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tomx
06-25-2006, 11:20 PM
I found a deal in my area,
http://portland.craigslist.org/boa/175140389.html
Do you think it's a good boat?
I'm new to boating. What's the advantage and disadvantage of a jetboat?
I'm looking for a boat that,
1. small enough to be towed by my 98 camry (V6)
2. Sits 2 adults and 1 or 2 kids
3. can do water ski
It looks like this boat meets all. What do you think. Thank you very much.
All the best,
Tom

Tom Brown
06-25-2006, 11:31 PM
http://www.seadoo.com/NR/rdonlyres/60E38AE9-24DC-452B-AFD0-094C31CDE907/0/header.jpg
Forget towing a big block jet with a V6 Camry. I tow a 16' Glastron CVX outboard with a Nissan Maxima. The rig on the trailer weighs about 1500 lbs. The Maxi just barely pulls it.
Japanese cars have plenty of power but you'll cook your transaxle unless you put a big cooler on there and maybe even then.
Oh yeah... you'll need trailer brakes for anything other than a PWC.

tomx
06-26-2006, 10:53 AM
Tom,
Thank you very much for the reply. This is the thing I have most concerns and don't really understand. According to my camry's manual, the towing capacity is 2000lb. The boat is about 1000lb (keep in mind that it's only 14' long). So it looks OK to me. But I have the impression from other people that this might damage the car. Is it true or not?
Thanks again.
Tom

Gilligan
06-26-2006, 11:04 AM
Tom,
Thank you very much for the reply. This is the thing I have most concerns and don't really understand. According to my camry's manual, the towing capacity is 2000lb. The boat is about 1000lb (keep in mind that it's only 14' long). So it looks OK to me. But I have the impression from other people that this might damage the car. Is it true or not?
Thanks again.
Tom
Cars are not tow vehicles. :)

OGShocker
06-26-2006, 11:12 AM
Way to go Tom Brown, being all helpful......and shit!:D
TomX, I agree with Tom here.

buzzaro
06-26-2006, 03:56 PM
Tom,
Thank you very much for the reply. This is the thing I have most concerns and don't really understand. According to my camry's manual, the towing capacity is 2000lb. The boat is about 1000lb (keep in mind that it's only 14' long). So it looks OK to me. But I have the impression from other people that this might damage the car. Is it true or not?
Thanks again.
Tom
Does that weight include the trailer? Also dont forget about the gear that will be in the boat (fuel, ice chests, etc)
Having a full car (wife and kids) will make a difference as well. All these things need to be considered. Good luck.

Mandelon
06-26-2006, 05:42 PM
http://b.im.craigslist.org/GV/NX/4a8LYy79m0uQlOdrEIJ5PMqNuglE.jpg
A camry with a good hitch ought to tow that alright. Not uphill, or through the desert maybe, but across the flats or through town.
Make sure everyone gets out before you try to pull it up a wet launchramp though. Its like a big Seadoo.....

catman-do
06-26-2006, 06:01 PM
The gearing and trans is different from a truck. Being that its an older car you no longer have a warranty so if for some reason it does trash a part you might start seeing your bank account deminish. Maybe sell it for a 2wd toyota w/ a v6. Same power but RWD and different rear end may help better on the towing. Bazzaro was right, figure on 6-7 lbs per gallon of liquid and that weight most likely didnt include trailer. So maybe another 150-250 lbs for trailer, 100lbs for 15 gallons of gas or so, 60-90lbs for a cooler, and another 50-100 lbs of "crap".... lifevests, ski's etc...

tomx
06-27-2006, 08:53 AM
Thank you all for the replies and suggestions. I think the total weight after adding trailer, fuel, wife and kid, it should be abround 1500lb. So I really want to give it a try.
BTW, what's the advantage and disadvantage of a jetboat? I know it has an impeller instead of a propeller. Anything else? Is it faster than regular boat? Is it good for family fun? Any input is welcome!
All the best,
Tom

GunninGopher
06-27-2006, 10:26 AM
That boat seems to fit your needs, except I would seriously reconsider the towing situation if it were me.
A jet boat is a little different than a prop one. You will need to learn how to use the thrust to steer it. They are safe to be around since you won't cut yourself on a prop. Those little ones will tow a skier or 2, but I don't know about that particular one. Just be very careful for the first several hours, expecially in traffic or in the harbor. Remember, most jets can stop much better than prop boats.
The most important tip I give anyone learning to operate any small craft is to CONSTANTLY LOOK ALL AROUND YOU AND MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH JET SKI'S AND OTHER SMALL BOATS BEFORE PASSING THEM. Many jet ski drivers and 'sea doo boat' drivers just love to turn on a whim, and the stupid ones don't look.
If you are interested into getting into boating, that one may be a good one to start with. Go ahead and give it a shot with your car. You will put a lot of wear on it, so don't tow too far with it.

