Yeah, braking is the big deal to me. A bit slow up the hills is not a big deal compared to braking safety. I will respond to this with my experiences later this month. Getting my E20 (similar to M-17 weight, maybe a little heavier) from Klamath Lake to Ashland (Oregon) will involve a dozen miles of winding and sometimes steep (secondary highway, grades up to 6%) downhills. I will definitely be using engine braking with the manual trans. My 2001 Outback has slightly better than stock brakes, and from 2001 the factory brakes are pretty solid anyhow on the Outbacks (the 2000 is weak in that area, they beefed them up for 2001 and onward). cheers, John S. On 08/26/2015 10:16 AM, David Grah via montgomery_boats wrote:
I've mostly towed my Montgomery 15 with two Toyota trucks, both 4 wheel drive manual transmission. One was 2.2 liter 4 cylinder, one is 3.4 liter 6 cylinder.
Both pulled the boat fine with the 4 cylinder being a bit slower up grades or in headwinds. The main issue I have experienced towing with these trucks has not had to do with pulling but has had to do with braking.
I live in a mountainous area with steep grades several miles long on ways to and from places I sail. Getting up these grades can be slow but it is getting down that gets my attention. Controlling speed can be a challenge, even using lower gears, but needing to stop unexpectedly on top of maintaining speed is what I am usually most concerned about.
I assume my trucks have "stronger" brakes than the cars discussed here on this forum but don't see anyone discussing braking. I like the idea of towing with a car smaller than my trucks, but I wonder about how well these cars can brake under challenging conditions. Anyone have experience towing with a car in challenging braking conditions?
David Grah Bishop California Montgomery 15 - Sky
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