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capt_jack

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Jul 10, 2007
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OK, so i think im finally giving and and getting a larger boat. I have my eye on a 26-32' sundancer but im not sure what i should get no do i know what these things should cost!

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2005-Sea-Ray-280-Sundancer-94382554
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2006-Sea-Ray-280-Sundancer-93636263
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2003-Sea-Ray-300-Sundancer-92950792

It looks like im liking the 280's so far. Does anyone know the weight of these boats and if they are trailerable regularly or is that a pita!? What kind of stuff should one look for on a used boat? I have only ever bought new so I have no idea, should I pay someone to survey the boat prior? (that would make sense in my mind). What do you think is a good deal these days for a 2005/2006 280 da?

What finance options do you guys know of on these larger boats? I know my credit union right now has 10 year max on 2002-2005 boats at 8% and 12 year max on 2006-current at 8%. Is that high or about average in todays economy?

Any help would be appreciated!
 
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This will probably be a nice long thread but here is whats off the top of my head...

"What you should get"........Make a list of how you'll use the boat.
"Trailering a 280"......You'll need a really nice truck.
"Survey"........without a doubt.
"cost"... there are lots out there. Shop & compare. Then shop & compare some more.
"financing".... Thats up to you of course but before you decide on interest rates & monthly payments you need to answer all your other questions first. Like Do I need to buy a new truck too OR How much is slip rent @ the marina.
 
I really like the cockpit seating in the 280....but dislike the sleeping arrangement in the V-Berth.

I bet there are a few nice 280's out there though.
 
I can give you my point of view on the trailering portion. We trailer our 89 300 DA every weekend. It has an 11 foot beam so we don't have to deal with pilot cars (usually required when over 12 feet wide). The REAL difference is that I swing a little wider in the corners and it takes an extra 5 minutes or so to attach the OVERSIZE load sign on the back compared to towing our 250 DA.

I pay close attention to where the wheels of the truck are when it floats off the trailer and back to the same point when retreiving so that I only have to winch it about 2 feet. I had to winch the 250 DA about 4 feet to make sure it centered in the bunks. I can't tow at night or on the bookends of the long holiday weekends.

I like loading and unloading the boat at the house as opposed to loading the car, unloading the car to load the boat and reversing when we go home. I figure I spend less on fuel for the truck than I would spend on marina costs. You could get into the argument that I wouldn't need this truck, but I use it for our travel trailer so I can't claim ALL of the additional expense on the boat. I would have a truck any way and this was about $5,000 more than the other truck I was looking at and has a much higher tow capacity. Actually, we bought the truck before we got the 300 DA!

The other advantage of trailering is that I can go to any place to have work done, work on it myself and clean and wax it at home too. I don't have to worry about if it's tied up properly in the slip, taking on water or if the breaker tripped and my batteries are discharging this week. I spend a lot of time on the boat while it's parked outside the front door!

We have a variety of lakes less than 2 hours from our door. We like to explore and meet different friends on different lakes or visit their cabins. I think I would get tired of being on the same lake week in and week out. I might miss having neighbors in a marina, but that assumes I would like the folks around me. I can't address that point.

We usually head to Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, Lake Roosevelt, The Snake or Columbia Rivers, Flathead Lake in Montana or head to the West side of the state to play in the San Juans. If I was stuck in one of the local lakes, I'd at least move to a different lake every year and I'd still need a trailer!

I'm sure someone else will chime in with the advantages of having a slip. I think it's a personal choice and the costs either way are probably a wash!

The 280 is a VERY popular boat. I've never been on one but they are everywhere and seem to have a good following of folks that move through a 280 on their way up to larger boats or feel the 280 is perfect for them. I don't think you would be disappointed with it.
 
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Good advice from sundancer. I trailer mine, it's 10' wide and that is oversize, but seems to be close enough that the police let it slide, or just don't notice. Sudancer's 30' boat will look a lot bigger than 3' longer on the trailer than mine. Boltman tows a pretty big boat, you could pm him on towing the 32 footer.
 
Thanks for the input guys!

I have a 2008 Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab with 6.0L vortecmax engine in it. Now this thing pulls like a beast, but is this going to be good enough to haul one of these?

