Choosing the best trailer boat and tow vehicle combo

Top choice: built for three people, the popular Sea-Doo Fish Pro Sport comes with a 170hp engine and a host of ingenious fishing features. With a dry boat weight of 386kg, on an unbraked trailer (around 140 to 200kg on average), you’re still below 750kg, even when fuelled up.

Alternative: better for touring, with a windscreen and clever storage, is the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro teamed with a 230hp engine.

Tow vehicle: Australia’s best-selling choice after dual-cab utes, Toyota’s RAV4 can tow up to 1500kg on a braked trailer. A 2.5lt petrol engine and an electric motor give you great urban fuel economy and the ability to tackle interstate runs, too. Option up for an all-wheel-drive model to handle slippery boat ramps. Priced from $45,260.

Top choice: with all-new aesthetics, the recently-updated Quintrex 550 Territory Legend weighs in at 630kg. Add 220kg for the motor, and opt for an alloy boat trailer of 320kg tare to stay well under 1500kg.

Alternative: if you’re after a family cruiser, consider the Stacer 539 Wildrider running a 140hp motor.

Tow vehicle: anyone who buys a family boat probably also needs a family car. A dual-cab ute might be the popular choice, but the wagon-body Ford Everest offers more. Try coil-sprung rear suspension, your choice of a V6 or four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, 10-speed automatic transmission, 3500kg tow weight, all-wheel-drive, superb off-road ability, and a big, roomy cabin.

In the new 4WD Ford Everest range, the entry-level Ambiente offers the best value for money, starting at $59,490 for the 2lt bi-turbo diesel.

Top Choice: in this league, size matters when it comes to ride quality, and there aren’t many sea conditions the Hard Top Bar Crusher 670HT can’t handle. Add a 200hp Suzuki V6 and an alloy boat trailer for a combined weight of 1880kg.  There’ll be added windage from the raised cabin, but it should roll pretty nicely on the twin axles.

Tow vehicle: a big, comfy 4WD wagon with low-range and locking differentials for rock-hopping, the GWM Tank 500 offers a lot of car for your money, sharply priced at $64,490.

It’s driveline teams a four-cylinder, 2lt petrol engine with turbocharger with an electric motor for a total of 255kW and 648Nm of torque. Although its tow weight is limited to 3000kg, with a tow-ball download limit of 240kg, it’s well suited to the Bar Crusher.

Top Choice: if a fibreglass family trailer boat is more your speed, the Whittley Sea Legend 22 OB offers more comforts than most in this class. It weighs in at around 2100kg, so even with full tanks, you’re still underweight. Opting for the enclosed hardtop version and extras will lift the starting price above $200K.

Alternative: if you don’t need a hardtop, consider the 950kg Haines Hunter 585 R-Series with 200hp outboard.

Tow vehicle: it might be complete overkill but the sheer locomotive-like abilities of the full-sized US-made RAM Laramie Sport makes this one hell of a truck. RAM recently switched from a V8 layout to a turbocharged 3lt six-cylinder, improving performance and fuel consumption. 

The Laramie Sport gets a slightly softer engine tune for peaks of 313kW and 630Nm which, when combined with all-wheel-drive, an eight-speed automatic, and that brawny body and chassis, gives the RAM a 4.5-tonnne towing limit. Priced from $141,950.