Trailering a 260DA?

[Tail Chaser 661]

Forgot to mention, that with the diesel I averaged about 11 mpg towing. My Suburban with the 454 got 4 to 5 mpg towing the 260 Sundancer.

Thats interesting, My Cummins 4x4 gets 20 mpg MT. My fuel gauge has not worked for 10 yrs. I just top off, Reset the trip meter and good to go for over 500 miles.
With that MT MPG figured I would get 13 to 15 MPG pulling the boat 360 miles round trip to San Diego. WRONG!.... Ran out 2 miles short of my fuel stop :smt013 Guess I get about 11 mpg also. Bitch not knowing of any fuel stops anywhere on the 405 FWY. Pulling 19 psi of turbo boost along the 405 fwy. Knew I was in a world of hurt starting the trip with 3/4 tank of fuel. :smt021
Anyhow... Towing with a Diesel is fun. Towing with a gas engine can be a lot of work. I pull a lot of heavy RV type trls for the Movie Studios. Using Ford F 550's with the V10 gas spinning 4000 rpms on hills and get on ramps is not much fun. The 08 models seem to have even less power. The powerstroke diesels did a much better job. Guess they got away from diesels due to cost and noise.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Real trucks don't have spark plugs! :grin:

 

[Nacho Boat]

I towed a similiar set-up prior to my 290. On the scale, the trailer + boat was 10k pounds. I towed mine with a Nissan Titan and a proper weight distributing hitch. One of the more robust 1/2 tons will work in towing your 260, but you must use the weight distributing hitch (I don't know how robust your current truck is....).

I used an Equilizer weight distributing hitch, and it is designed to work with surge breaks. It made a HUGE difference in how the load was carried and made towing much more balanced and safer. Check it out....

http://www.hitchsource.com/equalize...e=yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Equalizer

 

[Takin5]

Hello all. After the second season with our 210 Select (with which we have been extremely pleased), the wife and I are beginning the process to learn about cruisers. As of right now, we are leaning toward a 260DA, probably next year.

The major question is, since we love going different places like Aquapalooza with our Sea Ray, is the 260 a trailerable boat? I mean, is it easily trailerable? We have an '08 Suburban 1500 with a towing capacity of 8100 lbs. The dry 260 (in '08) was within a couple of hundred pounds of the rated capacity of the 'burb. Would this be OK for occasional towing as it sits? While I understand it would be recommended, is it necessary to upgrade the brakes, computer, etc. to meet this weight or would upgrading these things allow me to go a bit over the 8100 lb rated towing capacity and be OK to tow it?

Really, I want to know if I have to get a new truck to be able to tow the 260. It would be towed roughly 5 times a year, all trips expected less than 250 miles and it would stay wet at the other times.

Thanks in advance for the advice. I look forward to hearing from all of you experts. There is an '08 leftover at the dealership that we really like, but have a lot of questions to get answered before we can even think about pulling the trigger. :thumbsup:

I have a friend with a 260 and he pulls it with a Titan which if I'm not mistaken is rated for 8400 or 8600 lbs. He says it pulls fine. They make anti-sway bars for your purposes. Most vehicles are under rated to begin with. The anti-sway bars are fairly inexpensive and work. I recommend towing the boat first, see how it does and then decide which way to go.

 

[ultratiger89]

I disagree that you need a bigger tow vehicle. I tow mine with a Z71 Avalanche and it handles it just fine. I've been towing mine for 3+ years with that vehicle. Only thing I would recommend is 4 wheel drive as pulling it out of the water can be a challenge with only 2 wheel drive. Just be sure you get a triple axle trailer with brakes on at least two of the axles.

 

[Nacho Boat]

I disagree that you need a bigger tow vehicle. I tow mine with a Z71 Avalanche and it handles it just fine. I've been towing mine for 3+ years with that vehicle. Only thing I would recommend is 4 wheel drive as pulling it out of the water can be a challenge with only 2 wheel drive. Just be sure you get a triple axle trailer with brakes on at least two of the axles.

I agree with ultratiger except for the 4WD comment. In my setup, I had the 2WD Titan, and never had a problem getting up the ramp.

While I won't disagree that 4WD can be a nice feature to have; if you are experienced, you will be able to work around it. I grew up in the Snow Country. If you know how to drive properly in the snow with a normal vehicle, a slippery ramp will be no challenge.

For piece of mind, I kept a "tow strap" in my truck, and if it would have ever gotten hard to get up the ramp, then put the strap around your front tie downs and have a friend pull it up the ramp. Cost of the strap - $20 (much cheaper than the once or twice if a lifetime that you will actually need 4WD).

