Tow a 260DA with a 1/2 ton truck

I use a Ford F250 4X4 Crew Cab Diesel. The 4 low is a big help getting up the ramp, and being diesel powered seems to help also. I feel the truck it at its limit using a regular under the bumper pull configuration (12,000). It is a tandem axle trailer (rated @ 12,000 GVW) with electric brakes on both axles. It pulls comfortably at 65 mph but if I hit about 70 it seems to lose some stability so I just keep it at 65mph. I have the integrated brake controller and it is set at 7.5 which works well and will keep everything in line during hard braking.

IMHO, I wouldn't do it with a half ton, the suspension is just not designed for that kind of weight for very long distances and emergency maneuvers. Also be sure to check your overall height, it will vary depending on how your trailer is bunked. Those lower bridges will make you pucker.:wow:
 
My comment was that you could pull it but not stop it is valid and short to the point because this issue has been hashed over so much I get tired of explaining it a gazillian times to dummys. I own a fastener company and deliver a lot of weight all the time. 3 3/4 HD trucks and a flat bed trailer. I tow at least every other day several thousands of pounds to job sites. Driving as much as I do you see some of the funniest crap on the road. Just out side of Dothan Ala I passed a Toyota truck pulling a full size car/utility trailer with a full size 1500 chevy pickup on the trailer jack knifed! :smt021 I don't know how many 60'ish old guys I have seen on the side of the road with a 1/2 ton pulling a 30 ft motor home because the sales guy said he could.

I don't care of the book says you can pull 10,000 lbs with the truck, you have to give your self room for people, equipment and a safety margin. My wife's Tahoe can easly pull my 220 sundeck, that don't mean I want to do it with her truck. The short wheel base gets pulled and jerked around on the highway which makes for a butt puckering ride. You want to get to your trip rested and ready to enjoy the boat not crawled out of the vehicle kissing the ground and damn glad you did not hit a bus load of nunns.

IMHO if your going to pull anything other than a bass boat or lawn tractor to the shop you need to start at a 3/4 ton piece of equipment. It's just not you out there on the highway.

Good luck. :grin:
 
1stSeaRay said:
No you're not doing it, or no you haven't killed a bus load of nuns?
Click to expand...

My last boat was a 230OV. The dry weight was around 3800lbs, loaded was probably, 4500lbs+ a 1400lb trailer I was right at the 6000lb limit of the Suburban (1/2 ton) I used to tow it. It towed fine but I sure knew it was back there. The earlier statement that 1/2 ton trucks have a 10,000 in their pissing contest to be the biggest is a misleading claim that with a few tweeks you can. As Lazy Days says, he's not condoning it or suggesting it, but then why bring it up. There is no way I would attempt to tow my 260DA now with that Suburban. After I sold the 230OV, two weeks later I bought the truck I have now, a 2004 Chev 2500HD. It's not a Duramax(I wish, next truck), but has a 6L that does pretty good. I did research when buying the truck that the stock hitch was not sufficient to handle the weight. I removed it and bought and installed a class 5 hitch that was rated for 12000lbs. It's longer rails bolt further up the frame. The receiver and ball also need to match.

My 260DA is 844olbs, loaded including the trailer connected to the truck(which is 6400lbs) at the truck weigh station.
I have it on a triple axle trailer that has 6 brakes and really tows nicely, but it would eat the tranny and 5.3L of the Suburban alive.

I hope this helps, but please don't tow a 260DA with the 1/2 ton.

BTW, it's tougher to get Nuns picked out of the grill on a 1/2 ton too.
 
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STIHLBOLTS said:
...My wife's Tahoe can easly pull my 220 sundeck, that don't mean I want to do it with her truck. The short wheel base gets pulled and jerked around on the highway which makes for a butt puckering ride...:grin:
Click to expand...

Really? My Durango has the same wheelbase as a Tahoe and I don't have any issues towing my 220SD... I'm not saying I wouldn't prefer a 1 ton, but the D gets down the road without puckering my butt at all...
 
Thanks for the all the input, you've all confirmed what I had pretty much figured out for myself.

Time to go truck shopping.
 
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