New member, first time boat owner... am I doing this right?

[2kwik4u]

Honestly, I doubt I really need the WDH for this application. I figured it couldn't hurt, though. I was more interested in the sway control as I'm picking the boat up from a dealer 1000 miles away - closer dealerships either didn't have the boat I wanted or weren't moving enough on price. And I'm worried about crosswinds at highway speeds. So yeah, it's a bit of overkill but may come in handy later as my toy collection keeps growing. Been looking at camper trailers for a while now.........

You'll want that WDH on the expressway with a Grand Cherokee. That tow vehicle has a short wheelbase and generally soft suspension. The chassis is plenty capable, but if I was facing that tow I would take any and all advantages I could get. Hope it's either the tdi or 5.7 engine in there as well. That little V6 is a decent motor, but will struggle with the larger boats IMO.

And to answer your question......getting a 242 Limited as a first boat is a helluva "right way" to get started. Welcome to the site.

 

[Liveto99]

I did I put the fuel in a another tank. Don’t just pump it on the floor it will go into the bilge.
Mine is a FSH 210 so I put the tank behind the leaning post. U guys can’t do that in your big fancy 24’er

 

[Gym]

Welcome aboard @nawlinstornado. You've found the right place to get your questions answered. Whereas you're picking this up near the end of the boating season you may have an opportunity to go to the boat ramp, on a weekday, and practice launching & retrieving your new boat. That way you won't have the pressure of other boaters pushing you to hurry out of their way. You should also practice backing your trailered boat in an open parking lot if you can.

 

[grywlfbg]

Welcome! Now, if you're not gonna spend money like a madman, I dunno how much help we'll be. Blinker fluid, muffler bearings... there's no end to what you're gonna need with a new boat!

No kidding! I haven't even taken delivery of mine and I'm looking at a pile of mods and accessories. CJS, L13 cones, 2 towables, ropes, anchor, potty... Still need to get a paddle, first aid kit, and life jackets.

 

[nawlinstornado]

Welcome! Now, if you're not gonna spend money like a madman, I dunno how much help we'll be. Blinker fluid, muffler bearings... there's no end to what you're gonna need with a new boat!

lol. Yeah, I hear muffler bearings go for a real premium these days!

 

[grywlfbg]

You'll want that WDH on the expressway with a Grand Cherokee. That tow vehicle has a short wheelbase and generally soft suspension. The chassis is plenty capable, but if I was facing that tow I would take any and all advantages I could get. Hope it's either the tdi or 5.7 engine in there as well. That little V6 is a decent motor, but will struggle with the larger boats IMO.

And to answer your question......getting a 242 Limited as a first boat is a helluva "right way" to get started. Welcome to the site.

242X as my first boat....

I have a 2007 Grand Cherokee w/ the Mercedes 3L diesel. Brakes and suspension were updated by the previous owner as he used it to tow a race car trailer. I do think we might take it over to Table Rock Lake occasionally (twisty road to get there) but mostly it will live at Skiatook Lake on a hoist.

 

[nawlinstornado]

Welcome aboard @nawlinstornado. You've found the right place to get your questions answered. Whereas you're picking this up near the end of the boating season you may have an opportunity to go to the boat ramp, on a weekday, and practice launching & retrieving your new boat. That way you won't have the pressure of other boaters pushing you to hurry out of their way. You should also practice backing your trailered boat in an open parking lot if you can.

Funny you should mention that.... I still have 2 weeks of vacation left for the year and it looks like my plans for one of those weeks will fall through. If so, I'll make it a boating stay-cation. We have some small islands (only way there is boat!) where camping could be fun. And I'll get to have lots of practice launching/loading etc. I'm also lucky in that, living in South Louisiana, I can boat almost all year 'round.

 

[nawlinstornado]

You'll want that WDH on the expressway with a Grand Cherokee. That tow vehicle has a short wheelbase and generally soft suspension. The chassis is plenty capable, but if I was facing that tow I would take any and all advantages I could get. Hope it's either the tdi or 5.7 engine in there as well. That little V6 is a decent motor, but will struggle with the larger boats IMO.

