my new tow vehicle - well, maybe

Terryallan wrote:

Need-A-Vacation wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

Tystevens wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Only thing I would suggest. Make sure of the Tahoe tow rating. I would bet it has a 3.42 rear gear. That is going to kill the tow capacity. You may be limited to around 6000lb loaded.

Nope. The 3.42 is the best towing gears GM put in this platform. So if you have 3.42, you're doing good. 3.42 w/ the 6 spd is a good towing pairing. That is what we have in our '10 Suburban.

The kicker is whether you have the K5L cooling package. Look for the K5L code in your glove box. If you do, you have a Tahoe equipped to tow the max for the model. If not, you will be limited -- check the owners manual for exact numbers.

It is a decent towing platform. We have towed our 6500lb TT many miles w/ our '10 Suburban and it gets us there. Don't be afraid to let it rev, 6th gear is all but useless, but overall it is a very nice, comfortable, and reasonably stable platform.

Just because it the "best" GM puts in it. don't mean it's good.

Have you had the opportunity to tow with a newer tv with a 6spd tranny yet? While my experience is only with the GM combo, it is plenty of power for a trailer large enough to max out the tv's payload. While a 3.42 seems like it is not enough, the internal 1-4 (and 5th depending on road/ weather) gears actually make it a better combo than the old 5.3/4spd/4.10 combo.

While I didn't have a Tahoe, I did have this combo in a '10-1500 ccsb 4x4, that had plenty of power for a 7300lb(ish) trailer, just was over on payload a little.

Have had the opportunity to drive a 5.3 with the 3.43, and the 6 speed. It could not get out of it's own way. Knew after just a few miles. I would not want to tow with it. It was constantly changing gears running empty.

I know the factory tunes are geared toward achieving the best mpg. But when towing, letting the motor rev a little higher there wasn't a lack of power, at least that I ever thought or noticed. Only reason we have a 2500HD now is payload.

I would like to see GM come out with a "light duty" 2500- 5.3/6spd/3.73 but have the same payload, and then the "HD" 2500 as is with the the 6.0/6spd/4.10.

One thing I have noticed with our '13-2500HD is that when driving through town where our '10-1500 would be shifting into 5th or 6th gear as quickly as possible (from what I remember!!!), the 2500HD is only in maybe 4th gear (both empty at the time).