atomickitn
06-27-2006, 10:28 AM
jets are somewhat more safer due to the fact that there are no moving parts outside of the boat that propell it, soo if you have kids you will rest easier knowing that they will not get hurt buy a sharp prop... :cool:

Tom Brown
06-27-2006, 07:08 PM
Thank you all for the replies and suggestions. I think the total weight after adding trailer, fuel, wife and kid, it should be abround 1500lb. So I really want to give it a try.
I was where you are once. Now I'm where I am now. ... and it's all bad. :D
It can be done Tom, but not well. In fact, it can just barely be done. You'll have gobs of power but you're going to have braking problems and handling problems.
I experimented with boat positions on the trailer until it was around 40 lbs of tongue weight. Before that, it almost bucked me off the highway a couple of times. It needs to be just right. No problem... a little fooling around and I was good to go. There is a long turning grade that goes down into the valley where I boat. It's quite bumpy and I can take it now without fear of bouncing off the road. :cool:
The trailer pulled like a dog when I first started towing with it. Cars normally run with near zero rolling resistance. Trailer drag is a big deal, although I never noticed it when I towed with my Dad's small block pickup. A little investigation revealed about 1/2" of toe out. No problem... I built an adjustable bow to pull it back into position for a perfect 1/4" toe in. Now it rolls like it's not there. :cool:
Of course, I have never towed with overdrive on. Also, I always go really slow (90 kph or about 55 mph max) and I'm not afraid to slow further when I come to an incline.
You would think those big honking disk brakes Nissan uses, coupled with a good set of tires, would slow down a boat quite effectively. If you're like me, you'd think wrong. My stopping distance is about 5 times longer with a boat.
About that boat balance... I've got it set up perfectly. It tows like a dream... until I throw a cooler in there, some fuel, camping gear, or just about anything that won't fit in the car... which is just about everything. No problem though, I just make sure I put everything as close to the axle as I can get it. :cool:
Did I mention the rear rockers are starting to get some surface rust? I wonder if it has to do with them getting wet 60 times a year? :idea:
No problem though, it's a small price to pay for a lot of wonderful weekends at the lake. :cool:
The Maxima does tow pretty well and, while stopping is a problem, there is no shortage of power. When I first bought my boat, one of the things I liked about it was that it was within the tow rating of my car. To that end, I've had a ton of fun for not a whole lot of money. Also, while my fuel economy is unbelievably bad while towing (perhaps around 20 mpg), my normal fuel economy is outstanding so I don't pay the inefficiency price of driving a truck. Mostly, I don't want to drive a truck so it let me drive my car.
It all came to an end when I returned from the lake, pulled the transmission dip stick, and saw fluid as black as coal. I checked it after every trip (max trip length 60 minutes), as you need to get in that habbit too. The fluid was a little stinky too. I changed it before driving again and the car has gone 50000 miles since then so I think I'm OK. Burnt trans fluid is bad news, though.
It could be that a bigger transmission cooler, or maybe a second cooler, would do the trick if I took it even easier. Maybe a higher grade of synthetic fluid would help too. Did I mention you really need to change to synthetic transmission fluid?
When you burn up your transmission and, if you tow any distance at all, you will... remember this post. I don't wish anything bad to happen to you but what you want to do is a really, really bad idea. I've done it and I got away with it. I used a front drive car to tow a 1500 lb boat 25~50 miles on a great many occasions. Maybe you'll be OK. Still..... remember this post. :)
Good luck, Tom :)

