Moving to a 280DA.. Would appreciate feedback on this model.

jellyfish

jellyfish

New Member
Aug 8, 2007
124
Miami, Florida
Boat Info
24 Sundancer 2001
Engines
5.0 EFI, BIII
After debating the issue with my co-owner (wife), we have agreed to start up-grade process from our 240DA to a 280DA (w/ A/C, genny and on a trailer). We love our 240DA, but it’s a bit tight when we invite our friends and I’m tired of dragging the portable CruiseAir A/C. So the search begins and hopefully early next year will be set.

A new ’07 or ’08 is out of the questions $$. But a ‘03~’05 is about right. Boattrader.com has plenty in the South Florida area, but I’m not sure on performance based on the I/O configuration.

How is the performance w/ twin 4.3L and Alpha 1 which seems to be the dominate configuration? Is this configuration easy on fuel consumption? Does the boat como to a plane easily (4) adults on board?

Any particular problem(s) with ‘03~’05 production dates?

Does anyone trailer this model? +/- 8500lbs dry weight + trailer + supplies = 10,000+/-

Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Alex
 
tons of 280DA info here. There are lots of engine comparisons and experiences. you can browse this section and it should turn up everything you ever wanted to know about a 280 and things you never knew to ask.
 
Do a search on 280 and you will likely get great info on each of your questions. I have the 5.0 engines with BIIIs and they are more than enough so I know the 4.3s would be fine. This boat seems to hold it's value well as I have tracked the prices since buying ours 2 yrs ago. That's a good thing -- the 280 is a great all-purpose boat and has a good layout. Be sure to get the MPI engines as I'm not sure whether they came in 2002 or 2003? Feel free to PM with me with any specific questions.

Here's a good overview on the boat you are looking at.

http://www.boattest.com/oem/general-info.aspx?ID=174&lp_id=309
 
Re: Moving to a 280DA.. Would appreciate feedback on this mo

jellyfish said:
Does anyone trailer this model? +/- 8500lbs dry weight + trailer + supplies = 10,000+/-
Alex
Click to expand...

There are lots of people that trailer this model, but I don't know how many on this board do. As TurtleTone suggests, do a search here and read. I won't repeat what I think you will find.

But I will say that you should figure the trailer at about 2000 lb, and the supplies at 2000 lb. Supplies include engine oil, coolant, fuel, fresh water, black water, any options on the boat above the base model.
 
Re: Moving to a 280DA.. Would appreciate feedback on this mo

jellyfish said:
......How is the performance w/ twin 4.3L and Alpha 1 which seems to be the dominate configuration? Is this configuration easy on fuel consumption? Does the boat como to a plane easily (4) adults on board?

Any particular problem(s) with ‘03~’05 production dates?
Alex
Click to expand...

I have twin 5.0MPI w/Bravo III

My time to plane = 7 seconds. I have had 8 full size adults + full fuel and it was much slower to plane.

My WOT = 45 MPH

Fuel, I get 1.35 MPG on average.

Note: If you are salt water and go with the Bravo III, 2004 was the year Merc added more anodes. One at the prop and one on the cavitations plate. You can get a kit to add the prop anode for pre-'04 Bravo III drives.
 
Alex

Here're my opinions, for what they're worth...

I currently have a Chaparral 300, which is actually a 29' boat, and it has twin 5.0 EFIs with BIII's. It performs really well. If you trim the legs down, it never has trouble getting up on the plane. On Labor Day weekend, we had 12 people on board with a LOT of food, ice, drinks, etc. It went fine.

I have had a 26' Caribbean (not made here) that is about the same size as the 280 DA, and it had 4.3s with Alphas. About 1' in hull shorter than the 280, and about 6" wider. Overall, about the same weight. It was definitely OKAY in that engine config, but not quite as good as my Chaparral with BIIIs.

However, just so long as you go with twin engines in that size boat, you'll be fine. I had a 1992 Sea Ray 270 (which became the 290 the following year) and it had the 7.4 with Bravo leg and it was a bona fide, deadset SLUG. With 2 - 4 people on board it was just ok, but any more than that and I had to move people forward just to get it to plane.

The 280 DA is a lovely boat and it uses its space beautifully. You need to go up to a 30' to get just a little more space. It's fast, nimble, fun to drive, and has timeless looks. It's a sweet boat and very popular with owners. Get it with twins and you'll love it! :grin:
 
marqbloq said:
I trailered mine all over and it was no issue. The 280 was a fine boat to tow.
Click to expand...

Any suggestions on the truck? I currently have a 03' Tundra which does fine w/ my 240DA, but for sure I need an unpgrade here as well.

Thanks for the feedback!
 
I almost for a second thought you were joking, but now I think you might be not.

NO WAY!

Not even with upgrades unless your planning on changing out most of the truck. This is a huge load even for short trips...

Toyota makes a great tundra but its not even close for this app.

The 280 is a great pocket cruiser, good luck in your search.
 
F-350!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or F-450 super duty. The 350 can tow around 15K (with the deisel only 10,500 with the gas engine) and I think the 280 (at least '01 - '03) lists around 10,500 plus 2000 for trailer and 1500 or so for gear. The Ford F-350 will definately get the job done. check the states you plan to tow through some may restrict the width. Ohio requires a permit for any load larger then 8' 6". I don't think a wide load or oversized load flag is needed but it's best to check.
 
