Launching A Boat With A Hybrid

[RXORO]

I'm new in this club.

I own a 2008 RX400h with towing package and I also own a 20 foot boat. I was told that when launching or retreving the boat the engine goes to electric and that either water goes up or someone could get ELECTROCUTED because the battery is under the passenger seat. I told the salesman what I planed to do and he never told me that it could not be done. Has anybody here heard about this?

I called Lexus and they said they have to get back to me after they talk with the engineers.

RXORO

[Barefoot Bob]

I have a 20 foot Allison Boat and use my RX400 all the time to tow it. No problem at all on the launch ramp. The cool thing is towing it out of the water without the engine running. Really makes the people look.

I only have to back it to the point of getting the back wheels wet a bit

[SW03ES]

Thats BS. First of all the guy has obviously never launched a boat, you don't submerge the tow vehicle. Even if you did, the battery is designed to be safe in the event a flood. Hyrbids wouldn't be on the road if they electrocuted everybody around them when they got wet.

You'll be fine.

[LEXIRX330]

Thats BS. First of all the guy has obviously never launched a boat, you don't submerge the tow vehicle. Even if you did, the battery is designed to be safe in the event a flood. Hyrbids wouldn't be on the road if they electrocuted everybody around them when they got wet.

You'll be fine.

X2

Think about it if that were the case everytime you drove in standing water you would be ZZZEEDDD. :)

[katzjamr]

i am not disagreeing, however there was a case in texas where a 400h traction battery was ruined due to water in a heavy rainstorm, the owner had a seal issue with the back door and the dealer had improperly installed the rubber seal allowing water to seep into the battery compartment. he was covered under warranty, but it made me think small things like door seals can make a big difference.

[RXORO]

Thank you for all the input.

A representative of Lexus called me and said that it would be okay to launch a boat because the battery is sealed.

There could be a problem if the car if flooded because water could get in the battery form inside.

[SW03ES]

And it might ruin the battery...not electrocute people...

[bikeandsail]

And it might ruin the battery...not electrocute people...

My 2006 RX400h has 97,000 miles on it and probably 10,000 pulling a boat. The boat has been launched and retrieved literally 100's of times and I have never even once thought about the concerns listed here.

Ron

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

Isn't if funny - how we're all programed by the auto / fuel industy. We drive around with 10 - 20 gallons of deadly toxic liquid explosives every day ... each gallon with the power of more than 30 sticks of dynamite ... where EVERY day in the U.S. ... we average 2 fatal gas related burning to death car fires ... some of those autos with multiple occupants. Seldom does it make the news. We're programmed that somehow, the benefits of cheep fuel outweigh the day to day to day tragic results. But try & switch our society to batteries and WHAM ... suddenly we have something to freak out about. To me? It's an irony.

[SW03ES]

A very good point...