Deciding on a Tow Vehicle

DCarl320

DCarl320

New Member
Feb 12, 2008
212
Anthem, AZ
Boat Info
'98 270 Sundancer
Engines
7.4 Merc w/Bravo III
Im looking for advice on a tow vehicle, I have been looking for a 2500 Suburban or Yukon XL with the 8.1 to pull my 270 Sundancer, but I'm finding a pretty good deals on Armadas and 6.0 'burbs. I would love to hear everyones thoughts on 6.0 vs 8.1 'burbs vs Armadas under load.
 
I have A 6.0 in my pickup and it tows my 250 just fine. I am very happy with my 6.0. I would really like to have a Duramax but that will have to wait for while. If I were you I would get the 8.1 for that boat. Im sure your boat is much heavier than mine. Hope that helps!
 
Ditto what tmsrb said. You need the larger engine. The new burbs can tow up to 12,000 lbs if properly equipped. You need to estimate the weight of total load you are going to tow and add a cushion to that for vehicle longevity. Typically you want to stay at 80% of your vehicles tow rating. The dry weight of the 98 270 is listed at 7,500 lbs. You have an upgraded engine (200 lbs?), 100 gallons of fuel (640 lbs) and 28 gallons of water (240 ish lbs)to account for along with the weight of the trailer (2,000 lbs). Throw in an extra battery, clothes, cooler, food and other "stuff" and you are talking about a load well over 11,000 lbs. Using the 80% rule, you need a tow vehicle with a 14,000 lbs tow rating. Keep in mind this assume you are the ONLY on in the vehicle! If you have a large family, dog and travel with the kids friends those weights need to be accounted for as well. So the Burb with the 12,000 lbs rating will handle it but there is very little cushion for all of my estimates and longevity may suffer as well.

I think you will be embarrassed trying to tow with the 6.0 or the Armada. They just aren't rated for this kind of load. I think your insurance company will agree. Best bet would be to find a truck, preferably diesel for the load you are considering.
 
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IMO you need to be looking at a Diesel.... you will likely be pushing 10k with that boat on a trailer....

The 9100lb MAX (per Nissan website) towing capacity of the Armada (2WD) is not going to cut it.

The 9700lb MAX (per Chevy website) towing capacity of the 2500 Suburban (2WD) is not going to cut it either.

I was not able to find a 12k capacity on the Suburban on the website....

Maybe the new 4.5L Duramax (Diesel) that will be offered in 2009 will raise the trailering limits of the Suburban

Be safe.
 
Some of the Burbs built after 2000 had the 12,000 limit when they were competing with the Excursion. I haven't looked lately. I agree, I'd definitely go Diesel for a load like that.
 
Depending on the ramp you will launch your boat, get 4WD to have a peace of mind as well. Another question, how far will you be towing your boat?
 
I haul my 240 Sundancer back and forth to Florida each year from Connecticut. About 1,400 miles each way. My boat is 5,600 and trailer is 1,500 however I weigh in on a CAT scale at 8,450 with gas, water, and gear.

If you carefully read the manufacturer's info on tow ratings, they typically say - capacity including driver and no passengers or gear. I rarely do this......Its the kids, wife, luggage, coolers, etc. I have been towing with a 2006 Ford Expedition with is rated at 9,000-lbs. towing. YET I KNOW I AM WAY OVER CAPACITY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LOADED UP. Be careful and look at the gross capacity of vehicle and trailer.

Also get something with a 4wd option. I ALWAYS drop into 4wd low when pulling up a ramp. It ever slides and is some much easier on the whole engine and drivetrain. Actually in the Ford X in 4wd Low, it begins to more at an idle due to the ratio.

tginz
 
Wow, thanks for the feed back everyone!!! First, 4wd will be mandatory, I have seen the ramps in the afternoon and they look daunting for a newbie. Im not trying to take anything for granted, I drive Charter Bus part time, (gets me out of the office) but they're not articulated, so I know its a totally new dynamic. Second, whatever I find will have to be used, I'd hate taking the hit on another new vehicle.

PapaG, the closest lake is a half hour with traffic, and I would like to do a few 2-5 hour trips, Lake Powell, Maybe Catalina Is, Either way mountains will be a factor. I have 3 boys, two in car seats and one 6 footer, I wanted everyone to be able to travel in comfort. With room for the extra gear.

Sundancer, you seem right on the money with the weights although I came up a little shorter than you, I was using 1500 to estimate trailer. But you are probably closer. I may just have to find an old 1 ton and call it a day, but that will give me a reason to buy a toy hauler.

:smt038:smt038:smt038
 
DCarl320 said:
Sundancer, you seem right on the money with the weights although I came up a little shorter than you, I was using 1500 to estimate trailer. But you are probably closer. I may just have to find an old 1 ton and call it a day, but that will give me a reason to buy a toy hauler.

