2014 Silverado 1500 4.3 v6 - towing questions

This should be an ecotec 4.3 V6 which is 285 HP (more than most V8's of not long ago) with 305 lb ft of TQ. Which is class leading torque for a V6 full size truck. It has NOTHING In common with its predecessor except the displacement and manufacturer.

It's stout and will tow. I would not be looking at 5,500 lb dry camper though. I would probably be looking at a 4,000 lb ish dry camper.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

rjxj wrote:
"If I listened to the people on this site that belive you need a one ton dually to tow anything, then they would say I will never tow my new trailer ( waiting on delivery) of 4800 lbs dry and 7000 wet, without blowing up into a ball of fire.....LOL"

No, it's because the op started out talking about a dry weight of 5500 so loaded it would probably be 7000 or overloaded which is very common plus all the gear in the truck. I have usually owned 1/2 ton trucks and know many others who have towed with them and gone to 3/4 tons. My son pulled 2 different TT with his 5.3 2011 Chevy and said the typical thing that people say which was that it worked but he got tired of it. He then went to a 3/4 ctd pulling about a 6xxx TT and loves it. He then thought about getting a small FW which he would also be able to pull but seems to have now changed to thinking about a 34 ft TT which is in the 8,200 to 9000 range. When a person asks about a trucks abilities and the potential to change trucks and doesn't even own a rig yet I would just about always recommend a 3/4 ton for a TT and a one ton for a FW.

If they went and bought the TT first and said it only weighs 3400 dry and probably 5000 wet I would agree that 1/2 tons are fine. Since the op is still shopping and mama may just fall in love with that bigger TT that they just happened to walk into, a 3/4 may be the right truck to have sitting there. There is also a big difference in how far the rig is towed. It's a lot different to tow for 2 hours to hit local parks or heading out to Yellowstone when you have 7000 plus gear with a 1/2 ton. Again, it can be done but do you want to and there is a difference in how you feel at the end of the day.

Exactly, 100% correct. Good post.

OP - thanks for the clarification. I appreciate that. Your V6 has about 40 more lbs of payload than my 15 Silverado did, so your good there.

Yes, if the trailer your looking at is 5500 lbs gvwr, you should be good to go. I don't agree with the comment that it'll fling it around, but it'll do the job.

Using my 80% rule your just outside of the range, but only by a few hundred lbs.

80% of 6700 is 5360. I try to stay no more than 80% of the tow vehicles tow rating with the trailer GVWR so i have some margin. So that would be just over, but not by much. This is just what I do personally. Others don't mind being closer to the limits and that's ok, that's their choice. Exceeding the ratings i would disagree with.

Have fun with the camper. Looks like a good match to me.

"If I listened to the people on this site that belive you need a one ton dually to tow anything, then they would say I will never tow my new trailer ( waiting on delivery) of 4800 lbs dry and 7000 wet, without blowing up into a ball of fire.....LOL"

No, it's because the op started out talking about a dry weight of 5500 so loaded it would probably be 7000 or overloaded which is very common plus all the gear in the truck. I have usually owned 1/2 ton trucks and know many others who have towed with them and gone to 3/4 tons. My son pulled 2 different TT with his 5.3 2011 Chevy and said the typical thing that people say which was that it worked but he got tired of it. He then went to a 3/4 ctd pulling about a 6xxx TT and loves it. He then thought about getting a small FW which he would also be able to pull but seems to have now changed to thinking about a 34 ft TT which is in the 8,200 to 9000 range. When a person asks about a trucks abilities and the potential to change trucks and doesn't even own a rig yet I would just about always recommend a 3/4 ton for a TT and a one ton for a FW.

If they went and bought the TT first and said it only weighs 3400 dry and probably 5000 wet I would agree that 1/2 tons are fine. Since the op is still shopping and mama may just fall in love with that bigger TT that they just happened to walk into, a 3/4 may be the right truck to have sitting there. There is also a big difference in how far the rig is towed. It's a lot different to tow for 2 hours to hit local parks or heading out to Yellowstone when you have 7000 plus gear with a 1/2 ton. Again, it can be done but do you want to and there is a difference in how you feel at the end of the day.

