Jeeps and boats

[Scrappy]

Ok folks kind of random topic but... I was on the lake with me best friend and our families the past week and I have boat fever. I know less than 0 about boats and am thinking of buying one. I have a 2021 JLU Rubi that will be the towing vehicle. I read the manual and see its rated for 3500 lbs. What kind of boats are you all pulling? I'm trying to see what I can do and gauge if I can do it. Thanks in advance!

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[WreckEm711]

My advice? Find a friend with a boat. We just got back from a tow because the boat left us stranded. Get yourself a kayak lol.

 

[Opus]

I'm surprised there aren't more threads about this...

Just Empty Every Pocket and Bust Out Another Thousand seem like a match made in heaven.

 

[Pinion]

I tow my 21' Boston Whaler. I wouldn't tow it everywhere, but I can take it within a few towns to get it bottom painted. I still use the Jeep to launch and recover though without any issues.
I don't need to take it any further though since I keep it on a mooring all season.

 

[Shibadog]

Ah, boats, a hole in the water you fill with money. The happiest days in a boat owners life are the day they buy it and the day they sell it?. That said, a small runabout or bass boat should work. Good luck.

 

[SouthCo]

Ok folks kind of random topic but... I was on the lake with me best friend and our families the past week and I have boat fever. I know less than 0 about boats and am thinking of buying one. I have a 2021 JLU Rubi that will be the towing vehicle. I read the manual and see its rated for 3500 lbs. What kind of boats are you all pulling? I'm trying to see what I can do and gauge if I can do it. Thanks in advance!

What kind of boat can you tow? A small one safely unless the distance to launch is really close to home. 3500lbs isn't a lot....

 

[Boosted_Rubi]

I tow a 16 foot amuninum bow rider with 70hp outboard (about 2300 lbs) and a 18 foot inboard fiberglass bowrider 2700ish) and have never had a problem/felt underpowered (2.0 rubicon). My 3.6 jku (auto) struggled with the fiberglass bowrider

 

[bjm00se]

Advice is cheap, and I always have a big warehouse of it that I'm happy to share.

You probably already know more than you think about what you want.

Power or sail?

Go Fast or Party Barge?

Sit down boat or Water-bikes/Jet Skis?

Fish or Ski?

Big lakes or small lakes, or bays or the ocean?

Take a boating safety class, such as by Boat US or US Power squadron. A solid day of classroom instruction that'll teach you some common sense stuff that you probably think you already know, but some more you likely don't. Doing that'll give you a break on your insurance rates later, too. And while you're there, you can talk to other boaters about what they like and don't like.

These types of questions will help you narrow it down. There are a fair number of places to rent boats. Once you've narrowed down a bit, see if you can rent or charter a boat similar to the kind you have in mind.

When you think you're ready to buy, look to the used market. Boats tend to depreciate a lot. Look at at least five boats for sale before you make an offer on one.

Anyhow, Jeeps make fine tow vehicles for boats that are on the smaller end of the size spectrum. And in general, as a general rule, smaller boats have smaller upfront cost, maintenance costs, are easier to launch, and tend to get used more often than larger craft.

 

[Carmelsteve]

I tow a 19 foot Bayliner Capri with a V6 inboard. Total with trailer around 3000 pounds. The 4xe could probably tow it just about anywhere, but towing it comfortably, I limit it to local within 50 miles or so and try to avoid large elevations or interstates. I use my Ram 2500 diesel if I need to tow the more difficult trips. Another thing, if you are towing anything over about 1000 pounds, I wouldn't do it without trailer brakes. I use the Curt Echo controller and it works pretty good.

 

[Red Willy]

I've found the biggest thing with towing is not getting going, but in a panic stop situation, it's trying to stop without the boat trying to swap ends with the Jeep. Definitely would get trailer brakes and controller.

 

[maestro5531]

I just love the comments about boats being expensive and throwing money away, completely opposite of the Jeeps.

I have a Tahoe T16 with 75hp Mercury, It has not let me down even once. Oil change, lower unit gear oil, fuel filter every year and it will last forever. Maintain your shit and it will last. If you buy a 20year old piece of junk and have no mechanical knowledge, that's when you start hating boats.

 

[Allis48]

I tow a 17' Larson Bow rider with my Sport S with the 6 speed MT. Boat weighs about 1850lbs when its all loaded up with stuff. Tows fine but I don't like to go far with it. Friend of mine attempted to pull his 21' Rinker cuddy cabin out of the water with his jeep when his truck died and it was not something he recommended doing again.

 

[jaymz]

I’ve got a 21’ Caliber 1 that weighs every bit of 3000lbs by itself. I’m sure it’s over 3500 with the trailer. I tow it 230 miles through the Mojave desert probably a dozen times during the summer without issue.

 

[swampflyer]

Ok folks kind of random topic but... I was on the lake with me best friend and our families the past week and I have boat fever. I know less than 0 about boats and am thinking of buying one. I have a 2021 JLU Rubi that will be the towing vehicle. I read the manual and see its rated for 3500 lbs. What kind of boats are you all pulling? I'm trying to see what I can do and gauge if I can do it. Thanks in advance!

I’m laughing with you not at you. I live in Fl and everyone I know that has a boat is in the repair shop. I have a friend in Ft Lauderdale and he couldn’t wait to get rid of it. It’s always the drive that is the problem. Rent one or borrow one and get it out of your system. My airplane was a lot cheaper than a boat. I agree with the view of wrecking 711. Get yourself a kayak but stay clear of gators. Lol

 

[Plumbean]

I own a 50 year old 34 foot sailboat — a piece of classic plastic. It made the whole Just Empty Every Pocket thing much easier to accept. If you can put “marine” on the label it adds a zero to the price.

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