What's the best suv, or truck to tow a boat. Post what you have and what gas mileage you get!! Looking for best tower

2012 freightliner... lol jk I use a 2011 toyota 4 runner... triton tr186...

10' boat or 30' boat? Kinda makes a difference.

2011 tundra towing a 22' Triton, about 12mpg in tow mode with a 6 speed auto.

24 valve cummins 4x4 gettin anywhere from 15 to 17 mostly 17 with a 18 ft boat

2011 Toyota 4Runner 4.0L V6 4WD towing 2003 Skeeter TZX-190(18.5ft) w/VMAX150

MPG non-towing: 19.5 combined city/highway
MPG towing: ~14

Prior to getting the 4Runner this year, I pulled my boat with a 2001 Toyota Tacoma 3.4L V6 SR5 TRD 4WD. Got ~12 towing with it.

'08 tundra 4x4 5.7L
with my 19ft Norris Craft (which is in the classifieds) I got on average 14.8mpg (in Texas). I actually got up to 17.5 going through Tennessee.
I have an 18ft ProCraft, I'm getting about 13.5 on local trips (but still mostly highway) and closer to 15 strictly highway.

I'm not towing with a cover on either.
And yes, I run my milage numbers every time, but I also drive the speed limit when towing.

2010 Chevy silverado, 4X4, Z71, HD Tow package, w/ 3.42 rear end. Boat is a TR-186 W/150 Opti and packed full w/3x31 series batteries also.

15.4 regular city
22.7 highway (On trips over 500 Miles)
Towing:
14-15 and I get there in a hurry. Im sure if I took it easy id see 16-17mpg

2011 F-250 w/6.2L Gas Engine pulling a ZX250 gets about 11.5 mpg. Without the boat I get 16 on the highway and anywhere from 10-12 mpg in town. The 6.7L Diesel will get better mileage, but it's a $7835 option. For as few of miles as I drive (12,000 yr on average) I couldn't justify it on top of the $0.50 - $0.60 more per gallon on fuel when you fill up.

Anything with a 7.3 diesel engine in it

I have a 2008 Toyota Sequioa Limited. Same Iforce 5.7 V-8 as the pick up. I pull a 19'5'' foot champ with a gator hull and a 200 merc. Pulls it just fine and get about 13-14 pulling the boat. I have been very happy with it so far. I like the SUV for the storage and keeping everything covered and locked up.

2012 1500 4x4 Dodge Ram Hemi 3.55 rear axle Pulling boat below

8 mpg in 40 mph head wind doing 80mph.

12mpg driving 70mph
13.5 going 65 mph
Highway empty 18 mpg
City empty 15 mpg

2004 Silverado 1500 with 5.3L V8 towing a 17' fiberglass Triton, getting roughly 14 mpg towing

+1 Same here. I get about 12mpg per the Ford Computer when towing.

2006 Chevy 2500HD with the 6.6L duramax and the allison transmission. It is chipped, turbo back exhaust, 18's with 35 all terrains. the chip has 4 different modes... stock, mileage, towing, and performance. We always have it in performance. It gets 22 just the truck on the highway. When we are towing in performance we get 18-19 on the highway. I have a 2003 21' skeeter fish and ski with a 225 yamaha vmax on it, fully loaded with a full tank of gas and 3 batteries. So its not light weight.
Also towed the boat with my mom's caddi escalade ESV platinum with 20's and got 14 towing. and it gets 15 on the highway.

2008 silverado 5.4 towing a nitro 929CDX 21' and get 13 - 15 towing.

2011 ford f-250 with the 6.7 liter pulling a 21ft triton i get about 14-16 towing and about 23 with out the boat.

a big ol BASS!

Everytime I chip in on gas on other folks vehicles I don't get near what's posted here...lol

That's almost exactly what my Hemi was getting.

08 dodge Cummings 4x4 pulling a 21' Legend, I average about 14 miles a gallon. Not great but the 4x4 is nice on some of the ramps I use.

You do realize........
ALL fishermen tell the truth all the time.....Right????

Not I hijack the thread but does anyone have any experience with the new fords? Eco boost I think it's called? Curious what kind of gas mileage those get while towing.

I have one...

4x4 automatic transmission

13.5-14.5 towing speed limit 19-22 hwy


13.6 into the wind to amistad this weekend. Cruise on 70.

20 ft champ w 250 proxs loaded pretty heavy.

That's not too bad! Thanks JR!

Yeah worst have had is 12.5 into a big wind and pushing it over 70...

I think you should get in the higher 13s consistently with normal driving.

I pull my 22' on my Prius. I get 65 miles to the gallon and have my wife push.

2011 F-250 6.2L Powerstroke 6-Speed Auto

H&S Programmer set on Mild and 4" Turbo-Back Exhaust w/o DPF

18.7 Combined HWY/CITY

15.6 Towing FX20 loaded for bear

Chipping in on gas hardly covers your half of the trip. He probably won't have to add oil..$27/gal. There's an ongoing maintenance expense with owning a boat. As a guest you should be getting all the gas...minimum!

