Towing tips for SUVs

swschrad · October 2003

if you've got the towing package, you're probably equipped OK. you should be able to check old Edmunds reviews or data sheets and find out what the equipment was (assuming you didn't keep the sales floor brochure when you bought it, like I do.) the manual will probably identify the major features of the towing package as differences in the service section.

certainly, something they all put in the towing package is extra cooling for the transmission. your ordinary AT "radiator" has a big radiator in it with glycol and big hoses, and a smaller cooling radiator with small stainless-steel lines that cools the transmission. in a towing package, there is a third radiator yet that connects to the transmission lines as well. you might even have a mousepad-sized engine oil cooler if they figured anybody would be serious about towing something.

shocks and springs are generally also part of the package, as are upgraded brakes. many towing packages also put a larger battery and alternator in. all include the wiring changes to drop a harness for at least a four-wire light connection in the back. it is also general that a higher gear ratio is put in the axle... trading top speed for torque.

degree and amount of changes differ depending on what the base build of the vehicle was before the towing package was added. but unless you are at the vehicle's upper limits up and down hills all day long with a tow, you shouldn't have to add anything else, except maybe a brake controller and the proper drawbar and hitch for the load.

just keep up the maintenance, check things before hitching up (I also slide underneath and look at the suspension stuff -- I had a jammed spring bolt in back from assembly that just rattled with a half-inch of free play that I had to cut off and replace, glad I checked), and drive safely. sounds like you should be ready to rumble.

swschrad · October 2003

well, a pickup will be cheaper because it doesn't have the extra upholstery and body work of the tahoe. there are also probably more pickups in texas equipped to tow near the max payload than tahoes, which also helps the price side.

as a daily driver, I found pickups OK... but depends. for a single guy, no problem. if you have a family to haul around, and groceries you'd rather keep cool and out of the dust, the tahoe would have the edge.

plan on using a WD (equalizing) hitch with your load, and don't forget the safety chains. I was starting to pass a closed race hauler once years ago, and held back because something wasn't looking right. just then the hitch ball broke off, and the trailer jiggled, then took off like a bat from Hell hard left, across the deep-trenched median, and popped up into the three lanes of opposite-direction traffic. having the safety chains on, and also electric brakes with a breakaway switch instead of a surge brake, would have prevented that danger. the mess would have been limited to where the trailer came off.

not to mention, I wouldn't have lit my tires up with the brakes

paisan · October 2003

I tow a 4500lb car-trailer with my 2000 Trooper. It does well, but am considering a diesel PU to replace it at some point. You can probably get away with less than a 2500 series truck. What I did on mine was I added in air-lift airbags to the rear coil springs. This made a big difference in the towing, I didn't get that sag in the rear. As for temps, they never move, but the Trooper came equipped with a tow package as standard equipment on all of them.

I find that over 80mph it can get a bit squirrily, I'm thinking of investing in a Weight Distributing hitch as well.

-mike

jerrywimer · November 2003

Are you guys sure that the tow package adds anthing beyond the rear connector for the Trailblazer? I have an '03, 3.73 rear, 4WD, standard wheelbase (not EXT), and the only thing I have extra over a base TB (without optional gear) is the rear connector for trailer wiring harnesses. Digging around a bit, I don't see anything anywhere that says GM / Chevy includes an extra trans cooler or anything like that as part of a tow package for the TB either. Basically, the only thing I find at all for these vehicles is the option to add the connector (seems to be standard on the LT, optional on the LS, but included in the packages).

The reason I ask is that I'm military, getting close to another change of station, and I plan to tow my second vehicle ('92 Toyota Corolla). The total weight of this vehicle + a UHaul carrier is going to be around 4500lbs (+ myself, wife, 2 children, other personal items in the TB itself). I figured I'll be close to the TB's rated towing limit on this move (5800lbs), and I'll be using an Equalizer WD / antisway hitch for the trip. But I'm still in the planning phases for other equipment I'll need. At the moment, I've scratched an electric brake controller off my list (I want one, but won't use it with the UHaul, since it has surge brakes, so this item will wait until later). I'm considering scratching off the transmission cooler based on previous posts in this forum that indicate Chevy saying the warranty would possibly be voided (because it's already built to deal with the load as listed in the owners' manual).

