you plan to tow, rig, launch, daysail, retrieve, and unrig, ad tow, all in a typical day, the C-25 is, to put it charitably, a handful. You might get a lot more enjoyment out of a smaller, easier to rig boat (like 22-23'). If you're talking about fewer launches and longer times in the water, then you might also want to consider the Catalina 250 Water Ballast model--for the benefit of your poor little Jeep.

Anyway, welcome! Keep the questions coming...

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 08:38:35

Although the "designed" displacement of the C25s is around 4,500 lbs, the actual delivered weight comes in closer to 5,500. Add the weight of motor, gear, supplies, fuel, water, and the trailer and the tow easily gets to 7,500 lbs or even more. I know of three C25s that have been put on truck scales and top 9,000.

Your Jeep won't be up to the task. A one-ton AWD pickup with a large V-8 or diesel is what you want to tow with. Sorry.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 08:43:49

I wouldn't do it. It ain't so much the goin' it's the stoppin'!!! It's also the horses and traction to get it out of the water. Check out the many posts about towing vehicles on this site.

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megrier
1st Mate

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USA
55 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 09:36:21

You may be able to get it in to the water ..... but the jeep will never be able to pull it out of the water and up a ramp. Trust me ...... I know!

You need something BIG!

I knew a guy that would go and rent a U-Haul moving van with dual wheels and a hitch. With the dual wheels in the back he could pull that boat out of the water like nothing. It actually worked fairly well. Just don't tell U-Haul you are pulling a 6,500 pound boat!!!!

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Wind of Freedom
Deckhand

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USA
4 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 10:21:26

Well, you all basically confirmed what we were afraid of

A bigger vehicle is not an option at this point, given our finances, unless we rent one. Not too convenient, though.

Good food for thought. Thank you all for your advice/input!

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 10:27:32

I thought renting might be an option, too. Not as easy to do as it is to say.

Don't give up! The right boat and circumstances are waiting out there for you. Good luck!

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 12:40:46

Your Jeep is absolutely, positively, not capable of towing a C25.

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johnsonp
Admiral

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USA
606 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 13:13:53

Oct 2004..... I just stopped on I-5 north, the first big grade, to take this picture. I picked up the boat in LA area and I'm taking to Citrus Heights,Ca....well I made it without any problem.

Note: uphill speed 45 to 55 mph no overheating, downhill speed kept to 55 to 60 mph... no problem slowing down with brakes fading etc slowing from 70 mph to 55 mph.

I've taken the C250 WK to Canada a few times to Lake Tahoe (Echo Pass 7382' el)a few times and San Francisco etc.
The Jeep and the boat has wieghted in at 10,250 lbs .
The Jeep is a 1993 Grand Cherokee 6 cylinder 4 wheel drive with the trailer tow package and larger tires.
There's no problem lauching the Wing Keel boat it's taking the boat out. You have to back the Jeep too deep into the the water to load the boat.
Traction was never a problem.
There are some 250 owners on this web page that have gone to a third wheel to solve this problem of retrieval.
The 750# tongue wieght will take a toll on your rear bearings. I could only get 8,000 trailer miles on a set.
You have the same hitch as the Jeep V-8 has just a different sticker requirements.
I've had a couple of panic stops over time and no problems.
I'm either lucky or just a conservative driver.

LET THE STORIES BEGUIN.

paulj

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 13:29:26

I think your just lucky, Paul. At 10,250 Lbs, the boat and trailer are 2/3 of that. 6,500lbs pushing you forward with fading breaks at 55 mph, That's just not a risk I'd take. I could probably pull my boat with my Ranger, too. Just not safely.

