2018 a24 weight

[agarabaghi]

just saying i towed the A24 to the dealer 40miles away with zero issues 

[Cole2001]

@RyanB I totally agree, people towing these huge boats and little trucks are crazy. I believe just because it can doesn’t mean it should. 

We’ve got a 10000 pound 5th wheel and it could easily be towed with a f150 but I would sure feel better with a HD truck and the with the new rzx I can borrow my friends camper and drive down south and be totally fine. Nobody complains about too much capability. 

That being said, I’ve used our 4Runner to pull our boat up the steep rocky ramp and it did so much better than our 3500 truck... But can it stop handle it on the hills? Probably not.

[boardjnky4]

14 hours ago, Cole2001 said:

@RyanB I totally agree, people towing these huge boats and little trucks are crazy. I believe just because it can doesn’t mean it should. 

We’ve got a 10000 pound 5th wheel and it could easily be towed with a f150 but I would sure feel better with a HD truck and the with the new rzx I can borrow my friends camper and drive down south and be totally fine. Nobody complains about too much capability. 

That being said, I’ve used our 4Runner to pull our boat up the steep rocky ramp and it did so much better than our 3500 truck... But can it stop handle it on the hills? Probably not.

A surge brake boat trailer with dual axle disc brakes won't have too many issues stopping, regardless of the tow vehicle. The biggest problems are the overall load on the suspension and the weight distribution over the axles. Weight distribution will affect braking, but it the dual disc brakes on the trailer probably makes up for it.

[tvano]

5 hours ago, boardjnky4 said:

A surge brake boat trailer with dual axle disc brakes won't have too many issues stopping, regardless of the tow vehicle. The biggest problems are the overall load on the suspension and the weight distribution over the axles. Weight distribution will affect braking, but it the dual disc brakes on the trailer probably makes up for it.

agree up until stuff doesn't work like it says in the book; i.e. brakes get sick or you end up off road at near highway speeds because some nimrod cuts you off while texting.

[agarabaghi]

good thing we have self leveling active suspension, tow modes, etc.... 

i have not felt the discovery be ower powered when braking, and of course dual axle disc brakes are helping there. There a lot of computer checking when you are in tow mode in these newer cars. 

 

found the sticker... here it is:

1202 lbs cargo

[boardjnky4]

17 hours ago, tvano said:

agree up until stuff doesn't work like it says in the book; i.e. brakes get sick or you end up off road at near highway speeds because some nimrod cuts you off while texting.

Well, s*** happens. Accidents happen. By the same token, you could have a boat full of people and hit a submerged rock and sink the boat, too. That doesn't stop you from using it. If you're going to calculate that a 15-20% reduction in braking capability was the cause of that accident or that it made it worse in someway, then that's up to you. There are plenty of people out on the highways that have s***ty old cars with TERRIBLE brakes. Semi's and construction vehicles have TERRIBLE braking capabilities compared to passenger cars, and even under-gunned weekend warriors towing boats with no trailer brakes. A defensive and safe driver towing a G23 with a jeep wrangler beats a moron driver towing a jetski with an F-250 any day of the week... OK, maybe that's a stretch, but you get my drift.

/rant

Edited March 9, 2018 by boardjnky4

[RyanB]

1 hour ago, agarabaghi said:

good thing we have self leveling active suspension, tow modes, etc.... 

i have not felt the discovery be ower powered when braking, and of course dual axle disc brakes are helping there. There a lot of computer checking when you are in tow mode in these newer cars. 

 

found the sticker... here it is:

1202 lbs cargo

I wasn't trying to bust your chops on this.  My point all along has been that the manufactures tow ratings are complicated/confusing.  Many people who think they are well within manufacture ratings are not.

I still think that the setup of the trailer makes a huge difference.  I wouldn't want to tow my Malibu with anything less than my Yukon (which is outside of it's rating).  And it is much more comfortable with my truck.  My slightly smaller sterndrive was very comfortable to pull with a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Tons of variables go into a safe tow combination.

[khelfrich]

one other thing to think about ratings is you all make the point of it being safe to stop the boat, i tow with e 3500 dodge so i never worry but if you look at the tow ratings of the 3500 dodge depending on gear ratio a 3500 with an aisin transmission is good for 15-20k with 3.55 and 30k with 4.11 there is nothing about safety in the different ratings and the brakes are the same regardless of gear ratio so sometimes the ratings have to do with then not wanting to  warranty the engine and transmission if you blow them up with too heavy of a load, so if you have a vehicle that i different gear ration or engine would make the rating higher but you have the same axles and brakes then safety wise you should be fine, maybe not legal but safe

[agarabaghi]

you guys keep talking about braking....

 

the 3500 has 14.17" rear disc brakes and 15.xx front... which is very comparable to the discovery disc brake size thought the same as a 1" larger front brake... it also weight almost 2k more truck alone.... 