And to answer your question......getting a 242 Limited as a first boat is a helluva "right way" to get started. Welcome to the site.

Actually, it is the Pentastar 3.6. I used to own a Ford F-150 with the old 5.0 V8 - less power and torque than the GC V6 but it towed loads much heavier than this setup and with little complaint. With the towing package, it includes additional engine and transmission coolers, too. I'm generally not worried about acceleration, just sway and braking. Although......... now that i think about it, the heavy loads I towed with the Ford were never as tall so I haven't taken into account aero drag. Meh. Worst case, I'll just slow down.

 

[nawlinstornado]

I did I put the fuel in a another tank. Don’t just pump it on the floor it will go into the bilge.
Mine is a FSH 210 so I put the tank behind the leaning post. U guys can’t do that in your big fancy 24’er

Right now, I'm leaning towards a pair of ~20gallon marine-grade fuel bladders. I can stow them on opposite sides of the boat to maintain balance and plumb them in with a small electric pump and lines into the primary tank. A small switch on the dash would turn the pump on and .... VOILA! Refill the main tank. I may even get fancy by installing a reversible pump. That would allow me to refill the bladders from the primary tank and I would (essentially) never have to look at the bladders again.

 

[nawlinstornado]

No kidding! I haven't even taken delivery of mine and I'm looking at a pile of mods and accessories. CJS, L13 cones, 2 towables, ropes, anchor, potty... Still need to get a paddle, first aid kit, and life jackets.

I've been looking at some of the bulk packs of PFDs so i can save some money. Have you found any good deals on those? And on the potty? My friend's GF has already mentioned that I should really get one of those.

 

[2kwik4u]

Actually, it is the Pentastar 3.6. I used to own a Ford F-150 with the old 5.0 V8 - less power and torque than the GC V6 but it towed loads much heavier than this setup and with little complaint. With the towing package, it includes additional engine and transmission coolers, too. I'm generally not worried about acceleration, just sway and braking. Although......... now that i think about it, the heavy loads I towed with the Ford were never as tall so I haven't taken into account aero drag. Meh. Worst case, I'll just slow down.

You'll be fine. There are others here that tow that load with similar setup (someone has an SX230 and a V6 Durango, but I can't remember who) and say it does fine.

I prefer a bit more engine/chassis, but that's preference not mandate.

 

[nawlinstornado]

You'll be fine. There are others here that tow that load with similar setup (someone has an SX230 and a V6 Durango, but I can't remember who) and say it does fine.

I prefer a bit more engine/chassis, but that's preference not mandate.

When I finally decided to get a boat, the biggest constraint I set was that it must be towable with my GC as I love my Jeep and I don't know how much I'll love boating. If I really get into the marine life and decide to upgrade to something bigger, then I might be willing to trade in the GC for something a bit more capable.

 

[grywlfbg]

I've been looking at some of the bulk packs of PFDs so i can save some money. Have you found any good deals on those? And on the potty? My friend's GF has already mentioned that I should really get one of those.

Haven't figured out life jackets at all yet. Still trying to figure out how many "nice" jackets to get for doing watersports (and in what range of sizes) vs the old horshoe style that will stay in a locker unless the lake patrol shows up.

As for the potty, that is the only condition my wife put on buying the boat. So, potty it is! This one fits well:

Amazon.com: Dometic 301097406 Portable Toilet 2.6 Gallon w/Stainless Steel Hold-Down Brackets, Gray: Automotive

Buy Dometic 301097406 Portable Toilet 2.6 Gallon w/Stainless Steel Hold-Down Brackets, Gray: Toilets - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

smile.amazon.com

Pics of it installed in this post:

https://jetboaters.net/threads/242x-head-porta-potty.20640/post-351836

 

[2kwik4u]

When I finally decided to get a boat, the biggest constraint I set was that it must be towable with my GC as I love my Jeep and I don't know how much I'll love boating. If I really get into the marine life and decide to upgrade to something bigger, then I might be willing to trade in the GC for something a bit more capable.

