Towing a boat?

yetijedi1 · Post by **yetijedi1** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:42 pm

Hello. I'm considering buying a Pinzgauer, and one of the main things I would be doing with it would be towing a boat and trailer with a combined weight of about 4500 lbs. How well would the Pinzgauer work for this? Thanks.

ExpeditionImports · Post by **ExpeditionImports** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:19 pm

How far and what speed? Around town and down to the local boat ramp....OK. You wouldn't catch me dead in a 710 pulling a boat at freeway speeds for extended periods. Try a panic stop with no trailer in a 710. A little better with a 712. At the price of pickup trucks today, buy a 1/2 ton with a v8.

Cheers,

Scott Ingham

Kirby · Post by **Kirby** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:22 pm

Wikipedia Say's

Both the 4x4 and 6x6 models can tow 5000 kg (11023 lb) on road and 1500 kg (3307 lb) or 1800 kg (3968 lb), respectively, off-road

I have not towed with mine, but I have heard that you just need to make sure the brakes are adjusted well and I would not go long haul, short trips from house to lake for me would be 2.5 miles and no freeway/highway. Top speed would be around 35 ~ that I would have no problem with.....

And remember these are 24 volt, unless there is a converter on the Pinz - or LED lights on the boat trailer that are wide voltage range to handle 12 volt (normal towing) 24 volt for Pinz... Wiring that can be tricky.... but fun

Erik712m · Post by **Erik712m** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:31 pm

Come on Scott it might make a good you tube video.

Don't think I wound try it with my 712. [/b]

yetijedi1 · Post by **yetijedi1** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:53 pm

Thanks for the responses. My towing needs would vary, but would never really be on interstate highways. Usually, it would be a 10 minute trip at about 35-40 mph on side roads with very little traffic and only one traffic light. Sometimes, it would be a 10 minute trip at 55 mph on a small state highway (lanes divided with wide median), also with very little traffic. Occasionally, it would be a 30 minute trip on that same state highway, also at 55. Again, the load would be about 4500lbs.

yetijedi1 · Post by **yetijedi1** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:56 pm

I should also add that all of my towing would be dead flat. No hills.

mjnims · Post by **mjnims** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:04 am

Towing a boat is tricky. Most will have surge brakes which makes stopping a little rougher. I tow my 19' sport deck with my 710 and have had no issues on the freeway at 60mph. That being said it is not a good idea in heavy traffic. Both the 710 and 712 handle trailer pulling much better than most will admit, probably because they have little to no experience towing with a pinz or any other vehicle. There should be great caution used when towing with a pinz because of the different handling characteristics but if you are aware of them and drive accordingly it can be done with no real issues. Here is a picture of my 710 pinz with one of my boats

On the electrical side it is a joke that people try to take the hard way around this. Simply go to SAV's website and order the male plug for the trailer. Then get a magnetic light kit at Harbor freight ($14) cut off the 4 flat plug and install the pinz plug. Take a couple of 24v stop/run bulbs and put them in the lights and you can now tow any trailer by simply putting the lights on it and heading out. Good idea to mark left and right lights.
I was at the RMP Treffen a couple of weeks ago and could not believe it when I saw a guy drive up pulling a 105 trailer that was loaded with gear. That poor pinz must have worked it heart out to get there. The trip up to Leadville out of denver is not easy even in an empty pinz. There is a fair number of us using our pinzies to tow but they choose not to say anything as a few on the boards tend to bash them when admit to using their pinz in a manner that those few don't agree with.

Trailering anything takes a good deal of thinking and if you can think while you drive it can be done safely.

andy · Post by **andy** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:11 am

I've towed quite often with my 710 at highway speeds. The difference is that I'm only hauling about 3,000 pounds. A ton of corn or protein and the weight of the trailer. I got around the light issue by getting a trailer from SAV.

With all of that being said, let me hasten to add, the first time I tried pulling my regular feed trailer, loaded, (2 tons of corn plus weight of the trailer) the top speed was only 35 mph.

Erik712m · Post by **Erik712m** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:39 am

Didn't one of are more seasoned drivers tip a trailer with a pinz on it while towing it with another pinz? Andy, I believe your trailer was made to be towed by the pinz. it's not trilering that would bother my at regular speeds it would be at high way speeds that I would worry.

MarkPinz · Post by **MarkPinz** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:08 pm

Mine fits nicely on the roof

andy · Post by **andy** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:04 pm

To get to the particular ranch in the above picture involves 80 plus miles of highway driving and the same returning. The Pinz has no trouble towing the trailer with a ton of feed in the Pinz and a ton in the trailer. The only problem is on some of the steeper hills I have to go to third or fourth gear. On the ranch roads you don't even know it is there.

The close to 5,000 pound feed trailer attempt was a third gear deal right out of the driveway.

Erik712m · Post by **Erik712m** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:06 pm

Andy, great pic. I can see you going thru tires pretty fast. Mike, what kind of fish doyou guys fish for?

mjnims · Post by **mjnims** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:49 pm

I will fish for anything that will bite. The lake in the picture is a bass lake with some very nice white crappie. Of course it has most of the warmer water types of fish but mainly is fished for bass. We are fortunate enough to have all types of water within a couple of hours. The rim lakes and streams provide some very good trout fishing and our desert lakes have excellent bass, catfish, crappie and walleye fishing. I have even been known to get out and do some deepsea fishing when the opportunity arises. One goal is to get down to the gulf of Mexico and do some fly fishing for Tarpon. When I was in Cabo a few years ago I managed to catch a Dorado that was 8 pounds off the world record. What a blast that was. I did not know Dorado even got that big.

rubicon4wheeler · Post by **rubicon4wheeler** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:24 pm

I've towed my 18 foot Bayliner several times with my 710M with no issues whatsoever. I keep to the legal trailering speed of 55mph, and braking is great even without trailer brakes.

It's also nice when the Pinz is the only tow rig at the facility that can pull its boat back up the steep, muddy launch ramp.

krick3tt · Post by **krick3tt** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:25 pm

I bought a trailer like Andy's from EI. It towed really well behind the 710.
I did discover it was a bit large for my needs and I sold it to a guy from Denver. Very nice trailer.
Now I tow a 1/4 ton M416 that I have outfitted as a camping trailer. Much better for me, fully loaded with camping gear and with a roof top tent is is about 1100 lbs including the trailer (at 500 lbs). No brake on the trailer but it is so light that it does not affect the pinz. The only time I notice it is there is when I back it up. I did refit it with matching pinz tail lights.

I think if I needed a boat it would be a canoe or kayak and it would go on top of the pinz.
I do agree with Scott, the way things are now it would not be difficult to get a decent cheap pickup to tow a big boat, if you have the room for the truck. Save the pinz for fun.

Morris