2002 silverado 1500

[Celica77]

I know it has been asked about a thousand times but what can my truck tow? It is a 2002 1500 extended cab 4x4 5.3l. 3.73 gears. From what I am seeing is 8000lbs. My truck invoice says it has the tow package, which includes, transmission cooler, locking rear diff, heavy duty suspension, 8 wire trailer harness. So just curious if with that if the tow capacity stayed at 8000lbs.
Thanks

[tim1973]

Grit dog wrote:

falconbrother wrote:
I'm pulling a 5800 dry weight TT with a 2000, 5.3 Suburban. The chassis does fine for my weight. The 5.3 is just OK. Nothing to brag about. For pulling hills remember to pull the transmission down a gear and get the RPMs up.

Solid advice. In fact, I'd never let it hit OD and downshifts to 2nd would happen pretty quick on any grades.

One of the biggest factors for the OP is not the weight of the camper or the rating of the truck, but the condition of a 20 year old vehicle. 150k miles, could mean trans fluid looks like gear oil and the rear brake rotors have rust holes in them, or it could mean a very nice, well maintained capable truck.

This holds true for so many vehicles on the road today. More folks(Myself included) run older vehicles. But, and I have a very capable workshop to do all my own maintenance, a well maintained machine will run for a long time. That and the continued skyward prices of new vehicles? