Anyone towing with a '08 GM 1500?

[mikenem]

I've got a 2008 Sierra 1500 crew cab 5.3l. Truck is rated for 9500lbs. Just bought a trailer with a dry weight of 6455lbs, so figure around 7000lbs loaded. Haven't pulled anything that heavy with this truck yet. Should there be any concerns? Still way below my limit, but don't want to push it at the same time.

[CHD_Dad]

mikenem wrote:
Thanks for all the feed back. Picked up the trailer Saturday and couldn't believe how low my truck sat! Ran it across the cat scale, trailer weighed in at 6940# with 780# at the tounge. Engine and trans did great on flat ground, All the trouble was in the suspension. Stopped and looked at a 2500 on the way to get the trailer just in case...should be picking that up by the end of the week, haha.

Was that 6940# empty? If so you'll be up to 8000# loaded with close to 1000# on the tongue. I'd be shopping for that 2500 too if that was the case!

[mikenem]

I'm not new to towing or leveling loads. The truck is being just about put to its towing, payload limits, and is well over it GCWR. And the weight I got was without food, coolers of ice, water in tanks or the bikes and kayaks in the truck. My 1500 will do it, but its time for something to do it safely...

[TomG2]

OP wrote, "Picked up the trailer Saturday and couldn't believe how low my truck sat! Ran it across the cat scale, trailer weighed in at 6940# with 780# at the tongue."

"If" you are serious about a 2500HD, you will discover that Chevrolet does not require a WD hitch with your trailer. Mine is about the same weight, and they are correct.

[APT]

Your WDH should be adjusted such that the rear settles in the 1.5"-2" lower than unhitched height, or about level. Adjust such that the TT is level to slightly nose down and the front axle weight/height is the same with WD as unhitched. Start learning how to adjust because a new truck will force you to readjust too!

[mikenem]

Thanks for all the feed back. Picked up the trailer Saturday and couldn't believe how low my truck sat! Ran it across the cat scale, trailer weighed in at 6940# with 780# at the tounge. Engine and trans did great on flat ground, All the trouble was in the suspension. Stopped and looked at a 2500 on the way to get the trailer just in case...should be picking that up by the end of the week, haha.

[APT]

I believe you about the shocks. My 2011 Suburban OEM shocks were underdamped when new too.

[CKNSLS]

APT wrote:

CKNSLS wrote:

I am towing a 5,500-29 foot pound travel trailer around the country, over 4,000 miles thus far, with my 2011-5.3 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab. Truck is completely stock....The stock shocks at 33,000 are sagging

You have two more usable towing gears with the 6-spd over his 4-spd. You tow 1500 pounds lower weight. Shocks do not sag or hold the vehicle up, springs do.

The shocks are not doing their job. It's not the springs. Maybe "sagging" was a bad word to use.

[APT]

CKNSLS wrote:

I am towing a 5,500-29 foot pound travel trailer around the country, over 4,000 miles thus far, with my 2011-5.3 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab. Truck is completely stock....The stock shocks at 33,000 are sagging

You have two more usable towing gears with the 6-spd over his 4-spd. You tow 1500 pounds lower weight. Shocks do not sag or hold the vehicle up, springs do.

[TomG2]

CKNSLS wrote:
........snip.............................
I am towing a 5,500-29 foot pound travel trailer around the country, over 4,000 miles thus far, with my 2011-5.3 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab. Truck is completely stock. I just replaced OEM tires with NITTO Cross Terrains (275/55/20 XL) and have nothing bad to say about them. The stock shocks at 33,000 are sagging and will be replaced for the trip back which we have started on. Total towing will be a little over 8,000 miles in 9 months.

The 5.3 will tow your trailer but since it is heavier than mine you will know it's back there. PM me if you have any questions.

My tongue weigt is 750 pounds.

The OP's trailer is probably going to be 2,000 pounds heavier than your 5,500 pound model, which will change his towing experience from yours. Even if only 10% (200 pounds) are added to the tongue weight, he will be affected by it. Everybody is different in their performance expectations. I tow a similar amount and went back to a 2500HD because I appreciate the added capability, and I am not just talking about power.

[CKNSLS]

TomG2 wrote:

mikenem wrote:
3.73 rear, a 2500 is planned to be my next truck, maybe sooner than planned. We'll see how we make out

Make sure your first trip in not an important one, because I don't think you are going to like what you feel. Tires, Timbrens, and Tension (0n the hitch) will all be suggested.

I am towing a 5,500-29 foot pound travel trailer around the country, over 4,000 miles thus far, with my 2011-5.3 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab. Truck is completely stock. I just replaced OEM tires with NITTO Cross Terrains (275/55/20 XL) and have nothing bad to say about them. The stock shocks at 33,000 are sagging and will be replaced for the trip back which we have started on. Total towing will be a little over 8,000 miles in 9 months.

The 5.3 will tow your trailer but since it is heavier than mine you will know it's back there. PM me if you have any questions.

My tongue weigt is 750 pounds.

[DBH_MI]

I have a 4WD 2008 Sierra extended cab with the 5.3 liter and a 3.73 axle and it is rated for 7500 lbs. 2WD will add another 200 lbs in towing capacity. I pull a trailer that scales at 7200 lbs ready to camp with 900 lbs on the hitch. There is just me and my wife in the truck and I am careful about what goes into the truck bed since I am using most of the 1500 lb load capacity and all of the towing capacity. I tow locked at third gear at 60-62 mph and in 100 Deg. F. ambient temperatures, the transmission runs at 200 Deg. F. Grades of more than 2 or 3 percent will force a shift to second gear and if it is a long grade, I will slow down to 50 mph to drop the rpm down some. I also change out the transmission and rear differential fluids every 35k miles.

I would reiterate that you definitely want to scale the trailer and while I have no immediate plans to move to a different vehicle, in your case I would recommend a 2500 for the load in question.

[EdBigley]

Until this week, my TV was a 2010 Silverado 1500 with a 5.3 and 3.42 rear end with 6 speed automatic. I tow a 6400 lb empty, 8200 gross weight Starcraft with an 1100 lb tongue weight (on average) using a Reese 1200 lb dual-cam hitch setup. The truck has made 2 trips to FL and last year it went 7200 miles on a trip from Western New York to FL to TX to Phoenix and back home. Except for several legs with headwinds, I averaged 9.2 mpg. With headwinds or steep grades (up) expect the mileage to drop to around 7. I was planning a trip to SD in this truck this summer, but came across a 2500HD that I couldn't pass up. The 6-speed transmission makes the difference. I owned a 2005 with a 4-speed auto and 4.10 gear ratio and the 6-speed out performs it by a mile.

[Goldstalker]

Are you sure it's rated for 9500lbs? I thought the 5.3L with 4-spd 3.73 was rated for 7500lbs. Then in 2009 it went to 6-spd 3.42 and it went up too 9500lbs. Anyways my trailer is 5400lbs unloaded and 6200-6300 loaded and have no issues.

[mikenem]

Well its going to be an important one. Maiden voyage will be about 3 1/2 hours home from the dealer