Anyone tow their boat with an RV?

[saidainc]

Im looking at buying a Class C Thor Chateau to pull my boat to and from a campground we frequent. Right now we drive two vehicles, a camp trailer and the MXZ. We waste a ton of fuel, pay extra parking costs and generally drive a lot. My friend tows his Tige with a 32 foot Seneca and says its the real deal. Can anyone weigh in on this?

[Levi900RR]

There are a bunch of people on here doing it. Someone will chime in...

[nyryan2001]

Said-

I just got done towing my boat over 1000 miles behind a 30ft Penske moving truck(I know, getting towed by a Mastercraft ha ha ha). here are a couple thoughts:

- if you go diesel you WILL save a ton of money on fuel. I had the moving truck loaded with 10k in gear and my boat weighs 9k. I still got 9-10mpg on diesel. total weight for everything was 32,000lbs getting 8mpg is A+ IMO.

- it will likely be a rougher ride for your boat comparatively suspension wise. If your trailer is solid, you'll be fine. if yours is marginal, or at/over the weight limit and struggling, you might see issues. Long story for me, mine was marginal... somewhat noticeable towing with my 1/2ton... became very apparant towing behind the big truck. just FYI.

- your boat will get different wind stresses. IE watch your cushions flying out if not secured... and your bimini. Mine rubbed a hole on the bimini boot from a wired cross ways wind that was created behind the truck. winds on your boat will be totally different.

- you will need a granny ramp if you plan to lanch and retrieve with the RV. very doable at a lot of places... and very NOT doable at a lot of places. depends on your ramp size, how steep it is, and how slick it get with slime or whatever on how far you have to back in. Many guys require or arrange for a pickup to back them in.

- just gotta be extra carefull at gas stations and parking lots, it gets significantly longer.

Suggest you look up Ronnie down in TX.... I saw his setup a few years back... huge Class A IIRC and has been rolling that way for years.

[cwkoch]

I've been doing a lot of research on RVs lately, and looking for one that will tow my boat (or a trailer for my rock crawler). What I've learned is that most Class C's have a 5,000 lb max tow rating, and some of them are only 3,500lb .... You need to go to a Class A diesel pusher to get a decent tow rating (10,000 or 15,000).

[Brian Ferrell]

We just returned from another trip towing the lsv with 40ft class A diesel pusher. Honestly once you are already driving something this big, the trailer does not make too much of an impact. Definitely different wind loads on the cushions etc.

I back the trailer quite a bit but have not yet worked up the nerve to actually launch with the RV. In the past five trips camping we have had a neighbor camper volunteer to launch the boat for us in exchange for a ride/pull/beer etc.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Brian Ferrell

[WakeGirl]

I've done a lot of towing with trucks/campers as well as RVs.

Gonna be tough behind a standard C with that boat. Any E450 is good up to 20k lbs combined (and while I haven't done the research on them, I would be very, very surprised if the GM chassis was rated for more). A decent 27ish foot class C will weigh roughly 14k lbs loaded, leaving you 6k lbs for the boat so long as you do the work to the rear house & hitch to actually tow that much (been there, done that, it's not a problem). That's not enough for your MXZ, since it likely weighs about 6500 on the trailer moderately loaded. You'll need a Super C or Class A to get the tow capacity that you need.

And if your friend has a Seneca, it's likely a Super C which is not in any way comparable to the standard Class C Chateau that you're talking about .

[Falko]

I towed our last boat behind my parents 34' Class A diesel. Besides having to wash it with Dawn detergent to get the soot off of it, did great. As many others have stated, I would not have done the same with their prior Class C or even their gas A. A gas A and a diesel A are night and day different in build, imho.

[mxjunkie80]

I just borrowed a friends 34' GAS V10 class A to tow our VLX over 1000k miles. Everything worked great!

