is this forum for "trailers & towing" only or can we talk about tow vehicles?

[NiceAft]

I guess you didn't see the . I should have put the .



Only kidding. Lighten up.

Ray

[kmclemore]

I love listening to other owners' opinions of their vehicles, and of others.

Ditto. Besides, Ray, you know I’m also a ‘car guy’ so discussion about the virtues of different tow beasts is very much up my alley. Particularly as I’m about to embark on the purchase of a new one.

As for Catigale, I don’t believe he ever used a VW for towing the Mac, though he does own and work on VWs.

As for me, I’m still leaning towards a 2020 Highlander, and nobody here seems to have a bad word for them so far as I’ve read.

[BOAT]

I must admit - Americans like their cars - when I was young we kids would argue over the best brand of car as much as we argued over football teams.

Perhaps car brands should be handled like politics and religion. No party affiliation or religious doctrines allowed.

Detroit spent billions of advertising dollars to create the whole "brand loyalty" phenomenon - (and there are people out there that say TV has no effect on kids???) NOT!

(P.S. - I did not know Catigale was a VW expert - I wish he could help me create a new dune buggy I can tow behind my van). Expert advice is always appreciated!

[kmclemore]

As for the Mac being towed by a Ford Taurus in a MacGregor advertising pitch, yes, that was true. The demonstration, however, was not really legit, since the towing capacity of a 1995 Ford Taurus was only 2,000 lbs and the Mac and trailer weighs in at a bare minimum of 3,400 lbs. That being said, Roger was making a point - the Mac was indeed the lightest 26’ sailboat on the market at the time and it was a true “go anywhere” value.

[NiceAft]

Thus Rogers reply about not telling the Taurus.

As to my post, maybe I didn't convey myself well.

Discussion about which vehicle to purchase is perfectly normal. Different people, different choices. Many vehicles, many choices; just don't go nuts worrying. It's an individual's idiosyncrasies and pocketbook that will make the finale decision. Thus, lighten up. If I was misunderstood, I will try better the next time. As a bib of a nephew once proclaimed; Spit Happens. This posting exchange should be the worst thing that happens to any of us.

Consumer Reports rating of the Highlander

Ray

[BOAT]

You know my uncle swore by Kia Suv's - he had a few. I thought it was a Japanese car so I never considered one. I think one of his was named after a city in New Mexico (The Kia Roswell, or Kia Santa Fe or the Kia Vegas or something like that? I can't remember) He said they were really good!

Maybe South Korea is the better choice?

[Tomfoolery]

In the original MacGregor brochure I read way back in 2003 ( I think), it showed a Mac being towed by a Ford Taurus

Reminds me of the Balboa 26 brochure. 3600 lb boat plus 1000 lb trailer (plus whatever stuff is in the boat), towed by a large sedan. Bigger than a Taurus, but still - a sedan.

BOAT would know more about this particular vessel, as he's a bit of an Coastal Recreation connoisseur.

At least the Mac 26's leave 1400 lb of ballast behind, whereas the Balboa carries 1200 lb of lead (in the bulb of the keel) all the time.

[BOAT]

That big Mercury would not have a lot of trouble towing that B26 - the B26 was indeed very heavy but you need to consider the cars at the time. The cars of the 70's had huge frames under the body and gas engines with HP to spare. A v8 was standard equipment on all cars at the time and even the smaller V8's had more power than you needed to tow - mostly it was the bulk of the car you considered and it's suspension. Back in those days no one much cared that your car was getting only 5 miles per gallon (4 going up hill) because gas was 28 to 35 cents. When gas went to 45 cents a gallon everything changed - everyone wanted better MPG so the cars got a lot lighter and the framework got a lot flimsier. When six cylinders started to become popular towing was out of the question for those old boats and then in the 80's and 90's the whole industry went 4 cylinder and that was the end of towing period. When the king of heavy metal (Chrysler) changed to 4 cylinder K cars and minivans the whole concept of towing was eliminated for passenger cars - then everyone had to change to trucks and that's why trucks became the mainstay.

It's only recently we see unibody frameless SUV's and minivans with 6 cylinder engines entering the towing market - to the people of the era that picture was taken that would have been unthinkable. Even to me it's unthinkable and why I use a 3/4 ton truck to tow 'boat' - but I am an old guy who is out of date.