However, if the ramps in your area that you anticipate using are particulary slippery and steep, then you may want to temper my advice. Everyone's particular boating area and driving ability varies, so use your own common sense when deciding what package is best for you.:thumbsup:

BTW - I belong to a boat club where everyone owns a cruiser and trailers it to different sites around the state. We have seen people tow a much bigger boat with 1/2 ton truck (I am not saying it would be smart, but just saying, people have towed more with less....). Again, I would recommend buying the weight distributing hitch and see how your truck does with that.....Good Luck!

 

[Lazy Daze]

Guys, I'm not saying this to anger anyone or step on any toes. But, a half-ton vehicle is not up to the task of SAFELY pulling 10,000lbs. It's not just about "can it pull the weight?" A 3/4 ton has a bigger tranny, brakes, heavier tires, heavier rear end, usually a better frame. Also, trying to stop fast and swerving at the same time will be a bad experience in a half-ton. It just is not safe for the vehicle occupants and other motorists to pull that kind of weight with a half-ton. Regardless of what the trucks rating is.

I'd be curious to know how many people with a half-ton are observing not only their engine temp gauge, but also transmission gauge and EGT and what numbers you see. But again, what the weight is doing to the tow vehicle is only a small part of the equation. The big part is how unsafe it becomes in an emergency maneuver.

 

[Tail Chaser 661]

A lot has to do with where you live. Pulling big hills? Lots of traffic with knuckleheads slamming on there brakes at high speed? Do you feel lucky? I would hate to buy 2nd truck before a new boat.
I wish I had the pic. Many years ago there was a guy with a 77 Ford Bronco with a 302ci pulling like a 29' cruiser. He said it did a great job also :lol::smt043

 

[Lazy Daze]

A lot has to do with where you live. Pulling big hills? Lots of traffic with knuckleheads slamming on there brakes at high speed? Do you feel lucky? I would hate to buy 2nd truck before a new boat.
I wish I had the pic. Many years ago there was a guy with a 77 Ford Bronco with a 302ci pulling like a 29' cruiser. He said it did a great job also :lol::smt043

You're right, I shouldn't just make a blanket statement saying "it can't be done". If someone's only going a few miles to a ramp it should be fine - just leave enough room in front of you. Totally flat ground to tow on does change things, as well. But when driving, one has to constantly be on the lookout for other drivers doing unexpected things. Adding 5 tons to the back of a smaller truck makes these "unexpected things" a much more dangerous situation. Unfortunately, you can't plan for those situations. As trailer boaters, we owe it to our passengers and other drivers to be safe and cautious and not overload our trucks emergency handling capacities. Again, this is really all in addition to the greater toll that 5 tons is going to have on a 1/2 ton.

Bronco? LOL - you're right. Like he's really going to say... "my truck sucks"! Everything is always fine... until there's a problem.

 

[Tail Chaser 661]

You're right, I shouldn't just make a blanket statement saying "it can't be done". If someone's only going a few miles to a ramp it should be fine - just leave enough room in front of you. Totally flat ground to tow on does change things, as well. But when driving, one has to constantly be on the lookout for other drivers doing unexpected things. Adding 5 tons to the back of a smaller truck makes these "unexpected things" a much more dangerous situation. Unfortunately, you can't plan for those situations. As trailer boaters, we owe it to our passengers and other drivers to be safe and cautious and not overload our trucks emergency handling capacities. Again, this is really all in addition to greater toll that 5 tons is going to have on a 1/2 ton.

Bronco? LOL - you're right. Like he's really going to say... "my truck sucks"! Everything is always fine... until there's a problem.

My 97 3/4ton 4x4 Cummins pushing 400 HP and over 800 lbs of tq with a Gear Vendors OD (Makes it a 8 Speed manual)Pulls long monster hills 70 mph at 1/4 throttle if I want. Tracks straight as an arrow.
But it also has rear drum brakes making it a white knuckle driving experience in fast moving traffic if I have to get wowed down in a hurry. Always attempting a safe following distance, Looking over the tops of other vehicles trying to see well ahead of the traffic. And being in a gear for maximum engine braking getting a jump on slowing down in a hurry. Wondering if a green light is going to change to red at the wrong time is a nightmare. Trl has all new brakes assemblies on two axles, But thats not enough.
Lazy Daze, I was not disagreeing with you. You just posted faster and before me. But in reality, When just buying a boat puts a big ouch in your pocketbook. And you have a Tow vehicle that you hope may work. Your hoping enough people will tell you its doable.
One look at the pic of Chucks 496ci powered 26' DA. No friggin way would you pull that with a 1/2 ton :lol:

 

[Nacho Boat]

Guys, I'm not saying this to anger anyone or step on any toes. But, a half-ton vehicle is not up to the task of SAFELY pulling 10,000lbs. .

