Silverado 1500 Towing

We have a 2012 1500,3.42 gear tolling 7000# works good for use.

WOW! You mean you didn't explode into a heaping pile on the side of the highway? LOL.

Glad it's working out for you! Thanks for the update!

I know this is an old thread but just thought I would update on the towing experience this year.

We left Florida and travelled across Alabam, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and are currently in Utah.

Truck has performed beyond what I had expected. The grade braking on the long down hills has been great. The 18 mile downhill on 17 to Sedona was a piece of cake. Truck stayed right at 60.

Going back up 17, again was a big surprise. No problems at all.

We have hit a couple of 8% grades but the truck revved up to almost 4500 a couple of times but without any complaint.

Transmission and engine temp gauges stayed with the safe range.

Find that if I let the truck do the driving, I am better off. By that I mean leave it in drive and cruise. It knows what to do.

I don't think the 06 2500 could have done much better with the 4 speed. I am really enjoying this truck.

I really thing the 6 speed tranny makes a big difference.

Getting about 10 mpg which is better than the old truck.

Again, thanks for all the help and advice last year.

No reason to freak out if your engine goes above 2000 RPMs. It's designed from the factory to roar around at at least 3000 RPM all day every day for 100,000+ miles.

You're under the limits, and you're happy with the way it performs, and you presumably do not feel that the rig is unsafe at all. That's what counts.

Dunno what you do when camping, you must just sit naked and cold on the floor of the trailer...

We run at 7600#(just TT) loaded on a normal trip with our setup....not winning any uphill races but not having any issues in the hills of PA and Northern NY....mileage stays around 9 to9 1/2 in tow/haul mode.....stability is fine and we have same issues most have with tractor trailers......

Gene,
Sounds like your tow vehicle is performing similar to mine. Glad that you are satisfied with the combination. I have found our setup adequate and we are not paying a big fuel mileage penalty when not towing. I did notice that I listed my payload as 7000 lbs. That number is actually my GVWR. Payload is 1485 lbs.
Enjoy the beautiful northeast fall weather while it lasts. We are headed south again in a few months with our rig. Another RV adventure.
Happy travels.

Gene,

Glad to hear you are happy with the new truck!!! We had a '10 Silverado ccsb 1500 4x4, same 5.3/6spd/3.42 combo as you, and I NEVER felt underpowered towing 7k+lbs! Payload is where it lacked for us. Reason we now have a 2500HD.

Congrats, and have a safe trip!
Chris

roadrider10 wrote:
For more real world towing experiences,I have a 2012 GMC Sierra 5.3 cc w/power tech tow pkg. 6spd/3.42 axle. We just returned from Florida towing about 3500 miles. Finally weighed everything loaded with full gas in the truck and all trailer tanks empty but all our gear loaded for a 3+ month stay. We are using a Reese dual cam hitch with sway control.

Trailer and truck 12,480 lbs. 15,000 GCWR
Truck loaded unhitched 6180 lbs. W/gear and 2 on board
Trailer loaded 6300 lbs. Dry wt. 5300 lbs.
Hitch 700lbs.

Truck payload rating is 7000 lbs.

Most towing was fairly flat through the south but did go up some significant hills in PA. and NY. The truck performed well and generally towed at about 2000rpm in overdrive at 60-62mph on flat ground. I did see 3500-4000 rpm on the worst hills when trying to hold 55-60mph. I am quite impressed with the new 6 spd trans. vs the old 4spd. I always used tow haul mode which did a great job keeping the engine in the sweet spot and automatically downshifting on descents. The 5.3 engine is not a torque monster but the 6 spd. makes the combination much better.
Towing mileage was 9.5-12.0 depending on terrain and wind. Non towing highway is generally 19.5-20 mpg. The 20"P tires do feel a bit squishy and I will eventually look for something with less flex. The shock dampening is also somewhat weak.
Would I use a heavier trailer with this combo. Probably not. I am pleased with my current arrangement and like having a little in reserve. I would feel comfortable towing long distances if you keep the weight at or below mine. After 14,000 miles I have had 0 issues so I am happy about that. The truck is very comfortable on trips but rather large/cumbersome when doing local errands. Try to use my wifes car more for local duties. Hope this helps.

I guess we both agree on how the rig works for us. My findings are about the same as yours and I agree that the 6 speed does make a difference. both of my other trucks were 4 speed.

Major difference with our rigs is the 20 inch tires, I have the 18.

Happy camping.

As a Silverado 1500 owner it's still too much trailer for the truck. Period.

Just another quick update.

Just got through pulling through the Berkshires, Catskills and over Routes 6 and 59 in PA.

Very satisfied with the way the rig handled the steep ups and downs. one posted elevation was about 2500 ft.

Truck had no problem up the steep inclines. Tack was in the 2000 to 2500 range most of the time. Did hit 3000 and 3500 once. Truck did not sound like it was going to explode. Towed mainly in M5 with tow haul.

the grade braking feature was fantastic. Always felt that I was in control and did not have to worry about the brakes overheating and losing some braking power.

Surprised how easily the truck kept my speed fairly constant in cruise control. No real problems keeping the speed limit except for one place where I was down to 40 mph. I could have boosted the speed but I didn't horse the truck.

IMO, I am very pleased with the 1500 towing compared with the 06 2500 4 speed that I had. The 6 speed tranny seems to make a world of difference along with the new computer technology.

Main difference I find is that the 2500 was a lot stiffer and stronger truck but it really didn't feel any different towing the Heartland than with the 1500. The trailer seems light on both vehicles. Perhaps the wider spacing between axles is the reason. The Jayco seemed heavier when towed by the 2500, never towed it with the 1500.

In summary, I am pleased overall with the truck and the setup. Averaging 10 mpg when towing,

Performance is much more than I had hoped for and any apprehensions that I had in the past are now gone. However, with the weights and setup, this is as much as I would want to tow with the 1500.

Again. thanks for all of the advice.