Vehicle Recommendations - boat launching

Catplan

Vehicle Recommendations.


Ok, first of apologies for yet another recommend me a car type post.
Looking for a vehicle for towing a boat, boat will be up to 21ft day/cabin cruiser, more specifically I'm looking for a something capable of getting this in / out the water. In the main boat will stay onsite but out the water, It will be taken further afield maybe 2 /3 times a season and of course towed to from site at start /end of season.


I can't decide where to focus my search. Really like the Navara, Tiguan, Santa Fe snd Subaru's.
Main issue seems to be a desiel won't fit my use, currently between 8 - 10K a year this is made up of daily 5 mile round trip daily commute with a 50 mile round trip twice a week.

I've had lots of advice, as much torque as possible, has to be 4x4 as you can get stuck pulling boat out (and I have seen this). Just not sure what would be best. I have generally bought at 3-4 years old and kept for a while, current car is 11 years old and I've had it for 8. Car before that was 16 years old and I'd had it 12 years.
Budget is to 12K. I'm up for running two cars, petrol for daily commute and Diesel for longer trips as I don't think my usage will suit a Diesel. Will consider most its the towing getting it in out the water that I require above badge / toys.


Any suggestions recommendations?

Gloomendoom

Why won't a diesel fit your use?

Car_54

Diesel should be fine.

agrinnall

I'm not sure what the previous posters aren't getting, while diesel is fine for boat purposes it is, as the OP has said, not good for the rest of the use (5 mile journeys, under £10K per year). I'd agree that 2 vehicles may be the best solution, small petrol for the daily trips, a bigger 4x4 diesel for the boat.

jimbo6977

How heavy is the boat/trailer/stuff you'll be towing in total, with what kind of nose weight?

Herzlos

Is it cheaper to just pay someone on the site to drag it in/out of the water? I'd assume whoever is managing the site will have something like a defender and happy to shift them for a fiver a go.

Potentially the same deal moving it to/from the site, depending on distance.

If you don't mind going a bit older, I'm sure there will be some big petrol 4x4s available, but you should be fine with something like a diesel X-trail.

G_M

I'd post the query on a boating forum where lots of peole will have the same requirements as you.....

onomatopoeia99

Get a scooter / 125 motorbike / bicycle for the 2.5 mile each way commute (or just walk) and buy a diesel 4x4 for the longer journies and towing?


Someone will probably be along soon to suggest winter tyres to provide traction on a front wheel drive hatchback for towing the boat out of the water.:rotfl:

AdrianC

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Someone will probably be along soon to suggest winter tyres to provide traction on a front wheel drive hatchback for towing the boat out of the water.:rotfl:

A few years back, I watched somebody getting a RIB out of the sea in a very high wind. With a Berlingo. The water was getting up to the rear door window.

The waves were totally obscuring the sign-writing proclaiming it to be a demo for the local dealer...

But back to the OP...

The key has to be whether the boat's going to be towed on the road by this vehicle. If so, then the weight is the really necessary bit of info. Will a 21ft cruiser even be .5t with trailer? I really think this is going to be "big 4x4 pickup" territory - and not even all of them will drag 3.5t about...


And if it isn't, then definitely let the boat yard's tractor do it...

jimbo6977

If you want a petrol engine with large towing capacity, you've probably got to think American, Land/Range Rover, or a Land Cruiser 4.6 V8.

Catplan

Thanks for the replies, I do walk the 2.5miles each way sometimes, mainly in the summer its not great when on early shift though as need to leave the house at 5. I'm happy to keep current car for this, as trade in will be minimal.


Boat will be under 3.5T I suspect, the 21ft was max size.


Re suggestion for doing it onsite, we did look into get a tractor for this very purpose but couldn't get enough interest as most folk already had something suitable or ended up getting a tow out. I don't want to be the one blocking access cause I've got stuck trying to pull a boat out in a 1.6L petrol engine car. Re Diesel I was meaning not ideal for short stop start journeys which is what I do during the week in the main.
I did also look at X-Trail, it was an older one it had the speedo etc in the center where radio / sat nav is on most cars, I found the really off putting, I suppose it would be for two or three weeks whilst you got used to it.