Dennis, I disagree. The Titan is rated to tow over 9,500 lbs and the Toyota Tundra is rated over 10k lbs. My Titan pulled 10K lbs for two seasons and did it safely.

Now, I don't live in the Mountains, and I don't trailer at 70mph. I can tell you that when I did tow in 100 degree heat, there was no rise in transmission or engine temperature (i.e the truck could tow alot more). At this point, the limiting factor simply was the braking ability, and I certainly would not recommend towing more than that. So, I disagree with the blanket statement that 1/2 ton is not up to the task (many 1/2 tons are indeed not up to the task, but not all....).:thumbsup:

 

[390pi]

I agree with others: the factory tow rating is the tow rating. How can anyone second guess it?

And if you were overloaded and hit someone, you better bet that the fact you are overloaded contributed to the problem and you'd be cited. I wonder how insurance companies view overloaded vehicles?

If you are like most prudent boatowners and also own a home and maybe some rental properties, why would you expose yourself to risk of a lawsuit? With the unreasonableness of people nowdays, these things happen.

As for the 4wd issue, if you plan on going to different places, you need 4wd. You just do not know what to expect.

I retrieve in 2wd with both my Chev 2500HD and Suburban 2500... but there have been times when I needed 4wd:

For instance, this has happened to me:

1. I retrieved at low tide once on SF Bay and could not get traction in the algae.

2. Had mechanical probs with boat and had to pull boat out at an unplanned, very poor ramp. Could not get traction in light, loose gravel that was all over the ramp.

3. Retrieved at a lake once with extremely low water level. Upon pulling out one of the leading wheels of the trailer fell in some kind of unknown "hole." Had to use 4wd to overcome the hole. Not many people launch with 30"+ trailers, so no one had encountered the hole yet.

Things come up when launching/retrieving. Unless one is going to stick to the same ramp, you just don't know what can happen. 10,000# is a lot of weight to get moving uphill. Sometimes, you cannot rely just on tongue weight alone to get traction.

It is kind of like this: if you can afford a boat like we are talking about, and you can't afford the right tow vehicle, then this is not the lifestyle for you.

Boating is expensive.

 

[FYN409]

I used an Equilizer weight distributing hitch, and it is designed to work with surge breaks. It made a HUGE difference in how the load was carried and made towing much more balanced and safer. Check it out....

http://www.hitchsource.com/equalize...e=yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Equalizer

Did you notice any difference in performance of your surge brakes with this setup? I have be considering getting something like this for a while, I have just been concerned about reducing the surge brakes effectiveness too much.

 

[ultratiger89]

I agree with ultratiger except for the 4WD comment.

I had a 2-wheel drive Avalanche and I would have to "help" the truck pull the boat out of the water by pushing it with the boat. I traded it in on the 4-wheel drive I now have. In hindsight, better, wider tires probably would have done the trick, however, one of the ramps I use is very long, at least 60 feet long, and I'm not confident I could get it our of the water at that ramp.

 

[chuck1]

Dumb question about towing a 10,000+-Lbs boat with a vehicle rated for 10,000+- lbs. What ever happened to staying below the 75% tow rating?

 

[Nacho Boat]

Did you notice any difference in performance of your surge brakes with this setup? I have be considering getting something like this for a while, I have just been concerned about reducing the surge brakes effectiveness too much.

The equalizer hitch is designed to work WITH your surge brakes, thus there is NO reduction in the surge brake effectiveness (this is the only weight distributing hitch (IMHO) that is designed to work in this way...check out the website I linked to above).

I had better stopping ability with the equalizer hitch because with the hitch I still had my all of my brakes and the load remained balanced while braking.

 

[Nacho Boat]

Dumb question about towing a 10,000+-Lbs boat with a vehicle rated for 10,000+- lbs. What ever happened to staying below the 75% tow rating?

Ouch! :smt021No need for the flames!

The 260 is not a 10,000+-lbs boat. I believe that the 260 is spec'd at about 6,800 lbs. However, wet and fully loaded, and with a trailer, it will approach 10k pounds.

Why would you buy a truck that can tow 10k pounds, and then only tow to 75% of it?

As it stands today, I own a Ford F350 diesel 4X4 - For 341 days out of the year, it is wayyyyy tooooo much truck to drive around. However, for the 12 times a year I go on a boating trip, I need a truck this size.

