Towing a 2016 G23 with an Infiniti QX56/QX80, tow rating at 8,500 lbs, am I good?

[Nick Heimer]

It's interesting how everyone who has a 3/4 ton or larger truck swears that it is the only option, while those with smaller vehicles say they are getting it done with no problems.

I would be interested to hear from someone who has towed with multiple SUVs and trucks.

[Evening Shade]

It's interesting how everyone who has a 3/4 ton or larger truck swears that it is the only option, while those with smaller vehicles say they are getting it done with no problems.

I would be interested to hear from someone who has towed with multiple SUVs and trucks.

I agree with this.

I'm sure I would like driving a 3/4 ton diesel, but the only thing I tow is a 4300# boat on weekends, half of the year. I just can't justify the $10,000+ diesel option especially since diesel fuel is more expensive than gas now in most parts of the country. Also you have to buy DEF and oil changes are $100+ for most diesels as opposed to $50 for my 1/2 ton V8. I just don't tow enough to justify the added expense of diesel ownership.

[jjackkrash]

I agree with this.

I'm sure I would like driving a 3/4 ton diesel, but the only thing I tow is a 4300# boat on weekends, half of the year. I just can't justify the $10,000+ diesel option especially since diesel fuel is more expensive than gas now in most parts of the country. Also you have to buy DEF and oil changes are $100+ for most diesels as opposed to $50 for my 1/2 ton V8. I just don't tow enough to justify the added expense of diesel ownership.

My last 4 trucks: 5.7l Tundra; 6.0l 2500 Silverado (gasser); Duramax 2500 Silverado; Duramax 2500 GMC Denali.

Any decent half ton will tow 4300#'s just fine. We tow that with the wife's '05 Sequoia over passes all the time, no issues whatsoever.

Uphill I'd rate the Tundra as being as capable as the 6.0l. 2500, its down hill and stability wise I'd rate the 2500 6.0l well above the Tundra. The 2500 is just heavier and longer and more stable. But the Tundra is a great 1/2 ton, no doubt.

Anything over about 8k pounds, regardless of tow rating on the new 1/2 ton's or 3/4 ton gassers, I would really start looking hard at a diesel. The difference when things get heavy is unbelievable. The stock Duramax/Allison combo does not even break a sweat heading over passes with my 10k# travel trailer or my 14k# dump trailer.

All my opinion, YMMV.

[SkiTower]

It's interesting how everyone who has a 3/4 ton or larger truck swears that it is the only option, while those with smaller vehicles say they are getting it done with no problems.

I would be interested to hear from someone who has towed with multiple SUVs and trucks.

It's not so much the get up and go people are arguing, it's everything else you get with a 3/4 ton (brakes, springs, weight, etc). With enough patience you can get about anything going with anything. It's controlling it that's the safety concern. Diesel is nice but not critical, it's the rest of the truck that's critical.

FYI, I have a 211 and my F150 tows it fine but I would be very nervous with something that was an extra 2000 lbs

[bzeller]

I moved from a '15 Dmax to a '16 Titan XD Cummins because the rebates were awesome and I only tow up to about 11K lbs. Love both trucks. Completely agree with the post above, it's not necessarily whether your vehicle is rated to do it, but how well it can do it safely, comfortably, and efficiently.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Whitetail15]

This truck is going to dealer for trade in two weeks. I would recommend this truck to anyone looking for quality tow vehicle for their G series boat, and as a daily driver. Electric brakes not needed, the f-450's tow and stop 10k without even knowing its behind you. I have to tow every time we ride so this makes it very easy for me. Plus the family is safe, along with everyone else driving around me. This one is at dealer for 39k. PM me if interested.

[markj]

[QUOTE=Evening Shade;n507574]

I agree with this.

