The official '99-'04 260DA Sundancer thread

I figured that my tow rig would be underpowered for this size boat. Shucks, now I need to upgrade that to.:smt038

I ended up not getting the boat I had originally posted about; found more issues so I pulled out of the deal. This is the size range that I am after so I better get my tow rig figured out as well. Great information on this site and I have learned so much already.

Thanks to all.
 
Anyone know a rough number for winter storage in the NJ area? A local shop would be about $1400 for pickup, engine service, pump out, flushing, removal of the outdrive to grease everything up, shrink wrap, storage and delivery to my slip in the spring. This is my first winter and have no idea if this is good or not.

Thanks,
Mike
 
iamarookie said:
Anyone know a rough number for winter storage in the NJ area? A local shop would be about $1400 for pickup, engine service, pump out, flushing, removal of the outdrive to grease everything up, shrink wrap, storage and delivery to my slip in the spring. This is my first winter and have no idea if this is good or not.

Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...

The mechanical work and wrap can easily be half of that. That sounds pretty reasonable to me. If you're unsure, ask them for a breakdown.
 
I have the breakdown, $600+ for the pickup, delivery, powerwashing, oil change, storage and engine service - $350 for the pump out, flushing and winterizing - $350 for the shrinkwrap.
 
I'm thinking about upgrading to a 260DA from my current 230DA. Since I am in Calgary towing the boat will be required. We go out to the coast every year which is about 1000 km each way with some big hills between here and the water.

So how much does a 260DA weight in reality? The dry weight is listed at 6200 but I know it will be more than that loaded.

What do you guys tow yours with?
My truck has 10,300 lbs towing capacity, is this enough?
 
Westie said:
I'm thinking about upgrading to a 260DA from my current 230DA. Since I am in Calgary towing the boat will be required. We go out to the coast every year which is about 1000 km each way with some big hills between here and the water.

So how much does a 260DA weight in reality? The dry weight is listed at 6200 but I know it will be more than that loaded.

What do you guys tow yours with?
My truck has 10,300 lbs towing capacity, is this enough?
Click to expand...

Mine is 8440 on the trailer.
I tow with a 2500HD Chev Silverado with the 6.0L. It tows very nicely for my area, but that's mainly easy grades. In the more mountainous areas I'd rather have the Duramax diesel.
 
Westie, it's all going to depend on your options and the type of trailer you have. I haven't had mine on a scale, yet, but I'm estimating somewhere between 9,500 and 10,000. I don't have an arch, AC or genny.

I think 10,000lbs is really pushing it for ANY 1/2 ton truck. It's not so much about it's ability to get up and go... it's that a 3/4 ton will have a heavier frame, suspension, tranny and brakes.

A diesel engine will make a world of difference, but I also wouldn't say it's a necessity at 5 tons, either.

Keep in mind, that if you put 1,000lb load in your seats and/or bed, your tow rating is now 9,300.
 
Last edited:
Depending upon how much stuff you put in your boat, as well as the fuel and fresh water load and what type of trailer (steel vs aluminum) - your total wieght will be between 8 - 9,000 lbs. I tow mine long distances with the fuel & water tanks at, or near empty, with a normal complement of life jackets, gas grill, hand tools, spare parts and assorted odd and ends on an aluminum two axle trailer. My rig with that stuff tips the scales at about 8,300 lbs. My SUV is the equivalent of a 1/2 ton pick-up with a tow rating of 9,100 lbs., 325 HP and 390 ft. lbs. of torque. It is equipped with an airbag assisted suspension. Although it is probably on the light-side for this task - I have never had any problems towing at highway speed, nor any swaying, no stopping problems (aftermarket high-perf. brake upgrades) or up / down grade problems, nor any challenges at any launch ramp (has 4WD). I think you should be ok with that tow capacity of your truck. Just keep the weight down in the vehicle and in the boat and get your tongue-weight set up correctly and you will do fine)
 
Thanks for the feed back guys. From the sounds of it I should be OK to tow with my truck. When I do the long distance towing I'll make sure I don't have full fuel and water on board. Looks like I'll have to start looking for a new boat now.

Todd : is that the weight with the trailer? It sounds low to me.
 
