2500 avalance

kid rok

New Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Location
georgia
I have a 2500 avalance with an 8.1 not sure about trans. I use it alot to pull my rig with I have even towed it to Moab with it. What I would like to do is make it a better tow rig. These are my want to upgrades.
Fith wheel, does it have to be located over the rear axle.
Stiffer springs for the rear or maybe even air bags.
Chip
different trans or trans modification.
other than that all other areas are fine, but if anyone knows of some better options or anyother solutions please post.
If I had it my way I would trade it for a medium duty truck and solve all issues, but I have a wife.
The fith wheel is my most desired upgrade.
 
trade in your wife, and get a 3500 quad cab, have it outfitted with the goosey before it comes home, get leather so your next wife will be more comfortable on your ass.
 
The 8.1 IIRC comes standard with the Allison. I have shift improver kits for the allison that make a noticable difference. Put an aftermarket exhaust on, the 8.1 got beefcake down pipes then bottle-knecks after the cats at the 2-1 just before the city block sized stock muffler. Add a good intake, matched with an exhaust frees up alot of seat of the pants power. I just did a 2500HD w/ an 8.1 and was a night and day difference. I carry a few different chips for that engine as well. Give me a shout if you want some mods.
 
The Allision only comes behind the 8.1 (496 CID) in the 2500HD and 3500 trucks, the Avalanche has a 4L85E trans. bigger beefier version of the 4L80E. The Allison requires a taller frame channel to clear the body trans tunnel ( this is the differance between the 2500 and the 2500HD), Suburbans and Avalanche were not available with this, part of the reason you could not get the Duramax in a 'burb until next year, they detune the Dmax and use a 4L85E trans to handle the power, same deal with the G vans)

Putting a goose or fifth wheelin an Avalanche while sounds like a good idea, isn't really possible due to the frame/body construction ( it is leaf sprung, but the frame is different than a pickup, think mutated Suburban)
 
I guess a tag along is my only option for a trailer. I guess I will beefup the rear springs and do some hitch modifications. Thanks for the info.
 
Blkvoodoo said:
Putting a goose or fifth wheelin an Avalanche while sounds like a good idea, isn't really possible due to the frame/body construction ( it is leaf sprung, but the frame is different than a pickup, think mutated Suburban)
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Can you explain this a little. I get the part about the avalanche being on a suburban frame. But why couldnt a gooseneck be put in one? The bed plate does not care where the frame rails are, only the crossmembers supporting it underneath - and as long as the frame rails are 18" apart the bed plate will work. Im sure there isnt an off the shelf gooseneck, but you can buy the generic ball plate and fabricate the lower supporting crossmembers.
 
StudNuts said:
Can you explain this a little. I get the part about the avalanche being on a suburban frame. But why couldnt a gooseneck be put in one? The bed plate does not care where the frame rails are, only the crossmembers supporting it underneath - and as long as the frame rails are 18" apart the bed plate will work. Im sure there isnt an off the shelf gooseneck, but you can buy the generic ball plate and fabricate the lower supporting crossmembers.
Click to expand...

Ok, not possible is probably not quite the context I should have used,
YES, Technically it is possible to put a goose in an Avalanche, hell I could put one in my Honda Accord wagon if I had the inclination.

The way the body is put to gether doesn't lend itself well to modifications like this.
the bed area can still be considered part of the passenger compartment, how do you seal out any potential exhaust gas entry, with the midgate down? or even when it is up ? Hell the trucks don't seal worth a damn new, cutting more holes in the body couldn't hurt anything :shaking: .

the way it is built the body hangs futher behind the rear axle than a pickup ( not much but there is a differance), not to mention the bedsides and tailgate are taller than a regular pick up.

NO, there is no off the shelf setup to put a goose in a 2500 Avalanche, mostly because of the affore mentioned.

Yeah, it could be done, but is the extra effort and cost worth it ? How much modification would have to be done to make it work ?

In reality, I've only seen pictures of the affore mentioned truck model in the sales floor books they have laying about.