I'm sure I would like driving a 3/4 ton diesel, but the only thing I tow is a 4300# boat on weekends, half of the year. I just can't justify the $10,000+ diesel option especially since diesel fuel is more expensive than gas now in most parts of the country. Also you have to buy DEF and oil changes are $100+ for most diesels as opposed to $50 for my 1/2 ton V8. I just don't tow enough to justify the added expense of diesel ownership.

[/QUOTE
Diesel costs only a little bit more if you're comparing to 87 octane, but you get much better fuel economy so diesel always wins that argument. The $100 oil changes sound steep, but you're only doing them every 15K miles, not every 5-7K miles like a gasser so oil changes are actually CHEAPER than a gasser. Maintenance in general is more expensive, but much less frequent. As for the DEF, I spend $28 a few times a year and it makes my exhaust smell less offensive than gas exhaust. Diesel also kills gas when it comes to longevity and resale too. In 2003, I bought a new Ram CTD for $35K OTD, put 210K miles on it, sold it after 11 years for $15K and spent less than $1000 on repairs the entire time I owned it. Of course that doesn't include oil/filters/tranny fluid changes or the ONE brake job I had to do.

[Jakehere]

I just wanted to add a little something to the wealth of knowledge this thread is turning into. I owned a 2015 GMC Yukon SLE and currently a 2016 GMC Yukon Denali, and both have (Denali is worse) what people online call a "buffeting/pressure" issue that makes my wife sick to her stomach. It doesn't bother me really, or anyone else, just mainly my wife. And you know how that goes... Check this debacle out before you buy any Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon/Yukon XL/Escalade:
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...-solution.html

The interesting thing about the GM 1500 class vehicles is that they have a higher than the typical 5000lbs WDH requirement. The newer Silverado/Sierra 1500 trucks don't require a WDH till 7000lbs I believe, whereas F150/Tundra/Ram1500 all require one at 5000lbs trailer weight. The Yukon doesn't specify what weight the trailer needs to be to need a WDH, just that tongue weight can't exceed 600lbs without a WDH, so they seem to be a reasonable choice for towing a 5000-6000lbs boat without a WDH (due to the challenges of installing a WDH on trailers with swing-away tongues and surge brakes). But then there's this pressure cabin issue and a host of other things people on forums complain about that their dealers just can't fix. Just a heads up cause they aren't cheap. I don't think it affects the Silverado/Sierra, its the larger SUV cabin that gets the weird pressure thing. But like I said, it doesn't bother me and most people in the Yukon don't notice anything abnormal.

[Ironman97459]

I tow 95% of the time with the wives escalade esv. It does a great job at it. No problem pulling the g23 up over the passes and no issues stopping in a hurry. No buffeting issues in our 15 or 16 model. I've also got a crew cab long bed one ton diesel truck that is my daily driver. I chose to use the escalade. The SUV is plenty safe if you follow common sense.


Sent from my iPhone using PLT Nautique

[Evening Shade]

[QUOTE=markj;n507692]

I agree with this.

I'm sure I would like driving a 3/4 ton diesel, but the only thing I tow is a 4300# boat on weekends, half of the year. I just can't justify the $10,000+ diesel option especially since diesel fuel is more expensive than gas now in most parts of the country. Also you have to buy DEF and oil changes are $100+ for most diesels as opposed to $50 for my 1/2 ton V8. I just don't tow enough to justify the added expense of diesel ownership.

[/QUOTE
Diesel costs only a little bit more if you're comparing to 87 octane, but you get much better fuel economy so diesel always wins that argument. The $100 oil changes sound steep, but you're only doing them every 15K miles, not every 5-7K miles like a gasser so oil changes are actually CHEAPER than a gasser. Maintenance in general is more expensive, but much less frequent. As for the DEF, I spend $28 a few times a year and it makes my exhaust smell less offensive than gas exhaust. Diesel also kills gas when it comes to longevity and resale too. In 2003, I bought a new Ram CTD for $35K OTD, put 210K miles on it, sold it after 11 years for $15K and spent less than $1000 on repairs the entire time I owned it. Of course that doesn't include oil/filters/tranny fluid changes or the ONE brake job I had to do.

