Tow Vehicle for Grady 258

[cletus9000]

All,

I have a Grady 258 that is marina kept. I've been toying with the idea of buying a truck and trailer at some point to expand my fishing range. Presently I don't have tow vehicle of any kind. So my question is, for those of you who have a 258 or boat of similar size, what is your tow vehicle and an honest appraisal of its strengths and weaknesses. I have an idea of what I think I'm looking for, but sure wouldn't mind some input from you all. It's a big heavy boat, so I want to make sure that when I do buy I get enough truck, but not too much that I break the bank.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Doc Stressor]

You need a diesel. Ford, Chevy, Dodge -- your choice. A 3/4 ton will be fine for towing since the tongue weight will be within specs.

Be sure to have Kodiak brakes on the trailer.

 

[dduflo]

I have a Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel that I tow an Islander 270 with. Excellent match for both the towing and braking, which would be important, especially with the heavy traffic around Baltimore. 4WD is a must when exiting many of the ramps. If you haven't had much towing experience be sure to read up on the importance of proper tongue weight, tire pressures, bearing maintance, etc.

 

[journeyman]

I towed my 258 for years with a 2500 HD Siverado (not a diesel) with no problems. Last year I found a sweet deal on a slightly used F350 (again not a diesel). My chevy was getting long in the tooth - it was also my plow vehicle. I'm very impressed with the Ford so far. I don't care for diesels and you do not necessarily need one, big up front investment, the fuel is more $$$, If you can afford it fine but In the long run its not worth it IMOHO.

 

[family affair]

I have a Voyager (essentially the same boat) and I would say a diesel is overkill. I brought my boat home (Fl to Oh) with a 5.7 tundra and on many occasions I forgot the boat was behind me. Fantastic machine. Incredible power and the quietest vehicle I have EVER been in.
The newer 1/2 ton trucks are beasts when it comes to towing. The only 1/2 ton I don't have experience with is the Chevy, but I'm sure all with similar sized engines will perform similarly with one exception; the F-150 with an Eco-boost. If you are shopping for a new truck, I don't think you can top that truck with that engine. Bulletproof, great handling, quiet, and the best MPG unloaded and loaded. Many guys towing 7-8k lbs have reported 14mpg highway compared to non boosted engines getting 8-10mpg. Almost the mileage of a diesel, without the $8k option and $.40+ per gallon difference in fuel.

BTW, our boat came with a mint galvanized roller trailer. In my neck of the woods I don't need a roller trailer and would like to get rid of it for a bunker. It's already set up for your boat too! Let me know if you are interested.

 

[Salinity Now]

Im completely unaware of what I 258 weighs in at, but having recently this summer put about 1800 miles of interstate and hwy travel on my new to me 265 on a brand new tri-axle trailer, I desperately want a diesel. I have a 2004 Silverado 2500HD with gas 6.0, granted it towed the boat and never put me in a bad situation during all the long hauls (VA to GA, GA to SC, GA to NC and back to VA) I was getting 7mpg avg and despite what anyone tells you, you know its there, Im very cautious on the road while towing, I watch my distance for stopping very closely, Im constantly scouting out gas stations for ease of access in and out, finding good onramps that have down hill grades and long merging lanes etc, so with a decent amount of attention to detail I had zero problems during this trip, other than just being tired of having to constantly "plan" for the trip......understand that Im not saying that having a diesel eliminates this requirement, but just knowing you can get off an up hill stop light with ease, not worry about merging, etc etc because you have the torque and HP needed to tow that load would be good piece of mind.

My normal tow is about 1/2 of a mile on an awesome slow grade ramp with plenty of room, so Im in no hurry to get rid of my truck, but from the lessons and expereince gained from this trip I will never make tows like that again for this boat.

If I was going to do it right from the start and I had to tow anything over 9000#s on long hauls I would go Diesel, certainly 3/4Ton. I have (while shopping new diesels, which are RIDICULOUSLY priced!!) heard great things on some of these new 1/2 tons with more HP and torque than my 2004 HD has, it may be worth a look. Just as a comparison, my last boat, a Sailfish brand, 2360 CC weighed about 7000#s trailer weight, my truck towed that boat on the same trips FABULOUSLY.....this Grady 265 weighed in at 11k on the trailer

 

[Grouper Duper]

The Toyota 5.7 is a beast. I tow my 27' Chase with a Sequoia and it does great. I have towed the same boat with a friend's F350 diesel dually; it was great, but not enough to make me want to live with that thing every day (noisy, smelly, expensive).

I've also never had a need for 4wd; not once in more than 25 years of launching/retrieving boats. If you have the balance and tonque weight correct, a 2wd will do fine almost everywhere, have it wrong, and 4wd will cover it up...a little.

 

[aa331]

No problems at all pulling my Voyager 248 with my 2010 Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4x2.

 

[Fish Tank]

Pulling is rarely the problem - stopping in an emergency is.

Whatever you do have brakes.

 

[Fishshoreman]

I am pulling a 2000 Chase with an 2010 Ram hemi 5.7L. It is rated for 10,250lbs has 390HP and 410 ft/lbs torque. It handles the boat very well with plenty of power to merge into traffic on the highway. The brakes are 4 wheel oversize discs and stop flawlessly. Only downside is it likes its fuel when the boat is in tow. Without the boat hitched I get 16-18MPG depending on my driving. It has the variable timing which helps fuel economy on the highway. I should mention that I don't do too much city driving so the numbers may go down if you drive a lot of city. I have yet to take the boat more than 50 miles with this truck.

Ed

 

[ROBERTH]

Towing my '92 Sailfish 252G that I estimate is right at 10K with my 2002 Ford Excursion V10. No issue. Pull well and has plenty of power. Have not gone long distance yet ,but she seems it will be non issue.
No issue on ramps yet either, plenty of traction so far and have not needed to engage 4X4, but nice to know it is there if I need it.
Only issue is braking like fish tank says. I plan to install another set of brakes on the second axle to help out.

Very happy with the Excursion! You can pick them up cheap at times and mine has been very good to me and reliable!

 

[chrisA.]

You do not really need a diesel however I would recommend at least a 3/4 ton truck be it either Ford,GM or Dodge, I tow a 1995 Islander with a 2008 Ford F-250 with the V-10,I dont tow that much so I couldnt see spending an extra $7000 on the diesel option.Good luck with your choice!

 

[gw204]

You do not really need a diesel however I would recommend at least a 3/4 ton truck be it either Ford,GM or Dodge, I tow a 1995 Islander with a 2008 Ford F-250 with the V-10,I dont tow that much so I couldnt see spending an extra $7000 on the diesel option.Good luck with your choice!

Agreed. I used to lug my old '93 Sailfish around with a 3/4-ton Ram 4x4. Had the first gen. 5.7 HEMI and it did great.

 

[cletus9000]

Great stuff all. Thanks for the excellent feedback.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I have a Tundra and love the truck. If one was so inclined to tow 10,000 pounds with it, it will do without hesitation. If I had the Journey I would upgrade the brakes to the TRD vented rotors and 6 piston calipers. The standard ones stop my truck on dime and like somebody mentioned, towing is about 1/3 of it, stopping is the 2/3rds of it. I tow alot, perhaps 4,000 miles a year as we live in the middle of nowhere and I have 5 hours to the closest salwater and 10 hours to our old stomping grounds in Fla. If you buy a gas truck, I would go with the Tundra or the Ford F150.