Any boaters here know the ~weight of a 20' motorboat? I am wondering whether I could tow something like that...
Anyone know the approximate weight of a 20' motorboat?
- Thread starter bignateyk
- Start date
SacrosanctFiend
Diamond Member
- Oct 2, 2004
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ok.. thats about what i needed to know. I didn't think my RAV4 would be able to handle one (I believe the V6 is rated at 2000 lbs)
Kelemvor
Lifer
- May 23, 2002
- 16,930
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With the motor or without? And what size motor?
Glastron was the first brand that came to mind and here's a 20 footer they rate at 2800...
http://www.glastron.com/us/boatpages/gt205sf.html
Glastron was the first brand that came to mind and here's a 20 footer they rate at 2800...
http://www.glastron.com/us/boatpages/gt205sf.html
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Depends on the type of boat. Fiberglass? Aluminum? I've seen some relatively light boats compared to Sacrosanct's numbers. However, the typical fiberglass boat of that length is in Sacrosanct's range. (if not slightly more.)
You can google particular makes/models and find the gross vehicle weights listed for the boats.
You can google particular makes/models and find the gross vehicle weights listed for the boats.
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Why would he want to tow a 20 foot boat without a motor, except to tow it once?Also, OP, don't forget the trailer weight as well.
olds
Elite Member
- Mar 3, 2000
- 50,056
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I had a 20' cuddy @ 3200 lbs., 170 HP I/O. Mine was considered on the heavy side for a 20 footer.
Towing is a lot more than just the tow rating of the vehicle you have vs. the trailer weight. First off, boats are weighed dry, with no gas or gear. They hold a LOT of gas, and you always put gear, coolers with ice, etc....you can easily add 500lbs to it without even trying.
Then, you have to add the weight of the trailer. That's easily going to be 1000lbs for a 20ft boat, if not more.
Now, you also have to consider the tow vehicle: Most tow ratings are simply for advertising....if you read all the disclaimers and footnotes, you'll find that pretty much no vehicle is capable of towing the advertised "Max Trailer Weight" it's rated for.
Tow rating is based on the base model vehicle, with no passengers, gear, cargo, or usually even gas. And a 150lb driver. Who weighs 150lbs?
And who buys the very base model of anything? So everything you add to that vehicle....options like power windows, skid plates, sunroof, etc....they all take away from that vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, (GVWR) and from the Max Trailer rating.
Now, you add the weight of your passengers, and any cargo or mods you've made to the vehicle.
Not to mention the tongue weight of the trailer....that counts towards the Payload capacity of the tow vehicle....another rating you have to be careful not to exceed. A 3000lb trailer will easily have 300lbs or more of tongue weight.
So, what to consider when you are figuring what your truck can tow:
GVWR....max the tow vehicle is allowed to weigh. Go weigh your truck as it sits, with a full tank and loaded, and subtract that from the GVWR. Then you know how much cargo/passenger/tongue weight you can add to it.
GCVWR...Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating....max your truck and trailer are rated to weigh, fully loaded. Gotta weigh 'em both to get this one.
Max Trailer Capacity....max anything you tow is ever supposed to weigh.
You aren't supposed to exceed any of these numbers. In fact, most experts will tell you it's much better not to exceed 85% of the max. rated weights.
But for the OP, it's pretty obvious that you can't tow that boat without a bigger truck. You don't need to do the math I've laid out here.
Then, you have to add the weight of the trailer. That's easily going to be 1000lbs for a 20ft boat, if not more.
Now, you also have to consider the tow vehicle: Most tow ratings are simply for advertising....if you read all the disclaimers and footnotes, you'll find that pretty much no vehicle is capable of towing the advertised "Max Trailer Weight" it's rated for.
Tow rating is based on the base model vehicle, with no passengers, gear, cargo, or usually even gas. And a 150lb driver. Who weighs 150lbs?
And who buys the very base model of anything? So everything you add to that vehicle....options like power windows, skid plates, sunroof, etc....they all take away from that vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, (GVWR) and from the Max Trailer rating.
Now, you add the weight of your passengers, and any cargo or mods you've made to the vehicle.
Not to mention the tongue weight of the trailer....that counts towards the Payload capacity of the tow vehicle....another rating you have to be careful not to exceed. A 3000lb trailer will easily have 300lbs or more of tongue weight.
So, what to consider when you are figuring what your truck can tow:
GVWR....max the tow vehicle is allowed to weigh. Go weigh your truck as it sits, with a full tank and loaded, and subtract that from the GVWR. Then you know how much cargo/passenger/tongue weight you can add to it.
GCVWR...Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating....max your truck and trailer are rated to weigh, fully loaded. Gotta weigh 'em both to get this one.
Max Trailer Capacity....max anything you tow is ever supposed to weigh.
You aren't supposed to exceed any of these numbers. In fact, most experts will tell you it's much better not to exceed 85% of the max. rated weights.
But for the OP, it's pretty obvious that you can't tow that boat without a bigger truck. You don't need to do the math I've laid out here.
Oh, and for comparison of weights, my boat is a Bryant 216, which has a dry weight of just under 3500lbs. Loaded with gas and gear, it exceeds 4000lbs. And with the trailer, is well over 5000lbs.
I tow it with a Suburban, and it does well, but I wouldn't want to tow anything bigger with it. In fact, a friend bought a Bryant 236 about the same time as I bought mine, and after towing it home with his practically identical Suburban, he sold it and bought a 3/4 ton Suburban. His towed it, and the boat was within the rated capacity, but it was not pleasant.
I tow it with a Suburban, and it does well, but I wouldn't want to tow anything bigger with it. In fact, a friend bought a Bryant 236 about the same time as I bought mine, and after towing it home with his practically identical Suburban, he sold it and bought a 3/4 ton Suburban. His towed it, and the boat was within the rated capacity, but it was not pleasant.
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