240 with half ton?

Kiteboarder85

Kiteboarder85

New Member
Jun 9, 2014
62
Freeland, MI
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Michigan roads are pretty flat and wondering if a half ton would pull a 240 dancer every weekend 100 miles round trip?
 
As long as your within weight specs towing, I don't see why not.
Hell, I trailer my 290 with a 2 wheel drive and have never had a problem at the ramps :)

Jeff
 
Dieseljeff said:
As long as your within weight specs towing, I don't see why not.
Hell, I trailer my 290 with a 2 wheel drive and have never had a problem at the ramps :)

Jeff
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Lol- how often do you trailer? Don't you need a permit for that size? What size is your 2 wheel drive truck?
 
Kiteboarder85 said:
Lol- how often do you trailer? Don't you need a permit for that size? What size is your 2 wheel drive truck?
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Once or twice a month. pulled a trailer from Florida to Arkansas to pick it up, 2400 miles round trip.
9'8 beam. No permit...04 duramax 2500.


Jeff
 
Dieseljeff said:
Once or twice a month. pulled a trailer from Florida to Arkansas to pick it up, 2400 miles round trip.
9'8 beam. No permit...04 duramax 2500.


Jeff
Click to expand...

your 2wd is atleast a 2500 though. I still think that has more capacity than a 2014 1500 crew cab silverado. I want a dancer but we really don't want to pay more for a truck!
 
I have towed both my 250 DA and now my 270DA with a 10ft beam with both a 1/2 ton Chevy Avalanche and Dodge Ram 1500 with a hemi. Neither had issues towing, even N/S along Hwy 31 along some of those bigger hills near Hart on the way to Ludington. The key is a good trailer with good brakes. My 250 had an aluminum Nextrail trailer, tandem with disc brakes. My 270 has a loadmaster tri axle with electric brakes on all axles. Stopping is more important that speed. Both of these trailers with their prospective boats I could maintain 70mph on the highway when appropriate. Some of those bigger hills would slow me down below 50 at times but I wasn't pushing either truck hard. You shouldn't have any issues pulling your boat with your 1/2 ton as long as you have a good trailer with good brakes underneath your boat. Good luck and be safe!
 
Look at your door sticker. It will list your maximum payload. That's everything you put in the truck, bed, plus tongue weight of the trailer. You'll also have the GCVW (gross combined vehicle weight.) That's the combined weight of your truck and everything in it, plus the boat/trailer/everything in it. You may be within one limit, but outside the other, in which case you'd have to make some changes to your load until all weights are within limits. Don't go by numbers you find on the net. Go by the numbers posted on your vehicle. That's the real number, and the number highway patrol will use when they pull you over.

I have a 220 Select, that lists a dry weight at 4,250, trailer is 1,000, fuel/boards/coolers/etc add another 500 or so. I'm under 75% of my payload/towing capacities with a 2012 Ram 1500 4WD, no problem at all. I actually created an excel spreadsheet so when I have friends load up with me, I can just plug in the numbers and know right away if I'm good, or if we need to take separate vehicles.

Assuming you're new to towing, etrailer and several other sites (RV sites are good) give a great rundown of towing terminology and safe practices.
 
qflyer said:
Look at your door sticker. It will list your maximum payload. That's everything you put in the truck, bed, plus tongue weight of the trailer. You'll also have the GCVW (gross combined vehicle weight.) That's the combined weight of your truck and everything in it, plus the boat/trailer/everything in it. You may be within one limit, but outside the other, in which case you'd have to make some changes to your load until all weights are within limits. Don't go by numbers you find on the net. Go by the numbers posted on your vehicle. That's the real number, and the number highway patrol will use when they pull you over.

I have a 220 Select, that lists a dry weight at 4,250, trailer is 1,000, fuel/boards/coolers/etc add another 500 or so. I'm under 75% of my payload/towing capacities with a 2012 Ram 1500 4WD, no problem at all. I actually created an excel spreadsheet so when I have friends load up with me, I can just plug in the numbers and know right away if I'm good, or if we need to take separate vehicles.

Assuming you're new to towing, etrailer and several other sites (RV sites are good) give a great rundown of towing terminology and safe practices.
Click to expand...

Great feedback- thanks! I actually have a bit of experience towing smaller front end loader John deeres growing up. Even have my chauffeurs. However- it's been 8 or so year since I towed so it will be quick to get the feel again.

Maybe ill talk my wife into slipping the boat next year for the first year and get a 2500HD duraMax sometime later. Damn toys and their expenses! Live once right?
 
MM is right in the other thread, you won't find many (any?) half tons that are truly capable of towing a 240 legally and safely. Dry weight is listed at 5,600, another 1250 or so for trailer, full fluids and another 750 pounds of "stuff" that you'll definitely accumulate, and you're quickly up to 8,500 pounds. I plugged it into my calculator for a Ram 1500 QC 4WD, and the trailer plus me/girlfriend/another couple in the truck puts the GCVW 150 lbs shy of the max of 14,000 lbs. I do have a whopping 42 pounds payload remaining! Some stripped down 2WD models will probably be more within limits, but not significantly more. People will tow these weights and heavier with a 1/2 ton and tell you it's fine, and I guess even my truck would be legal as long as I keep the weight of "extras" down. Some will even brag that they're overloaded, and it's all good. It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Then you spend the next couple years in court or jail because of your negligence.

