Best truck to pull the 240 and 260da's

[dvx216]

Gm product wise if you are going the gasser route then the 2500 hd standard engine is a 6.0 liter which is a great towing engine . I don't know if you can get the 6 liter in the 1500 standard is the 5.3 liter which is a good engine also but no where near the torque of the 6 liter.

 

[Kendall]

i am certainly no expert on this subject but i believe the primary difference between a Ford 250 and 350 series truck or a GM 2500HD and 3500HD series truck is the amount of weight the rear axle can support....for example if you had a heavy 5th wheel trailer to pull you may need the 350 (3500) due to the higher rear axle rating of the 350 (3500).....there may be some other minor differences, but i believe the frames are the same on both series, brakes are the same, the towing equipment (coolers, hitches, etc) is the same, and the basic suspension is the same......so the only time you would really need a 350 (3500) series to pull your boat is if your trailer had a very large amount of tounge weight....otherwise a 250 (2500) series truck with the same powertrain to handle your load should suffice.....

cliff

I agree the 2500 or F-250 would be fine. Maybe the new 1/2 tons are good enough...I haven't had one of these in years.

 

[CliffA]

I agree the 2500 or F-250 would be fine. Maybe the new 1/2 tons are good enough...I haven't had one of these in years.

the new 1/2 ton Ford with the 'eco boost' 6 cylinder engine is reportedly a very good towing machine.....i believe it even has a higher published tow capacity than my Chevy 2500HD due to the power from the twin turbo 6 cylinder engine.....but i think the towing experience with a heavy load would be somewhat more comfortable in my 3/4 ton 2500HD due to the heavier frame and suspension compared to the 1/2 ton.....

cliff

 

[Madifonzo]

Respectfully disagree-my f150 ecoboost with heavy duty tow package is rated for 11,000 lbs. it has the trailer brake controller built in. 240/2500 series trucks are built for more bed carrying capacity. I regularly tow a large construction trailer with a Kubota tractor and passed murmurous inspections at weigh stations.

 

[Newbie]

The 06' 260 I had on a tri axle alum trailer weighed in over 11k on CAT scales. I don't remember the exact numbers as it was 6 yrs ago but that was loaded for a 2 week trip with all tanks close to empty. Also had a genset and bow thruster each with their own battery, she was a heavy pig. I pulled it thousands of miles behind an 04 F250 CC diesel with no issues but there's no way I'd put it behind the current F150 CC I now own even if you could magically drop 2k off the weight figures. There are many differences in the trucks other than the numbers. Cooling capacity for both engine and trans, larger heavier duty trans, bigger driveshafts and u joints, overall bigger rear axle, heavier duty suspension, and bigger brakes.

The longer wheelbase and heavier weight plus E rated tires makes for a much more stable feel at highway speeds on the F250. I currently tow a 5k center console occasionally with my F150 and would say that other than power and sheer size of the boat, the feel of it on the highway at 65mph was about the same as the 260 behind the F250. I towed the center console about 100 miles a few months ago at 65mph with a stiff crosswind and it was not fun. Each gust would make it sway enough to make it very annoying to say the least.

SB

 

[bbwhitejr]

Just bought an '06 260DA with generator. I knew going in that my 2011 Silverado 1500 with towing package, 4x4, etc was iffy. Pulled it home 2 weeks ago and vowed never to pull it again with that truck. Just too much weight. Bought a Durmax diesel 2500HD, 4x4 and it is all she wants. Stopping was not an issue with the 1/2 ton, going up a small hill was.

 

[Chris Nowell]

Just bought an '06 260DA with generator. I knew going in that my 2011 Silverado 1500 with towing package, 4x4, etc was iffy. Pulled it home 2 weeks ago and vowed never to pull it again with that truck. Just too much weight. Bought a Durmax diesel 2500HD, 4x4 and it is all she wants. Stopping was not an issue with the 1/2 ton, going up a small hill was.

