Towing with a Silverado
I own a 1998 Silverado 1500 4x4 with the 5.7
engine and 3.73 rear end. It has the tow package,
and off road package. I cannot seem to get a
straight answer as to what this truck will tow!
Anybody know, or have experience towing with this
vehicle?
engine and 3.73 rear end. It has the tow package,
and off road package. I cannot seem to get a
straight answer as to what this truck will tow!
Anybody know, or have experience towing with this
vehicle?
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
depends on a manual or automatic...ex cab or reg cab...and length of box.
But I'd say that's about right...perhaps a little bit more..
Good Luck
- Tim
I guess the cab and box size does not matter for towing...it does matter for payload capacity though..
- Tim
...You may have the 4:10's though...
- Tim
GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
You vehicle must not weigh more than the specified rating. Found on the door sticker.
CVWR or GCVWR - This is truck and trailer combined.
Maximum towed vehicle weight is the maximum weight of the trailer.
Now take a good fifth wheel at 13,000 pounds, a 1500 pound hitch weight, a truck weight of 7100 pounds, a GVWR of 8800 pounds, maximum trailer weight of 13,000 pounds and GCVWR of 20,000 pounds.
This combination exceeds the capacity of the truck to tow. How? Well, it's not the GVWR, which is 1500 plus 7100 for a total of 8600. The trailer is right at the maximum weight limit for the truck. Where this combination exceeds the specifications is in the GCVWR. 7100 plus 13,000 is 20,100 or 100 pounds over the limit. If I add my wife, the dog, luggage and the cooler to the truck we're looking at truck weight of 7350 pounds and now we have exceeded the specification by 350 pounds.
This doesn't even consider the weight restrictions on the axles, although they probably wouldn't be exceeded in this example.
I've only seen the Ford documentation used to calculate weight distribution and loading. I think that all truck manufacturers are required by federal law to provide these documents. You'll usually find them in the sales room literature rack. Get a copy and go through the exercise, it is an enlightening experience.
Rich
You should be able to call the GM customer service and ask for the loading chart. (The Ford one is a single sheet of paper, maybe 17" x 22" and folded to a brochure size for the literature rack. That is the only place that the information is accurate. The bad news is that you'll have to know the options that are on your truck to do the calculation. If you have the window sticker all the option codes are usually there. It is a real pain to accomplish the calculation but you really KNOW your truck after you've done it.
Also, I don't know the nomenclature of the GM line of trucks. If the Z85 (or 71) includes a softer ride package, your gross weight limitations are reduced. If your truck rides more like a car then I would go with the owner's manual. Doesn't your truck have a sticker on the driver door or jam? Mine has all the gross limits posted there. Let us know what you find out as we want to learn too.
Rich
Ray T.
Are tow rating calculations just another word for GM Marketing Speak?
Rich
Ed
Y2K 2500 ext. cab shortbox, auto. 5.3L, 3.73 Locker & tow pkg. No complaints just raves........
Ray T.
Mannwi... if 2wd is all you need good for you! But do you ever drive through muddy campgrounds, up wet boat ramps, in mountain snow storms? I think you get the picture. There aren't many vehicles worse in the snow than an unloaded 2wd pickup. I've had 3 of them. Higher resale on 4x4 almost makes it a free option, sort of like A/C. Oh, by the way, The gas mileage on my 5.3l with 4x4 is better than my last truck which had 100 less horsepower and was 2wd. I think the EPA rates both 4wd and 2wd the same or very little difference. Not trying to offend... but sorry if I did!
In my post I referred to 4th, 3rd, 2nd, etc. Some folks call 4th overdrive, and I suspect that is what you mean. The only way to get the truck in 4th is to put the shift selector "D". It will go into 4th earlier without the tow/haul mode selected, but it will also go into 4th in tow/haul, but not until you get above about 60mph. If you don't want to go into 4th, just select "3" on the shift selector. Sometimes I use "3" when I don't want it to go back and forth and there are a lot of hills with a strong head wind. You can also use tow/haul and go under 60mph, but I usually go faster.
Hope that helps.
On the emotional side, I actually feel superior by buying the right vehicle. Everyone has the right to make their own choices for their own reasons....just letting you know what I feel, and it ain't envy.
On a snowy trip to Minneapolis last winter I counted the vehicles in the ditch on I94 and the expressways around the twin cities.....80% were 4wd......might say something about driving lessons.
Now kiss and make up guys..........Life's to short
My preference is also 2WD and all my driving lessons have been Seat Of Pants learning experiences LOL
Ray T.
Does the trany heat up at all? Going up a hill?
Does the 6.0L keep it at 70mph even on a steep grade? Does it have any reserve power?
Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to make the right decision. Thanks.