We love our 02 280DA, T 4.3 (EFI) gen and tralier. I tow mine every weekend, approx. 5 miles each way with a F-250. The boat and trailer definatley saggs the back end a little but wth surge brakes and plenty of caution, I don't have any problems.

The 4.3 Alpha I is a great configuration for this particular boat, IMO. Neve have a problem with hole shot and top end is around 43mph. Have not had any problems with the EFI. Mine has the 4.5 Westerbeke gen set and it's great; easy to work on and very quiet.
Good luck, take your time shopping around and get the set-up that best meets your needs.
 
From what I read here, and my own experience with T-5.7LX's on a 280SS. . . .I would definately NOT get a single engine boat of this size.

With twin engines, your odds of mechanical breakdown on one engine are probably 4 times higher than a single engine (that is Murphy's Law in action); but the emotional impact on you and your crew is far different if you still have a working engine after one engine quits.

Remember, a boat this size often is a good distance from home, right?

I got myself into trouble twice this year where I was forced to shut down one engine while underway. The first was a bit hairy because we were in an ocean inlet (waves, tides, traffic, oh my!) when one engine overheated. A bit stressful. . .. but we were able to safely and effectively maneuver without using the radio or hauling out the orange distress flags. The second time, the crew practically did not notice the dead engine. I just drove slower than planned (8mph vs 30 mp - can't plane on one engine), and we used a few more beverages out of the fridge (important to keep the fridge full at all times!)

As for engine size, I would definately opt for T-5.0's in this boat. I am sure the T-4.3's are ok, but I can't help but think you would be happier with the T-5.0's. I would pay a small premium for the stronger engine. (don't get me wrong. . .I would buy a clean boat with T-4.3's over a skanky boat with T-5.0's; but given the choice I would want a clean boat with T-5.0's)

I can't remember the out drive choices on the 28DA but my preference after living with Alpha's for two years would be Bravo I or II drives.

The Alpha's are fine, but the water impeller in the drive is a weakness. (although. . .if you haul the boat every week, this is less of a big deal). BIII's I am sure are good. . .when they work. If you have problems, they will be BIG problems. WHEN you ground the boat with BIII's, you just wrecked four props instead of just two.
 
I recently purchased a 2003 280DA and it has the T5.0 BIII package. It is a very fast boat for a boat of this type. With moderate load it gets on plane very quickly and I've had it touch 50mph on GPS. I think the majority of 280DAs around this age had the T4.3 A1 package which I've heard from many while looking is plenty of power. Mine also has the Kohler 5E genset which works great.

The guy that delivered my boat (from Pittsburgh to Cleveland area) did so with a half ton. It was a beefed up half ton mind you but still a half ton - F150. He also brought it on a very heavy steel trailer. The dry weight of the boat alone is 8500lbs. With average fluids and gear you can probably count on 10,000-11,000 lbs without trailer. I thought the guy was nuts to bring it 150 miles with a half ton but he did it. I think the other guys are right, to trailer this boat safely, I'd want an F-350 type truck set up to tow.

Great boat - we love it. Good luck.
 
bsteven43 said:
...I've had it touch 50mph on GPS..
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I am suprised at this 50mph speed.

marqbloq has said he got his to 48 mph.

My max speed, per the GPS, is 45 MPH.

Are you guys leaving your GPS on when its on the trailer being towed? :smt017
 
Thanks for the great feedback!!! :thumbsup: It’s good to hear from experienced sailors.

For sure an upgrade on my truck is mandatory. F-250 / RAM2500 may be the way (diesel preferably). Although, I have seen the new series Tundra 5.7L (w/tow package) tow a spanking new 280DA in/out of the water with no problem!! The captain said his new Tundra had no problems what so ever.

On a good note…Miami, Florida is totally flat! Only up/downs are ramps to the highway and they have decent slopes. The concern is the marina ramps… especially in low tide.

I been calling to local trailer vendors and a trailer for a 280DA is +/-1,100 lbs (dual heavy duty axels rated less than 11000lbs and aluminum I - beams). I noticed that most feedback refers to a 2,000lbs trailer… This weight is for a galvanized trailer which in salt water they don’t last as long as aluminum and weigh much more.

How much gas does a a genny consume? Let say - running the A/C over night for 8 hours?
 
I usually figure on about 2.5 gallons per hour for the generator.

http://www.kohlerpower.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/g2103.pdf

I've never hit it, but I assume the fuel pickup for the generator is higher in the tank than the main engine pickup so that you can't run yourself out of gas overnight.

I just upgraded from a Ram 2500 to a Ram 3500 so I could tow the 280. Haven't actually tried towing it yet though. I'd be terrified of trying to tow a 280 with a Tundra.
 
jellyfish said:
.....How much gas does a a genny consume? Let say - running the A/C over night for 8 hours?
Click to expand...

For a Kohler 5E, it should be less then a gallon per hour. It depends on the load.

If 8 hours w/10,000 BTU Air conditioning and nothing else you should be around .6 gal/hour x 8 hours = 4.8 gallons.

Gasoline – gallons per hour at % load
100% 0.75
75% 0.69
50% 0.61
25% 0.54
 
Potato:

Thanks, but I belive you are quoting liter consumption. If that the case, its less than 1 gallon x hour @100%..


Are you upgrading to a RAM 3500 just for the boat or its a work thing? :smt017

thanks
 
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