All info and feedback on this vehicle and towing is appreciated.

twinbladesz · December 2003

Some good info here. When it gets closer to me replacing my Explorer I will have to check back in here for advice. The wife wants a Travel Trailer with a base weight of 7,055lbs. The vehicle I want to purchase to tow this load is a PF Armada which supposedly has a 9100lb towing capacity with a Class IV hitch. The only things left in the Trailer when not in use will be towels, washrags LP gas, some spices, soap. I'm hoping that these plus whatever options add about 7-800 lbs but no more. we usually travel with a bag each so the payload wont be anywhere near its limit.

paisan · December 2003

What about a Diesel crew-cab? I've been toting around a 5000lb car trailer behind gas-powered trucks this past summer (trooper, suburban, etc) and they all suck down gas like crazy. I'm leaning toward diesel for my next truck just for gas milage.

-mike

twinbladesz · December 2003

Pay 20-30k for a vehicle then have to pay more to cover up the back. Not my idea of fun lol.

paisan · December 2003

I hear yah. Same here, except with burning up a ton in gas, I've come to realize that it's a PU Diesel or pay out the butt for gas. I'm trying to hold out though, cause supposedly there will be Diesel versions of the Burban and/or Yukon soon.

-mike

twinbladesz · December 2003

Isnt too much of a big deal to me as having an open bed truck. Nissan could shove a diesel into their Armada/Titan vehicles but dont want to go "first" compared to the Domestics. I truely would rather have a diesel but I can wait since it wont be for at lest 2 years before I get the new truck and then the trailer.

paisan · December 2003

I'm on the same schedule, about 2 years before I get a replacement for the trooper. By then hopefully there will be an SUV with a Diesel.

-mike

twinbladesz · December 2003

Besides that Excursion beast. That thing is huge and ugly in my opinion and is useless in the City. Kinda like owning an H2 in NY but yet and still I see at least one a day. I'm also very surprised to see ALOT of Porsche Cayenne's rolling about. Everywhere I go there one is lol.

paisan · December 2003

I'm in NYC too, i'd love a Trooper sized diesel. I'm hopefully gonna hold out for a tahoe sized one in a few years.

-mike

andre1969 · January 2004

hey gang, does anybody know what the towing capacity of a stock 1985 Chevy Silverado 1/2 ton pickup would be? Regular cab, 8 foot bed, 305 V-8, 3-speed automatic (I think its a TH350). I think the rear-end is a 2.56:1, but I'm not sure. It tends to downshift a lot and depend on the lower gears on hard acceleration, so I'd presume that means it's something fairly tall.

Reason I'm asking is that I might be having to tow a 1980 Chrysler Cordoba on a dolly. I dunno how much a dolly weighs, but I'd guess the Cordoba'd weigh around 3500-3600 lb? Would this truck be capable?

paisan · January 2004

You'd need a better hitch than the bumper one, and you'd also want to get a flatbed trailer with brakes on it as the stockers will likely not handle it.

-mike

paisan · January 2004

Well, had an interesting incident today. I hooked up my trailer and haven't towed in a while. Forgot to latch the socket to the ball and drove off. 2 blocks away the trailer is barreling toward the back of my truck. Luckily the safety chains worked 100% the way they are supposed to and stopped the trailer from getting loose! Took us about 2 min to re-connect it properly.

-mike

twinbladesz · January 2004

D'oh lol good thing for those chains dude.

paisan · January 2004

Never thought I'd have to use em. Was glad that they actually worked however.

