Traverse/Acadia for pulling rig?

[WalleyeChaser]

Anybody have one for pulling their boats? I have a 17 ft full windshield boat that weighs roughly 1700 lbs or so loaded. Wondering how the engine handles this kind of weight.

[amateurfishing]

we just did the same thing u r thinking bout

here were our priorities in order of importance:

must haves: 3rd row seat

tow package

luggage rack

plenty of legroom

SUV frame

pluses: MPG

leather over cloth

sun roof

& everything else

we looked at traverse, acadia, nissan armada (was our first choice), cherokee, pathfinder, explorer, suburban, sequoia, mostly SUV models. when all was said and done comparing new & used vehicles & leftover warranties on the used stuff, wife settled on 2013 Durango cloth & bare bones interior with 3rd row, plenty of storage & legroom, & tow package. initially did not have luggage rack but dealership went in halfway with us to have it installed. so far after almost a month wife loves it, a VERY smooth ride, plenty of room for kids, and as good if not some of best MPG in the SUV range, and the major plus for us is full warranty as we are not mechanical saavy and keep our vehicles for long time so prefer the only owner aspect of it.

i should also add we did look at acadia/traverse specifically, engines were smaller (not sure if that matters) and overall up to $10,000 more for exact same interior on a mini van frame.....thats why we passed

[DooWap]

Which engine do you have? Usually the engine isn't the weak link, it's your transmission. I had a buddy who torched his tranny on an S10 Blazer with the 4.3L V6 towing a boat up to Rainy lake. Make sure you get a good aftermarket tranny cooler if you're planning on doing a lot of long distance towing if the vehicle isn't already equipped with one. Use the tow/haul mode if the vehicle is equipped with one as well.

[Nick Kuhn]

It's fine if you are only going a few miles each time and maybe the occasional long trip. But I wouldn't be using it to haul it long distances all the time.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Saw the Durango at the auto and I was very impressed. They have really made improvements over the years on it. I would look real hard at getting one for the needs mentioned. The Acadia might earn more style points, but you need something that is not going to struggle and blow a tranny.

Something else that is very important is braking power too. Good luck.