Trailering a 260DA?

[Lazy Daze]

Great post guys. I will be considering a 260 or 270 in the next couple years and would like your opinions on a few trailer questions. I own a 2004 2500 Dodge Cummins 4x4 quad cab with a full size bed.

1. I tow a Camaro in a 24ft enclosed trailer (electric brake)and with the sway bars and load levelers, you hardly even know its back there. How much different will it be to trailer a newer 260 on a tri axle?
2. How difficult is it to launch and retrieve the 260 on a trailer that size?
3. With the newer 260's, do you need a wide load permit?
4. Do you guys stop in at weigh stations?
5. Is my current truck enough to safely tow a boat of this size? I know you guys have mentioned 3/4 ton, but I could always trade in for a 3500. Oh, and trust me, the ride in my 2500 Cummins is rough with the 24, but you get use to it at 75mph.

Thanks guys

1. It'll stay right there behind you - nice and smooth. A new 260DA will come in around 10,500. Give or take a bit.
2. No problems with most ramps - a very shallow ramp may pose some problems for a bunk trailer compared to a roller. But, I'd still pick a bunk over a roller - just put the bunk glides on it.
3. No.
4. No.
5. That'll be a great tow vehicle. You've got just about the longest wheel base out there. Dodge makes it, Cummins shakes it. Hard to say anything bad about that engine... other than all of the electronics. But all of the new ones are like that.

 

[Nehalennia]

Yeah Brian you're good to go with a 260DA.

 

[MonacoMike]

Will Suburban tow 260 DA?

I have a 2005 Suburban 2500 w/3:73 gearing and full trailer package including all the coolers, tow haul shifting, and the transmission temperature gauge. This truck has a maximum trailer weight of 7600 lbs. W/4:10 gearing it is 9600 lbs. There is no other difference in the trucks. I do not understand the 2000 lbs difference, as the transmission will make up for the gearing except at takeoff.


Would this truck tow a well equipped 260 DA in the rust belt. (IN, KY, MI, IL, OH) Most trips would be 100-150 mi. one way, but a few times a year we would tow 300-400 mi out. I do not anticipate any mountain driving. I am a very experienced towing RVs, heavy duty trucks and equipment but no boat experience.

Thanks for your help in advance, MM

 

[berth control]

Will Suburban tow 260 DA?

I have a 2005 Suburban 2500 w/3:73 gearing and full trailer package including all the coolers, tow haul shifting, and the transmission temperature gauge. This truck has a maximum trailer weight of 7600 lbs. W/4:10 gearing it is 9600 lbs. There is no other difference in the trucks. I do not understand the 2000 lbs difference, as the transmission will make up for the gearing except at takeoff.


Would this truck tow a well equipped 260 DA in the rust belt. (IN, KY, MI, IL, OH) Most trips would be 100-150 mi. one way, but a few times a year we would tow 300-400 mi out. I do not anticipate any mountain driving. I am a very experienced towing RVs, heavy duty trucks and equipment but no boat experience.

Thanks for your help in advance, MM

I would do it, no problem. I'm sure most others wouldn't.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Will Suburban tow 260 DA?

I have a 2005 Suburban 2500 w/3:73 gearing and full trailer package including all the coolers, tow haul shifting, and the transmission temperature gauge. This truck has a maximum trailer weight of 7600 lbs. W/4:10 gearing it is 9600 lbs. There is no other difference in the trucks. I do not understand the 2000 lbs difference, as the transmission will make up for the gearing except at takeoff.


Would this truck tow a well equipped 260 DA in the rust belt. (IN, KY, MI, IL, OH) Most trips would be 100-150 mi. one way, but a few times a year we would tow 300-400 mi out. I do not anticipate any mountain driving. I am a very experienced towing RVs, heavy duty trucks and equipment but no boat experience.

Thanks for your help in advance, MM

I've towed with similar (basically the same) trucks, except for gearing. I wouldn't say it's absolutely night and day, but you certainly know which geared truck you're in.

Think of it this way: Riding a bicycle. Shift the chain to a larger rear sprocket and you can pedal with less effort (compared to a smaller sprocket), even throughout the range of "gears" on the front sprocket. You'll have to spin your legs (engine) faster to go the same speed, but the effort that your legs put out to get you going and keep you going is less with the larger rear sprocket.

Keep in mind that the '05+ 260DA's are going to be a good 1,300lbs heavier.

Keep an eye on your tranny temps and engine temps. If it's running hot, you can always swap the gears out for a set of 4.10's. Re-flash the ECM for the gear swap and re-tune it a bit to make it more efficient while you're at it.

 

[Nehalennia]

I wouldn't tow a 260DA with a 1/2 ton Burb. I traded my '05 Burb in on the '04 3/4 ton Silverado 6.0L gas I have now.

You just don't have enough brakes, trani or power in the 1/2 ton Burb.