What engine did ya have in your 2011 1/2 ton? It'll be good to know for when we upgrade ours. Thanx.

 

[Chris Nowell]

So....what length/size of boat would a 1500 be comfortable pulling?

It depends on how far you tow and what kind of terrain. For quick jaunts to the boat launch on flat roads a couple times a month you'll be okay with a half ton towing a 240 like ours. If you plan on longer trips, more often, and with hills or mountainous terrain, then I wouldn't really want to tow anything bigger than about a 215 EC with a 1/2 ton truck. Even that may be too much boat as I think the dry weight of those is up around 3600 lbs. I personally think my 2500 with the 6.0L is the absolute minimum for where we go but we have two mountain passes to climb that are each about 1500 meters high, (5000 ft). The truck will do the climbs at about 3000 RPM and well under the speed limit. Of course, there's lots more throttle left and it will go faster but I'm not one to wind the poor things right out. My brother in-law's Duramax 2500 will do the same climbs with the same load at the posted speed limit, with no trouble at all. So, as far as towing goes, it's a matter of balancing what you're wanting to do with how much you're wanting to spend. My truck is good enough for what I do and brother in-laws is better, but I spent $15K and he spent $60K, and I put on 4K miles per year and he puts on 25K miles per year. My truck is solely for towing my boat, and his truck is his daily driver, etc etc etc. How far do you plan on towing, how often, and what kind of grades will you be climbing? The answer to these questions will dictate what kind of truck you will need or what kind of boat you can tow. We've towed an older 240 through the mountains with a 1/2 ton Ford before,,,,, but it didn't make it all the way back. Give us a bit more input on your towing needs.

 

[Westie]

It depends on how far you tow and what kind of terrain. For quick jaunts to the boat launch on flat roads a couple times a month you'll be okay with a half ton towing a 240 like ours. If you plan on longer trips, more often, and with hills or mountainous terrain, then I wouldn't really want to tow anything bigger than about a 215 EC with a 1/2 ton truck. Even that may be too much boat as I think the dry weight of those is up around 3600 lbs. I personally think my 2500 with the 6.0L is the absolute minimum for where we go but we have two mountain passes to climb that are each about 1500 meters high, (5000 ft). The truck will do the climbs at about 3000 RPM and well under the speed limit. Of course, there's lots more throttle left and it will go faster but I'm not one to wind the poor things right out. My brother in-law's Duramax 2500 will do the same climbs with the same load at the posted speed limit, with no trouble at all. So, as far as towing goes, it's a matter of balancing what you're wanting to do with how much you're wanting to spend. My truck is good enough for what I do and brother in-laws is better, but I spent $15K and he spent $60K, and I put on 4K miles per year and he puts on 25K miles per year. My truck is solely for towing my boat, and his truck is his daily driver, etc etc etc. How far do you plan on towing, how often, and what kind of grades will you be climbing? The answer to these questions will dictate what kind of truck you will need or what kind of boat you can tow. We've towed an older 240 through the mountains with a 1/2 ton Ford before,,,,, but it didn't make it all the way back. Give us a bit more input on your towing needs.

A good half ton will tow that no problem. I tow from Calgary to Vancouver every summer over the Coquihalla highway and there isn't a single hill that I can't maintain the speed limit on.

 

[all about fun]

Love my 2011 Ecoboost! Went from a pathfinder to the F150 to pull our 200 BR and it's like it's not even back there. If the 240 had good brakes, I'd pull it anywhere with the Ecobeast! Look up f150 gauntlet on YouTube and see how it compares.

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[all about fun]

Love my 2011 Ecoboost! Went from a pathfinder to the F150 to pull our 200 BR and it's like it's not even back there. If the 240 had good brakes, I'd pull it anywhere with the Ecobeast! Look up f150 gauntlet on YouTube and see how it compares.

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Here ya go
2014 Toyota Tundra vs Ford F-150 vs Ram 1500 0-60…: http://youtu.be/A15hc9DtdQI


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