The 4.3 and 5.3, starting in 2014, were designed for use with these trucks, or at least on this chassis platform. They have SIX bolt mains, roller cam lifters, plus a host of improved designs. The 6.2 V8, also an option, is actually a 'vette engine. It gives off crazy horsepower and torque, but runs only on premium fuel!!

The yellow sticker in the door has a maximum cargo and occupant not to exceed 1750 pds. The truck is on T-rated 18" Goodyear Wranglers. The maximum trailer weight is 6700 pds. The GCWR is 12,000 pds.

In researching Sportsmen Coyote trailers, the 25' dry weight appears to be around 3600 pds. I believe my friend has read the sticker in the trailer wrong, as the GVWR on the trailers researched is 5,500 pds. If this be the case, is anybody more comfortable with me hauling this arrangement with this truck

The 4.3 with the new motor started in 2015 I believe. The RPO code for the last of the 4.3 in 2014 is LU3.. Whats your RPO say in the glove box?

these motors, like my 1996 s 10 were 195 HP and 260 torque at 2800 rpms.. Very good towing motor as on the highway you are in the torque band doing 65 mph...

Nowif you have a late build and it has the new motor Then its an LV3 ecotec3 4.3 based on the small block lt1 motors.

This new motor packs 285 hp @5300 rpms and a whopping 305 ft lbs of torque at 3900 rpms.. Now your torque band goes up on this motor. But having a higher 3900 rpm torque bad is good becuase you have the 6 speed.

I only have the 4 speed.

Either way have fun towing. Your good to go..

Comparison my 1500 with the 5.3 only has a 1500 lb payload, has the 5.3 LM7 @ 295 hp and 335lb torque.

If you have the 6 speed trans its a GM unit 6L80 ( no allison there sry)
First gear on that sucker is 4.03... WOW... No stopping that truck off the line.. A monter. Blows the allisons away off the line...

Why they give that truck only a 6700 lb tow rating is beyond me... I have a 7500 lb tow rating. My truck dont have much more power then yours..

I would get a trans cooler ASAP before towing. My cooler is small factory one But one is better then none,,

youll fling that little 3600 lbs trailer like it aint even back there...

If I listened to the people on this site that belive you need a one ton dually to tow anything, then they would say I will never tow my new trailer ( waiting on delivery) of 4800 lbs dry and 7000 wet, without blowing up into a ball of fire.....LOL

Tow away and have fun...

The only thing your 4.3 has in common with those that are posting about '90's and '00s is the displacement. Completely new engine otherwise.

I agree with those that say you may not be ecstatic with the way it pulls, it will be adequate.

Transmission will be fine as well (although I don't think it is an Alison).

You certainly do not need a 2500 for that trailer, but welcome to RV.net, where there are many that think you need a 2500/3500 to tow a pop up.

Camper G wrote:

gac914 wrote:
I appreciate all of the comments from everyone. Something to keep in mind is that, starting in 2014, Chevrolet started installing a true truck engine and transmission in the Silverados. I also had an S10 with a 4.3 V6, and can assure you that this is a much beefier and more powerful motor. The transmission is made by Allison, who makes many variations of semi-truck class 8, as well as straight-truck and trailer-spotter/yard horse transmissions, and the entire drivetrain is way stronger than in past Chevy trucks, where the engines and trans's were basically adapted car engines. I've had many pickups. this is no "grocery-getter.",)

BTW, this will not be pulled into any mountain ranges. We will mainly be in the mid-west area.

Please post the references for your information. The 4.3 gm v6 has been around for years. As has the 5.3. Yes the newer gen ecotec engines are redesigned and more powerful, but i don't know that it's a truck only engine.