[Thor69]

Saidanc : I used to tow a 23' yamaha jet boat (yes, I know..but it was a great family boat) behind a E450 v10 25' class C Tioga. She had a 5000# tongue weight limit and pulled with no problems but the boat was lighter. I launched with it as well with no issues besides the massive turn radius and back up shenanigans. Have a spotter and the big thing to watch out for is a steep&slippery ramp but with a dually you should be alright.

Not to hijack the topic...what type of cover did y'all use on your boats for the long hauls? I'm about to do an epic cross country move with the boat in tow and i want to do it right without damaging the gel coat etc. since i only have the mooring cover

[me_ski]

I've been pulling my 2002 LSV behind my 1997 30' class c with a v10 from the bay area to shasta every year since 2002. It's a little slow up big grades but no overheating.

[Brian Ferrell]

I tow without the cover on. Too much potential for flapping damage etc. Never had a problem with anything flying out of the inside and a great way to dry everything out after a weekend of constant soaking.

[saidainc]

So and E350 wont cut the mustard?

[Malibuzer]

Im looking at buying a Class C Thor Chateau to pull my boat to and from a campground we frequent. Right now we drive two vehicles, a camp trailer and the MXZ. We waste a ton of fuel, pay extra parking costs and generally drive a lot. My friend tows his Tige with a 32 foot Seneca and says its the real deal. Can anyone weigh in on this?

I have been towing with three different motorhomes, one Class C and two gas Class A gas units. The Class C was over weight and was not fun to tow with. After added airbags and an extra leaf it was much better. We also upgraded the hitch and had some extra bracing done to the frame. The Class A V-10 units have done fantastic. Our current Class A has done about 4k miles towing my three different VTX's. It also has the rear airbags and the heavier hitch. The boat does not make a huge difference in how it feels going down the highway. I would suggest making sure that you get the Ford chassis with 22.5" rubber if possible and try to go with a 2005 or newer chassis to get the 5 speed. I travel with friends and they both have diesel pushers about the same year and I can keep up with them most of the time. You do have to keep your foot into it pretty heavy to keep up but it can do just fine. Now when driving the Class A diesel is heads and tails above the gas models. Heavier chassis, air ride, and no engine noise screaming in the front.

I would probably have a diesel if I coule pick one up for the right price. But with the budget we had the gas has been fantastic. If you have any moe questions please ask!

Good luck.

[Malibuzer]

So and E350 wont cut the mustard?

Yes it can. Just have to make sure of a few things first. But as Wakegirl noted, most will be overweight if you go anything over 24 or 26ft. Also the slide out units are heavier.

[Malibuzer]

I tow without the cover on. Too much potential for flapping damage etc. Never had a problem with anything flying out of the inside and a great way to dry everything out after a weekend of constant soaking.

I wrap the boat with plastic wrap from a hardware store and have never had any issues towing with the stock cover or with the Evolution cover.

[saidainc]

Yes it can. Just have to make sure of a few things first. But as Wakegirl noted, most will be overweight if you go anything over 24 or 26ft. Also the slide out units are heavier.

You live in Alberta, which I assume has hills and mountain passes. We have some pretty serious hills and mountains in Idaho. How will it be dragging an MXZ uphill with a E350? The additional braces are no problem. We have a dealership here that does that work all the time.

[Malibuzer]

You live in Alberta, which I assume has hills and mountain passes. We have some pretty serious hills and mountains in Idaho. How will it be dragging an MXZ uphill with a E350? The additional braces are no problem. We have a dealership here that does that work all the time.

You will not break any speed records, but I have towed all over Alberta, Saskatchewan (Pretty flat) BC, Washington, Montana and Idaho and nver really had any issues. Like I said, if my budget would allow, I would have bought a diesel. One thing to be sure of is to get a FULL mechanical check on the diesel. I have a buddy who has spent just inder 20k replacing his blown 330 Cat in his Fleetwood Class A.

Edit,

The MXZ is much heavier than the VTX. But we have towed a 2005 23 XTI with the RV and it did fine as well.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Malibuzer

[Sunscape fan]

You live in Alberta, which I assume has hills and mountain passes. We have some pretty serious hills and mountains in Idaho. How will it be dragging an MXZ uphill with a E350? The additional braces are no problem. We have a dealership here that does that work all the time.

