need advice on truck

[mj0528]

After reading this forum, I don't really consider the 5.3 (what I have as a hoss) but it would pull that well. Without hills, it pulls my 5800 lb. dry trailer well. I do have 3.73 and a Lew tune and I forgot to put it in tow mode last time until a few miles down the road. Shifted to manual to see what gear I was in and it was in 6th. Once I hit hills, it struggles on the big ones. It makes it though and will last until I upgrade.

[Beauty and Beast]

All of the money you will spend trying to make this truck work might be better used to purchase a good used 2500 which you will be much happier with I am sure.

[mj0528]

Originally Posted by Beauty and Beast

All of the money you will spend trying to make this truck work might be better used to purchase a good used 2500 which you will be much happier with I am sure.

Most definitely! Sometimes you just got to get by with what you got. I was duped by the salesman but I did realize that the 5.3 was the lowest I would go to pull what I thought was a 5000lb wet trailer per my brother. When I got it, I got super nervous about it and still do. I spend hours researching weights even though I've pulled it 4 times now to parks that are 3 hours away. Truck will have to do and the equalizer definitely helps me with the safe factor as I pulled the trailer home (20 miles) without it and a 308 the first time. It was an eye opening experience to say the least. The money I've spent helped a ton but nothing like a 2500 would I'm sure. Truck may go away in the next year though since the wife and I really love camping. She's talking about pulling a boat and a trailer. She threw the idea out about a 1 ton so I have buy in now but for now, I make do.

Sorry to hijack but many have found theirselves in this same situation

[A32Deuce]

I think one of the problems are the engine size being metric. The kid know this crap and car guys do some, but others don't realise size does matter. That is torque and horse power. Unless there is something making extra boost, size does matter. 5.3 is not that much bigger then a 302 cid, and a few years ago no one would tow anything big with that.

[howie70]

Originally Posted by A32Deuce

I think one of the problems are the engine size being metric. The kid know this crap and car guys do some, but others don't realise size does matter. That is torque and horse power. Unless there is something making extra boost, size does matter. 5.3 is not that much bigger then a 302 cid, and a few years ago no one would tow anything big with that.

The 5.3 would be closer to the 327 than the 302. The 327 in its time was a strong engine for the Novas,Vette's etc. Of course no one is pulling a camper with those ( I don't think). Regardless, the OP doesn't have the 5.3, he has the 4.8.

[A32Deuce]

Was just using that as an example. I know the op, has smaller!

[Jmkjr72]

Gear swap. The 3.23 are killing you. Even with a 5.7 and 3.73 I wish I had 4.10s in the suburban. Tire size also plays a huge role if it's running the larger tire options that hurts your gear ratio even more

[JCDMeyer]

Originally Posted by mwaters45

Sorry to say, as a Chevrolet truck salesman, your salesman did you a poor service. The truck with the 4.8L engine was not really built to tow. The 5.3 is a "hoss". You might try to trade up for a good low milage used one.

Go to wonder why the 4.8L came with a tow package and trailer hitch. Mine pulls my boat like it's not there. Add 2500 pounds and make it a 11' tall box and it's a little harder to get down the road. It turns 2600 RPMs @ 60mph. 11mpg in central Ohio.

The 4.8 can and does tow, just not everything.

As a veteran truck driver, I Submit that the height and boxy front of my camper makes it harder to pull than the weight. I pull 80,000 lb. tankers and they are much easier to pull than a 80,000 lb. box.

[510Rick]

I had a little half-ton 2wd GMC with a 4.8L I loved that truck but it wouldn't even wanna haul my dirt bikes or little Malibu Skier . It also had the 3.23 axle ratio and it was great for no load driving because I could get 20 mpg out of it but any significant weight really sucked . I got used to being down a gear and manually shifting it when towing but I always knew I was putting lipstick on a pig .

[510Rick]

Originally Posted by larryandamy

I agree that your truck could be bigger, but you are within specs.
Go to a good transmission shop and ask them how much for them to put in the biggest transmission cooler they can. Should only be $300 to $400.
I am sure you have the towing package which includes a factory transmission cooler.
BUT
If you don't have the towing package with the extra factory cooler, then your transmission is on borrowed time.

I always add as much tranny cooling as I can and this extends the life more than anything else you can do.

Those trannys are on borrowed time anyway . The cooler will help but wont make up for the fact the those trannys are soft.

[Iwannacamp]

I don't think there was a weaker truck produced than the 1983 C-10 short-narrow 250 cid(integrated) 3 spd column mounted shift I had. I put a M-21 ?? granny 4-speed in there later and at some point the rear end cross pin came out (thank you GM) and I changed the axle... it was a 2.73:1 ratio differential. Are you crazy GM? I wanted an RV back then and the deciding factor was I pulled a small 4-wheeler trailer to Camp Albert Pike(Narrows lake) and it was on the floor half the way there. I got a 3/4T 360 cid, FI Dodge 2500 with 4.10:1 gears... man the difference.

[bshort]

As stated before, only real thing to do is a gear swap. Cooler, tune, etc. alone isn't going to do anything. Gear swap and a cooler is the ticket. Probably looking at around 1K at a rear end shop. I've done 2 gear swaps and can attest that it makes a world of difference.

[RandM]

Thanks for all the replies, I am now leaning towards either a gear swap or getting another truck, also my gas milage is really bad with this truck, I thought with this trailer I would get better than 8 MPG