JR besides the gas mileage how do you like it? Does it tow pretty well?

I've never calcualted my gas mileage, but I'll tell you that my 2005 4Runner used almost 2 tanks of gas less than my 2005 F150 pulling my 18 ft Champion to Falcon and back.

Yeah it will tow as fast as you want to go. Does great taking off with it getting more torque at lower rpms.

I am pulling an FX 20 with an 2011 Eco Boost. Its really hard to say what the mileage is as the lakes I fish are close by. I would say 13 probably but the farther I have to drive the better the mileage gets. Its really impressive how much power that V-6 has. I can get over 20 on I-20 regularly.

12000 per year ?? I have nearly 32000 in 7 months.

2010 tundra towing a 21' Ranger 520, about 13 mpg in tow mode

I have a 2010 F250 Diesel round town I'm getting 14 1/2 - 15. I pull my buddy's 20' Nitro and usually on short trips get 13 running at 75+. On the trip to Falcon last weekend we got 14 1/2 running at 75+, seems it gets better mileage the further I go but it doesn't like stop and go traffic.

2010 Tundra Crewmax towing a ZX200, 11.5-12 running 70

08 silverado z71 towing 18'6" triton. I get about 11mpg. It was closer to 14-15 before the 6" lift and 35" tires though.

There is no best tow vehicle. There are trades offs between money, mileage, and power. Its kind of like that old saying about drag racing cars. Fast, cheap, reliable. Pick two.

Diesels are great for fuel economy and power, but they cost more $ to own and maintain. I have a 2003 F150 crew cab with a 4.6 engine. It tows me 19' Stratos OK, but I wouldn't want any less power. Its a dog when I'm towing. I get about 10-11mpg. Its a 4spd and I tow with overdrive disabled.

I have a 02 F 250 7.3L 4X4 and got 17.9 mpg (checking it the right way) with a 18 ft Skeeter going to and from Amistad twice. I also run aroud 75 mph(it likes it right around there) I do have a chip and I only use itt on the mid setting.

no reason to talk abount anything but a diesel. no gas motor can get what a diesel does pulling a load.

Diesel is the only way to go better mpg and more power and torque. I have a gmc dura max with an Allison trany and have never got less than 15.5 towing best I have got towing is 16.8.

Truck averages 19.5. I pull a 21 ft legend 211.

Sorry guys I BS on the 15 mugs with a gas engine - I have pulled a 21 ft boat with a suburban, gmc 5.7 liter v8, and a F150 with a 5.7 or 5.6 don't remember truck was a 1999 and I never got better than 12 mpg with a gas engine.

Not partial to either gas or diesel but have never got mileage numbers out of a gas engine some of you are claiming,

Did you chip and performance enhance these engines?

Those getting 15 mpg pulling a big boat must be towing about 45-50 mph

If you look at diesel and gas you gotta crunch the numbers to see if it makes sense. Diesel you pay up the wazoo at first and then it's still a lot more than gas and the epa comes in with all their [censored]. You can get 20+ unloaded from chevys and fords but you just gotta plug it and see what works the best for you.

Yeah like $7k more at least.

I used to own a 1987 4Runner with a 5 speed standard trans and a 4 cylinder engine. The best vehicle I ever owned, would get nearly 30 MPG pulling an 18' boat and mid 30's without boat. I drove it for 10 yrs and put 255K miles on it and still sold it for $5K.

Don't think you can even get one with a 4 cyl / standard any more.

Yeah I agree Diesel is the best for towing. Just traded my 5.9 goat in for a gas hemi. I only haul here and there and nothing really much heavier than my boat. With the 7-9 k difference now in price for diesel, added service cost and fuel being 50 cents more a gallon it doesn't pay for some of us to have one anymore. That's my theory anyway. My old truck truck would get 18 plus pulling my boat and the new truck gets 10-12 towing on an average and how hard I push it. If I could have bought another new 5.9 I would have. But it still wouldn't make it any cheaper. Empty I'm hitting around 18mpg and not as good as Eco boost, but I'll take that on a V8 gas hog any day. The Hemi has plenty of power the Eco beats it off the line but the mid range is incredible on the Dodge. Drove both before I bought and would have chosen the Eco if they Ford had the warranty the goat does. Ford makes a dang good truck they just got to step it up on the warranty. I know they don't need one, yeah I have a fleet full of them and they are notorious for front end problems (150), headlights burning out on 250 and up, coolant leaks and turbo issues again 250 diesel and up. That's even the new 2012 models. Dodge has its issues too. They all do. That's why the best warranty is key in my opinion. Chevy has a good warranty too factory wise. Best looking most payload Ford I think.