You have to check the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). To be safe and legal, you should remain within that weight limit. There isn't a class C RV made (excluding super C) that will have a GCWR high enough for you. Do people tow with them? Yep. Do they do ok? Yep. But it's the "what if?" scenarios that you should think about. What if your hitch fails? What if you get into an accident and you are grossly overweight? Will your insurance still cover you? Will you be able to tow the boat and not kill the engine?

These were all questions I looked into before we bought our RV. In my case, I picked up a used 40' diesel pusher. 10000 lbs towing capacity, 1000 lb hitch weight. Hitch, drop, and ball are all rated higher than what I tow. That way I have no worries. I haven't towed the new boat yet but I have a flat deck trailer that I haul a car on. Total weight I figure is around 5000 lbs for that and I don't even notice it's back there.... The tail doesn't wag the dog, it tracks super straight and I've had no issues.

It all comes down to what you're willing to put up with and risk out.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Sunscape fan

[WakeGirl]

So and E350 wont cut the mustard?

Yes it can. Just have to make sure of a few things first. But as Wakegirl noted, most will be overweight if you go anything over 24 or 26ft. Also the slide out units are heavier.

Actually, no, it won't. An E350 has a combined allowance of somewhere between 1500-2000 lbs LESS than an E450. So even though the unit will weigh a little less than the 450, you lose it on the overall combined allowance. And you give up so many other things, not the least of which is a much beefier braking system on the 450. Sooooooo not worth it IMO. Even with a smaller 450, you're likely to be over the limit with that boat.

[Malibuzer]

Actually, no, it won't. An E350 has a combined allowance of somewhere between 1500-2000 lbs LESS than an E450. So even though the unit will weigh a little less than the 450, you lose it on the overall combined allowance. And you give up so many other things, not the least of which is a much beefier braking system on the 450. Sooooooo not worth it IMO. Even with a smaller 450, you're likely to be over the limit with that boat.

Sorry, my bad. I was thinking the 450. The Class C towed the 18 ft and not the Malibu.

[WakeGirl]

Yeah, unless it's a little Sporty or Response, I wouldn't consider anything less than a 450 for these boats. And figure on work to the rear house, hitch, Airbags & a steering stabilizer. Or just buy a Class A or Super C & be done with it.

[Malibuzer]

Yeah, unless it's a little Sporty or Response, I wouldn't consider anything less than a 450 for these boats. And figure on work to the rear house, hitch, Airbags & a steering stabilizer. Or just buy a Class A or Super C & be done with it.

You are right. But the warning about the Class A tow capacity is a great tip for the OP. One of the units we really liked was only rated for 3500lbs. The only reason I noticed was the sticker in the cabinet from the chassis manufacturer.

[Sunscape fan]

You are right. But the warning about the Class A tow capacity is a great tip for the OP. One of the units we really liked was only rated for 3500lbs. The only reason I noticed was the sticker in the cabinet from the chassis manufacturer.

Very true. Not all class A's can pull a lot. Most gas class A's are no more than 5000 lbs. When we were looking for our Rv, I even found some diesel pushers that were only rated for 3500 lbs!! Most of those are the entry level units. A good site for Rv info is www.riv2.com Lots of information about all makes of rvs and classes as well. Lots of towing information too.

[Malibuzer]

Very true. Not all class A's can pull a lot. Most gas class A's are no more than 5000 lbs. When we were looking for our Rv, I even found some diesel pushers that were only rated for 3500 lbs!! Most of those are the entry level units. A good site for Rv info is www.riv2.com Lots of information about all makes of rvs and classes as well. Lots of towing information too.

Changed the link

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/

[WakeGirl]

Yup, good point guys. There are a lot of Class A (gasser, front engine) coaches out there that aren't any better in this respect than a Class C. But if it's me, for the money though, I really think that I'd be looking at a Super C.