Edited March 9, 2018 by agarabaghi

[RyanB]

3 hours ago, khelfrich said:

one other thing to think about ratings is you all make the point of it being safe to stop the boat, i tow with e 3500 dodge so i never worry but if you look at the tow ratings of the 3500 dodge depending on gear ratio a 3500 with an aisin transmission is good for 15-20k with 3.55 and 30k with 4.11 there is nothing about safety in the different ratings and the brakes are the same regardless of gear ratio so sometimes the ratings have to do with then not wanting to  warranty the engine and transmission if you blow them up with too heavy of a load, so if you have a vehicle that i different gear ration or engine would make the rating higher but you have the same axles and brakes then safety wise you should be fine, maybe not legal but safe

It is all about warranty.  As far as I know, there isn't a state that cares about the manufactures tow ratings.  They may look at GAWR or tire rating, but they don't care what the tow rating or the cargo capacity of the tow vehicle is.

3 hours ago, agarabaghi said:

you guys keep talking about braking....

 

the 3500 has 14.17" rear disc brakes and 15.xx front... which is very comparable to the discovery disc brake size thought the same as a 1" larger front brake... it also weight almost 2k more truck alone.... 

Are you really implying that a Discovery would stop a trailer better than a 3500 truck?

[agarabaghi]

im implying that a 4700lbs truck with same size brakes will stop better than a 7000lbs truck with equal sized brakes =P 

3500 ram 70-0 stopping distance is 206ft

discovery 70-0 stopping distance 186ft.

Edited March 9, 2018 by agarabaghi

[RyanB]

I could be wrong, but I would be surprised to see those numbers carry through when the vehicle had a trailer behind it.  It seems to me that a 4700 pound tow vehicle has significantly more potential to be pushed around by the 7000 pound boat behind it during an emergency stop than that 7000 pound truck.

I know I would MUCH rather be in my truck during an emergency stopping situation with a trailer than with my Yukon.

It isn't that I think the Discovery is an inadequate tow vehicle for every load.  But I don't think there is anyway it is nearly as capable, stable or safe as a 3500 (or 2500) truck.

[boardjnky4]

1 hour ago, RyanB said:

I could be wrong, but I would be surprised to see those numbers carry through when the vehicle had a trailer behind it.  It seems to me that a 4700 pound tow vehicle has significantly more potential to be pushed around by the 7000 pound boat behind it during an emergency stop than that 7000 pound truck.

I know I would MUCH rather be in my truck during an emergency stopping situation with a trailer than with my Yukon.

It isn't that I think the Discovery is an inadequate tow vehicle for every load.  But I don't think there is anyway it is nearly as capable, stable or safe as a 3500 (or 2500) truck.

You have to back that up with ACTUAL reasons, which you haven't. Just what you think. "Potential to be pushed around" has nothing to due with the weight differences of the vehicles.

The Discovery MAY have a reduction in braking distance due to the following:

1. Weight Distribution. Transferring weight OFF off the front and onto the rear will reduce the braking capabilities. That is case-by-case and dependent on what the suspension is designed for. At some point, a trailer IS too heavy for the suspension. The question is the breaking point where you start to see significant performance differences.

2. Difference in the Tire size, width and tread. A larger contact area will have more grip.

3. Wheelbase differences. The vehicle's ability to track straight is greatly improved when there is a larger wheelbase.

HOWEVER, you would need to quantify the differences that each factor plays when comparing. you can't just say "I'd rather be in XXX vehicle".

I'd MUCH rather be in this:

[Infinitysurf]

Now that ^^ is a sweet tow rig for a boat!!

I don't think there is any question that a 3500 truck is gonna do better for towing a boat, bigger is always better (and more uncomfortable ride) but the larger SUV's and most of the modern 1500 trucks will do it just fine too if set up right and many people are like me and use it as a daily driver and have no need for a bigger truck on a daily basis and makes no sense to own a $70k truck to pull the boat sometimes if you don't have too. Regardless, I do agree that people need to be safe and use common sense and its not something that people seem to have an abundance of, so get your point cause I don't want one of them hitting my family while out driving. Some people just take that too far tho and try to imply that if you dont have a 2500/3500, then you are an idiot and have no business owning a boat.  I agree that people need to know that towing rating is not the only number they need to know, but also with some common sense being over that number by a few hundred pounds is not the end of the world or a reason to go buy a brand new truck that you don't need.