:smt038:smt038:smt038
Click to expand...

I cheated and got the weights from the Sea Ray Archives! I have no idea what your trailer looks like, but I'd rather go high than low. Now is a GREAT time to buy a used truck and there are some good deals out there. I haven't bought a new vehicle since 1990 and prefer to buy 3 - 5 year old vehicles and drive them into the dirt! I'm just not into impressing the neighbs and prefer to "recycle" them after the depreciation curve has flattened out. That's why I have such "new" boats too! :)
 
You might want to get a 4wd with diesel. You will save money in the long run if you plan on towing your boat for a while unless you decide to move to a bigger boat and wet slip it. Whatever you decide, let us know and we can help you along the way. Until then, best of luck to you!
 
Once you find your tow vehicle consider your trailer features as well. I have a 280 Sun Sport w/ T-260's that I tow with a tri-axle trailer w/ brakes on 2 of the axles. Spend some time getting the trailer tongue weight right and the ball height where it needs to be or else the ride can be miserable regardless of the tow vehicle. The tri-axle will handle bumps etc a little easier and seems to not bounce around (vertically) as much as some friends who tow with a tandem axle trailer. Turning radius w/ a tri-axle is not as good as a tandem but once you get used to it it will become second nature to you.
Hope this helps. If you have any other questions send a private message
 
I would go with the 6.0 any day unless you plan on pulling in the mountains, just have an easy foot. I am not sure on the exact numbers but the hp and tq is near or over 400 that is more than plenty, I routinely pull boats up to 20,000 lbs, and my tow vehicles have had as little as 250 hp, the engine is one of the last things to fail, differentials will heat up real fast especially in hot weather, i would suggest running a well known synthetic oil that can handle the heat like amsoil, in the diffentials transfercase, transmission and the crankcase. and remember allways put it in 4lo when pulling out of a ramp so you dont wear your your truck.
 
Maybe I missed it - but how often do you plan on trailering the boat? How far will you go each time?

If you are going to be pulling it every weekend 100+ miles to and from the ramp, to Florida in the winter, 300+ mile vacation trips in between - then you will want a very capable vehicle.

For pulling the boat a couple times too and from the ramp, 100 or less miles, I would not even consider anything bigger than the 6.0 liter.

In my opinion, the engine is pretty far down the list of what makes a vehicle suitable for towing. I would pay more attention to the brakes, suspension, transmission, differential, tires, and frame of the vehicle. These are what makes the vehicle able to pull the load, the engine makes it faster. I have pulled my boat with my dad's 2500 HD chevy pickup with a 6.0l and it was just fine. Nothing heated up and it was able to control the load. Pulling the same boat (9,500 lbs on the trailer) with my 2500HD Duramax, not much different in terms of controlling the load, but a big difference in power. I would not hesitate to pull the boat wherever I wanted to go with his 6.0l though, it just works more to get the boat moving and keep it going.
 
I tow my 280da with an 07 2500hd with the 6ltr and 6spd auto trans. I debated a number of times between the 6ltr and the duramax. I opted for the gas because I tow the boat basically twice a year. One time to the marina and one time back home. It's around 90 miles one way, no mountains and takes me about 2 hours. I could not justify the added expense of the duramax. The 6ltr pulls it just fine and does not "embarass" me. Of more concern is the stopping. If you do a search this has been a hot topic numerous times. I have 4 wheel disc brakes on the truck and when I ordered the trailer I had them install the electric/hydraulic and it has disc brakes on all 3 axles. Also talk to Jeremy (280 Sea Ray) on setting up the hitch a little better than the stock one. I have not upgraded to a class V hitch yet, and I believe he has. Good luck with your search.
 
I also have a 2500HD w/6.0. In the flat country it's acceptable but I encounter some longer steep grades when I get into MI and it definitely runs out of grunt. At the bottom of one longer grade I get it rolling 65-70mph hr and lose speed all the way up, top the hill doing about 30-35. If your going to pull in mountains it will not do the job. I would also bypass the 8.1(gas hog) and get the diesel.
 
DCarl,

I routinely make the tow to Powell and Catalina. You really want a diesel for this. Even the 8.1 will struggle pulling your rig up those hills. They are long and steep, and hotter than blazes in the summer. A 6.0 will be screaming to maintain 35 mph, an 8.1 will scream to make 50.

Remember, transmissions unlock the torque converters when speeds get below 30 - 50 mph depending on model. Transmission temps climb radically when the torque converter is unlocked. If you need an SUV, the Excursions with the 7.3 diesel makes a good tow vehicle.
 
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