They look pretty.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by StudNuts
Can you explain this a little. I get the part about the avalanche being on a suburban frame. But why couldnt a gooseneck be put in one? The bed plate does not care where the frame rails are, only the crossmembers supporting it underneath - and as long as the frame rails are 18" apart the bed plate will work. Im sure there isnt an off the shelf gooseneck, but you can buy the generic ball plate and fabricate the lower supporting crossmembers.
Ok, not possible is probably not quite the context I should have used,
YES, Technically it is possible to put a goose in an Avalanche, hell I could put one in my Honda Accord wagon if I had the inclination.
The way the body is put to gether doesn't lend itself well to modifications like this.
the bed area can still be considered part of the passenger compartment, how do you seal out any potential exhaust gas entry, with the midgate down? or even when it is up ? Hell the trucks don't seal worth a damn new, cutting more holes in the body couldn't hurt anything .
the way it is built the body hangs futher behind the rear axle than a pickup ( not much but there is a differance), not to mention the bedsides and tailgate are taller than a regular pick up.
NO, there is no off the shelf setup to put a goose in a 2500 Avalanche, mostly because of the affore mentioned.
Yeah, it could be done, but is the extra effort and cost worth it ? How much modification would have to be done to make it work ?
In reality, I've only seen pictures of the affore mentioned truck model in the sales floor books they have laying about.
They look pretty.
Today 07:12 AM
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These are the issues I was having when I first considered installing a goose neck. I think the main issue is the height of the bed. I have actually scraped the idea of a goose neck, if I was going to do it I would also have to modifie the hitch. For the time being I will go ahead and do some performance and suspension up grades. Again thanks for the info.
 
get a gooseneck trailer with a dolly, brakes on dolly and trailer, best of both worlds. Then you have a goose trailer when you upgrade tow rigs in the future.

Shannon
 
kid rok said:
These are the issues I was having when I first considered installing a goose neck. I think the main issue is the height of the bed. I have actually scraped the idea of a goose neck, if I was going to do it I would also have to modifie the hitch. For the time being I will go ahead and do some performance and suspension up grades. Again thanks for the info.
Click to expand...

I drive a 79 Chevy with a 4-inch lift and 35-inch tires - I doubt your bed and bedsides are higher than mine. :) I got a used gooseneck from Kraftsman, and it clears the bed sides and tailgate. I have put it at some crazy angles with no contact. Any higher, and I might have issues. I think if you could get the hitch to fit your truck, you could adjust the neck of at least some goosenecks to fit.
 
Ok, Goose neck hitch/ fifth wheel hitch pivot center line is ideally mounted 2"-4" forward of vehilce REAR AXLE center line, on an Avalanche, that would put the hitch pivot damn near in the backseat/ mid gate area.
Any rear ward tilt of the vehilce would put the trailer tounge into the rear of the cab, crushing cab/midgate glass, turning would put trailer tounge into body sides ripping off the simulated roll bar cladding and structure.

Frame wise, because of seating the gas tank position is als an issue.
 
Blkvoodoo said:
Ok, Goose neck hitch/ fifth wheel hitch pivot center line is ideally mounted 2"-4" forward of vehilce REAR AXLE center line, on an Avalanche, that would put the hitch pivot damn near in the backseat/ mid gate area.
Any rear ward tilt of the vehilce would put the trailer tounge into the rear of the cab, crushing cab/midgate glass, turning would put trailer tounge into body sides ripping off the simulated roll bar cladding and structure.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that wouldn't work then. :(
 
Seeing Red Again said:
That would be great as long as you never had to back up.
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backing up is actually pretty easy. Just like any towing, practice makes perfect. Worst case on a gooseneck, I've taken the dolly off and put the goose right on the ball and moved it that way. That has only happend twice when I had to practically jacknife the trailer in order to get it in a tight spot (long truck and narrow alleyway backing in to a really narrow spot next to a house.

Shannon
 
Shannon said:
backing up is actually pretty easy. Just like any towing, practice makes perfect. Worst case on a gooseneck, I've taken the dolly off and put the goose right on the ball and moved it that way. That has only happend twice when I had to practically jacknife the trailer in order to get it in a tight spot (long truck and narrow alleyway backing in to a really narrow spot next to a house.
Shannon
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hmmm... Didn't think about that. Was just thinking about my days in the not so distant past of pulling doubles. I did great as long as I was going forward!
:driver:
 
he didnt mean the truck sat up taller when he said the bed sides were taller .. the bed is phically deeper than a normal truck beacuse of the build in storage boxes
 
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