What is your payload rating on the yellow door jamb sticker?

Is the camper 5k gvwr or dry? If 5k dry, that's asking awful lot of your truck.

I had a a 15 Silverado cc, 5.3/3.42 combo and it pulled the rig in my signature very well. But my rig is 6k gvwr.

Allison is making the transmissions for the V6 trucks, but not the 6 speed i had in my Silverado?

Please clarify the payload of your truck and the gvwr of your trailer.

Ultimately you will do what you want to and I wish you well. I think you will be looking for a V8 truck or ford ecoboost aftera short while towing heavy with the 4.3. Just my .02

The 4.3 and 5.3, starting in 2014, were designed for use with these trucks, or at least on this chassis platform. They have SIX bolt mains, roller cam lifters, plus a host of improved designs. The 6.2 V8, also an option, is actually a 'vette engine. It gives off crazy horsepower and torque, but runs only on premium fuel!!

The yellow sticker in the door has a maximum cargo and occupant not to exceed 1750 pds. The truck is on T-rated 18" Goodyear Wranglers. The maximum trailer weight is 6700 pds. The GCWR is 12,000 pds.

In researching Sportsmen Coyote trailers, the 25' dry weight appears to be around 3600 pds. I believe my friend has read the sticker in the trailer wrong, as the GVWR on the trailers researched is 5,500 pds. If this be the case, is anybody more comfortable with me hauling this arrangement with this truck?

gac914 wrote:
I appreciate all of the comments from everyone. Something to keep in mind is that, starting in 2014, Chevrolet started installing a true truck engine and transmission in the Silverados. I also had an S10 with a 4.3 V6, and can assure you that this is a much beefier and more powerful motor. The transmission is made by Allison, who makes many variations of semi-truck class 8, as well as straight-truck and trailer-spotter/yard horse transmissions, and the entire drivetrain is way stronger than in past Chevy trucks, where the engines and trans's were basically adapted car engines. I've had many pickups. this is no "grocery-getter.",)

BTW, this will not be pulled into any mountain ranges. We will mainly be in the mid-west area.

Please post the references for your information. The 4.3 gm v6 has been around for years. As has the 5.3. Yes the newer gen ecotec engines are redesigned and more powerful, but i don't know that it's a truck only engine.

What is your payload rating on the yellow door jamb sticker?

Is the camper 5k gvwr or dry? If 5k dry, that's asking awful lot of your truck.

I had a a 15 Silverado cc, 5.3/3.42 combo and it pulled the rig in my signature very well. But my rig is 6k gvwr.

Allison is making the transmissions for the V6 trucks, but not the 6 speed i had in my Silverado?

Please clarify the payload of your truck and the gvwr of your trailer.

Ultimately you will do what you want to and I wish you well. I think you will be looking for a V8 truck or ford ecoboost aftera short while towing heavy with the 4.3. Just my .02

Nope I would not. I pull the same weight TT with the same truck with a 5.3, 3.73 gears and heavier duty trans and I am in the market to move up to a larger truck. Would not advise.

I think many don't realize the power some of the smaller modern engines make. Another big plus...the six-speed transmissions, with manual shift/lockout options. The OPs truck can handle the payload, and while 5.3 V8 would be better, IMO the 4.3 will work.

Jerry

I appreciate all of the comments from everyone. Something to keep in mind is that, starting in 2014, Chevrolet started installing a true truck engine and transmission in the Silverados. I also had an S10 with a 4.3 V6, and can assure you that this is a much beefier and more powerful motor. The transmission is made by Allison, who makes many variations of semi-truck class 8, as well as straight-truck and trailer-spotter/yard horse transmissions, and the entire drivetrain is way stronger than in past Chevy trucks, where the engines and trans's were basically adapted car engines. I've had many pickups. this is no "grocery-getter.",)

BTW, this will not be pulled into any mountain ranges. We will mainly be in the mid-west area.