-mike

tkevinblanc · January 2004

A buddy of mine once hooked up my utility trailer (which has pretty long chains) and gave the thumbs up. I drove away, went over a bump, heard a clank, looked back in time to see the tongue of the trailer raising up. I accelerated, the chains snapped the tongue down, then I braked so the trailer tongue would slide under the Trooper, which it did. I was suprised that the force of the trailer on the chains bent the the chain hookups on my Hidden Hitch, but that was the only damage. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Now I always check myself, twice, before driving off.

swschrad · January 2004

at every stop, etc, blah blah blah DIRE WARNING! OBEY OR DIE!

I've been lucky in my endeavors to not have to rely on the chains, but I've almost been hit by runaways that didn't have them connected on vehicles in the next lane over.

btw, believe it when they say cross the chains under the trailer tongue. that way, if you play smart and do the trick above so a loose trailer doesn't crash through the back end of your tow vehicle, the tongue can't ever snap down all the way to pavement and dig in. as they say in TV Guide, hilarity ensues. NOT.

I guess in that circumstance, I'd use the manual handle on my electric brake controller as the lone brake control (assuming I wasn't renting something like a car trailer with a surge brake) to slow the whole rig before doing anything like trying to stop. that's what the stone tablets that came with the Kelsey-Hayes controllers recommended. brake system rebuilds are cheap.

but again, using over-rated balls and hitches and poking at all the connections until we got laughed at, neither Dad or I have ever had a load breakaway problem.

ntruroman · February 2004

Hi. I recently bought a 24-foot boat. It's 5300 pounds including trailer. I am looking at a Suburban to tow it, and have one in my sights. Problem - it's 2WD. I've been using my (underpowered) Expedition to pull old, our smaller boat. This new boat requires a stronger tow vehicle, hence the Suburban. (2500, 8.1 Liter) My question is: Am I gonna need 4WD to haul this thing out of the water and up a wet (potentially slick) ramp, or will the 2WD work fine? I had 4WD on the Ford, but never really needed it. But with a boat this size - I'm just not sure.
I need advice based on real experience, not a guess. Thanks very much.

sub9904 · March 2004

I have a 2500 Suburban 2x4 with 4.10. Used to tow about a 7500lb boat combo. Never really had a problem getting up a ramp even at a very low tide. Couple of tricks you can do. One is go in at a slight angle. You get a little better traction on the groves. Engage the parking brake just a bit. Not sure why but it will lock up your front tires so you get better traction. If you have to you can always get a couple of guys to stand on the back bumper. In 6 years though I never go stuck.

paisan · March 2004

Locks the rear wheels, what it does actually is pre-loads the rear LSD so that it engages quicker. Offroaders use this trick as well.

-mike

swschrad · March 2004

what you want to do is get SOME friction back there to get the fronts pulling. you'll be pulling lots of dead weight.. the whole vehicle, the boat, the bait and beer buckets, PLUS the added drag of the tires on the ramp... if you actually lock those rears. you want to load 'em, yes, but you want the rears able to turn IMHO.

in slippery conditions on RWD when one wheel wanted to break loose and spin with full engine power, I used to figure out at the start of the season how many "clicks" of the park brake would keep the right wheel from running wild in a slimy parking lot. and if I got into issues at intersections, etc., I'd just click that number into the pedal and leave it in for a couple blocks or so, until the next red light, and test it again.

I push a lot of wheel spinners out of drifts at our apartment, and have had to lean in and click in the hand brake on lots of those young guns to keep them helping me, not making ice under the tires.

with AWD on my exploder, I still lock out the OD in winter weather, and shift down to second as well if there's any indication from the ABS of slipping. that way, I'm using engine braking as part of the package, as well. if you're trying to pull off a steep ramp in drive, shift it down, it helps.

paisan · March 2004

Lock may not be the optimal word, you want to put some brake pressure on the rear to get the LSD to lock the left and right wheels together and power both of them.

