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Towing a 260 EC.
jshagy
Member Posts: 8 ✭
Well I'm in the market for a new truck. Does anyone know the trailer weight of a 2008 260 EC with gen set? I'm wonder if I need to go with a diesel truck. I tow once or twice a year about 250 miles one way. The last owner said he pulled it with a Ford F150 but I think that might be working the truck a little to much.
Thanks.
Comments
I absolutely love my 09 f250 powerstroke diesel.. minor tuning and mods done are absolutely for longivity in mind, but really free the ponies.. It turns almost 1200# tq and 617hp at the wheels, dyno verified on an otherwise stingy dyno... I have zero need for all that power, but it doesn't complain when you hook up to....whatever..
I love it, but as any diesel, its a maintenance hound.. servicing a diesel isn't something you skimp on.. it should last me the rest of my life, and I plan on keeping it, so it will pay off... but penny for penny operating a gasser for your purposes is adequate... Otherwise, rent a diesel if it really is a concern..
PC BYC, Holland, MI
It needed a much larger transmission cooler for my summer heat and I really like the Suburbans longer wheel base for tracking and the tri-axle pulls and stops like it's on a rail. Even though it had a towing pkg from the factory the org trans cooler was a hopeless 4x6". Make sure to keep it cool, probably by simply adding a real oil cooler.
My boat mule was in great shape with 200k mi at $3500 and is now only used for pulling the boat around Fl. Hope that helps and that you find what works for you. Mike
get a plate style cooler, though- it cools much MUCH better:
not a tube and fin style:
and here is a chart that shows what temps do to a trans:
brakes is the most important thing to account for when towing, in my humble opinion... getting it rolling is not near so important as getting it shut down... :-)
the thing about half ton gassers is that they ~can~ tow, but not near so sustainably as a diesel.. the half ton or even the 3/4, 1, and 1 1/4 ton trucks in gasser form are a compromise from the sustainable torque of a diesel... once a person enjoys that diesel power with a load behind them, they usually don't go back to gasoline, it's been my observation... but that doesn't mean it qualifies for the expense to get into one, if a person only tows once or twice a year..
the old adage about towing safely, I was told years ago, is 15% safety margin east of the Rockies, and 25% west... it makes sense, too.. the most dangerous pass in the east I know of is Sam's Gap on the NC/TN border- I've driven it many many times.. it's a blast on a motorcycle (HELLO Deals Gap, better known as Tail of the Dragon!!)... three of the east's highest peaks are within 50 or so miles of each other in that region.. it can be tricky, but not near so tricky as the western passes in Colorado, Utah, ect, which have 'mole hills' that surpass the elevation of the east's highest (8500' or so)...
Dave
2002 Captiva 212, 5.0 220 hp, Alpha 1, 1.62 gears
Moon Township, PA - boating in the Ohio River
I run a similar piece of technology on the 6.4powerstroke..
the gasser version allows for boost levels off idle of 5#'s or so, and full boost at or near an atmosphere (14.7#'s)... it is said that every pound of boost is valued at 10% the engines naturally aspirated power- so if the engine is producing 50 pounds of torque off idle (650rpm), the same under 5 pounds of boost would be in the realm of 80#'s, or a total of +60%... off idle, that is huge..
anything boosted, whether bottled, super charged, or turbo charged is the ticket in my humble opinion.. call it "true variable displacement".. along the highway my 6.4, if operating at perfect volumetric efficiency moves 6.4L of air every full cycle of all 8 cylinders.. when I need the power, I mash the throttle and the turbo crams air in the cylinders.. once I hit 15# or so of boost, I've added a full atmosphere, and that engine is operating the same as a 12.8L naturally aspirated engine would... 45psi, is equiv to 3x the displacement of a n/a engine, or 19.2L engine... it burns fuel just like a bigger engine would, but once I've accelerated or tugged something over the hill, it can reduce back down to 6.4L in the flash of an eye..
A L L of that said, there is no replacement for diesel power over the long haul... the diesels are made not only to produce the power, but everything else there is to d with towing such as huge heat exchanges for every fluid under the hood and the turbos themselves.. heavier axles.. bigger and better brakes... the jake brake can't be underestimated, either...
All I've wanted was to just have fun.
I pulled my 2013 260 with my 2010 Tahoe LTZ. When we made connection to the hitch the back of my Tahoe sunk and so did my heart then the the air bags kick in and leveled the rig out. I pulled it 120 miles without any problems. I towed it in the Tow mode and the trailer had electric brakes on all four wheels. It was all flat land for the majority of the trip
All I've wanted was to just have fun.