Uphill Towing Concern/New Tow Vehicle Advice

[hub092593]

I must admit I didn't perform enough research and listened to the salesman's advice when I purchased our first truck. We are towing a 2015 Forest River 2703WS travel trailer with a 1/2 ton truck using weight distribution and sway control. On flat ground I don't have any towing issues, however, going up hills, the truck seems to struggle (at times impossible to go 55mph). We plan to purchase a 3/4 ton tow vehicle, however, I am not sure if a gas powered truck will provide the needed oomph up hills. I know a diesel engine would, however, based on my driving habits (less than 10K/year) and cost to purchase/maintain diesel, I don't believe that is the correct choice for us.

In addition and correct me if I am wrong, torque plays a big role in towing uphill. When reviewing the manufacturer towing guides, I am not really seeing much of a difference in torque from what I currently own and the 3/4 ton gas powered trucks. With that being said, other than the additional cargo and towing capacities, will a new tow vehicle resolve our concern?

Comments from folks with a similar sized trailer and their towing experiences would be appreciated too?

Tow Vehicle
2015 Sierra 1500 SLT
4x4/short bed
6.2L V8 Gas
GVWR: 7600
Payload Capacity: 1924
Towing Capacity: 11800
GCVWR: 17700
Axle Ratio: 3.42
Torque: 460 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm
Horsepower: 420 @ 5600 rpm
Tongue Weight: 800 lb (1200 with weight distribution system)

Travel Trailer
Forest River 2703WS
Dry Weight: 6550
Cargo Capacity: 1099
Hitch Weight: 734 (excluding front end cargo)

[Windjammin]

If you are not happy with the performance of the 6.2L engine now, changing to a 3/4 ton with the same engine will not help you. The 3/4 ton will get you more payload but the HP and torque will be the same as now. The only way to get more torque is to change to a diesel.

[Blender]

I cannot understand how that set up your struggling to maintain 55mph? What mountain ridge are you crossing? Remember rving is about seeing and enjoying the view.

Well one thing that might be of concern and possibly a cheaper fix but a very small sacrifice on fuel economy say a mile or so per gallon is finding a shop that will change you rear end gearing if 4x4 both but will make a hell of an improvement.

I’m just shocked at having the 6.2 and struggling like that? Like the other guy said if you buy a gassed 3/4 ton it’s basically the same setup but with different gearing.. of course leaf springs and stuff. If I were you I’d go test drive one ask them to let you keep it for a day for decision making and swap your hitch pull your trailer and test the same speeds and acceleration.. make note of the test vehicle to see what gearing it has. The larger the number the more torque.

I run a 430 rear end and have plenty to spare. Keep us informed. I’m sure elevation always plays a part but no need to add a vortec supercharger unless it’s still cheaper than the loss on trade for a diesel.

[luker0]

What windjamming. Rear gear ratio may be your problem though.

I currently tow a 24 ft car hauler that gets up to 9,000lbs fully loaded with my 2014 Silverado 1/2 ton with very little issue at 55 mph up hill or not. Rear gear is 3.73 and engine is 5.3L v8.

In my old 3/4 ton Suburban with 6.0L v8 and 4.11 rear gear I'd only notice the trailer on hills

I figured our new 20ft TT that will be around 4,500-5,000 will be a breeze.

[2Evil4U]

Not sure how that truck can't maintain speed with that trailer. My ram 1500 hemi towed my 9500# trailer fine. It needed 4th gear frequently and was overloaded, but never had trouble maintain speed on hills if I put my foot far enough into it.

[cmysstailights]

I have a 15 2500 6.0 with 4.11. The truck pulls in the mountains in ny and i can increase speed and maintain 60mph. The trailer is 38ft little over 10klbs loaded plus i carry about another 7to800 lbs of gas, cargo and people. I traded up from a 14 cc high country 5.3. The downside to diesel in 2500 series is you lose a lot of payload. Yes the truck will do better in the mountains and mpg but the added cost of fuel and maitenance over time for me didnt warrent it. I drive 15000 miles a year roughly

[Kimber45]

you have a camper with a dry weight of 6500 and a truck rated to tow almost 12 and you are worried? the number guys/weight police guys are going to welcome you to the fold.

I wish I would of kept my last camper and stuck with my 1/2 ton truck. now that I have a 3/4 ton truck as a daily driver it sucks on gas and on stiff ride.