 

[Sundancer]

I towed a 250 DA with a 96 and 99 3/4 ton burb for 7 years. The 99 has 3.73 and the 96 has a 4.10 rear end. Both have the 454 and there was a big difference in acceleration off the line and in roll on acceleration. The axle ratio DID make a big difference and took the 3.73 a lot longer to get up to speed. It seemed to run hotter in the transmission, which is expected and the gas mileage was noticeably worse. I think the 260 out weighs the 250 by a considerable amount. We were around 8,500 wet and ready to go. The tow rating on the 4.10 tranny was 10,000 lbs and it was 8,300 lbs on the 3.73. We used the 4.1 for 99% of the towing, but occasionally used the 3.73 just for grins.

The biggest problem was the LACK of weight on the front wheels. On dry pavement it was OK, but if it was raining and you tried to turn or make a rapid movement, forget it! Find the TP and change your shorts!!

 

[BonBini]

An awfull lot of towing talk in this thread.

your engine will tell you when its overloaded by running hot. Run it hot for long and you'll put thousands of miles of wear to the bottom end. With a larger coolant and oil capacity a small displacement engine would hold up better.

when your engine hasn't got the power of the task your trany will tell you by doing alot of shifting. Each shift under heavy load really flashes the oil temp at the clutch plate surfaces. Stock paper clutch plates burn pretty easy, loose there grip, start sliping, make heat within the clutch, then fail the seal and your trany is done. Not to mention the clutch hub wear.

you rear axle will tell you its overloaded by crashing bearings. the wheel bearings not only hold up the truck and tong weight, but also the pulling load.

Your 1/2 ton will tow and tow safely at a slow speed for a short jount. Your planing on long numerous trips at 55 to 65 mph speeds. a 3/4 ton truck will give you bigger everything. Your gona need a bigger truck. And a bigger boat. Good luck with it all...Ron

 

[Lazy Daze]

you rear axle will tell you its overloaded by crashing bearings. the wheel bearings not only hold up the truck and tong weight, but also the pulling load.

Gotta luv a full floater!:smt001

 

[Nehalennia]

An awfull lot of towing talk in this thread. ............

Good info Ron, but it's the title of the thread...

 

[Blueone]

Will Suburban tow 260 DA?

I have a 2005 Suburban 2500 w/3:73 gearing
, MM[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

I towed a 2005 260DA ..I had the 2500 suburban with the 8.1L and the 4.1 gearing....it was more than fine...I had electric brakes on the trailer which helped out a lot.... If your just going 150 miles you will be fine. Just make sure your truck is rated for the weight so your covered with your insurance company if something goes wrong.

 

[ChuckW]

Great post guys. I will be considering a 260 or 270 in the next couple years and would like your opinions on a few trailer questions. I own a 2004 2500 Dodge Cummins 4x4 quad cab with a full size bed.

1. I tow a Camaro in a 24ft enclosed trailer (electric brake)and with the sway bars and load levelers, you hardly even know its back there. How much different will it be to trailer a newer 260 on a tri axle?
2. How difficult is it to launch and retrieve the 260 on a trailer that size?
3. With the newer 260's, do you need a wide load permit?
4. Do you guys stop in at weigh stations?
5. Is my current truck enough to safely tow a boat of this size? I know you guys have mentioned 3/4 ton, but I could always trade in for a 3500. Oh, and trust me, the ride in my 2500 Cummins is rough with the 24, but you get use to it at 75mph.

Thanks guys

Bottom line is weight. What does your Car carrier weight loaded? That's the comparison. I have a 06 260 with 496 big block and weigh in at 10,500 lbs with aluminum tri-axle trailer.

Launching is a breeze, I do it solo all the time. Easier than lauching a canoe.

The 260 (05-08, last year made :smt009) is a 8' 6" beam, so no wide load permit needed. The new 270 is 8' 10" so a wide load permit (technically) is required.

I never stop at weigh stations (run the east coast from ME to FL 4 or 5 times year) with boat in tow.

Your tow vehicle, rate it up. Plenty of stuff on site about undersized and right sized tow vehicle dos and don'ts.... Rember it's not really how well it tows it, it's how well it stops it :thumbsup: among other stuff...

 

[brian2001ss]

Bottom line is weight. What does your Car carrier weight loaded? That's the comparison. I have a 06 260 with 496 big block and weigh in at 10,500 lbs with aluminum tri-axle trailer.

Launching is a breeze, I do it solo all the time. Easier than lauching a canoe.

The 260 (05-08, last year made :smt009) is a 8' 6" beam, so no wide load permit needed. The new 270 is 8' 10" so a wide load permit (technically) is required.

I never stop at weigh stations (run the east coast from ME to FL 4 or 5 times year) with boat in tow.

Your tow vehicle, rate it up. Plenty of stuff on site about undersized and right sized tow vehicle dos and don'ts.... Rember it's not really how well it tows it, it's how well it stops it :thumbsup: among other stuff...