For towing 100 miles every weekend, I like your plan to put it in a slip and pursue a 3/4 ton later.
 
I pull my 250 every weekend 60 miles with a 1/2 ton - no problems. Boat on the trailer ready for the water is 7,600 lbs - well within the towing specs. Make sure the trailer has good brakes.
 
MonacoMike said:
KB, what exact truck do you have? We already discussed this topic in this thread, http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/67139-Best-truck-to-pull-the-240-and-260da-s

A Chevy "half ton" can tow from 5900 pounds to 11,800 and still be in the 1500 family. That's a big spread. Probably bigger than the older trucks 1/2-3/4 spread.

MM
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Moved the thread to this category where it belongs. Too many people with non cruisers were saying it "should be fine". I don't have a truck yet. I will be trading my 13 Camaro SS for one after summer season is done.
 
Kiteboarder85 said:
Michigan roads are pretty flat and wondering if a half ton would pull a 240 dancer every weekend 100 miles round trip?
Click to expand...

According to the fellow from Alberta he pulled his 260 over the same mountain that I had trouble with, and he did this every year. I'd ask him what kind of set up he was using as is was obviously a better rig than the 1/2 ton that I borrowed to do the job. I know of other guys who will tow their 5th wheels with 1/2 ton trucks in the mountains also. Just because I prefer a 3/4 ton and I don't like running it much over 3200 RPM doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. Just means my truck might last a bit longer. I also prefer to run loads that don't exceed 75% of the tow vehicle's capacity. Some call me anal but we've lost a few family members in car accidents that were caused by negligence. Lives are worth far more than the savings of 10 or 20 grand on a truck.

Edit; I see you're considering slipping the boat as opposed to trailering. Make sure you weigh all the costs when you do your comparison. Besides slipping there's also hauling, launching, storage in the yard when you get stuff done, and some yards insist that you hire them to do all the work etc etc. Plus the inconvenience of your boat being moored 100 miles away. I'm just thinking of all the "what if's". Bellows develops a leak and the power goes out, thru hull cracks and the power goes out, house water line bursts and the power goes out:wow: Our boat is moored 5 blocks from our home and I'm still concerned about the what if's. Imo trailering offers more control over your boating as well as more peace of mind if your water ways are so far away. Again, just my opinion. You might not want to "have to" make that trec every weekend just to check up on your boat.:huh:
 
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Have you considered not towing in the first place? You might want to weigh the pros and cons: towing 50 miles each way and buying a truck that can do so safely and budgeting the time and effort required, vs wet slip or dry rack.

You could put the money for the truck (and the fuel it will burn throughout the year) into a larger, more comfortable and capable boat and the marina fee. You're not all that far from Lake St. Claire or Port Huron, so you could also consider driving 100 miles in a car vs. 50 miles towing a big boat with a truck. You can drive faster in the car and cut out the the loading and unloading time, so it could be a wash. There's MUCH MUCH more to do and see in Lake St. Claire than there is in SagBay.

Rack storage is cheap and easy. Most places will drop her before you arrive and clean her and rack her for you when you're done. If you wet-slip, you can keep the fridge stocked and will have a place to hang out, socialize etc.

Just another way to consider.
 
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RollerCoastr said:
Have you considered not towing in the first place? You might want to weigh the pros and cons: towing 50 miles each way and buying a truck that can do so safely and budgeting the time and effort required, vs wet slip or dry rack.

You could put the money for the truck (and the fuel it will burn throughout the year) into a larger, more comfortable and capable boat and the marina fee. You're not all that far from Lake St. Claire or Port Huron, so you could also consider driving 100 miles in a car vs. 50 miles towing a big boat with a truck. You can drive faster in the car and cut out the the loading and unloading time, so it could be a wash. There's MUCH MUCH more to do and see in Lake St. Claire than there is in SagBay.

Rack storage is cheap and easy. Most places will drop her before you arrive and clean her and rack her for you when you're done. If you wet-slip, you can keep the fridge stocked and will have a place to hang out, socialize etc.

Just another way to consider.
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My wife and I did take this into consideration. But Michigan has such beautiful locations all around it which we would like to trailer to- Tawas Bay, Lake St Clair as you Mentioned, Port Huron, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Traverse City, Manistee, and on and on. We couldn't imagine being stuck to one location for most of the weekends
 
That's true - trailering opens up options and Michigan has many of them to explore. It was your 100-mile round trip on flat land statement that prompted my suggestion though. Michigan Roads are anything but flat up there and those destinations are at least twice as far as you mentioned. That can change the advice you're getting re: a tow vehicle.
 
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