Maybe I'm estimating high, but here's how I figured it out -- I almost always tow heavy/full -- and on long trips, I put even more stuff/suitcases in the boat:

Boat: 6200
Trailer: 2000
Gas: 550
Fresh Water: 160
About Half Holding Tank: 100
11 Gallons in Hot Water Heater: 88
Engine Oil, Drive Lube, Other Fluids (in engine, etc) : 35 (estimated)
About 4 gallons of Raw Water in Engine: 32
Anchor, Chain, Rope: 85
Spare Tire: 50
Gear/Tools/Coolers of Ice and "Beverages": 400
Trailer Box: 50
Props (I don't think they're included in drive weight): 40
Batteries: 120

Total: 9,910
 
How much does size matter?
I've benn looking at a few 260s and they have anywhere from a 5.0L to a 7.4L engine. Most of my boating is at sea level when I go out to the coast but I stiil use it around Calgary where the local lake is at 1800m elevation. With my existing boat (carb) there is a big difference in performance at sea level and at elevation. I know there will be some loss of performance with an EFI enginge but not as much.

So what engines do you guys have and how is the performance. I think 5.0 would be too small and would like to go bigger. Is the 5.7 OK or should I look at the 7.4? If 7.4 what kind of fuel economy could I expect?
There is also one available with a new 383 in it. Too many choices :huh:
 
I had the 7.4 MPI in my 260 and thought it was a great setup. The boat on a long cruise would at 3300 rpms burned 55 gallons across 130 miles. I thought the setup was great. Can't comment on the other engine scenarios.
 
Thanks for the feedback skolbe. Those numbers are about what I get with my present boat that is 2000 lbs lighter and has a 5.0
Anyone else with a 5.7 have any opinion?
 
Last edited:
I really like my 5.7EFI. It's fuel efficient and has a nice cruising speed around 25 knots. I'm burning around 8.5-9 gallons/hr at that speed.
 
Westie, one thing to keep in mind is that fuel systems changed around 2001 and it can make it confusing when trying to compare power packages. Merc went from an EFI system to a full/real MPI injection system on the small blocks. The MPI is a tad bit more fuel efficient, while at the same time bumping the HP. For example, prior to MPI a 5.0L EFI was 240HP... a 5.7L EFI was 260HP. With MPI, the 5.7 was dropped as the 5.0 now has 260HP. Just to confuse things, there is still a 5.7L block, but it is termed the 350MAG (does have MPI, but is a beefier engine) and it has 300HP.

I don't have a GPH average to offer at a certain RPM. I do have an overall average, though. When I fill up, I tend to see anywhere in the 5 to 7 GPH range for the tank. Obviously, this depends on how I use the boat, but for the most part it is a general, all around boat... Skiing, cruising, puttering, etc. I can pull a slalom skier up with no problem, or 2 skiers (each on 2 skiis... haven't tried 2 slaloms, yet).
 
Wood flooring in cabin

I have a '02 260DA. Does anyone have experience removing the carpet and installing faux teak or hardwood? Any experiences and/or recommendations would be appreciated.
 
Re: Wood flooring in cabin

droverrm said:
I have a '02 260DA. Does anyone have experience removing the carpet and installing faux teak or hardwood? Any experiences and/or recommendations would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I don't, personally, have any experience installing the flooring. Unless I'm mistaken, I haven't seen anyone on this forum with a 260DA do this. However, I have seen threads on this forum where it's been done to other models. You might be able to find those threads using the search feature. You could also look on the flooring manufacturer's website (that you're thinking of using) for installed pictures.

However, I have ripped up some carpet in the past... you need to know that it is glued down not just with super-glue, but the super-glue that Superman would use.:wow:

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see it done... but it won't be done by me.
 
Nehalennia said:
At the #s I posted I'm at 3500.
Click to expand...

Todd, I don't have a fuel flow meter and my trips are never really long enough (at one RPM) to get an accurate reading on GPH at a specified RPM. Are your readings via a flow meter or long trips? Just out of curiosity, would you happen to know what your GPH is at other RPM's? Say low-3,000's and high-3,000's (or low-4,000's)?
 
Re: Wood flooring in cabin

Thanks Dennis. I keep hearing about some of the horror stories of this glue. I'll poke around on the site for other experiences and will let everyone know if I choose to proceed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,293
Messages
1,430,116
Members
61,159
Latest member
McLeod Evaline
Back
Top