-mike

juniper · March 2004

We've just bought a horse trailer (weighs about 2700lbs) and have 2 horses each about 1200lbs. Currently we have a 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee which we don't think will be man enough (it's done 150,000 miles). Anyone have any recommendations for a vehicle that could handle this type of load? We only have 1 vehicle so would use it for everyday as well.

paisan · March 2004

I've found that towing a lot will result in you wanting a diesel engine for the MPG.

-mike

swschrad · March 2004

which may be important if you're trailering in nasty ground, launching off steep boat ramps, or getting a really heavy load away from the stop light before you run out of fuel.

the down sides are the fumes staying in the garage and coating everything with that nasty oily soot and the noise as the engine wears in.

oh, yes, you also pay a big price premium for that heavier diesel engine when you buy it.

paisan · March 2004

Hmm the Duramax seems pretty quiet and haven't seen any smoke from them recently. The Cummins in the dodge is very "clacky" I think.

-mike

shieatt · July 2004

We have a 2003 Suburban 1500 LT with tow package and Autoride and 3.73 ratio. We had an electric brake control installed. Max trailer rating states 7200 pounds.

Father-in-law bought a 7100 pound travel trailer and said we were free to use anytime - mentioned that the salesman said our Suburban could pull it. Obviously, with a few people and bags in the truck, we exceed the max rating, probably by 100-200 pounds at least.

We hooked it up this past weekend to try it out at the campground that is 2 miles from where he stores it. Used his weight distributing hitch and anti-sway bar. Seemed to pull just fine, but we were thinking of pulling it 3 hours away down I-75 through Kentucky - pretty hilly. Do you think it is safe to do so if we keep it at around 55-60 mph? I really don't want to trade in for a 2500 to pull this trailer once or twice a year. I am comfortable with safety in terms of stability, etc., but am concerned about abnormal strain on engine and transmission.

li_sailor · July 2004

Well, look who turned up here ;-)

I have no experience with the Sub to know how much "margin" it may have with overtowing, but that sounds like you're cutting it a bit close. A few folks and some luggage would be more than 200 lbs, depending on who/how man/how big, etc.

A few times a year doesn't matter...you don't want to burn up that Sub 1500. Then you'd have to go out and get a MV ;-)

Hopefully, someone who has towing experience with a Sub can give you the straight scoop.

shieatt · July 2004

Well hello there sailor... nice to hear from you. I had to start staying away from the "I hate SUV" board... it was taking too much of my time!

Doesn't it figure that I bought a big SUV and the first time I get a chance to use it's stiff frame for what it's made for, the trailer might be too heavy! What a crock.

Speaking of minivans, that new Chrysler looks pretty interesting... perhaps all that storage in the floor would compensate for the storage limitations behind the rear seat.

hammerhead · July 2004

Steve: See my reply in the Suburban/YXL thread. Hope it helps.

Cheers!
Paul

li_sailor · July 2004

I assume you mean this one: hammerhead "GMC Yukon XL/Chevy Suburban" Jul 13, 2004 4:50pm

Good reply, good advice.

hammerhead · July 2004

That would be the one!
Thanks for the props.
All experiential learning

Cheers!
Paul

paisan · July 2004

Is that it's ok, since I think the larger towing capacity is related to the frame and suspension not the strain on the motor and driveline.

-mike

stever · July 2004

Top 10 Vehicles for Towing

Steve, Host

li_sailor · July 2004

There are some real eye-poppers on that list. Good stuff, mostly.

OTOH, the bottom 3 are a bit suspect. For a sedan, the Elantra can pull an amazing amount (over 3000 lbs), but there are dozens of other vehicles that can tow more than that.

Sounds like the Top Ten Discussions list...more like My Top Ten Most Interesting Tow Vehicles ;-)

kittenbear · February 2005

I am going to tow a 2000lbs trailer with my 2003 Pathfinder (V6 240HP 4WD) from east coast to west coast. The planned trip is about 5-day/2500mi, 99% interstate highway. I had Uhaul class III tow hitch installed. But my SUV does not have an additional transmission cooler. The trailer does not have its own brake system. The total weight of the trailer should be around 2000lbs when loaded. I havent done towing a whole lot; maybe some folks here could share your experience.

