1/2 ton towing advice

[Jthornto]

Hello - I have a 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 with 5.3L and 3:42 gears. The owners manual indicates a max towing capability of 9500 lbs for my model but I'm looking for some user advise as to what I can really expect to comfortably tow. We are looking at a 30' TT with a dry weight of about 5500 lbs and a GVWR of 7000. The RV dealers I've talked to say that weight will be "no problem" but they aren't the ones out there on the road.

Has anyone out there had experience with a truck similarly equipped towing this weight or more? It's only me and my wife traveling and we don't anticipate adding much in the way of additional weight. I don't intend to buy a new truck so I'm looking for what weights folks with experience would be comfortable hauling.

Thanks in advance!
Jim T.
Lago Vista, TX

[Jthornto]

The unit I was considering was a KZ Spree 270RLS. I think we've decided on another 24' unit that comes in at about 4900.

[CKNSLS]

lawrosa wrote:

We are looking at a 30' TT with a dry weight of about 5500 lbs and a GVWR of 7000.

Can you post make and model? That seems a bit light...

I have a 29 foot-no slides that comes in at 4,500 pounds dry. They are out there.

[K3WE]

My situation is halfway similar- 3 Suburbans over the last 15 years: 1/2 ton with 3.42 & 4 speed, 1/2 ton with 4.10 and 4 speed and 3/4 ton with 3.73 and 6 speed & a 27 ft bunkhouse, 7000 lbs gross.

I think 1) you are near the maximum capacity, and 2) are probably OK.

After reading 10-zillion "can I tow this threads", my take away is that having a little extra truck makes for more comfort.

Our 3/4 ton seems a bit more stable, and the point that folks make is that the axles, springs and brakes are designed for more weight. But both previous 1/2 ton Suburbans pulled ok (and the difference in the 3.42 vs. the 4.10 was pretty minor (heck, the 6-speed spends LOTS of time with the engine wound up to pretty much similar, if not higher, RPMs)).

There is probably a safety advantage to going bigger, but conversely, it's very wrong to be towing at 80% of maximum and feeling smug! (because you have a 3/4 ton or 1 ton or dually, yada yada yada). Towing anything heavy and big requires good attention and good driving hobbits regardless of the TV!

If I towed LOTS and LOTS, I think the "80%" rule is probably more important. But if you are like so many of us and the towing is more intermittent, your weight and truck seem to work- again, with the disclaimer that you are probably maxed out (and that pulling and accelerating are not the issue, but stopping and dealing with wind).

[SouthpawHD]

Tystevens wrote:

Jthornto wrote:
Thanks. I do have the factory towing package with the K5L cooling. I also just added a Tekonsha P3 brake controller.

I don't know what the cost to add the GM factory controller is (it was about $200 on my Ford), but I'd recommend it over the stand-alone inertia controllers. The integrated controller can do things that the stand-alone cannot.

A GM factory controller cannot be added after as the wiring is all different.

I had a Tekonsha P2 and it worked decent. Not as good as the factory controller, but worked decent enough.

[Tystevens]

Jthornto wrote:
Thanks. I do have the factory towing package with the K5L cooling. I also just added a Tekonsha P3 brake controller.

I don't know what the cost to add the GM factory controller is (it was about $200 on my Ford), but I'd recommend it over the stand-alone inertia controllers. The integrated controller can do things that the stand-alone cannot.

[Jthornto]

Mine is the Texas Edition which includes the towing package but not the integrated brake control.

[owenssailor]

Jthornto wrote:
Thanks. I do have the factory towing package with the K5L cooling. I also just added a Tekonsha P3 brake controller.

Doesn't your truck have a built in brake controller? I thought that they were standard with the towing package. The factory built in unit works very well.

[Jthornto]

Thanks. I do have the factory towing package with the K5L cooling. I also just added a Tekonsha P3 brake controller.

[Tystevens]

To the OP, we tow a very similarly sized TT w/ the 1/2 tons in my signature. They do just fine. We live in Utah; every tow has lots of mountains and elevation involved.

Make sure your truck has the K5L cooling package (look at the RPO code sticker in your glove box for the K5L code). If you have that, you should be set to tow.

Of course, you will need a well set up WD hitch and trailer brakes (the factory controllers are fantastic).

[owenssailor]

SouthpawHD wrote:

owenssailor wrote:
I forgot to include the weights for our trailer.
Trailer GVW 7000
Brochure trailer 5005 tongue 780
as shipped trailer 5400
When in use trailer 6600 tongue 1200

At 1200 TW, plus WD hitch, aren't you over the max for GM trucks? My truck says 1200 max.

My truck says 1500

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Sounds like you are looking smaller which I think is good. A couple posters above mentioned a transmission cooler. Regardless of weight, you need to check that you have an auxiliary system to cool transmission. If truck has tow package, it should be there.

[myredracer]

Based on our 29' KZ Spree, I can tell you that the actual tongue weight will be around 950 lbs. Allow another 100 lbs for the WDH and you are at 1050 lbs for payload requirement. Fully loaded for camping for two, we are around 200 lbs under the GVWR and that's with one battery. If we towed with just one full holding tank, we'd be over the GVWR.

For that Spree you'd be looking at about 1050 lbs for payload and about 7K lbs for TT GVW. You'll need 1000 lb spring bars on the WDH. We run 1200 lbs on our Reese DC WDH. FWIW, specs I looked at say over 31' for the 280RLS.

Unless you are going to only go on short local camping trips on flat ground, I wouldn't want to tow that Spree with a 1/2 ton and esp. not with 3.42 gears. We tow ours with a 3/4 ton and have 4.10 rear end. We are just on a trip through the Cascades in Or and Ca and out to the coast and have been on 9% grades and some very twisty roads with frequent speed limit changes. When you say "trips out west" if the roads are similar, no way would I do that with a 1/2 ton or 3.42 rear end.

The first thing I would do is go load up your truck with everything you'd take on a trip (DW, kids, pets, tools, bikes, etc.), go through a scale somewhere and subtract that from the GVWR on your door jamb sticker. Then that's the available payload you've got to work with for trailer shopping. You *could* be in for a surprise. 4x4 will take a fair slice out of payload ratings too. I don't think you'll make it with 950 lbs of TW on that Spree.

BTW, if you plan to put a lot of miles on the TT and on bumpy roads, I highly recommend shocks on that Spree, otherwise you will find there's a lot of bounce at the rear end.

[2012Coleman]

I'd like to see a picture of the door jam sticker. Tow capacity is calculated by towing a flat trailer with weights on it - much different than a high walled TT. Payload will be reached/exceeded before stated tow capacity. Don't remember if you have a tow package, and I'd also be curious as to what kind of tires you have on the truck/how old.

I was also told (as a towing newbie) that my setup was "doable". That was mostly correct, but found out that I don't like "doable", and therefore am in the mkt for 2500/F250.

Good luck

[APT]

Once you commit to a high walled RV, any naturally aspirated gas engine will feel the same with respect to power, except maybe the 10 year old GM 8.1L. If you want to tow up a 6% grade at 60mph, you'll be in 3rd gear at 4000-4500rpm. 25' or 35', 4000 pounds loaded or 8000 pounds doesn't matter much since you are overcoming the frontal area/aero drag with a lot of power at 60mph to start. Focus on the appropriate weights and get the floorplan you want.