I have a 16 Chevy 1500 with trailer package (rated for 9300lbs on my specific model which you can figure out by looking at the numbers in your glove compartment) and figured I was fine with my 24ft boat. Because there are so many variables and I watched a video on how many things can cause you to be over the legal limit, about a month ago, I actually did the exact math with payload,  gross weight, etc. Even tho my 24ft boat/trailer with fuel and everything else is less than 8k lbs (probably right at 7700 with gear/fuel since its 4800 dry, tho I have not put it on a scale), I did the math at 8k to be safe and just BARELY come under the numbers with wife and 2 kids in truck and am legal (I do have a ball combo that is rated for 12k). If I took a week trip with truck bed full of gear, I would probably be over by a couple hundred pounds on payload. (my truck does not squat when trailer is hooked up)

The reason I am posting this tho is because of what you are talking about on the brakes. On some of the older trailers that do not have brakes (only surge)....I could see a point, but almost all of the modern trailers have dual disc brakes (mine included) and my truck stops just as fast or even faster when pulling the boat. I actually feel the trailer brakes slow down the truck when I push them hard. I of course drive much differently when pulling the boat, I leave a wider space between vehicles and drive slower, start/stop slower. There have been a couple times when I had to brake pretty fast tho and I would bet money that trailer is stopping me just as much as the truck. Can freak failures happen, sure....it could happen on my truck, or a 3500 truck. I check my truck and trailer regularly (rotate tires and check brake pads every 5k miles when I change oil), hope for the best, prepare for the worst and IMO, don't live in fear of that something random may happen.

[alpensurf23]

 @boardjnky4 @Infinitysurf Best of both worlds right here....

Edited March 11, 2018 by alpensurf23

[Infinitysurf]

Functionally of that truck looks awesome, sure is an ugly duckling tho 

[Jmann]

Ive got a 2018 23 lsv.  I was hoping to pull it with my 2016 yukon xl but the boat beats that thing like a red head stepchild.  It feels totally outgunned as the boat is dragging it helplessly backwards down the ramp.  

Brake size does not mean crap if your tow vehicle doesnt have the weight to handle the load.  It takes mass to stop mass, and sliding tires, or tires that are being kept from sliding by electronic abs, are not braking anywhere near their potential.  I have a crew cab 2500hd duramax and it pulls the boat fine, but I do wish they made a suburban with that drivetrain and capacity as it is much more convenient than a pickup for travel.

[agarabaghi]

well the A24 posted weight in the 2018 catalog is 4300lbs... which might explain why it didnt feel that heavy behind the discovery =D

[Suggy]

On 3/6/2018 at 11:27 AM, agarabaghi said:

only boat ive seen that came with next sized up trailer ball was the 18 Xstar with tri axle. I picked up Shotas supra with tri axle and it was still a 2" 

M235 is the only boat in Malibu's lineup that needs the larger ball. My buddy's 2014 XStar (dual axle) uses the larger ball as well.

[alpensurf23]

On 3/7/2018 at 5:01 PM, agarabaghi said:

just saying i towed the A24 to the dealer 40miles away with zero issues 

Bet would be the case for all if just bought a new or used 3500hd DirtyMax... Just saying..

So jealous of your wake season down there. What kind of service for the A24?

[Raleigh]

On 3/7/2018 at 8:56 AM, RyanB said:

My secondary tow vehicle is a 2011 Yukon XL Denali, so don't take this as me throwing stones.  You aren't going to be able to stay within factory ratings.  The hitch on all the m/y 2008 + full size SUVs is only rated for 5000 pounds unless you go weight distribution.  The sticker is right on the hitch.

And the hitch is built into the frame, and I have been unable to find any hitch to swap it out.  

My suburban hitch is rated 10,000 but my axle is only rated 5,000. Be careful! Check the codes in the glove box or run the vin to see your specific ratings. 

Oddly my Jeep will tow 7,200, more than 2 Silverado v8 trucks with base trailer package my family has. Go figure!

Edited October 3, 2019 by Raleigh

[Slayer]

On 3/22/2018 at 10:30 PM, Jmann said:

Ive got a 2018 23 lsv.  I was hoping to pull it with my 2016 yukon xl but the boat beats that thing like a red head stepchild.  It feels totally outgunned as the boat is dragging it helplessly backwards down the ramp.  

Brake size does not mean crap if your tow vehicle doesnt have the weight to handle the load.  It takes mass to stop mass, and sliding tires, or tires that are being kept from sliding by electronic abs, are not braking anywhere near their potential.  I have a crew cab 2500hd duramax and it pulls the boat fine, but I do wish they made a suburban with that drivetrain and capacity as it is much more convenient than a pickup for travel.

It's a shame that you can't get a 3/4 ton full size SUV with a diesel.  I'd love a 3/4 ton Yukon XL with a dirtymax......I don't need it, but I'd certainly rock one.

[Raleigh]

12 minutes ago, Slayer said:

It's a shame that you can't get a 3/4 ton full size SUV with a diesel.  I'd love a 3/4 ton Yukon XL with a dirtymax......I don't need it, but I'd certainly rock one.

They used to have 2500 suburbans but quit making them. Not diesel but would have been the perfect family towing vehicle. 

[boardjnky4]

Google "Duraburb". There is a rad shop that converts Suburbans to 2500 Duramax platforms. They're expensive and you probably can't finance them, but cool as hell.

[Slayer]

2 hours ago, boardjnky4 said:

Google "Duraburb". There is a rad shop that converts Suburbans to 2500 Duramax platforms. They're expensive and you probably can't finance them, but cool as hell.

I've done so.  If I want nice boats, this is most certainly out of the question as it dips into funds that are reserved for other purposes.