Anyone who trailers a 26'-28' Dancer - What do you pull it with?

alwhite00

alwhite00

Active Member
May 31, 2010
1,809
Michigan
Boat Info
1997 250 Sundancer
Engines
5.7 EFI/ BIII
I eventually want to step up to a 26'-28' Sundancer but am curious what I need to tow it with. Obvously a diesel 4X4 would be great but not in the budget. I am 25 miles from the lake where we go.

LK
 
alwhite00 said:
I eventually want to step up to a 26'-28' Sundancer but am curious what I need to tow it with. Obvously a diesel 4X4 would be great but not in the budget. I am 25 miles from the lake where we go.

LK
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I currently pull it with a 2500 HD Duramax but before I put it up for sale I did tow it with a 1500 Silverado.
If you are only towing it twice a year a 1/2 ton will work. If you are hauling it in and out every weekend on wet ramps, a 3/4 ton 4x4 would be bestView attachment 20082
 
I use a 2004 Chevrolet 2500HD with Duramax Diesel 4x4. While a 2500HD (3/4 ton) with a gas 6.0l engine can tow a 280DA, it's not rated to do so and will get horrible gas mileage. The diesel engine with an Allison transmission works fantastically to pull (and stop!) my boat.

TruckWithBoat_sm.jpg
 
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Duramax fan here! Panic stopping is still a BEOTCH!!
 
Chevy 1500HD, 6.0ltr with heavy duty trans. Pulls her like a champ, no issues. They don't put big enough brakes on any truck for panic stopping...lol

100_1447.jpg
 
2000 Ford Excursion 4x4 diesel 9,000 lbs 1990 270 Sundancer 10,000 lbs. with trailer

The Excursion is heavy enough to handle the boat in crosswinds and stopping. I didn't realize the trailer brakes had gone out once until I saw a puddle of brake fluid under the trailer, the truck handled normal braking without a problem. I'd recommend at least a 3/4 ton truck, gas or diesel. Yes, the diesel will get better fuel mileage, but how often are you towing that the mileage will matter. The important part is to have a vehicle heavy enough to stop your rig when necessary. The half ton may not have the weight to bring you to a stop or steer in an emergency situation.
 
2000 f250 - v10
 
2005 Dodge Power Wagon. Great gearing and brakes, but sure loves the gas. Fortunately I don't have tow far to get to water.
 
Damn, I was hoping a 1/2 ton might do it - I hate to drive a 3/4 ton 98% of the time when not hauling the boat. Does anyone use a 1/2 ton? it's pretty near flat around here if that matters.

LK
 
alwhite00 said:
Damn, I was hoping a 1/2 ton might do it - I hate to drive a 3/4 ton 98% of the time when not hauling the boat. Does anyone use a 1/2 ton? it's pretty near flat around here if that matters.

LK
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Nope, it's either run with the big dogs or stay on the porch! :grin:
 
I'm a little worried as well now as well. I've been looking at early 80s 260s. I posted on another thread and several folks said that I should be fine towing with a 1/2 ton Suburban or Tahoe. I looked up the weight on the 260s and the dry weight is 5300 lbs. Add 2000 lbs for a trailer and your at 7300. Figure about 25 gallons of gas and 25 of water and then gear and your around 8k. My Suburban has the 4.10 gears which makes the towing capacity 8800 lbs.

I know thats on paper but that is all I really have. Am I looking at a boat that I can't tow, or worse can't get up the boat ramp?
 
It is all about weight. You have to know how much your load is and what the load rating is for the truck. As others have already stated, stopping is a major issue. If you don't have a beefy tow vehicle with some serious brakes, you can find yourself in a world of hurt. I used to pull a 230WE with a 1/2 ton which was okay, but, not real good. On a trip to Canada, I fried the rearend. On a second trip, I fried the transmission. Going down a mountain in West Virginia, I smelled burning brakes - they were mine. I was half way down the mountain. Scared the do-do out of me.
 
Guys, I pulled a Glacier Bay 2685 From Ky to Key Largo three times. The f350 Diesel pulled it just fine but pulling 8-12,000 lbs is very serious stuff.
High winds, bad weather, moutains, hills and idiots, etc... all make it a very high allert endeavor. Personally, i would never ever pull 8,000 lbs or so with anything less
than a F250 or its equal. Things can go wrong quickly at 60-65mph and you need something that can handle it. I used a triple axle trailer and once
during a winter pull used a wt distrib hitch. Good luck, JC
 
DallasRich said:
I'm a little worried as well now as well. I've been looking at early 80s 260s. I posted on another thread and several folks said that I should be fine towing with a 1/2 ton Suburban or Tahoe. I looked up the weight on the 260s and the dry weight is 5300 lbs. Add 2000 lbs for a trailer and your at 7300. Figure about 25 gallons of gas and 25 of water and then gear and your around 8k. My Suburban has the 4.10 gears which makes the towing capacity 8800 lbs.

I know thats on paper but that is all I really have. Am I looking at a boat that I can't tow, or worse can't get up the boat ramp?
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Easy to get up a ramp in first gear as long as theres traction. Throw the tow vehicle in 3rd gear or more going down the road with wind
and some hills and you may be so slow your a road hazard. Another thing to consider is the tongue wgt of the trl. Mine is 900lbs. I'm 9K triple axle, with 100 gals of fuel. That was my small block setup. Weight checked at a Cat scale in a truck stop.

Tow Vehicle. 97 Ram 2500 4x4. Modified Cummins turbo diesel. 800 ft lbs TQ, 8 speed manual trans with the Gear venders Overdrive.
Wish it would slow down as well as it stays moving forward.

I think where your pulling. Your Suburban will do the job. Just dont have a heavy foot getting going, and downshifting
may be in order to slow down in a hurry. Normal stuff pulling weight. Bummer that 260DA you looked at was junk.
 
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It is not only about the weight, but how you want to tow. Are you accross the street from the water, on flat land, and will not see over 35 mph, and little traffic? A 1/2 ton will work, will make it up the boat ramp, but the truck will not like it very much. Be prepared to add tranny cooler and overload springs. Also will have frequent maintenance. May want to add electric brakes to the trailer.

Are you towing down the interstate at 60+ mph, up and down hills, and in heavy traffic? Get a 3/4 ton.

Also, newer trucks have significantly higher tow ratings than older trucks of the same size.
 
25 miles to the lake, pretty much flat - 50mph would work fine.


LK
 
Maybe getting up boat ramps is tougher then I think. I use 4x4 low. idle up without ever touching the throttle.
I tried taking a 1 ton duelly 454ci with an auto pulling a heavy RV trl up my very steep dirt road. Three attempts and could not make it.
The trl actully dragged me back down to the bottom of the hill. I did not give it a 4th attempt. Parked it and walked up to my house.
 
Dick270da said:
Yes, the diesel will get better fuel mileage, but how often are you towing that the mileage will matter.
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Better fuel mileage is good whether towing or driving to work every day! Let's see....my '04 Duramax 4x4 crew cab gets 20.6mpg driving to work. A gas 6.0 will get about 13mpg. I pay only $.20 more for diesel fuel (sometimes it's dead even), so...I'm saving lots of $$$ driving a diesel daily! Not to mention all torque and HP I have available to me...when I want it. :smt001

With your weights you are towing, I'd seriously consider a 3/4 ton. Why not? Used ones aren't that much more expensive. I owned a 1500 for 12 years and even though I loved that truck, I should have just started with a 2500. They can haul more (and you don't look like a dork with your tail dragging the ground), and can tow nearly whatever you can throw at it. I doubt I'll ever need to "upgrade" any more than what I have now.
 
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