alphaforcex

Hi all, we are considering the GL but not sure if it is ok to tow a 5500 dry weight boat. Anyone has any experience in towing their boat with the GL?

BJ021

Absolutely! But I would highly recommend the diesel version - I love how it pulls my 21 ft Four Winns. My set up is about 5,500 as well with trailer, gas & toys. The GL no matter which model is rated at 7,500 lbs. towing - but diesels were built for it! Good Luck!

EWT

A boat that weighs 5500 lbs. dry probably weighs at least 7-800 lbs. more than that loaded up with fuel, batteries and typical boat stuff. The trailer is likely in the 1500 lbs. ballpark, so you're probably right at/beyond the towing capacity of a GL.

I have a 4800 lbs. dry boat that I've towed once so far. The GL didn't have any trouble with it on the ramp, and the motor in the 550 has more than ample power to pull it up an on-ramp without feeling overwhelmed, but you can definitely feel it back there on the highway.

Texas993

Do a search on towing, there are lots of informative posts. There is one member who regularly tows an Airstream and I believe that it was pushing the limits of the GL's max towing capacity.

As others state, a Diesel is a great choice for routine towing. But both gas versions work well too. I tow a 5500 lb trailer routinely with my GL and love the power and efficiency of the diesel - towing or not towing.

If you are looking for a used GL, please be advised that there are/were some issues with the wiring and hitch on the early models. Search is your friend here too.

And know that adding a tow hitch to a GL that did not come with one is not easy. Or at least, not cheap. I suggest buying one with a factory tow package.

Good luck!

lkchris

For sure order the hitch factory fitted.

It's a $550 option.

Retrofit at dealer is $2K.

Tow capacity is rated at 7500 pounds, but at the weight you're considering you should be sure the trailer has brakes--if electric, have dealer fit brake controller.

alphaforcex

Thanks!

We were looking for used Diesel at first but couldn't find one that makes financial sense. It's like 5-6k less than a brand new one and has 20-30k miles on it. We are now looking to buy new and dealers don't have many of them in stock though. They usually have quite a few 450s. We re thinking about buying it in Sep when the '12 come out so we could get better pricing on the left overs or may be get the '12 if it is much improved.

I don't think I will tow that often...may be 2 or 3 times a year and about 10 miles each way. I would love to tow the boat to a new place (2-3 hundreds miles away) occasionally though. Reading on other forums, I should be getting a 3/4 ton...but I don't like any of the 3/4 on the market.

Any other options I should get? I am thinking P1, hitch, lighting & blind spot. Not sure if I should get the keyless and distronics or not.

EWT

Backup camera. I wouldn't own a tow vehicle without one. Makes backing up to the trailer on the first attempt trivially easy.

What kind boat are you going to be towing?

B200Turbo

Very easy to tow boat.
Car knows when trailer is attached and it has special anti sway feature in the system built in as well.
I towed our Searay dry weight 5500 pounds with trailer more than 900kms one way.
It was easy and I enjoyed the ride a lot.
I don't have brake controller on it either.

Car pulls no problems at all.

We had to brake in emergency RV flipped on the road right in front of us because of wind.
I slammed the brake pedal and we stopped in straight line no problem at all with the trailer right on the dime.
Diesel power is the way to go.
This is the best car to tow anything.

lkchris

Good to know vehicle is this capable. My response was deliberately conservative, as all I pull is a motorcycle trailer with surge brakes.

alphaforcex

I have a feeling that we might have the same boat... I got a searay 240DA.

It's very good to know that the car handles so well during situation like this. Yes, we want a vehicle that is safe, can tow a boat, and can handle occasional snow that we have here. Also, the gas mileage with the Diesel is good for a car this big too.

What size of luggage can you all fit in the trunk area with 3 rows up. Is it going to have problems to fit 2 28" luggages? Or I pretty much need to get a roof top box?

robalo220

Diesel torque is great. I pull a 22' center console. Total weight with trailer is about 7K pounds. Pull to Florida from Kentucky and back several times. Very easy to tow. Holds highway speeds great on hills with the most downshifting down to 5th and holds 72 mph no problem. Make sure your trailer has surge brakes. Backup camera is great as previous poster stated about hooking up the trailer.
Search towing with GL and you will find many posts discussing this topic. Go with the diesel. You wont be disappointed.
Good luck

43221B

I can fit 2 Atlantic suitcases upright and side by side behind the third row and they are 27.5"H X 19"W X 13"D. They fit perfectly, almost like they were designed to fit back there. I would assume they are the 28" suitcases. My 27.5" was measured from the ground to the top of the suitcase not including the handle.