tomx
06-27-2006, 09:25 PM
Tom,
Although I haven't made the decision yet, your first hand experience is so valueble to me (and others as well I believe).
And you know what? I feel I have more confidence now to make it with my V6 camry :)
Thanks again for the help!
Tom
I was where you are once. Now I'm where I am now. ... and it's all bad. :D
It can be done Tom, but not well. In fact, it can just barely be done. You'll have gobs of power but you're going to have braking problems and handling problems.
I experimented with boat positions on the trailer until it was around 40 lbs of tongue weight. Before that, it almost bucked me off the highway a couple of times. It needs to be just right. No problem... a little fooling around and I was good to go. There is a long turning grade that goes down into the valley where I boat. It's quite bumpy and I can take it now without fear of bouncing off the road. :cool:
The trailer pulled like a dog when I first started towing with it. Cars normally run with near zero rolling resistance. Trailer drag is a big deal, although I never noticed it when I towed with my Dad's small block pickup. A little investigation revealed about 1/2" of toe out. No problem... I built an adjustable bow to pull it back into position for a perfect 1/4" toe in. Now it rolls like it's not there. :cool:
Of course, I have never towed with overdrive on. Also, I always go really slow (90 kph or about 55 mph max) and I'm not afraid to slow further when I come to an incline.
You would think those big honking disk brakes Nissan uses, coupled with a good set of tires, would slow down a boat quite effectively. If you're like me, you'd think wrong. My stopping distance is about 5 times longer with a boat.
About that boat balance... I've got it set up perfectly. It tows like a dream... until I throw a cooler in there, some fuel, camping gear, or just about anything that won't fit in the car... which is just about everything. No problem though, I just make sure I put everything as close to the axle as I can get it. :cool:
Did I mention the rear rockers are starting to get some surface rust? I wonder if it has to do with them getting wet 60 times a year? :idea:
No problem though, it's a small price to pay for a lot of wonderful weekends at the lake. :cool:
The Maxima does tow pretty well and, while stopping is a problem, there is no shortage of power. When I first bought my boat, one of the things I liked about it was that it was within the tow rating of my car. To that end, I've had a ton of fun for not a whole lot of money. Also, while my fuel economy is unbelievably bad while towing (perhaps around 20 mpg), my normal fuel economy is outstanding so I don't pay the inefficiency price of driving a truck. Mostly, I don't want to drive a truck so it let me drive my car.
It all came to an end when I returned from the lake, pulled the transmission dip stick, and saw fluid as black as coal. I checked it after every trip (max trip length 60 minutes), as you need to get in that habbit too. The fluid was a little stinky too. I changed it before driving again and the car has gone 50000 miles since then so I think I'm OK. Burnt trans fluid is bad news, though.
It could be that a bigger transmission cooler, or maybe a second cooler, would do the trick if I took it even easier. Maybe a higher grade of synthetic fluid would help too. Did I mention you really need to change to synthetic transmission fluid?
When you burn up your transmission and, if you tow any distance at all, you will... remember this post. I don't wish anything bad to happen to you but what you want to do is a really, really bad idea. I've done it and I got away with it. I used a front drive car to tow a 1500 lb boat 25~50 miles on a great many occasions. Maybe you'll be OK. Still..... remember this post. :)
Good luck, Tom :)

Jyruiz
06-27-2006, 09:41 PM
If you are going to do it, I would definitely install a bigger tranny cooler and change to synthetic fluid before towing. I did this on my truck (01 1500 Chevy) and I was only towing an 18' boat.

hoochiebandit
06-27-2006, 10:04 PM
while this is a small boat this is completely nuts those car's a are unibody there is no frame to pull from the fact that someone else has got lucky so far does not mean my boats 19' and about 1000 lb heavier but my truck is an f-350 crew cab if it starts bucking or swaying it can get scary
I tow a ten thousand pound tractor with it all the time but that trailer has breakes find a small pickup for like $2000 is really worth risking the life of your family or yourself

a catered life
06-27-2006, 10:29 PM
my $.02 cents would be to save your money and buy a real tow vechile....camary's are not built to tow and you will be pretty pissed if you burn the tranny and have a boat that you cant get to the water........what happens if you get into a wind gust and the car cant handle the wind or the trailer :rolleyes: .....if you want to do it smart save save save your money and buy a good truck (does not need to be new just a good heavy duty tranny and at least a v8) and then get the boat later..this hobby can get expensive so its better to start with a good base first......im not sure where you will be going boating but that small thing wont be able to take to much rough water.....i would feel very unsafe on that thing so be very careful if you get it

hoochiebandit
06-27-2006, 10:55 PM
my $.02 cents would be to save your money and buy a real tow vechile....camary's are not built to tow and you will be pretty pissed if you burn the tranny and have a boat that you cant get to the water........what happens if you get into a wind gust and the car cant handle the wind or the trailer :rolleyes: .....if you want to do it smart save save save your money and buy a good truck (does not need to be new just a good heavy duty tranny and at least a v8) and then get the boat later..this hobby can get expensive so its better to start with a good base first......im not sure where you will be going boating but that small thing wont be able to take to much rough water.....i would feel very unsafe on that thing so be very careful if you get it
he's right the tranny could cost you more than a truck
i hade a 90 toyota pickup that would have towed that thing any where you wanted to go sold it for $1800 couple years back
look on race-desert.com

Tom Brown
06-28-2006, 05:29 AM
I feel I have more confidence now to make it with my V6 camry :)
I'm glad I could help. :D :D :D

Krazy K
06-28-2006, 09:45 PM
My .02....
For that money, I'd buy a real jet boat, with a real engine. BUT, that is a good beginner boat....small and highly manueverble(sp)
On a side note....
If you are taking that on the Columbia River, it gets real rough at times. The area around the airport seems to be a good area for boating. Along with camping on the islands! (Yes, I used to live there!)
Have fun!