Chuck, thanks for the reply. One thing I can at least say about the 04 and newer Dodge 2500's is the large brakes they have. Compared to my 01 2500 Ram, the 04 feels like it would stop a tank.

So for you guys looking for a tow vehicle, Chuck is right on, brakes are as important as the engine.

 

[brian2001ss]

5. That'll be a great tow vehicle. You've got just about the longest wheel base out there. Dodge makes it, Cummins shakes it. Hard to say anything bad about that engine... other than all of the electronics. But all of the new ones are like that.

From my experience, my longer truck does have better stability than my fathers short bed Cummins, but why is that? Is it do to increased weight and more truck to push around?

 

[DancerDave]

Matthew, I realize the post has been around but I just joined up and was curious what you ended up doing this year if anything with your Suburban. I have a 2004 260DA and pull it with my 2004 Yukon XL Denali (1500). I trailer it every year up to the St. Lawrence River in NY and it trailers along at 60-70 mph without any problem. I have a tandem aluminum I beam trailer with surge-drum brakes on both axles and don't have any issues. Other than averaging about 9-10 miles a gallon when I tow, I am very happy on the road with it.

 

[matthewmiller01]

Matthew, I realize the post has been around but I just joined up and was curious what you ended up doing this year if anything with your Suburban. I have a 2004 260DA and pull it with my 2004 Yukon XL Denali (1500). I trailer it every year up to the St. Lawrence River in NY and it trailers along at 60-70 mph without any problem. I have a tandem aluminum I beam trailer with surge-drum brakes on both axles and don't have any issues. Other than averaging about 9-10 miles a gallon when I tow, I am very happy on the road with it.

Dave,
We have not made the step up as yet. We are still looking for a nice 260, but haven't found one. After MUCH research, I am going to upgrade the brakes and such and I will ensure I have trailer brakes on the trailer axles, but I think I will use the current vehicle. I have already given up on the mpg war, so a bigger boat won't affect that at all.
I appreciate the additional information.

 

[islandhopper00]

Here's my 2 cents. I tow my 240 da with a 2500 dodge and cummins diesel. I'm not sure what people mean when they tell me they don't know their trailer is back there, but I certainly do. It's always pushing or pulling my truck. I do pull on the fast side though. I typically run 65 to 75 on the highway when I can. I pull long distances regularly, 4 hours to the beach (Myrtle), or 10 to 12 hours to Florida. The boat and trailer weighs 8200 lbs, verified by weighing my rig on the truck scales at the Flying J truck stop. So I'm saying you need a 3/4 ton truck to be safe, unless you tow short distances at 55mph! I don't have that kinda time! lol.

Here's my dodge with cummins diesel.

 

[andy k]

if you have the 6.0 or 6.2 in your truck you would be fine, a boat is more aerodynamic than a box trailer which needs to be taken into consideration when towing. This is why the Honda Pilot has a higher towing capacity for boats than it has for other trailers. There is a difference between dumb people who do not know how to tow heavier weight and smart people who know how to tow heavier weight. My truck is rated for 11,500 lbs and I towed a 34 Formula PC which was way over my weight limit. I just took it slow and towed only in the morning or afternoon when it was cooler outside so the truck would run cooler.

 

[ggiametta]

Very easy to tow. I live in NY, Hudson Valley. Picked mine up at Peters Marine, Allentown Pa, towed it Lake George last summer (3 Hours, each way). I wouldn't worry too much or let it stop you from getting a 260.

 

[eshasek]

I trailer my 2002 260DA (with fuel and water) almost every weekend Spring to Fall and have no issues with my 2007 Expedition (9500 tow capacity). HOWEVER... Having the boat in tow is an in-town thing for me. I have a 10 mile drive typically to the ramp and mostly am on surface streets. I have towed 50 or 60 miles on I-75 with no issues, but that is after I had the boat shifted back to lower the tongue weight. Initially the tongue weight was way too much and it caused the truck to surge and the tongue to be too low.

It is important for the trailer to be level when towing so the brakes work properly and the weight of the boat is evenly distributed to the axles. I had the trailer custom built and am very happy with it.

Having 4 wheel drive on my truck is critical for pulling out of ramps. With the 4 wheel drive engaged I have never even slipped a a wheel even at low tide when there is weeds all over the ramps. I have been very lucky I guess and also choose my ramps carefully. I will never use an uneven or gravel ramp. Pulling 7000 pounds out on a 1000 pound trailer is not joke on a bad ramp with an SUV. A bigger truck would be better, but I have to be practical.

One thing to consider if you are only towing a few times per year is to rent a truck 5 times a year. That would be a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a new tow vehicle. Also, look in to a delivery service. I had a friend get a quote from a professional boat delivery service in Tampa that was willing to load his 29' Century on a flat bed and drive down to Ft. Myers for $400. That is a lot cheaper that even one month's payment on a big truck. a lot of cash, but something to consider.