[NJKris]

you have a camper with a dry weight of 6500 and a truck rated to tow almost 12 and you are worried? the number guys/weight police guys are going to welcome you to the fold.

Almost spewed my coffee there Kimber!

[EdJunior]

I wonder what exactly the struggle is? Maintaining the speed without downshifting? Trying to keep it in a higher gear and maintain speed? If so, that may be your problem. I don't know about the Chevy's, but with the Fords, they will downshift to the gear needed to maintain the speed. Sometimes this results in some loud whining of the engine as it starts peaking the RPMs. But it is normal for the engine to do that. The gas engines make their torque at the higher RPMs. So I guess we need a little more info on how you are approaching your hill ascents.

One other thing, my towing mileage has decreased a lot recently. In other words, I don't get out quite as often as I did before. But I still bought a new diesel to replace my old one. It may have a bit of a financial downside, but once I hook up my trailer (it's a 5th wheel and bigger and heavier than yours, but still...), I have no regrets with my decision. If you feel you will benefit, even if it's just to make you feel better, you should not rule out the diesel. It's just an additional thought.

[aceinspp]

First welcome to the forum. I'm a little confused also about the set up you have and struggling up hills. You have plenty of truck. Are you using tow haul mode. If not then there is the problem. If your concerned about the high rev of the engine you need not as these engines are designed to do that as that where they make the torque. I had a 2500 3/4 chevy with 6.0 and 4:10 gear and was towing a 9000# tt and walked up grades with ease yes RPM rise and makes a engine scream some but that normal. I now have a 3/4 ton Ram with 6.4 Hemi 3:73 gear and no issues. As you mentioned you do not drive a lot of miles a year so a diesel is really not an option and the cost of fuel here is 68 cents more a gal for diesel. As for your truck I see no reason to upgrade unless something else is going on. Later RJD

[martinto]

2016 Sierra with 6.2 and Max Tow package and 3.42 gear with 1842 lb. payload. Towed cross country in 2016 across the Smokies and Rockies...no problem at all. TT loaded est at 7000+ lbs. used tow haul mode and cruise control...the engine and tranny did all the work, even engine braking going down hill. Some 7% grades and 11000 ft elevation. Maintaining 55 + was no problem on grades. Everything I had expected of my 1/2 ton.

[Blender]

X2

[Mr. Dan]

OP, have you checked your trailer brakes? Something is wrong with this story... maybe something is dragging. My similar truck tows heavier trailers with no issue although I have 2WD with 3.73 rear gears. The 3.42s are standard for that 4WD truck. Any gear changes must be done back end AND front. As has been asked, do you use Tow/Haul mode? You should.

[katkt]

Look at the hp and torque ratings, and the rpms you need to be at to achieve that. Were you ever even close to those rpms? Your motor is only making the performance numbers quoted, when running the @rpms indicated.

I dragged our #7000+ trailer to West Yellowstone and back this summer. My F150 with a 5.4, and 3.55 rear end, had no problems. I say that with the qualifier, when pulling grades, the motor was turning between 3750 and 4000 rpms. Normally, that was around 60 to 65 mph. That’s where gassers make their power. My truck doesn’t make its peak power, until around 5600rpms. It only makes about 350 hp at its max. You have lots to spare. You’re doing something wrong. I refer to what your doing as riding, not driving. Learn to drive the truck.
I’m not picking here. I’ve seen post from guys who had a 250, pulling less weight then me, who couldn’t climb a grade. They bought a 350, because they didn’t think they had enough truck. Learn to drive the truck. It’s not just about keeping it out of the ditches, filling it up with gas, and pressing the flesh with other other guys who sleep better because they have way more truck then they need.

Next time you are in your truck just driving it, like pulling away from a stop light or pulling onto the interstate or an on ramp, keep the accelerator pushed down enough to prevent the truck from upshifting, and watch the tach. When it gets close to 4500rpms, you’ll know what you’re supposed to be hearing when climbing a hill. You may think the truck is going to blow up. I imagine the redline on your motor is closer to 6000rpms, if not above. At 4500rpms, you aren’t even close to anything traumatic. What the motor is doing, is singing it’s own beautiful harmony of POWER. Sweet music. A choir of intake and exhaust. A chorus of mechanical rhythms.