EWT

Not to sound like a broken record, but a 5500 lbs. dry weight cruiser is almost certainly going to be over 7500 lbs. as it sits on a trailer loaded with the things that aren't included in the dry weight. Fuel and water alone are going to add about 600 lbs, and a trailer for that boat is probably at least 1500 lbs, which would put you right at or over 7500 lbs. without counting the weight of things like batteries and other boat stuff. You might check a forum like Club Sea Ray to see if somebody has a weight for the total package. I'd bet you're in the 8,000 lbs. + range.

B200Turbo

We have 20 foot Searay I have all the papers for it with weight.
As standard fuel tank is 100 litres usually for long distance trips I travel with limited fuel and fill on the spot at gas station.
There two more batteries.
Spare small 20Hp back up engine.
Some small things as well.
Trailer weight is probably at least 1000 pounds but will have to look it up.
We have a single axle trailer that we got with the boat.
It has surge brakes.
I have trailer at the 100% shape it works really well.
Boat gets strapped at the front on 3 spots and in the back on 2 spots.

Camera is great for reversing and actually seeing the hitch ball.
It is very easy to allign car and trailer together.

I am going to try to weight the whole trailer with the boat fully loaded.

I expect to come out with around 7500 pounds.

The car pulls it like there is nothing behind it. If you don't look in the rear view mirror you don't know you are pulling a boat.
I have been driving on distronic on the highway at it pulls great.

You will really enjoy it.

tony102385

Do not buy one if you need to pull a 6,000 boat. We pulled ours and it was stressful at times. Also with all the gear and people in the gl it really puts a strain on engine and tranny. I went out and bought a duramax and wish I would have sooner. If you buy this to pull things alot I would reconsider but if its a few times a year than go for it.

alphaforcex

Thanks for all the info guys. We are looking for vehicles that can seat at least 7, has decent gas mileage, not too big as this will be wife's main vehicle, and can pull boat as a bonus (my requirement, wife would care less). I don't have a trailer right now so it's no big deal for now but I'd like to tow it to other area as I have explored most of the local area where our boat can take us. We may do it once or twice (max) a year. I look at all the vehicles on the market and the next one would be the Infiniti QX56/Nissan Armada but that thing doesn't look too good and looks much larger than the GL. Otherwise, I'll need to go for either a GM/Ford but wife doesn't like either one of them. Are you all aware of anything else on the market that will fit our needs??

LEOSOPHIE

How about renting a 3/4 ton crew cab twice a year and saving the wear and tear on the GL?

EWT

Another option would be a Sequoia. We went back and forth on one vs. a GL. More truck-like than a GL, but nicer to drive than the alternatives from GM or Ford, and they have lots of bells and whistles in the top trims. They tow between 9-10K lbs. depending on trim and drivetrain, and tow big loads very well. I'd rather daily drive a GL, but I'd rather tow with a Sequoia.

alphaforcex

Man, I checked Toyota web site and found that '11 Sequoia only has 7000 lbs towing capacity now. I checked Nissan Armada, Lexus LX, and they all have lower towing capacity now. Do you know the GL follows the new towing standard or is it still following the old rule?

EWT

That's interesting. It used to be 9K+ with the bigger motor. I wonder what changed WRT to towing capacity standards? I'd bet it might be assuming a bigger load of people and cargo in the vehicle, which was often assumed to be pretty small before.

In any case, it will tow a big load better than a GL. They tow very well. I've seen their towing capability compared to a 3/4 ton truck/SUV more than once.

oknish

Get everything that you can afford. It helps with resale. I don't think I can do without Keyless Go and Distronic now.

alphaforcex

Yeah, there were a few versions that have 10k towing capacity in 2010 according to AOL auto. Pretty cool that they let you search by towing capacity.

I will not buy a sequoia to tow the boat. Well I guess my point is, if I need to buy a vehicle to tow 7500lbs or 8000lbs might as well get one that advertises so. It will be hard to argue with Toyota if the sequoia has any problems due to towing since Toyota is going to come back and say I have exceeded the advertised limits. I test drove sequoia before so I think it's a very capable vehicle.

emin.mak

I have 2010 GL450 and I tow malibu 24ft boat with no issues. boat is about 4500 dry

43221B

I was considering the Sequoia as well and if I remember correctly it has a rather low payload capacity (I think about 200lbs less than the GL). So if you are loaded full of passengers and gear, you have a limited tongue weight that doesn't allow for pulling the heavier stuff.

silver beast

Well I just got back from AZ. and towed my 25ft Chaparral there and back and all I can say is WOW....very nice. I usually tow with my F350 dually diesel, but being I just put the hitch on the GL I wanted to see how it towed. I ran the boat and trailer (aluminum tandem) through the scales and she is at 6800lbs with half tank of gas, full tank of water, empty sewer tank, two cases of beer, case of soda and all the toys onboard. She would shift to 5th going over the mountains to hold 60mph going there and shift to 4th coming back to hold 70mph and had no problem with the load.