Towing Advice for a Sundeck 240

[bobkogon]

My wife and I live in South Florida, which is a relatively flat state and we generally pull nothing but our two jet skis on the back of my 2006 Chevy Avalanche, which pulls them effortlessly, although the trailer and skis is about 2,500 lbs.

We are making the plunge into a 2004 Sundeck 240 which has a dry weight of 4,680. Presumably we will get a standard aluminum dual axle trailer of about 1,200 lbs. The Avalanche is rated at pulling a minimum of 7,300 pounds and a maximum of 8,300 lbs, but I haven't figured out the GWR and looked at appropriate ratios yet. I am a very cautious driver.

Is there any reason why anyone believes the 240 could not be towed safely by my V8 Avalanche? Any do's and don'ts to a novice who is willing to listen to advice from the voices of experience in this forum. Thanks for everyone's help thus far. Bob Kogon, West Palm Beach.

 

[87cc]

I think the GVWR should be on the door jamb. Make sure that your hitch,slider & ball have the correct weight ratings too.

 

[MAKC]

Remember that the dry weight doesn't include things like fuel and gear which can add a significant amount of weight to this equation. Check the GVWR and also the gearing you've got in the truck. The numerically higher those are, the better they will be for towing. Codes for the axle ratio are sometimes on a card in the glove box or on the door jam of the drivers side. GT4 is 3.73 ratio, GT5 is 4.10 ratio, GU6 is 3.42 ratio, and G80 means a locking differential.

Personally, i think you'll be ok with the setup, but you may want to think about transmission coolers if your truck doesn't have one. Always make sure that the trailer hitch is level when connected to the truck and of course, make sure the trailer has at least a surge brake system.

 

[Blueone]

I pull a 2003 240 with my 1500 Suburban which is basically the same setup as your Avalanche and have no problems. I do have a weight distributing hitch which I like. I don't think it is absolutely necessary but I had one anyway, so I put it on.

We just got back from TN a 6 hour trip one way towing the boat. I came to the conclusion that I was going to add Electric over Hydraulic brakes to help improve the reaction time compared to surge that I have now. It is a lot of weight to get stopped in a hurry.

Otherwise I have no problems towing that size boat with respect to accelerating , hills, ramps etc.

 

[rkeats]

We have a 2008 Chevy Tahoe and pull our 2005 240SD with no issues. Our normal route is from Cincinnati down to Lake Cumberland, a very hilly trip.

 

[AKBASSKING]

You should be just fine. Little bit more of a load, buy no worries.

Welcome and let us know how your first tow goes.

Here was my big move this last spring.

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27625

 

[tdappleman]

You should be fine with that setup. You'll want to make sure your truck brakes are in good shape as well. Check the pads for remaining material and the rotors for any scoring or excessive wear. The brake fluid should be flushed as well if it's more than 2-3 years old. The brake fluid will be dark in color if it has moisture in it - new fluid will be almost clear. If there is moisture in the fluid then it lowers the boiling point of the fluid and reduces pedal feel - if the brakes are used a lot then it can boil and you'll lose considerable braking ability.

A side note - we get quite a few Chevy/GMC trucks in my shop with rear disc brakes where the rear calipers are not functioning correctly. It's usually due to letting the rear pads get really low on remaining material and then when new pads are installed the calipers are compressed all of the way in. The problem is the caliper piston gets corrosion on it and it will not move freely. Just don't let your rear pads get too thin and you should be fine. Salt air/water really exaggerates the problem so if you are close to the ocean in West Palm then you definitely want to keep an eye on it.

 

[chuck1]

IMHO - Figure 7500+-lbs for you boat/trailer weight when fully loaded and ready to run. As long as you are not involved in an accident should be okay. I'm a firm believer in the old school of thought only pull 75% of your rated capacity. You also have to take into account what is in the vehicle.