2013 Chevy 1500 5.3 Anyone Tow with this?
I inherited a 2WD Chevy 1500 extended cab with a 5.3L and 96K miles. Any advice on how this truck tows? I have an open tandem 14 ft trailer and a combined trailer load is around 4500lbs. Any advice w...
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I recommend brakes on towed items when they are above your overall to remaining payload. That truck has at best 2000 lbs of payload. Thats about what I have on my 2014 4x. IIRC from my OM, GM requires recommends brakes on trailer over 1500 lbs.
Depending upon the state you are driving thru, brakes will be required on towed items from a min of 1500 to 4500 lbs. Here in Wa St it is a variable amount. 1500 to 4500, or 40% of the rigs GVW. That is legal GVW, not door sticker. For me that is 40% of 8000 lbs, so 3200. lbs. This can be a surge brake, electric, air etc style braking system.
Depending upon the steepness of the grade, the grade braking on the rig may or may not hold you. Freeway grades, ie less than 6%, you will probably be "OK" Emergency stops are out! Local grades, I've seen upwards of 20-25% local in Puget Sound region. You won't be able to stop to barely stop.
2014 had a big increase in power in ALL of the motors. My 4.3 went from an approx low 200 HP torque motor to a 280/310 motor. My son is pulling a 4500 lbs single axle RV trailer with a similar hp 05 305 and 4sp tranny. It works, he's not the fastest on the road. He does have a 4" lift, 33" tires, recently switched out the 3.42 gears to 4.10's which helped alot. He can pull hills in direct instead of shifting into 2nd.
Choose your poison, I'm not going to recommend you pull this trailer at 4500 lbs without brakes. An empty 35 series truck with 4000 lbs of payload. no big, but even then, emergency stops can get interesting. I noticed stopping a 3000 lbs trailer was quicker after adding brakes to that trailer on a DW 3500 I had.
Marty
All good with what you say. Problem is this truck is only going to tow this one time North. I don't want to invest in a brake controller just for this trip.
I just saw that Curt has a wireless brake controller. That changes things. Probably will invest in this animal. Makes things simpler
Assuming the trailer has electric brakes........ you need a power source to turn the trailer brakes on, ie battery, that will turn the brakes on "IF" the trailer gets loose from the hitch. Along with a way to charge this battery while driving. As the battery will drain with taillight, brake and turn signal use. This is actually not a big deal. As MOST GM pickups have had this wiring available to the rear of the box as standard since the early to mid 90's! NOT positive, but sure seems like most of the pickups in the last decade or so, have a plug built into the rear bumper for the most part as std too!
Under the dash, is a plug and play harness for a controller, that "SHOULD" or maybe in the glove box. I've gotten one with my new 2000, 2005 and my used 2014 GM's. A cheap $50 controller, "IF" you don't have a 7 wire plug already, 2 to 3 hrs max, $100 you are set to go. Of course, assuming you have some experience installing or doing this kind of stuff with tools available. If not, then the cost goes up I hope obviously!
The Curt timer depending upon the cost, could in reality be more costly. I have not looked up the cost etc to see how it might be vs the known hard wire a controller, plug on the rear etc.Take info for what it is worth. Especially since a 1500 mile trek will be in my world of driving a 30 hr drive ave 50 mph of actual driving. I'm assuming you are driving as I do around 60, a 5 min or so break per hr.......meals somewhere in the meantime per trip......
Good Luck on this.
Marty