When you say it slows to 40mph on steep grades between 7000 to 10000 ft. in 2nd with power to spare, I am assuming it will not pull it in 3rd, correct? How steep of a grade are we talking about?
I don't want to get into the same problem I have now going up some sections of highway 80 at 35mph full throttle, hoping for a tailwind!
Thanks.
i have to say I was really impressed with the tow/haul mode. We played with it a little. It seems that it does keep the truck in 3rd gear the most. When the truck was put in OD, it would hold it flat or down hill, but any little hill, it would shift to 3rd and hold it. Shifts were very firm too. A couple of times, we made a pass, and WOW, when you step into it, it shifts into 2nd, and you hit 70 mph in no time. The passing power of the truck was incredible.
We never hit too many BIG hills, but the hills we did pull, it pulled them effortlessly, never downshifting. In OD, the truck was turning about 1900 rpms@ 70. In 3rd gear, it turned about 23-2400 rpms @70. Whenever we passed someone, it would run up to abou 4K rpms in 2nd gear (~70 mph).
mileage was about 12 mpg towing at 70 mph. Got about 17 empty at 80 mph.
The powerband of the truck was very impressive. Low speed driving around town and the ramps, you don't even know the boat is back there. The '00 engines have a lot more power in the 1000-2000 rpm range than the '99s. I say the 5.3 is a much better pulling engine than the 5.7 I drive now. I tow with my 5.7 in OD with the 4.10 gears, and it probably pulls hills a little better, but definitely doesn't have the passing power, or the mileage of the 5.3. I would really like to see what the 5.3 could do with a 4.10 gear set in that size of truck.
Have a nice day!!
Your pulling a larger load than I plan on towing and it seems to be doing a good job.
You my be right about the mileage not being much different between the 3.73 and 4.10. 14 to 15mpg is not bad for vehicle that can also tow like it does.
Thanks again for the info. I may be able to order this week.
Without the load equalizing hitch it would squat too much in the rear. I checked that out. With the load equalizer it sits level.
We actually went to the Pilot truck stop and weighed the truck before hitching up the trailer (cost $7 & for $1 you can weigh again). It weighed 2800 at both axles with the stuff in the back of the pickup. With the load equalizing hitch the front stayed at 2800 and the rear went to 3400....and it was level. The trailer weight when hooked up is 4700, but if not hooked up it would be 5300. If you hooked the trailer up without the load equalizing hitch you get about 2500 lbs on the front axle and 3700 on the rear. The load equalizing hitch moves about 300 lbs from the rear axle to the front.
Hope that helps.
Mannwi
Barney50 has pretty much told you everything there is to know about this truck and its towing capabilities. All in all, its a really sweet rig.
With my 3.73, I will manually downshift to 2nd gear when I'm pulling a 6% or 7% grade. It'll walk right up a 7% hill at 55 MPH in 2nd gear real easy with no real strain on the engine.
Living where you do, what you are towing, and where you will be towing, I would go with the 4.10 gears. Solo mileage won't be that much different. I've gotten as high as 17.0 MPG with my 3.73's, so you should be able to crowd 16.0 MPG with 4.10.
This is still a tough choice for me because 95% of the time I'll be hauling air. This is also my daily driver.
I also just got of the phone with my dealer and he confirmed the '01 6.0L will have 325hp and 370lb torque. Don't know what the power curve is though.
I also found out the boat I tow is closer to 5000lbs with trailer ('90 Reinell 22' cutty with a 350 I/O, a dealer told my about 5000lbs, does that sound right?)
Like I said, it is a tough choice, and I have to decide soon because My dealer said the truck is going in for order on Friday.
Thanks for everyone's input!!
Based on your current information that your boat is really only 5000# and the '01 6.0l will be boosted up in both HP and torque, that probably would lean me more towards picking the 3.73.
But one big problem still there is the fact that you may be towing at 7000 foot altitudes. That means you're losing about 20% of the sea level power of the engine. Also, keep in mind that the 5000# weight figure the dealer is giving you is probably on the light side. Even if it were exactly correct, you will still be adding several hundred pounds for gas, ice, beer, and other stuff, plus whatever you might throw in the back of the truck. As a comparison, my 6000# travel trailer (by actual scaled weight) is advertised as 5,091# "unloaded vehicle weight" in the sales brochure. By the time I added the trailer battery, 2 full propane tanks, pots and pans and other camping related crap, you can see it doesn't take long to tack on some real weight.
I'd say you might be better off with the 4.10. But since the '01 6.0l will have more power than the "00, maybe the best thing to do would be order it with 3.73, try it and see how it goes. You could always swap in the 4.10 later if you were unhappy. I will tell you this engine is a pulling SOB, and it will percolate right up the hill in 2nd gear when you need it to.
Don't know if any of this helps or just confuses matter worse. Let me know what you decide.
