v7 wrote:
thanks
is 3.42 good for towing a TT? do I even have a choice? or if it is a 1 ton van the 3.42 is strong enough to begin with .
(a totally newbie question: are GMC & Chevy vans equivalent? )
The 6 speed transmission makes the rear axle almost irrelevent, which is why you don't see many axle options any more. 1st is 4.17, which with a 3.42 is still lower than the old 4 speed was with even a 4.30 axle!! 4th gear is a slight under drive at 1.14 which makes the 3.42 a 3.89, almost like towing in 3rd with the old 4spd. And the double overdrive makes cruisng unloaded more efficent.
The old concept of needing 3.73 minimum or 4.10 axle gears is not relevent with the modern 6spd. They were designed to behave like towing gears when loaded and effeciency gears when not. Best of both worlds.
Also, tongue weights on travel trailers are 13-15%, not 10%. 10% is usually what boat trailers and some flat decks with cargo loaded over the trailer axles are. This is a small but VERY IMPORTANT difference no salesman will usually tell you. Those max tow numbers they throw around? Yea, they are based on a big boat with 10% tongue weight. TTs need 13-15% to keep them stable due to the very large frontal area and non-ideal weight distrobution. So it is nearly impossible to tow a TT at the max tow number, becasuse the tongue weight will exceed the hitch rating.