Edited by - on

johnsonp
Admiral

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USA
606 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 13:57:55

Hmmmm are the Jeep brakes taking the load or the trailer brakes taking the load?
Now how would we check the existing brakes that came with your trailer are within design specs and lets not even get into tires....
Food for thought only.....
Off to sail the C310

love ya
paulj

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 16:32:28

Personally, I'd feel pretty badly if I was towing something that was thousands of lbs over the rated limit for my vehicle, got into an unexpected situation, and hurt somebody. What's the "unexpected situation"? By definition, I don't know. All I know is the manufacturer, in a competitive "mine's bigger than yours" marketplace, put a limit on the vehicle based on some combination of weight, wheelbase, brakes, suspension, engine, transmission, tires, etc... for a reason. Stopping is not the only issue--have you ever seen (or felt) a trailer start to oscillate, whipping the tow vehicle side-to-side? One little swerve can do it.

$h!t happens out there.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 05/30/2007 16:37:15

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 21:35:20

70MPH in a rig where maybe 70% of the weight is in the trailer?? The vehicle weights 3600lbs while your trailer and C250 weigh in at over 6.500lbs. Your tow limit is 5,000lbs. Take a look at that photo of yours, it even looks silly in scale. You get only 8k on a set of bearings? Doesn't that tell you something about the vehicle? Sorry, but taking that rig on the road is just irresponsible.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 05/30/2007 21:54:05

atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 23:35:19

I do remember one of our members loosing his boat and nearly his life when the trailer sway took his trailblaizer off the side of the road and everything rolled. It only cost a 89 wing and truck...no loss of life! Perhaps the pictures are still in the archive.
His trailblazer was rated to tow the load!

Tom.

Edited by - atgep on 05/30/2007 23:37:05

johnsonp
Admiral

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USA
606 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2007 : 23:44:14

Well Mystic
What can I say some SUV's exceed manufacturers specs and expectations some don't. I guess that is why they have recalls.
I would feel just horrible if I rolled my SUV and injured my grandkids but I think I know how to prevent that with or without the trailer.....now would that be driver skill or maybe it's just luck.

Lets face it I didn't reach my seventys on skill alone maybe it's luck or The LORD was looking over me as usual.

If I was towing something... it would not have to be a boat and trailer and it started to sway I would slow down or stop and take note of what was happening. This happens whether your load is over or under design limits of the trailer or vehicle. Many people on this forum have had the problem of swaying and they think the way they solved the problem was right....now ask yourself how can they or how did they make this judgement or did they experiment and test their idea until they became comfortable or confident with their solution even though others have expressed other opinions.
I have towed my old reliable C250 WK and trailer to Canada on I-5 three times (900 miles each way)and comming down some pretty good grades and not had any brake fade, brake fluid is not boiling, no disc brakes on fire or aluminum tires rims warp due to excess heat. What do SAE engineers look for during their tests and how many cycles before something is accepted. If I pickup speed I shift down which helps a little.
I usually keep the spedo at 55 mph which I fell comfortable with.
I've had my share of panic stops no matter how much room I leave between cars and have felt comfortable with the braking distance.
My trailer is setup so it starts to brake first then the Jeep.
I've made some minor modifications to the Jeep, the trailer and the boat.
I have never had a problem pulling the boat out of the water after the boat was secure on the trailer. If I kept the C250 I would have added a third wheel and the old rope trick thing.

I do not advocate that you should push or exceed the limits of your tow vehicles owners or operating manuals specs and procedures but try and become familiar with them and try and understand them.

Try a panic stop if you want to under controlled conditions to see what happens or drive up some steep hill. Just because you have a top drawer tow vehicle and are within towing limits means you are OK.

You know it is nice to have a forum like this and express your opinion's and ideas then use little common sense to sift through the smoke and mirrors.....no moral judgements.

I would like to sign off by giving thanks to the officers and unknowns who make this forum possilble... it seems to be a thankless never ending job.
paulj

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2007 : 11:17:13

I believe in God too and I'm thinking He had you move on to a bigger boat that can't be trailered for a reason. Fair winds to you.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 05/31/2007 11:19:20

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2007 : 11:34:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by johnsonp
 ...I do not advocate that you should push or exceed the limits of your tow vehicles owners or operating manuals specs and procedures but try and become familiar with them and try and understand them...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Nuff said.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 05/31/2007 11:34:36

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