4.10= fast off the line/towing power
I ordered the truck on Friday. Since I drive it mostly empty I decided to go with the 3.73. The extra time I may spend towing 55-60mph instead of 70 is minimal. (My current truck slows to 35mph in some spots). But, I'll be filling the tank at least once a week.
I'll post again after I get the truck.
Thanks again for your help.
auto, 2WD, LB, with the HD tow package. I paid
$27,000 for it through fleet sales at a Lou Grubb
dealership in Glendale, AZ. After breaking in the
engine (approx 620 miles), I left Arizona for
Florida towing a car. My tow load was approx 6000
lbs. While in Kansas I had the entire drive line
dealer serviced with fluids ($250.) in accordance
with owners manual requirements. I dropped off the
car in Tennessee, drove to FL then back to AZ. The
truck's pulling capability and cruising with load
is outstanding. However, the truck developed two
unacceptable noises on the trip.
PROBLEMS: The engine (6L) has a ticking noise at
all RPMs with and without load. The sound is
similar to a noisy lifter, exhaust leak, or
possibly a bad injector. It is very pronounced at
startup, then fades as the engine warms up. But, it
doesn't completed go away. Also, under
acceleration I hear a tinny vibrating shrill coming
from the transmission only through first gear,
with and without load, any engine temp. I haven't
taken the truck in yet because of the holiday, when
I do I will submit the fix here. Honestly, I have
little confidence in dealership repairs, especially
warranty work.
After logging 7400 mile in 3.5 weeks I have other
observations to make, some minor:
-Gas mileage sucks! But I knew that from the
get-go.
-The rear plastic hub-cap lugs tend to loosen
after long highway runs. I just snugged them down
and check them often.
-The 2WD (tires with E rating) will get stuck in
wet grass or soft sand, especially without load.
Trust me, it's embarrassing!
-The convenient cup holder vibrates a lot, drinks
require lids.
-The cab is roomy, and the back seat has leg room.
Who cares! I don't sit in the back.
-I have decided that I don't like the 4 DR cab.
Although a convenience, it appears to lack
durability, and prone to future leaks. Those doors
are a pain in the butt in a parking lot too,
especially parked next to another vehicle when your
loading or unloading the back seat. If I was an
engineer at GM, I would loose the two back doors,
keep the big cab size, and increase the size of the
the two front doors.
Considering all this I am still satisfied (not
thrilled) with the truck.
QUESTION? Have others experienced similar
problems?
Robert Klein
Problems I have:
1. Also have the engine ticking noise. Appears to disappear after warm-up. Funny part about this noise was that it didn't start making that noise until the day after the first oil change. Two changes later, its still doing it. Dealer says normal.
2. That tinny vibrating noise might be the heat shield on top of the muffler case. Mine makes that noise at exactly 1800 to 2000 rpm, and I've heard the exact same noise on 3 other 2500's. Noise disappears after warm-up and shield has chance to expand slightly. The next time you come back after a long run, listen to the truck after you shut it off - as the exhaust start to cool down, you'll hear several loud "PING" noises - that's the heat shield cooling. Dealer says no fix advised yet from GM, so they won't do anything with it.
3. I love the 4 doors. No problems with mine, except if someone is parked next to you real close. But I try to park it half a mile away from anybody to avoid the usual dents and dings.
4. Gas mileage ought to be better, but I average about 13.5 to 14.0 on an average tank-full. Have gotten as high as 17.0 on the highway.
5. The plastic hub-cap lugs are really cheesy. Mine get loose all the time. Dealer tells me they've been replacing quite a few under warranty.
6. In the last 500 miles, I seem to have developed a little bouncing in the front end going over bumps. Nothing real bad, just a little more steering wheel jerk than before. I'll be taking it in soon to have that looked at.
All in all, I'm very satisfied. It tows my trailer very well.
cfmendenhall@hotmail.com
Search thru the threads for 2500 Silverado or 3/4 ton, i think there is plenty of good conversation. Overall impressions are the engine is great--incredible torque curve for a mid v8 engine--but remember it is not a big block. So depending on the weight of your 29 footer, you may want to opt for a bigger truck--i.e. the Superduty V10 or GM HD 8.1. With 3.73 gear these big trucks can get 14 or 15 mpg, and pull a mountain. The new GM HD will also give you the Allison Transmission, which albeit pricey, will give you a phenomenal powertrain.
I think a 3/4 GM lightduty w/6.0 or 3/4 ton Ford with v10 would be your cheapest option. A GM HD w/ 8.1 and Allison would be the most expensive.
For GM, If the trailer weight is within the limits of the 3/4 ton and the 6.0, you should probably go with the 4.10. Incredible Pulling Power and almost no penalty in mileage.
ask around, there are plenty of owners here.