[kmclemore]

True, that “big Mercury” would have had plenty of pull, and certainly the frame was strong enough, but given how soft the suspension was, and the fact that it had drum rear brakes and marginal disc front brakes, I would have worried about handling and braking adequately for that load. It’s not just about the ability to pull.

[NiceAft]

Remembering back to the seventies, weren't those mechanics the standard then. Other than a pick up truck, what was available. I just don't remember what was available for those who wanted a tow vehicle. An El Camino? a Ranchero? I just don't think the average guy pulling a trailer thought they had inferior breaks, or shocks.

Ray

[BOAT]

Back then these were passenger cars - it was all about the ride - the suspension was soft and pillowy - that was the style people wanted back then. For my dad it was always some big huge long low Plymouth Fury:



Above picture I think we are at the border waiting for our ferry ride to Canada

Thus the widespread use of the weight distribution hitches and the electric brakes. Everyone had them back then. Dad had one of these electric brake things under the steering wheel:



And the power steering - oh man they had commercials on TV showing the ladies driving these huge cars to demonstrate how easy it was to turn the wheel. These were V8 cars with 400 cubic inch engines:



It's basically a BOAT towing a 'boat'.

[1st Sail]

Tow beast is a Yukon XL. IIRC someone posted a rule of thumb, the hitch to trailer axle distance should not exceed 150% of the tow beast wheel base. I can only speak to my Yukon XL. Interstate travel in cross winds and passing big trucks is not an issue the Mac tracks like it is on rails. I still get the bobble head motion from the trailer which is annoying on long hauls. Need to find a solution for that. Hitch weight is approx 350-400lbs so the Yukon sits level with the OEM trailer package. My wife hates the bobble head motion caused by the trailer and I agree.

[Tomfoolery]

Remembering back to the seventies, weren't those mechanics the standard then. Other than a pick up truck, what was available. I just don't remember what was available for those who wanted a tow vehicle. An El Camino? a Ranchero? I just don't think the average guy pulling a trailer thought they had inferior breaks, or shocks.

Chevy Blazers, Ford Broncos, and Jeep Wagoneers were around, as well as the pickup trucks. I had an early 70's Jeep J2000 pickup (Gladiator with some chrome), with a Kaiser 327 V-8 engine and three on the tree, which I towed snowmobiles to Vermont and back with. Basically the same vehicle as the Wagoneer. It wouldn't move in snow if 4WD wasn't engaged, though the boff-oh oversized tires were a big cause. First thing I did was replace them with aggressive old-school 7.5x16 "snow tires" on standard Jeep wheels, which was a huge improvement in snow. That was the era of lock-out hubs and super simple transfer cases with a manual lever or two.

My buds had mainly 4WD Blazers, with the 'upside down' front leaf springs if anyone remembers. The 1/2 ton C10 4WD pickups had the same driveline and suspension.

It's basically a BOAT towing a 'boat'.

Looks like an A23 on the right, which had a specific port shape. Not sure about on the left - maybe an A21, based on the swooping raised coaming at the front of the cockpit.

That car reminds me of our Country Squire 9-passenger station wagon, also from the early 70's, with the sideways third row seats. With those big, sticky-outy vertical tail lights. A real boat, though we never towed anything with it. We needed all 9 seats, by the way, and the youngest always got stuck between Mom and Dad. That one followed the 1963 Country Squire, with the big round tail lights with the backup lights in the center and the rear facing third row seat, also with fake wood paneling. What beasts they were.

This one is slightly newer than mine, as it has side marker lights. But otherwise it looks the same. Hitch ball mounted to the step bumper, as most did back then. I had no idea what it was capable of towing before it yanked the bumper off, but it never did, so it was capable of at least two Arctic Cat snowmobiles on a trailer.

[NiceAft]

By the 70’s my dad had stopped buying wagons, but in the 60’s, that’s all he purchased. In 1959, an Impala 9 passenger wagon. In 1963, a 9 passenger Pontiac Catalina. In 1965, a 9 passenger Pontiac Catalina. They were all boats, but we never towed anything other than people. By the 70’s he stopped buying wagons. All had big V8’s, but the brakes on all of them were probably as Kevin described them, inadequate for towing, but what did the average driver know back then about brakes. The world trusted in Detroit.

Ray








He eventually switched to this.

[Russ]

Ah, the Olds Toronado. Was my first car.
That thing was a BOAT. BIG 8 cyl 455ci engine. I think it got 6mpg but it was fun to drive. Not easy to park with that massive front end.