5.3 Chevy/GMC and towing

viper red cj-7

viper red cj-7

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Location
charlotte
Guys,
Thinking of getting a 5.3 Chevy Tahoe/ GMC Yukon type. Not sure if it will be the Tahoe or Surburban..What are your thoughts on towing a 26ft camper (approx 6400 lbs). I also currently flat tow my CJ-7. We go camping around 4-5 times per year and i go jeeping about the same each year, so it's not like i'll be towing all the time.
Most of the time it will be a grocery getter for the wife.

i currently have a 2010 Dodge Hemi and love it, but wife doesn't like driving it. The Dodge does great, but we're having to switch up vehicles due to the miles i drive each month..

any help would be appreciated!

brian
 
I just bought a 5.3 Yukon xl that I've thought about towing with on occasion. Probably not the smartest idea but it is factory rated at 8400 lbs with load range E tires. I'm really considering an aluminum 16' dual axle 10k trailer soon to tow my ~4500 lbs jeep on. That would make me feel better about it at least.
 
I'm used to 2500 and 3500 tow rigs but I did have a 1500 Suburban with the 5.3 and the most I would have towed with it would have been my boat...and I didn't like pulling my boat with it. Personally I don't think it's up to the task even if it's rated for it. The 5.3 is anemic IMO. I would have never towed my Jeep on the trailer with the Suburban.
 
If you are talking about a new truck, I would direct you to my thread a few rows down: http://www.nc4x4.com/forum/threads/new-2014-chevy-1500-towing-review.156523/

The new for 2014 EcoTec 5.3 is a world better than 2013 and older trucks, and tows well if you get it equipped with the right axle gears. Easily handles my 2700# trailer with 6200# truck on it (with dual axle brakes and weight distribution of course). Gets 10-11 towing that and I have seen a 20mpg on the highway and 17-18 around town. I would expect that my Double-Cab regular bed with cap should weigh about the same as a Tahoe. Mind you I came out of 2500HD trucks, both a Dodge and a Chevy. It's not the same but for the handful of times a year you anticipate using it for that task it should be fine.
 
i've seen some option lists that have 2 choices for gears and the offer some type of "HD Towing" package. It would probably be a 2014 model. Does it really make a difference if it's the Tahoe vs Suburban??
 
Just read the thread.- Interesting.
We would probably go for the 2014 model.
Is there an opinion on the Tahoe vs Suburban model?

I've heard Chevy has a "HD towing" package, or something like that...my assumption is to go with as deep a gear we can get as well...correct?

thanks for the feedback!
 
OnlyOneDR said:
The new for 2014 EcoTec 5.3 is a world better than 2013 and older trucks
Click to expand...

Looks like it specs out the same as the previous model years?

Either way, it puts down more power than the 351Ws we used 15-20 years ago to pull 8-10k trailers all day long. Seems like it should pull a camper a few times a year just fine.
 
I had an 03 tahoe and used it to drag my 7k car trailer around. It wasn't a speed demon but did fine. Only thing I didn't like was slack brakes. But I imagine the newer ones have that fixed. Plus the 6 spd auto is nice.
 
I've got a old wore out 1500 5.3l. Most wouldn't believe the crap it's tolerated. Is it ideal to tow heavy with? Of course not, but you'll be fine!
 
shawn said:
Looks like it specs out the same as the previous model years?
Click to expand...

Its a bit of a bump from previous, a solid 10%:

2013 - 326Hp @ 5300 and 348 lbft @ 4400
2014/15 - 355Hp @ 5200 and 383 lbft @ 4400

viper red cj-7 said:
Just read the thread.- Interesting.
We would probably go for the 2014 model.
Is there an opinion on the Tahoe vs Suburban model?

I've heard Chevy has a "HD towing" package, or something like that...my assumption is to go with as deep a gear we can get as well...correct?
Click to expand...

While the Silverado offers 3.73 axle gears, on the Tahoe/Burb you can only get the 3.42 gears with the Max Trailering package. Tahoe tows 200lb more since it weighs less. 2wd Tahoe max towing is 8500.
 
The new ones are direct injection....get a good computer tune for them and happy towing!
 
The motor wont be the limiting factor on towing in factory configuration.
The rear suspension will be. Wife has a 14 Burban.

Through a strange set of circumstances I had to pull my FILs camper with it this week.
28' 1 slide..dont know much else about it except all the tanks were full. He was on the way home when his truck broke down and asked me to pull it to the house about 25 miles to get it off the side of the road. My truck was in GA with my dad and my tractor.

