Towing with a Pickup - weight?

Bird · Apr 27, 2005

( have towed all sorts of trailers with all sorts of weights with pickups over the decades )

Me, too, . . . not just pickups, but cars as well. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif My first was hauling heavy garbage to the dump with a single axle trailer behind a '46 Chevy 2-door sedan with one of those bumper hitches that clamped onto the rear bumper. And I used to tow my Dad's 16' boat with a 35hp outboard behind a '62 Austin Healey Sprite (no one made a trailer hitch for that car, but a mechanic friend was a pretty good welder /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif). I even rented a U-Haul trailer once to move to a new residence with that little car. U-Haul wouldn't even let you rent one of their trailers with such a small vehicle now-a-days. I pulled an 18' travel trailer with a '70 Olds 88 and later with a '72 Chrysler Town & Country station wagon.

I always get a kick out of reading threads such as this one. The original post asked about pulling with a half ton pickup, but didn't say which engine and transmission it has. However, he did say 5 or 10 miles maximum on back roads. I guess "back roads" can mean different things in different areas; hilly, flat, straight, winding, paved, unpaved, other traffic or not, etc. Now, like many of the other responses here, I would prefer a heavy duty truck and I prefer staying within the manufacturers' ratings, but I would also probably go ahead and tow it with that truck under the conditions he mentioned (it may even be within the truck's rated capacity).

CurtisB · Apr 28, 2005

I don't know that I can agree with the fact that if you are technically within the limits that you should do it continuously. I would say you can pull something 6000lbs. with a 1/2 ton pickup occasionally but don't do it often. I had a 99 Chevy Silverado 1/2 ton with 5.3 gas engine up til 2yrs. ago. After many trips pulling a 4000lb. camper and many trips pulling snowmobiles to the northwoods the transmission took a crap at 60K miles. These new gas engines in my mind are crap! They say they produce such and such torque but it is at 4000RPM so the minute you start an incline with that 4000lb. trailer the darn tranny shifts to 3rd and your RPM sky rockets. This is not good for the tranny. Even with GM's tow haul mode it does this thus if you are smart you just drive in drive vs. OD and watch the fuel gage go down.

I personally agree with others and think that if you are to pull any significant weight you should have a vehicle that is rated much higher than what you are pulling.

I personally pull a 11K fifth wheel with my 2003 Chevy 2500HD diesel and can take it up a 6 degree grade and not leave OD. Now, that is the way to pull!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif It sure likes to smoke though sometimes /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Soundguy · Apr 28, 2005

( As long as your within the rated towing capacity and trailer rating you will be ok with D.O.T.

My 99 Silverado 5.3 is rated at 8800#, )

I agree. I pull with a yukon xl, 5.3 Pulls great. I also pullwith my dodge ram with 5.9 pulls like nothing is behind it. Electric brakes are nice. Panic stops are doable, fully loaded. ( fuel consumptionon the dodge / 5.9l is expen$ive!! )

Soundguy

Jagmandave · Apr 28, 2005

I towed one of those small Uhaul trailers that looks like a mini horse trailer with my Porsche 914, from Denver to California. It handled the weight just fine, but on Raton pass I was down to second gear at about redline - had to stop just over the top to let her cool off a bit! I took off the ruber bumper cover and attached their hitch to the metal bumper bars - but I had to chain boom those down, they had "shock absorbers" built in as part of the damage absorbtion scheme.
I also once towed a car that weighed the same as the tow car from St. Louis to KC, using a 10 foot chain - at night! Neither of these were good ideas, and now that I'm older and wiser, I would never attempt such a stupid thing............you like to think you get at least a little smarter as you grow older......... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

texbaylea · Apr 28, 2005

CurtisB

You just pointed out the problem in towing with GM auto trans. For 20 years I have used GM light trucks and suburban but I have always put in a shift kit to get rid of the soft shifts. They dilberately shift with reduced pressure on the clutch packs which wears them like crazy. With full pressure shifts the wear goes down, life goes up. Yes, you feel the shifts but I don't mind that. I am not sure but it is possible the tow/haul pack does the same thing. My current tow vehicle is a '93 GM k2500HD turbo diesel with 3.73 rear end, GCWR about 12000. Not overly fast but works great.

Vernon

HuckBB62 · Apr 29, 2005

Wanted to add a side note here. My buddy complained about his toy hauler pushing his truck around. Turns out, he never adjusts his trailer brakes! Depending on your brakes, his were electric drum, it's worth a look.

Another thing that will die on a half ton, if towing near or over it's limit, is that the rear end will die unless the fluid is changed frequently (I use Royal Purple) A big tranny cooler sure helps the tranny.

Moon · Apr 29, 2005

( I used to tow my Dad's 16' boat with a 35hp outboard behind a '62 Austin Healey Sprite )

My neighbor had a 62 Austin Healey. I loved that car, and would go for rides with the girl next door whenever I got the chance. I was only 13 and itching to get behind the wheel, but never got the chance. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Bird, I replied to your post for more than just the Austin Healey reference ...again your wisdom shines through. Alot depends on the specifics of the truck in question and the 'back roads' he would tow on. From what we know so far, I would try it once and see how it towed.

JagmanDave - I got a chuckle from your post. I was much safer than you were ....we used a 15 foot rope. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I had my brother tow me in a broken down Porche 914 to the repair shop. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif We did it in the daytime, but what a scary ride. I thought 15' would be plenty of room for braking and such while being towed; man was I wrong. We were an accident waiting to happen. Lady luck was definetly shining down on us that day!

Moon of Ohio