1. Is long distance towing a threat to the longevity of my Pathfinder?

2. Should I install a transmission cooler? I prefer not to, and I wont drive faster than 70mi/hour when towing.

3. Should I turn off over-drive all the time? When should I turn on/off O/D?

I appreciate your inputs. Once the trip is done, Ill follow-up my experience and how my pathfinder hold up.

explorerx4 · February 2005

just my unprofessional opinion, you should be fine towing a 2k trailer with your pathy. leave the od off. it could save you a bit of gas, but it's more chancy as far as your transmission goes.

you want the weight to be more towards the front of the trailer than the rear.

you shouldn't need trailer brakes, but allow extra distance for stopping.

you may notice some back and forth influence from the trailer at lower speeds.

if your trailer is a bit taller than your truck, it will smooth out as the wind pushes against the top of the trailer.

good luck with your trip.

stever · February 2005

Some states (like Idaho and California) require trailer brakes if the trailer weighs more than 1500 pounds (link). 3,000 pounds seems to be the more common minimum.

If you have an accident in those states without required equipment, you may have insurance coverage issues, in addition to any hassle a cop may give you. Probably wouldn't hurt to ask your insurance agent about your plans.

Steve, Host

4rider · March 2005

I see RVs towing a compact car or a Jeep all the time. I am assuming the towed car has not brake in operation. How does the (CA)state brake laws apply to situation like this?

stever · March 2005

Excellent question. Any dinghy towers here?

Steve, Host

tidester · March 2005

I believe that the operator is required to hook cables to the towed vehicle that activate its brake lights when the operator applies the brakes in the RV.

tidester, host

stever · March 2005

That operate the dinghy vehicle's brakes. RV dealers know all about them I guess. Here's one link. It sounds like the towed vehicle will need brakes just like a trailer would.

Steve, Host

hammerhead · March 2005

The gizmo is a 12V compressor that sits on the driver's floor board of the dinghy, with a bar that attaches to the brake pedal. It operates similar to trailer surge brakes - it senses the momentum change when the RV driver brakes, and uses accumulated air pressure to apply a proportional amount of brakes on the dinghy. Requires a hot 12V outlet in the dinghy. The compressor unit isn't cheap, but maybe EBay has 'em.

We towed our Subaru behind our class C MH for years, without braking systems, and had no troubles. Anything bigger or heavier back there would have needed it.

Cheers!
Paul

stever · March 2005

Anyone here discuss towing with their insurance company? What happens if you have a wreck and the company decides that you were towing something heavier than the manufacturer recommended?

Steve, Host

ghill · April 2005

You seem really knowlegeable about towing so I thought I'd post this question.....
I am looking for information on a front hitch for a 1997 Town and Country. I've got an idea for a hitch extention that will allow me to carry a long load on the roof. I want to carry a 26 foot sailboat mast. Does anyone know how/where to look for the front hitch unit?

Thanks
Greg

steveeast · April 2005

Try http://www.hitch-web.com ,they're pretty helpful...

kyleb972 · April 2005

I am looking to purchase a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder to tow a 2005 Zeppelin Z241 travel trailer that weighs 3800 dry. The Pathfinder has a 5000lbs tow limit. Am I silly to purchase a Pathfinder to tow this trailer? I will not be hauling the trailer with water or crap in the tanks.

Please advise. Thank you!

-Kyle

18466 · June 2005

I would not tow a 3800 lb travel trailer with a Pathfinder rated at 5000 lbs. Have recently had problems towing a 3900 lb boat with a Honda Pilot rated at 4500 lbs.

Been doing some research in the last few days, and from some RV and boat forums they state that they would not tow over 75% of the rated weight of their tow vehicle. This is to protect the drivetrain and safety. I would look for a larger vehicle.

Towing tips for SUVs

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