Ditto

Has anyone installed a trailer hitch on their GS and towed a boat with it.
I am looking to buy a boat which weighs about 1700 lbs + trailer. I live about 1-2 miles from the lake dock with no hills. I think the GS will have no problems pulling it because the GS4 has more horses and more torque the Ford F-150 Triton V8. What I am worried about is when the car is at the ramp and how far it will get submerged in water. or Will it? The car is not lowered, but it does have those larger L-Tuned exhaust and tips.

Is the GS a unibody?

DetMich1

Check your owner's manual. I'm pretty sure you will find it says "DON'T TOW". There are other issues to consider besides torque and hp, things like cooling (engine & tranny), spring and shock rates, center of gravity, tongue weight, braking capacity, etc.

TLW

Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle

Ditto

I understand all that, but less than 2 miles from my house to the ramp is like a cake walk. (no highway, just residential street at 25mph max) When I was at the dock today, I saw prev. generation Maxima parked with a boat trailer. Seeing that sight makes me think there is light at the end of the tunnel.

LXOGOOD

Living 2 miles away from the lake does help however how many stop lights are in the 2 miles. Stop and go while pulling a boat is the biggest wear on a tranny because of how quickly the tranny fluid will heat up. To be on the safe side, if you do plan on pulling your boat, I would have a shop install a $100 tranny cooler to keep fluid levels in normal conditions.

BA_GS400

iTrader: (1)

I'd have to agree that you might want the tranny cooler. You can get away with a B&M Super Cooler for only $40-$50 at Summit Racing.


I have a hitch on my GS4 because I tow a bike to the track with it. It's just a little flat trailer though, full sized tires, 5'x8' or so.

I think the hitch I bought was only like $200. Seems like the brand name was Draw-tite. It's a good hitch and bolted right up. It'll make your exhaust tips sit about 1/2" lower unless you play around with the muffler hanger though.

Lexis11

I used to tow my jet ski trailer with my gs300. I trailered the thing an hour and a half tomy aunts house oin the ocean. I had no problems but that all ended when I put my body kit on. So depending on how big the boat is I would say it isn't that big a deal.

chuckb

If you have no other vehicle to use and don't mind subjecting your GS to that, I don't see how towing a small boat at an easy pace(normal acceleration) is much harder on car than "spirited" driving.

I would definitely use premium gas and take it easy. Also keep car out of 4th and 5th gear unless at highway speeds. Make sure you keep it in 1st when you pull it out.(I wonder what trac control will do when pulling out. You may wan't to turn that off too.)

Now if your talking saltwater-then there are other obvious issues.

CLS2GS300

I don't know what kind of tires you have, but I would be concerned with being able to get good enough traction pulling the boat up the ramp when you're done.

chuckb

maybe you should look into a " beater " truck. That's what I have. 2 Lexuses and a 1988 nissan V6 5speed kingcab "Beater" truck for pulling boats, dirtbiking, mountain biking, fishing etc..
Just another thought

oh yah, and I use it to pick my 2 year old up from daycare after some serious sandbox action. He gets dropped off (clean) in a 430 and picked up(Dirty) in a pickup

Ditto

Thanks for the suggestions. Actually I have a beater truck. A 2.3L 4-Cylinder Ford Ranger. The sad thing is that it lacks power and it can barely haul itself up a hill. I got rid of my Acura MDX to possibly make room for a boat. I would have love to have kept it to tow, but she prefer to get rid of the MDX in favor of the ES300. There is no way I am getting rid my GS. ( I love it too too too much.)

CamRen

trade the ranger in for sumthing more powerfull and capable to tow with..


Just dont tow with the GS ... gonna end up costing you in the future

XYZLexus1

You will have no problems!!!!! I do the same thing. Transmission cooler for a 3 mile drive?. I guess all places do not drug test. You will not even have the engine warmed up after 3 miles. You will not hurt or damage anything. I pull mine 80 miles each way to Conroe. 2500lb boat plus trailer.

TLW

to each his own

but the GS was not meant for towing

straight from the owner's manual

Ditto

What brand of trailer hitch do you have? I hope you don't have to cut a hole in your rear bumper.
I went this weekend shopping for a truck. I test drove the new Ford F150 SuperCab and man it was huge. i tried to park it between the two trucks and for some reason, I just couldn't. Kinda embarrassing, but after a handful of tries, the sales guy finally had to do it. The ride was nice and smooth though, but there is no way I'm driving that as a "beater."