04 Chev 1500 as a tow vehicle 8000lb camper

[zed1k]

Up until this year we have had our camper setup on a seasonal site (Outback 312BH), and do to other commitments we decided to pull out of the seasonal site so we could travel with the kids sports. I spent many hours on camper forums to see if we need to trade our rig for a 2500 or if you could get by with our truck. almost every forum I read said it is a bad idea and way too much camper for our truck, and would be a very unpleasant experience. We were ready to trade for an older 2500, but decided not to. This past weekend was our 2nd trip out and we were very impressed with how well our truck did. we had no problem at all with the hills, maintained a decent speed on the hardest hills, and very little swaying. The Z71 in this year has larger disk brakes front and back than the normal 1500 so braking was no problem at all either. I really dont find towing this camper any worse than our old coachman 230bh (4500lbs). I must say that so far we really like this combination TV and camper. Thought I would share in case anyone else is in the same situation

Truck:
2004 Chev Silverado 1500 Z71 Crew cab
5.3 auto, 3.73 gears
285/75/17 10 ply tires
extra leaf, CIA and throtle body spacer

Camper:
2014 Keystone Outback 312bH
36 feet from hitch back
aprox 8000lbs loaded

[trailer_newbe]

Thank you. Let us know how things go, like your new rig.

[zed1k]

I just googled salt river canyon, don't think i would attempt that with my current tv but looks awesome, you should have a great time

[trailer_newbe]

I’d say tow it for a while and see how it goes. Try Salt River Canyon :). Tomorrow that is where I’m going.
—> https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26444044.cfm

[zed1k]

Is that with your current truck?

[Huntindog]

I changed mine every year. The magnet had lots of metal on it every year... And not all that many miles. That TT never left the state, and I have a 3 mile work commute. 3 or 4 years and the diff was toast. And that was a 12 bolt with a 7K TT.

Keep an eye on it.

zed1k wrote:
I just changed the diff fluid, looks great no metal on the magnet at all, good sign i guess

[zed1k]

I just changed the diff fluid, looks great no metal on the magnet at all, good sign i guess

[GrandpaKip]

So many armchair drivers,
So little experience driving his combo.

[JIMNLIN]

TomG2 wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:
....snip.....
Your a brave lad coming on a rv forum and brag about your 1/2 ton combo.

Or, he wants to rattle the cage of folks who are pretty sure a fifteen year old 1500 series truck that is probably over on three out of four ratings is not a good choice for towing over 8,000 pounds. He got a few of us to take the bait.

Thanks...that reply make my point of my post.

[ZINGERLITE]

zed1k wrote:

AppFire wrote:
Dangerous, just plain dangerous.....

Please explain, my truck maintains highway speed with low rpm, i have an upgraded suspension, upgraded brakes, and the trailer has absolutely no sway. We all cant afford 3500 diesels, but my trailer tows great with what i have. Might be different if i planed a trip across the country

nore do most of us need a 3500 diesel for the 3 camping trips a year lol.

[zed1k]

TomG2 wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:
....snip.....
Your a brave lad coming on a rv forum and brag about your 1/2 ton combo.

Or, he wants to rattle the cage of folks who are pretty sure a fifteen year old 1500 series truck that is probably over on three out of four ratings is not a good choice for towing over 8,000 pounds. He got a few of us to take the bait.

That was not my intention, but after reading your reply I guess it does sound like a bad idea. I did try to downgrade to a smaller unit, but was offered about half of what i owe towards a second hand smaller one. My truck is only used to haul the camper, so it is hard to justify buying a new one.

[trailer_newbe]

Going from a Tundra to my current truck and experiencing similar tow weights, I’ll say that is a LOT of trailer, especially for an older 1/2 ton which lacks the towing capacity of the newer 1/2 ton trucks. The Nissan HD with the 5.0 CTD is one 1/2 that would tow that trailer fine. Unfortunately it cost as much as my RAM, so maybe not so good.

[TomG2]

JIMNLIN wrote:
....snip.....
Your a brave lad coming on a rv forum and brag about your 1/2 ton combo.

Or, he wants to rattle the cage of folks who are pretty sure a fifteen year old 1500 series truck that is probably over on three out of four ratings is not a good choice for towing over 8,000 pounds. He got a few of us to take the bait.

[JIMNLIN]

Some folks have preconceived ideas about 1/2 ton trucks even though like yours its working fine and not overloaded.
Your a brave lad coming on a rv forum and brag about your 1/2 ton combo.

[zed1k]

I think if you towed my trailer you would be surprised how lite it feels

[zed1k]

AppFire wrote:
Dangerous, just plain dangerous.....

Please explain, my truck maintains highway speed with low rpm, i have an upgraded suspension, upgraded brakes, and the trailer has absolutely no sway. We all cant afford 3500 diesels, but my trailer tows great with what i have. Might be different if i planed a trip across the country