How far is your "normal" tow from boat storage to launch ramp? That is a bigger indication of what tow vehicle you need IMO. The further the tow, the more safety factor you want.

I tow an hour each way a couple times a week. The jump from a midsize SUV (I had a Trailblazer SS and the wife had a Traverse) to a fullsize pickup was remarkable. Under "normal" conditions those mid-size SUV's are pretty good. We got stuck in traffic while towing shortly after getting the pickup. 101deg on the pavement and like 700% humidity. Crawling along at 5-10mph for ~90min. Turck never once got hot, the A/C blew cold the entire time. Was so nice to not have to worry about the cooling system being over run and that sort of thing........If we were only going 10-15min to the ramp each time, I would've kept my SUV.

To answer one of your other questions. I've found Wal-Mart to be the cheapest place to get MOST of my boating accessories. Things like the orange safety vests, air horn, things like that. Bass Pro Shops has some good prices on Marine Equipment as well.

 

[nawlinstornado]

As for the potty, that is the only condition my wife put on buying the boat. So, potty it is! This one fits well:

Amazon.com: Dometic 301097406 Portable Toilet 2.6 Gallon w/Stainless Steel Hold-Down Brackets, Gray: Automotive

Buy Dometic 301097406 Portable Toilet 2.6 Gallon w/Stainless Steel Hold-Down Brackets, Gray: Toilets - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

smile.amazon.com

Thanks! That one looks perfect. May go ahead and order it.

 

[nawlinstornado]

How far is your "normal" tow from boat storage to launch ramp? That is a bigger indication of what tow vehicle you need IMO. The further the tow, the more safety factor you want.

Depends. Still trying to lock down my storage options, but shouldn't be more than 20 miles MAX.

To answer one of your other questions. I've found Wal-Mart to be the cheapest place to get MOST of my boating accessories. Things like the orange safety vests, air horn, things like that. Bass Pro Shops has some good prices on Marine Equipment as well.

Most of my near-term purchases are just to meet CG/state requirements. So cheap orange life preservers, etc. I have both pretty close so I'll check them out. Thanks!

 

[2kwik4u]

Depends. Still trying to lock down my storage options, but shouldn't be more than 20 miles MAX.

Good luck with storage. I hear both sides of that coin often. One friend has covered, locked and security camered storage fro $400/year. Have another friend that pays almost that a month for storage at a dump of a pole barn. We got so flustered with finding storage solutions that we brought a 19ft home instead of the 24ft we went to buy. As soon as I realized it could live in the garage, the 19ft won the battle.

 

[Liveto99]

Camco works fine.

 

[Liveto99]

How far is your "normal" tow from boat storage to launch ramp? That is a bigger indication of what tow vehicle you need IMO. The further the tow, the more safety factor you want.

I tow an hour each way a couple times a week. The jump from a midsize SUV (I had a Trailblazer SS and the wife had a Traverse) to a fullsize pickup was remarkable. Under "normal" conditions those mid-size SUV's are pretty good. We got stuck in traffic while towing shortly after getting the pickup. 101deg on the pavement and like 700% humidity. Crawling along at 5-10mph for ~90min. Turck never once got hot, the A/C blew cold the entire time. Was so nice to not have to worry about the cooling system being over run and that sort of thing........If we were only going 10-15min to the ramp each time, I would've kept my SUV.

To answer one of your other questions. I've found Wal-Mart to be the cheapest place to get MOST of my boating accessories. Things like the orange safety vests, air horn, things like that. Bass Pro Shops has some good prices on Marine Equipment as well.

Most of the time I boat in Islamorada and I live in upstate New York 1426 miles. Little longer than most. What is normal these days???My kid has 2 mothers 2 fathers and five grandparents.

 

[nawlinstornado]

Most of the time I boat in Islamorada and I live in upstate New York 1426 miles. Little longer than most. What is normal these days???My kid has 2 mothers 2 fathers and five grandparents.

Whaaaaaaatttttt???? Overachiever.....
?