towing capacity of a 99 jimmy?

Post by **1lastcast** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:33 pm

Anyone own a jimmy/blazer and tow a large boat or trailer? I want to find out if its a wise decision to use my 99 jimmy V6 to tow a 18' legend boat. Hull weight is around 1225lbs but im not sure if that includes the engine weight? I think im safe towing up to 4000LBS or so the manuel reads. But id like to hear it from the horses mouth. thanks

Post by **Pierre-Paul** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:47 pm

Hello,

i do have a 97 safari with the 4.3 vortec and i pull my 16'5" legend with no problem . I pull a 24' camper before with no problem.

PP

Post by **swampbuster** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:32 pm

Hi 1lastcast

My boat weighs 1200 lbs by itself and weighed 2500 lbs with trailer motor and gas etc. I use to pull it with a v6 jeep liberty with a towing cap of 5000 lbs.I think they are similar sized trucks and boats.The 4wheel drive will help a lot in the boat ramps, I had no special problems towing my boat other than stopping , you had to leave lots of room especially on rainy days.Also you need extended mirrors as the boat is so much wider than the truck. I would say it would do a good job(safe) but not a great job.

Hope this helps- Russ

Post by **karma** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:39 pm

Did a fair bit of research on the subject of towing when I was shopping for my travel trailer. You can get towing capacity listings for various year tow vehicles on www.trailerlife.com.
Couple other things though. One is wheel base. Short wheel base means more chance of sway, which is dangerous. If you do get sway, step on the gass. Short wheel base can also lead to loss of control when descending hills or stopping quickly.
A way to determine wheel base adequacy is to take the total distance between the hitch coupler on the trailer to the rear axle. This measurement should not be more than double the wheel base of the TV.
Another measurement you need to take into consideration is the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR) This number is often found on the truck's door or door post. This is the total amount of weight you can carry and pull including the weight of the truck and trailer, gass, passengers, gear, etc.
In certain cases a truck's manufacturer will list the total weight a truck can pull (or GVWR) as quite high, but then when you factor in the weight of the truck itself, you have no more room left to add passengers or gas.
Weights are an important subject as insurance companies often review weights when accidents involve truck / trailer combinations. If they find you are over, you may be out of luck as your insurer will wash their hands of you and your liabilities.
HTH

Post by **Badger Shark** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:47 pm

I had a Jimmy and pulled my boat no problem with it. My boat is a 16'7 Alumacraft, motor weighs 300lbs and the boat and everything in it including a full tank of gas was a piece of cake. It is a good pulling vehicle. Can tow alot.

Post by **GuinnessGuy** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:07 am

Hi,

I had a 2000 Sierra pickup with the same motor and NO Towing Package, and was able to tow a 1989 Ford Taurus Wagon without any problems. I'm sure a boat and trailer wouldn't be a problem...

I would only worry about breaking/stopping. THe short wheel base on the Jimmy might cause you to jacknife... Look into electric brakes on the trailer if you think this might be a problem.

Post by **Erie-Eyes** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:45 am

Hi 1lastcast. I have a 186 Princecraft with a 140hp 4s Johnson + 9.9 hp kicker so I think my boat weight would be similar to yours. My tow vechile is a 2002 Jeep Liberty V-6 210 hp 4*speed automatic transmission with a towing package. This is important as it increases towing capacity from 3500 lb to 5000 lb. I have towed my boat back and forth across the province (Ottawa - Winsor area) for the past six years with no problems. When I first bought my Jeep, I had difficulty finding someone to advise on proper procedures, including the manufacturer. One day when I was questioning my service manger, a mechanic overheard our converstion and came over to advise me to never pull my boat in the overdrive gear. He advised that while it may provide better mileage, it would place undue stress on the transmission from time to time. His advice was to remain in third gear when towing, and to date I have had no problems following his advice. I would think your Jimmy would be very similar to my Liberty. Good luck and good fishing in 2007.[/code]

Post by JP » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:23 am

I drive a 2000 Jimmy XTL with the 4.3L V6 with a tow package and I tow everything from a 12ft (200lbs) tin boat to a 21ft (3800lbs) Big water boat. It will pull it all and has a 5000lb towing capacity. As said earlier it is not the towing as much as the stopping that you have to worry about. If your boat/trailer package weighs more than 2000lbs make sure you get the trailer with surge brakes. Makes a world of difference.
I upgraded the rear suspension so that the truck doesn't bottom out while towing the heavier loads. Somethig to consider if you are going to be towing alot.

Cheers
JP

Post by **getnjiggywithit** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:58 pm

You shouldn't have any problems towing your new boat with your Jimmy. Like Erie-eyes said turn off your over drive and you should be good to go. One thing that I do recommend is that you look into a transmission cooler! Most tranny failures are caused by overheating