One thing no one has mentioned on is cost, do you guys have any suggestions on what these should cost right about now?
 
I agree with Sundancer - there are many benefits to being able to trailer. I stuck with a 270 so I wouldn't have to worry about width restrictions and I wanted twin engines. For a new boat - the 280 is fantastic - we looked at several and just couldn't justify the money since we were getting ready to buy a business as well - had to make some priority calls! For trailering - what type of tow vehicle do you have now?
 
The 1/2 ton truck has it's limitations - depending on how yours is configured it can tow between 8000 and 10000 lbs. Most likely the 280 is going to be above that rating - especially if you go with twins.

For cost - I've found everything from about 45k (very rough) for a 2006 to over 75k for one which was spotless but also overpriced (in my opinion) for this market. The interest rates you have seem to be about right unless you have access to a credit union which sometimes can have a lower rate. Mine did not and was able to get a better rate from MM.
 
Yea, I definitely want to go with twin engines! Does anyone have the weight of a 280 off the top of there head?
 
Just checked it out and it looks like there 8500lbs dry weight. I think I will be right at the limit with my current truck, but I am not hauling any real distances (only 4-5 miles to the ram) I think that might work well.
 
I agree - I'm towing my 270 with an 07 Expedition which has a rating of 9400lbs. My main ramp is 3 miles from the house and the speed never goes above 45-50. I've never had a problem - even with a couple of sudden stops. Make sure the brakes on your trailer are in great shape and working well and make sure you flush them well.
 
You will not be trailering that dry weight. YOu have to take into account of fuel, water, gear, people in your truck, and etc. Personally, I wouldn't do it. 280DA is a big boat and definitely needs a 3/4 ton truck.
 
I would not tow a 280 with a 1500. That is a lot of boat and trailer. If you do, take tdappleman's advice and have the trailer brakes & tires in top shape. I would recommend electric brakes so you have braking ability while backing.You will have well over 10,000 pounds hanging off your trailer hitch. Pulling it up a steep, wet ramp will require a 4X4. Do some serious thinking on this one. The 280 is a great boat and proven design. Good luck.
 
I do have 4x4 on this as well, luckily the ramp im choosing to launch this out of is not steep at all, its on a very preferrable angle. I have the high capacity tow option on this truck as well. I guess the only real way to see if it is ok would be to give it a try. I really dont want to try to upgrade the truck mainly because thats going to cost a big bit of money seeing values on chevy trucks is in the crapper. Right now im debating between trailering and wet slip. I might wet slip it for a few months of the summer each year and then trailer it the rest of the year.
 
Even with the bigger V-8 and the 1500Hd package i still think you are pushing that truck to it's limits. I really think that you should think about a 3/4 ton truck with the 6.0 as a minimum engine, preferably a diesel. I tow my 260 quite a bit and let me tell you i am not towing it's dry weight. I'm pushing 11,000lbs loaded. I'm not saying it can't be done i'm just saying it will be hard on everything involved including you.
 
1/2 ton truck is way undersized for a 280. I have a 260 and just moved to a 3/4 ton from a 1/2 ton because the 1/2 ton was undersized. No way would I pull a 280 with a half ton, no matter how short the distance. Your back end does not have the needed suspension and will squat severely. P
 
It's been my understanding that the published dry weights represent the base boat. In your case you should add for the second motor and drive..approx 1,100#. Don't forget the trailer weight needs to be figured in also. There's always some amount of stuff that stays on the boat and the fuel, water and waste tanks are at vairous degrees of full. I figure that I'm around 12,000#. What kind of terrain will you be towing in, steep ramp? Is your truck 2wd or 4wd?
 
Woody said:
It's been my understanding that the published dry weights represent the base boat. In your case you should add for the second motor and drive..approx 1,100#. Don't forget the trailer weight needs to be figured in also. There's always some amount of stuff that stays on the boat and the fuel, water and waste tanks are at vairous degrees of full. I figure that I'm around 12,000#. What kind of terrain will you be towing in, steep ramp? Is your truck 2wd or 4wd?
Click to expand...

Flat Florida roads, very easy incline at the ramp as well.
 
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