This is a big expense. For a 260(again, IMHO), you probably don't need a 3/4 ton to haul it. Again, depending on where you live and your driving skills, maybe you do. I don't live in a area where there are mountains, steep declines or winding roads (or snow for that matter). And, some folks may want to trailer their vehicle at 75mph, in which case, I would agree that a 1/2 ton will not tow safey at this speed (we have all seen people hauling boats or other loads this fast, or faster...which is crazy).

So, the correct answer may be different for each person who looks on this forum depending on their driving skills, expectations, and geographic area.

In response to the question of getting sued -- you are correct that you could get sued, but you can be sued for exhaling in this country. However, based upon the published specs for the boats, it would be difficult to prove that you were overweight and overloaded with the 260 scenario described above.

Obviously, everyone's experiences are different and unique, but, I certainly don't think it is a "dumb question"

Everyone has to understand the risk involved in transporting a heavy load and understand the limitations of their tow vehicle. Everyday you drive away from your house, or push off from your deck, you face risks and consequences. We are expected to manage those risks and consequences and make solid judgements. Again, good luck on your decision with your 260DA. After seeing this food fight on the forum, we have probably only confused you more on this seemingly simple question.

 

[keokie]

Some good comments in this thread. I'll do my best to add a few more.

Just about everyone who tows a boat over 5K, and some over 3.5K are exceeding the manufacturer's tow rating. This is because stated maximum tow ratings almost always are cut in half if you do not use a weight distributing hitch. Even a 1 ton dually is maxed a 5K without a weight distributing hitch. Virtually no boats are towed with them. If you do use one, that will likely contradict the brake actuator's requirement, even with the Equal-i-zer. This is because a weight distributing hitch puts tremendous amounts of stress on the very area of the tongue the actuator occupies. So, you will have to violate one or the other, or change the brake mechanism.

Tow ratings are not always scientific or tied to safety. Rear axle ratios can have a dramatic effect on tow ratings, yet don't have a tangible impact on safety.

A Titan and Excursion have almost exactly the same tow rating. I can assure you there is no comparison in stability and control between the two when pulling large loads. Another example would be that 1 ton crew cab duallys have a max rating of 12.5 K which is only 2.5K above that of some 1/2 ton single cabs. That crew cab dually will give you more safety and stability pulling well over 15K than a half ton single cab will at 8K.

The slamming on the brakes and swerving example was given. I would not slam on the brakes and swerve pulling 7K with a crew cab dually. It is an invitation to disaster.

In regards to stopping, trailers can easily be equipped to provide enough stopping power to not push the tow vehicle. If they are pushing the tow vehicle significantly, and you brake very hard, you have a high chance of wrapping your boat around the side of your truck. If you swerve, are turning, or the road has a slant to it, it is almost a certainty.

As far as legal concerns, has anyone ever seen a law that makes it illegal to surpass a manufacturer's tow rating? I've looked and never seen it. If you are actually breaking a law and cause an accident (speeding, run a red light, even DUI) insurance companies still pay. I've heard predictions about how much you stand to lose if you exceed your manufacturer's rating, but have never seen one example given (I'd like to know if someone does have an example).

Bottom line is tow ratings are just a part of what you need to know to safely tow a heavy load. Almost all of us towing boats are exceeding a rating or contradicting requirements somewhere.

 

[chuck1]

Ouch! :smt021No need for the flames!
....

Flames???? Not even close. This has been a very civil thread so far.

 

[Nacho Boat]

Some good comments in this thread. I'll do my best to add a few more.

Just about everyone who tows a boat over 5K, and some over 3.5K are exceeding the manufacturer's tow rating. This is because stated maximum tow ratings almost always are cut in half if you do not use a weight distributing hitch. Even a 1 ton dually is maxed a 5K without a weight distributing hitch. Virtually no boats are towed with them. If you do use one, that will likely contradict the brake actuator's requirement, even with the Equal-i-zer. This is because a weight distributing hitch puts tremendous amounts of stress on the very area of the tongue the actuator occupies. So, you will have to violate one or the other, or change the brake mechanism.

Keokie - Excellent response, and I did agree with vitrually your entire thread. I would kindly disagree with the one comment above. I have towed with an equalizer weight distributing hitch, and the surge brakes worked fine in my application (and I did have a fair amount of "moment" being transfered on my application).

When I upgraded my boat, I intended to use my equalizer hitch again, but my current truck is so well balanced with my new boat and trailer, I decided again using the equalizer. However, with my Titan, the equalizer hitch was the difference between being balanced/safe and being on the "ragged edge"

Your later statement is also correct. My F-350 hitch is only rated at 5K pounds without a weight distributing hitch (which is why I think lawyers approve the weight limits, and not the engineers).