Diesel is about $0.50 more per gallon than 87 octane where I live. I will consent that the diesel will get better fuel economy while towing than my gasser, but I doubt that it will get much better fuel economy than my gasser unloaded, which is 95% of my driving. My 2014 Sierra 1500 4x4 with 5.3L DI gets 16/21-22 mpg. Based on the math, I would need to tow my boat 250,000 miles before the improved fuel economy of the diesel paid for itself. I would have to keep a truck for 40 years to rack up 250,000 miles of towing.

I feel like diesels are a great option if you tow very heavy loads or tow a LOT of miles, but most of us fall well short of this. Heck I probably only put 15,000 miles per year on my truck total.

Maybe you can make up the initial difference in the cost of diesel vs. gas engine option on the back end when you trade the vehicle in, but I've never had luck with that. Most dealers make me feel like my trade in isn't worth anything. I take very good care of my vehicles so they are clean and straight when I trade them in.

[jjackkrash]

Diesel is actually cheaper than gas right now where I live. That said, I would pick the truck based on the better tool for the job; a gasser is a good tool for lighter tow duty and mixed use, but diesel's are better for heavier applications, period. Frankly, I also just like driving my diesel better unloaded than my 2500 for my daily, and would take my 2500 diesel over my previous 2500 gasser and previous Tundra as a daily solely based on the way it drives. Its just so smooth, quiet and powerful that I love it.

I suspect Evening Shade is right on cost of ownership; the gasser probably is cheaper to own under most circumstances.

[markj]

My cost of ownership over the life of my above mentioned truck was under $159.00 a month. When I compared the fuel economy of diesel over gas in my 3/4 ton trucks, it got even better. I averaged about a 4 mpg difference between the gas 3/4 ton vs the diesel I replaced it with. If anyone wants to compare a half ton to a 3/4 ton, that's not apples to apples.

[Fast351]

There was a tow thread on one of the boat forums I visit (it might even have been PN) where tow ratings were discussed. I have been towing boats ever since I've had a car, and even I didn't believe that the max on a ball tow was 5000# regardless of vehicle without a WDH.

But all you have to do is look at the fine print (and every manufacturer has it) that shows that max tow weight without a WDH is 5000#. I do believe there were a couple vehicles, like the new Chevies with the 2 5/8" receiver tube, and some bigger Fords like the F250/F350 Diesels had more, but it wasn't a lot more. On the order of 6500#. Change to a WDH, and things change a lot. This is where those rated tow ratings of 9000,10000,11000 and up are achieved.

It has already been mentioned, most vehicles with a higher tow rating will get the boat moving, but the most important part of sizing a tow vehicle is safely being able to stop or maneuver when things are not perfect. Brakes, springs, and steering all play a role. My personal rule of thumb is no more than 50% more than the tow vehicle weight behind it. So I wouldn't tow a 9000# boat with anything lighter than a 6000# vehicle. That makes it so the tow vehicle is not as easily pushed around by the trailer.

At the end of the day, it's not just whether the vehicle can tow the trailer, it's whether you can do it legally and safely. If you ever have an accident while towing, or worse an accident with injuries, you don't want to be that guy that decided to haul a 9000# boat with a small SUV improperly equipped.

To the OP: You should at least consider a WDH mandatory. After that, decide whether you think it's responsible to tow a boat right at or slightly over the rating for your vehicle.

[Fast351]

Here it is: Go read:

https://www.planetnautique.com/vb5/f...ries-nautiques

[shag]

I agree with Fast... 23 years of responding to accidents and other emergencies and I have seen what happens with well equipped tow vehicles, and lets just say, maybe able, but less equipped tow vehicles. You HAVE to plan for worst case scenario, as in: Panic stop or maneuver in highway traffic... Just my .02