2013 Silverado 1500 Z71

[freeman]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

I have an 08 Silverado 2500HD diesel. It does not ride badly at all. My friends with Fords think it rides much better than theirs. It also pulls our 12000 lb 5er quite easily, even up and down grades.

Just a thought............

Let's trade trucks

Just a thought.....

In about 5yrs when all my kids are teens/adults I may get a bigger truck and give my oldest my half ton. Right now I'm trying to get started with baby steps, so i'm searching for a good half ton 'light weight trailer' to have fun and gain some experience pulling. It really sucks that it sounds like my truck will not tow it's factory recommend max load safely.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by freeman

Let's trade trucks

Just a thought.....

In about 5yrs when all my kids are teens/adults I may get a bigger truck and give my oldest my half ton. Right now I'm trying to get started with baby steps, so i'm searching for a good half ton 'light weight trailer' to have fun and gain some experience pulling. It really sucks that it sounds like my truck will not tow it's factory recommend max load safely.

It isn't that it will not pull it, it is stopping it, particularly in an emergency that is the trouble. You can pull the Space Shuttle with yours....you just can't stop it!

[510Rick]

Not only is it dangerous to stop that kind of weight any type of evasive maneuvering is going to be really sketchy with that much trailer and a half ton truck . What ever decision you make please err on the side of caution .

[freeman]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

It isn't that it will not pull it, it is stopping it, particularly in an emergency that is the trouble. You can pull the Space Shuttle with yours....you just can't stop it!

Hah, what I'd like to see is a half ton towing/stopping a trailer around 9500lbs or the factory recommended max load in the mountains or on some kind of realistic terrain. I don't think many are going to be pulling a load in a straight line on a flat road You could stop the shuttle if you had control of the shuttle brakes?

[jtesta1]

You may be able to pull it but I'm sure glad i won't be riding with you.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by freeman

I thought about that, but the wife was not to happy about hauling a trailer with 4 kids eventhough her max trailer load is 9500.

And if I just wanted to go camping with 2 of the kids, I couldn't get the quads up without her.

Sounds like I need a bigger truck for the weekends, however I hear they ride bad for a daily commuter.

We have an Escape, Excursion, and an F350 diesel. The F350 is my daily driver even if the other 2 arein the garage. The F350 gets more mpg than the Excursion. The 2 big vehicles ride about the same unless going over rr tracks or speed bumps. The F350 is 9 months old and pushing 40,000 miles. It rides no different than the F250 I had prior and cost less. Go big and get what you want all at once as you will in the end anyway.

[freeman]

Originally Posted by jtesta1

You may be able to pull it but I'm sure glad i won't be riding with you.

You might not be riding with me but you might be driving next to me

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by freeman

You might not be riding with me but you might be driving next to me

Not next to ~~ far ahead of you is where I'd be.

[elchilero53]

CaptnJohn is right on the money. Get a 1 ton. Whether a 3500 HD or an F350 Super Duty. As for a trailer that can be towed by a 1500, you are pretty much limited to 25 to 26 feet and maximum GVWR of the TT at 80% of your maximum tow rating or about 7600 lbs or so. Anything larger/heavier you should go up to the 1 ton, especially if you are dealing with a toy hauler.

I'm currently towing a 25 ft Palomino SolAire 7 with a 1500 Silverado with the 6.2L and an 8-speed. Scale weight is 5000 with a full FW tank and our camping gear that stays with the TT. The yellow sticker showed 4410 with no water which is really close to what the scale showed.

The key part of your research should be a trip to the CAT Scale with a full tank of fuel and all the kids loaded. Prepare for a shock. The numbers you will see will be different than what you were posting earlier. Still, this is critical data for planning what trailer you can safely tow.

[freeman]

Originally Posted by elchilero53

CaptnJohn is right on the money. Get a 1 ton. Whether a 3500 HD or an F350 Super Duty. As for a trailer that can be towed by a 1500, you are pretty much limited to 25 to 26 feet and maximum GVWR of the TT at 80% of your maximum tow rating or about 7600 lbs or so. Anything larger/heavier you should go up to the 1 ton, especially if you are dealing with a toy hauler.

Thank you! Does it feel different when the trailer is a few feet longer but around the same lbs? So if i found a light weight trailer at max load loaded around 7500lbs and its 30ft would it handle ok or should you stay around 25ft?

It took me about a week of practice just backing up my 10ft ATV trailer. It was very weird at first.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by freeman

Thank you! Does it feel different when the trailer is a few feet longer but around the same lbs? So if i found a light weight trailer at max load loaded around 7500lbs and its 30ft would it handle ok or should you stay around 25ft?

It took me about a week of practice just backing up my 10ft ATV trailer. It was very weird at first.

The longer the trailer the bigger the sail for wind to catch. Even a breeze on 30' or more without the suspension is felt. I have an f350 and 43' camper. No way would I be comfy with a TT that long but the 5er is easily managed

[prestonj12]

Not enough truck. My Stealth with two quads in it with 106 gallons of water and 20 gallons of fuel in the toy tank goes damn near 10,000 lbs. I switched from a K2500 gasser to a Duramax. I'm in Idaho, so I don't get to drive on the flat much. I'll never go back to gas. The diesel is a more pleasant, stress free towing experience. No more foot to the floor on a 7% grade at 45 mph pushing red line in 2nd gear with trans temps climbing. The diesel let's me set the cruise and forget about it. Uphill or downhill, set a safe speed on the cruise control and enjoy the ride. Plus my mileage is better overall with the oil burner! My gasser with 4.10 gears would get 6-7 mpg towing. The Duramax gets 10 towing. Not pulling, up to 20 mpg with the diesel where the gasser never did better than 14.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by prestonj12

Not enough truck. My Stealth with two quads in it with 106 gallons of water and 20 gallons of fuel in the toy tank goes damn near 10,000 lbs. I switched from a K2500 gasser to a Duramax. I'm in Idaho, so I don't get to drive on the flat much. I'll never go back to gas. The diesel is a more pleasant, stress free towing experience. No more foot to the floor on a 7% grade at 45 mph pushing red line in 2nd gear with trans temps climbing. The diesel let's me set the cruise and forget about it. Uphill or downhill, set a safe speed on the cruise control and enjoy the ride. Plus my mileage is better overall with the oil burner! My gasser with 4.10 gears would get 6-7 mpg towing. The Duramax gets 10 towing. Not pulling, up to 20 mpg with the diesel where the gasser never did better than 14.

X2, What he said^^^^^ I live in Louisiana...FLAT...but just climbing the Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge Id be at 35 MPH in my old gasser. The DMax climbs it as if it is not there.