[knightron]

I have a 2005 X.....4.0 6spd.....completely stock. A real good deal on a 17 ft Mako open fisherman boat has presented itself to me. Weight of the vessel and cargo will be in the 2000-2500 lb range. I live in Miami so there are no hills....believe me it is flat here in S Florida......also I will never have to drive it more than 20 miles to launch the boat. Anyone have any experience towing a boat with an X? I have some concerns about the manual trans & taking the boat out of the water off the ramp. Any input will be greatly appreciated.....the sooner the better because I am going to have to act on the boat purchase in the next couple of days.

[BozoWise]

towing is not the issue. Safely stopping is.

[robncar]

I wouldn't worry about the ramp. I used to launch and recover a 26' sailboat with a Suzuki Samurai, in 4 low! I'd worry more about on road. The max, with the 4.0, for the TJ is 2,000#'s, for the LJ it's 3,500#'s.

[abritton77]

I have no problems towing my bass boat which is 18' long.

[IWantAGladiator]

I towed my mako 171 with my CJ and my Scrambler, both stock. My LJ handles towing easily. You wont have any worries, the mako's arent that heavy.

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally Posted by abritton77

I have no problems towing my bass boat which is 18' long.

My 18' power boat was WAY too heavy to be towed safely, I suspect yours is too heavy too. It may tow just fine but only until you get into an emergency maneuver. The TJ's safe tow limit is no more than 2,000 lbs.

[bpetry]

Mako 171 hull weight = 1500 lbs
Merc 135 motor weight = 420 lbs
37 Gallons of fuel = 240 lbs
Fishing gear and beer = 200 lbs
Trailer 400 lbs

Grand total = 2760

Definitely over the "max" but I would try it out and see how it does. The acid test is moderate to heavy braking and trailer sway at speed.

My TJ pulled my Sea Ray 180OB which weighs several hundred more pounds than this boat, but I only towed with that very short distances. I never felt unsafe, but was very aware of the limitations of the vehicle and drove accordingly.

Best bet... use it as an excuse to buy an XJ

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally Posted by bpetry

The acid test is moderate to heavy braking and trailer sway at speed.

Trailer sway is caused by insufficient tongue weight, not overall weight. With proper tongue weight, which is anywhere between 10-15% of the total trailer's weight being placed on the hitch ball, you won't get trailer sway.

One of my boat trailers was set up improperly with the axle too far forward, which reduced the tongue weight too much. It had viscious trailer sway over 50 mph. Moving the axle back two inches increased the tongue weight enough to cure the trailer sway.

[Big-E]

Go for it. Short distances like you are talking will be fine. 4 low on the ramp & it will walk out. 4 low backing down the ramp & you don't have to worry about the brakes sliding.

[surfdogs]

18' Sea Ray with 2004 X. 6 cyl, and I mostly go a maximum of five miles to the ramp. I've never had any trouble with a boat the same size as yours, but the biggest thing to keep in mind is your stopping distance. You really have to pay attention to what's going on in front of you.

On the highway, I've never experienced any trailer sway but I've also been towing boats for 25 years, so I'm a confident driver, go slow, and stay in the right lane. As far as the ramp, that's not a worry. I've pulled the boat up completely slick ramps without even using 4wd. If you're worried use the parking brake as your third foot the first couple of times.

[Jerry Bransford]

I've never seen a fiberglass 18' power boat that wasn't heavier than the TJ was rated to tow or could tow safely. Knowing well the Sea Ray's quality and thus heavy construction, I sure wouldn't tow an 18' Sea Ray behind my TJ.

[knightron]

What About A 93 Grand Cherokee Pulling That Bad Boy? 4wd/auto With A V8

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally Posted by knightron

What About A 93 Grand Cherokee Pulling That Bad Boy? 4wd/auto With A V8

No problem whatsoever.

I will say that when towing our 20' Maxxum I/O boat, I could still really tell it was there even towing it with my wife's 4.7L V8 equipped Grand Cherokee.

[dawnskaybug]

Sorry to off topic BUT....
Stay away from the 171 esp 2003 up. Total POS I had THE Poveromo edition. My actual Boat has in SWS and on ESPN many times.
I had a 115 Opti ran about 43 top speed that 135 WOW that 135 maybe to heavy my 115 was borderline which 135 is it?? ..
BPS customer service SUX horrible worst I ever dealt with ended up having to talk to higher higher heads to get a somewhat reasonable answer which never happened..

Mako used to be a helluva till BPS bought them out and moved them to NC..
I towed mine with my LJ ehh OK stopping wasnt real fun I had 4 batteries trolling motor up front Live well was always full..
Also my boat was dropped off at Load Rite and they built a custom aluminum trailer around it .I had no swerving even at 75MPH. I was towing it up 40 miles most trips 20 miles.

[sbulla]

Originally Posted by knightron

Anyone have any experience towing a boat with an X?

Can't help with info on the short wheelbase but, I use my '06 Unlimited to get this rig to the lake here in east TN with a lot of curvy, hilly roads and, I find power to be no problem with the 4.0, auto, 3.73 gears, 31" tires but, on curvy downhill sections, I can definitely feel the tendency for what Jerry talks about with the "wagging the dog" effect.

Don't know the actual weight of the boat, trailer, motor, and gear but, the tongue weight is 190# so, if it's set right, it should be 2K or less. Need to find some scales someday and check it.

If I were towing much farther than the 8 miles I have to now, I would look into installing aftermarket trailer brakes.

Just don't be in a hurry and allow plenty of stopping distance.

Good luck,
Sonny
'06 Unlimited