Towing the H26/260 is a frequent topic on this forum. Most people underestimate the weight of the H260/trailer package by a significant margin.

A frequent story we hear is I bought a H26/H260, what kind of vehicle do I need to tow it? Its wise to carefully crunch the numbers before hooking up. Experts can make your head hurt with all the technical stuff about towing. I try to keep it simple. My 2002 Ford E-150 Van has a 5.4L engine with the tow package (this includes heavy duty shocks, transmission and oil cooler, trailer wiring, and type III/IV receiver).

Before hooking up these are the numbers you need to know. In my case Ford says my van shouldnt weigh more than 7000 lbs (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), cant tow more than 6900 lbs (Gross Trailer Weight Rating), and the whole van/trailer/boat package must not exceed more 12,000 lbs. (Gross Combined Weight Rating). Also, in addition to a tongue weight (TW) of about 10 percent, Ford (and state law) says the trailer has to have brakes because the vehicle brakes are only designed for the weight of the van. Although the standard H26/260 trailer comes with brakes on one axle, some states require brakes on both axles. Finally, MagicTilt, [ http://www.magictilt.com/ ], manufacturer of the Hunter H260 trailer, says the total weight of the boat/trailer combination should not exceed 6840 lbs (Gross Trailer Weight). I recently weighed my boat/trailer on a certified truck scale and got 5740 lbs (4400 boat/1320 trailer). Since my van weighs 5720 this means that Im only 540 lbs under the max Gross Combined Vehicle Weight rating for the whole rig. Seems like a lot; however, after loading two passengers and a dog, all their stuff, a full tank of gas and water, coolers and all the boat miscellaneous, Im probably less than 100 lbs under the GCWR max. An often cited rule of thumb is that the load should be no more than 75% of the GTWR of the tow vehicle. Im over weight 8 percent by that standard. So heres the bottom line: VAN | MAX | ACTUAL | /- GVWR: | 7000 | 5720 | - 1280 GTWR: | 6900 | 5740 | - 1160 GCWR: | 12000 | 11460 | -� 540 TRAILER GCWR: | 6840 | 5740 | - 1100 TW:__ | 517-689 | 600 | 10.5% Some people allege that auto manufacturers provide some pad to their max weight figures and that since the trailer has brakes, you can exceed the max weight figures. Also, some say its OK if you go slow, leave plenty of distance between vehicles, dont go up hills and keep a close eye on the temperature gage. Wishful thinking maybe????? Occasional short trips to the marina probably wont doom your vehicle to the scrap heap, but why chance it? Im barely within the manufacturers guidelines and I can already see the effect on my Van. I bought the van new. In the first two years, the majority of towing was a four mile trip from my pole barn to the marina and back a couple times a season. I made two trips under 1000 miles and one 4000 mi trip to Key West and back. The van handled the rig well, but after only 25,000 miles I had to replace the front pads. Ive had the boat/trailer weighed twice just to make sure, and came up with the same numbers. Ive only heard of one other H260 owner who took the time to weigh his boat and he came up with a curb weight of 5950 lbs. If you have not weighed your boat, why not take the time to do so? Even if you have an adequate tow vehicle, there is more involved than just hooking up. There is a lot of stuff that can go wrong back there. Double check everything! I once towed my boat down a steep hill to the marina with the coupling unlatched. It was the 600 lbs tongue wt that kept the hitch from bouncing off the ball.







Tie everything down. There is is lot of stuff that can come loose back there; I use straps to tie the boat down at the stern, the rudder up, the engine from bouncing, and to keep the mast from swaying. I learned how important it was to keep the mast from swaying when one owner reported that the crutch snapped off when towing. These straps are strong and cheap. They are available at most hardware stores. I got the strap protectors out of the West Marine Catalog P/N 2600419. They are a rubber type of material and dont slip. At the bow I clip a heavy duty chain to the U Bolt as a back-up to the winch cable. Also, I coil the shrouds and tie them to the lifelines with cable ties. Finally, I use lots of bungies. This is all cheap insurance. Its important to reduce hump and sway when towing. For the short 4 mile trip from my pole barn to the marina, a standard type III, 2 inch ball hitch is adequate. However, even with a 10 percent tongue weight I still get some sway over 55 mph. Uneven roads and passing trucks all increase the pucker factor. For longer trips I wanted a better setup. RVers have long known the advantages of using a Class III/IV, 2 x 2 Ball mount weight distribution hitch for heavy loads. RV trailers usually have electric brakes, but they seldom become submerged in four foot of water. Weight distribution hitches from Reese, Draw-Tite and others are not certified for use with boat trailer surge brakes. The only company I know of that makes a weight distribution hitch that will work with surge breaks is made by Equal-i-zer located in Provo Utah. Check the internet for Equalizer Hitch Model:14-2927; Size: 1000lb/10000lb

I purchased the hitch from a third party vendor at a significant discount. Despite this, the manufacturers customer service department provided outstanding support and advice. Their brochure showed the setup for A Frame travel trailers, so I e-mailed them pictures of the H260 pole tongue trailer, and they immediately responded with instructions for use on a boat trailer and answered all my questions. Installation was easy. I sent the Equal-i-zer customer service pictures of my final installation and they came back with a couple of comments to help tweak it further.

The product works as advertised. There is no substitute for common sense and caution when towing 6000 lbs, but the Equal-i-zer hitch helps stabilize the rig and I get little or no sway at any speed. I got a lot of experience with the hitch last summer and recommend it if you are going to do any long distance towing.



Bottom Line: Look in your owners manual for towing data. If your vehicle is certified to tow close to 6000 lbs and has the trailer package and the total boat/trailer/vehicle combination does not exceed the manufacturers max Gross Combined Weight Rating you probably wont burn up your brakes or transmission as long as you dont go up any mountains.