If your pulling a trailer, make sure the Tow/Haul mode is “On”.
When climbing hills, or when/if the tranny is doing to much shifting up and down(rolling short hills, or bucking wind), turn the Cruise control “Off”. Learn to keep the tranny where you want it, using either the accelerator to hold the gear you need to get up the hill, or the gear selector, if you can pick and choose. On my truck, I can only manually select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The tranny automatically decides the rest. I have to depress the accel enough to get it to downshift to the gear I need to maintain the speed I want. Some newer trannies allow you to select any particular gear, or go to full auto. If yours is like the latter, and your dealing with wind or hills, put it in the gear where it will maintain the speed you want, and drive. That may simply be blocking out the OD top gear, or it may be a gear or so lower, depending on conditions.

Be aware, when the motor is making the sweet music of POWER, you’ll be murdering your gas mileage more then likely.
If you don’t have the fortitude to embrace the crescendos of gasser performance, and have plenty of money, get a diesel. They make their torque numbers at lower rpms. Like the song says, “If you wanna be happy the rest of your life, make a fat woman your wife”
;^D

[Blender]

Wow couldn’t have been better said.

X100

[hub092593]

Thanks to all so far that have responded and to all future posters.

Most likely this is only a driver not having a clue issue. To answer some of your questions....

We live in Western New York and haven't traveled out of state yet. We have stayed close to home until we were more confident with towing, parking and setup. We have camped in Allegany and Letchworth state parks and parts of central NY.

Yes, I am using Tow/Haul mode.

Yes, I am concerned about the high rev of the engine while going up hills and not being able to maintain my speed.

No, I have not checked my trailer brakes.

@katkt, Being the first truck we ever owned, I agree, I am probably riding and not driving it. My tach goes from 0 to 6000 rpms. I do have "manual" (a.k.a. Range selection mode) on the truck. I do have an 8 speed and I am quoting from the owners manual here....

With an 8–speed automatic transmission, hold the plus/minus buttons on the shift lever to select the highest or lowest range available for the current vehicle speed. When the shift lever is moved from D (Drive) to M(Manual Mode), a number displays next to the M, indicating the current transmission range.

This number is the highest gear that the transmission will command while operating in M (Manual Mode). All gears below that number are available. As driving conditions change, the transmission can automatically shift to lower gears. For example, when M5 is selected, 1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears are automatically shifted by the transmission, but 6 (Sixth) cannot be used until the plus/minus button on the shift lever is used to change to the range.

Do you think manual mode will help with my concern?

[Chuck_S]

How steep a grade? Automatic transmission should handle this easily in Drive. Revs may seem high and uncomfortable at first but that's what transmissions do, downshift to supply more torque to the rear axle. Late trucks and proper SUVs have a tow/haul mode that minimizes gear hunting.

No mountains in western NY and the grades are slight even at the bottom of Letchworth. Towed that region many times with the truck in Drive. Yeah, it will downshift. Don't limit the transmission or try to out think it with "manual mode," just let it do what it was designed to do. Tow/haul at the most. Down here in the Old Dominion we get over the Blue Ridge frequently with no panic.

Of course, all my experience is with the Ford 5.4 and 3.5 EcoBoost engines in my Expeditions which handle this region's roads seamlessly.

-- Chuck

[Teetime]

We had a very similar set up in our last F150 and 17BH as far as truck and TT weight.

We got along pretty well on most interstate highways and secondary roads until I crossed Nevada on Rt 50 crossing summit after summit after summit...made me feel pretty sorry for my truck.

I found that getting a good run and then coasting over the summit helped, but it was a game changer. When we upgraded we went 3/4, and set up to pull no more than about 70 percent of capacity, also went diesel.

It pulls like a dream, hardly ever downshifts and makes a much more confident and safe drive not to mention the downhill engine braking and heavier chassis.

[JohnD10]

I have a 2015 Chevy 2500HD with the 6.0L gas engine and 4:10 rear end.

If you go to a 3/4-ton...that (or the GMC) is the GM that will fit the bill!

Your issue with the current truck is the rear axle...

My 5'ver weighs around 9800 pounds loaded and I pull through the Rocky Mountains with ease.

As for the manual shift mode...I do use it a lot when climbing or downhill in the mountains.

[KRedburn]

What katkt said.

Learn to Drive the truck

When climbing a grade watch rpm and the temp gauge.
shift manually to maintain your rpm at least 3/4 of max. If your temperature starts to get near the top of your "normal" range you will have to back out of the throttle.

Agreed that your gas mileage will go to fertilizer.

If that doesn't work you will have to consider different gearing in the rear (if 4x4 in front and rear)