I'm on the market for my first boat    but I'm really concerned about how my little 2.0L will handle pulling duty.

The plan is to get something in the 13-16' range with a trailer so we can keep it at home.

I know very little about boats so i have no idea how much a boat like that would weigh. I do know a thing or two about Suzukis and i know that my trucklette is only officially suppose to tow 1000lbs.

So to all you boaters out there; what do ya think? Can my 4 banger handle towing a boat all summer or do i need to invest in a towing rig?

How far, how hilly and what distances?  

Generally, a 13-16 foot boat and trailer isn't that much of a load.

How tall are those 15x7, 215/75R15 Dynapro MT's tires that you are running? If large diameter (vehicle gear ratio worsened) and you are at marginal power now, you may find towing a chore.

Unfortunately there are several hilly bits around where i live. Also some steep boat ramps, but i guess that's where 4 low can help.

The tire's are .7 of an inch bigger then stock, not much loss in power there.

i just wish i had a REALLY big scale so i could measure all of the boats i'm checking out...

I was hoping someone on here could regale me with stories of them pulling their 1200 lb boat with no problems.

I've been doing lots of internet searches, I've found people pulling 2000lb boats with their CRVs!! Surely our body on frame Suzukis can handle more then a CRV!? 

The late model CRVs have the 2.4 Liter 4 cylinder engine in them that makes 160 HP. The earlier CRVs (2000ish model year) had 2 liter engines in them and had terrible power bands.  So I'm betting the CRV you saw towing a boat had the 2.4 liter engine in it.

My father-in-law has a 17.5' Bass Tracker boat (with an aluminum hull) with a 35HP Mercury outboard on it and the whole rig (boat and trailer) is right at #1300 pounds including a full 11 gallon fuel cell and battery.  He pulls it with a Colorado pick-up with the 5 cylinder in-line engine, no problem.  He says it does pull the engine down on the really steep hills (in southern Indiana).  If you bought a fiberglass hulled boat of similar length (17.5') I'm sure you could add another #500 pounds to the total weight.  

A small 13-16' John boat with a 15HP outboard and trailer (#500 total?)... I doubt if your truck would even know it was back there.

I have a four door Tracker with a 2 liter and 235 series tires (about 1.5" taller than stock).  I tow my single axle utility trailer (4X7 foot) all over the place. I've made several 300 plus mile trips down south driving the interstate at 70-75MPH (through the large hills in southern Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee) with no trouble at all carrying 3-400 pounds of furniture and household goods in it.... so probably 6-700 pounds total weight.  However when you have the RPMs up your engine makes more power too.  I've also towed #1700 of gravel in my trailer.  I WOULDN"T take that size load out on a highway or interstate with my truck.

So... I'm thinking you could tow a boat weighing #500-#800s.  Any more than that:  No.  

Disclaimer:  I have NOT towed my father-in-law's Bass Tracker using my 4-door Tracker although I would not be afraid to tow it from the fishing shack to the Patoka reservoir (locally).   I wouldn't take my Tracker out onto the highway or interstate towing his boat even though the #1300s is within the #1500 tow limitations of my truck.  That's with the stock gears and slightly over-sized tires I currently run.  With more ring and pinion gear I would not have a problem with it.

Iv had one towing experience, not a trailer but a car; a 1994 Z28 camero I think 3700lb. let me tell you she didn't like it I had to go 17 miles, and felt bad for putting my little zuk through that. Actually used low range to get up a bad hill
it was a stock 02 gv
Oh forgot to add this was with a dolly if I had to do it agin I would rather pay a wrecker