I would have preferred better gears. But it did the job. Since this wasnt a planned event we didnt have a weight distributing hitch and HOLY SHIT...it was the most unsafe Ive ever felt pulling anything. And Ive pulled some sketchy shit. Brakes did good and integral brake controller was flawless. It just felt like my front tires were off the ground, curves were scary... If I was going to do it again Id have a WD hitch for certain and might even consider adding air bags between the axle/frame. Again just my experience. We love the Burban, and it wasnt bought with this in mind. But the way it was used I wasnt comfy with.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
The new ones are direct injection....get a good computer tune for them and happy towing!
Click to expand...

Ugh.... really? Furd's having all sorts of problems with their DI motors. I'm .... not a fan. I think it's going to be one of those deals where you have to wait 5 yrs before they get all the bugs figured out.
 
shawn said:
Ugh.... really? Furd's having all sorts of problems with their DI motors. I'm .... not a fan. I think it's going to be one of those deals where you have to wait 5 yrs before they get all the bugs figured out.
Click to expand...


Havent been following is F having issue with all DI motors or just the ECOturds?
 
Not sure the extents, but lots of problems with carbon buildup in the intake after ~20k miles leading to misfire codes and such, combined with no approved intake service procedure that didn't waste the motor and cats. The recommended fix was to clean the intake valves by hand, and if that didn't fix it, to change out the heads.
 
I've got 03 Tahoe 5.3 that I tow regular with 3 to 5 times a month local and on trips I live in the mountains pull 18 ft trailer with full size trucks mostly it's the best towing truck I've ever owned 180000 miles on it I use synthetic oil and run a bottle of Lucas in tranny do hAve a brake controler I've had no issues
 
shawn said:
Ugh.... really? Furd's having all sorts of problems with their DI motors. I'm .... not a fan. I think it's going to be one of those deals where you have to wait 5 yrs before they get all the bugs figured out.
Click to expand...

DI may be newer to these truck engines but car engines have been doing it for quite some time. GM has had DI on production models since 2008, other brands since well before that.
 
Brian, Put your butt in the seat of one and feel the difference between it and your pickup. Maybe rent one for the day at Enterprize and hitch up something to it. Why not look into a 2500 Sub? You'll be much happier with it.
 
They don't make 2500s anymore. But the older ones came with 6.0s.

OnlyOneDR said:
DI may be newer to these truck engines but car engines have been doing it for quite some time. GM has had DI on production models since 2008, other brands since well before that.
Click to expand...

Right, and yet they're still having problems.
 
Everyone's having problems with di engines carboning up the intakes valves. I've seen Hyundai's, ford, Chevy, hell every manufacturer with misfires around 20-30000.
 
Just wait until they start using high pressure injectors to better atomize the fuel. Can't wait to see $1500 each injectors in consumer autos. Then the industrial diesel guys will feel better.
 
big issues is wife is going to drive it. For some reason, she feels more comfortable driving a Tahoe/ Suburban than my Ram. - We drove the Tahoe and she liked it...

I currently use a weight distributing hitch and sway bar.- Ron- do you feel this would help the cause??

I also would prefer a new vehicle for reliability purposes.....

didn't some 'burbans come with the 5.7 or 6.0 engine???- i know they are rare, but i thought i've seen them somewhere...

thanks for all the input!!
 
viper red cj-7 said:
big issues is wife is going to drive it. For some reason, she feels more comfortable driving a Tahoe/ Suburban than my Ram. - We drove the Tahoe and she liked it...

I currently use a weight distributing hitch and sway bar.- Ron- do you feel this would help the cause??

I also would prefer a new vehicle for reliability purposes.....

didn't some 'burbans come with the 5.7 or 6.0 engine???- i know they are rare, but i thought i've seen them somewhere...

thanks for all the input!!
Click to expand...

Pure speculation, but yeah. I think a WD hitch would have made the process feel much better. It wouldn't have helped the anemic gears, but the wife is getting 19+ consistently and we've got over 23 on Interstate drives (all hand calculated not computer).

5.7 would have been pre-00 and 6.0 in 2500 only

I'll send you a PM on the subject also.
 
My biggest fear about towing with any half ton vehicle is the half ton transmission. I know the 4l60 is stout but most anything with a 6.0 or larger came with a 4l80 or larger. (My jeeps drive train came from an factory match 02 2500 for example). Is the 4l60 even up to the task of towing? That's one department I love to be overkill in.
 
Tim C said:
Everyone's having problems with di engines carboning up the intakes valves. I've seen Hyundai's, ford, Chevy, hell every manufacturer with misfires around 20-30000.
Click to expand...

My Lexus Tech buddies have motors apart every time I go over there from this.
 
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