A Chevy Tahoe is a great vehicle to have if you want to go to the lake or go camping with your family for the weekend. But can you take a boat to the lake with a Chevy Tahoe?
The newest Chevy Tahoe models can pull up to 8,100 pounds, but most standard models can only pull up to 6,600 pounds. This high towing capacity is enough to pull smaller boats, snowmobiles, and other watercraft.
So, now that you know your Chevy Tahoe can pull your boat, find out how to do it and what kinds of boats it can do without any problems.
Chevy Tahoe Models
Whether or not your Chevy Tahoe can pull a trailer depends on what year it was made. But many of these models are built to pull bigger things and can pull a small to medium-sized boat.
No matter what kind of Chevy Tahoe you have, you can always tow up to 6,600 pounds with it. This makes it easy for you to pull small boats with your Tahoe.
If you have a newer model, like the 2018 Tahoe, you can tow up to 8,100 pounds at once, which is more than you could do with an older model. This will let you pull bigger boats that your whole family can fit in.
Also, it depends on whether or not your Tahoe has all-wheel drive. If so, you might still be able to pull more than you think, even if your car is an older model.
If you already own a Chevy Tahoe model and don’t know how much your model can tow, you can look in the owner’s manual. It will tell you how much your vehicle can handle.
The Size of Your Boat
If the size of the boat you already have is too big for your vehicle, it doesn’t matter how much your car can pull. So, you should find out how much the boat weighs before you decide to pull it behind your Chevy Tahoe (or any vehicle for that matter).
You also don’t want to accidentally take more than your vehicle can hold. If you store things in the boat that add to the weight of what you’re towing, this could cause you to go over the towing limit.
So, make sure the boat you want to pull has a little bit of wiggle room so you can still add weight to it. You also need to think about the towing equipment, which can also affect the total weight of what you’re pulling.
If the hitch and attachments weigh 100 pounds and the towing capacity is 6,600 pounds, you only need to be able to pull a boat that weighs up to 6,500 pounds.
So, do the math before you buy a boat or hook it up to your Tahoe so you don’t put too much weight on your vehicle and damage it.
Fuel in the Boat
You also have to think about the fact that your boat needs fuel to run. Like a car, it will weigh more when the fuel tank is full and less when it is empty or almost empty.
If you are weighing your boat without fuel, you will want to make sure you have a lot of extra weight before you hit the towing limit so that you can account for the weight of the fuel.
This will let you fill up the boat before you leave or on the way to your destination without worrying about damaging your vehicle by towing more than the weight limit.
Balancing Your Load
When you go on a trip, you’ll bring more than just your boat with you, and you should plan for that. There needs to be a balance between the things you keep in the SUV and the things you put in the boat storage.
If your load isn’t balanced, it could change how you drive. When you are driving, a load that is too heavy on one side could cause your car to lean into the area, which would force you to pull to the other side to stay between the lines.
If the load you put in your boat isn’t balanced, it could start rocking back and forth while you’re driving. This is dangerous because the boat could hit another car or even come completely off your Tahoe.
So, make sure you double-check your load before you hit the road to make sure everything is balanced and won’t get in the way of your driving.
What Happens if You Tow Too Much Weight?
You might already know that if you tow too much with your car, it could get damaged, but do you know how?
Well, this could hurt your car in a few important ways.
#1 Erratic Steering
When you pull a big load behind your car, you are putting too much stress on it. This can make it harder to steer.
The extra weight could make your steering wheel pull to one side or the other, which could make you sway from side to side. If you go too far, you might cross the lines on the road and hit another car.
You don’t want to get into an accident, so make sure the weight is right for the Tahoe you’re driving.
#2 Accelerating
When you try to speed up, your car could also have trouble if it has too much weight on it. This is because your engine will have to work much harder to get up to speed with all the weight it is pulling.
If you pull more than what your engine can handle, you could blow it up or make it stop working altogether.
If you can’t fix the problem right away, you could get stuck somewhere, and you don’t want to have to deal with this on a weekend trip or family vacation.
#3 Braking
If you are towing too much weight with your Tahoe, the brakes could stop working, which is one of the most dangerous things that can happen. With the extra weight, the brakes might not work as well when you need them to.
This could make your brakes stop working when you need them, which could lead to a crash. On a long trip where you mostly drive on the freeway, this could be very dangerous because you are going very fast.
This could make the crash worse for you and the people in the other car. So, make sure your brakes aren’t getting too heavy, which could cause them to fail.
Towing With Your Tahoe
If you’ve checked the load’s weight and made sure it’s balanced, your Chevy Tahoe is ready to start towing. Follow the steps below to figure out how to do this.
If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to put a hitch on the back of your car. This is where your boat’s pulling gear will hook up when you’re ready to move.
The ball hitch will fit on the back of the car, and the boat will have a piece that goes over the ball and locks it in place. If the lock is put on right, it won’t move.
If it’s too big, it won’t stay on the ball hitch once it’s locked. Make sure you have the right fit before you take off, or you might lose contact.
After you hook up the ball hitch and the boat, you will need to connect the Tahoe’s tail lights to the boat. This will let people see the boat’s lights if they can’t see your Tahoe’s taillights.
This is a simple step-by-step process that can be found in the instructions that come with the lights.
After this is done, you should have someone go behind the boat while you use your turn signals and brake lights to make sure the lights work. Once you’ve checked that the lights work, you’re good to go.
Final Words
If you have a Chevy Tahoe and want to try to take it to the lake, you need to know that you can safely tow it there and back.
Checking your owner’s manual to see how much you can pull will show you that you can pull more than you thought.
But you should still make sure you and your family are safe by staying well under the total weight limit, taking into account the hitch, tail lights, and fuel, and making sure the weight is balanced.
If you do all of these things, you and your friends or family will be able to go to the lake without any problems. Just keep in mind to stay safe and drive well.
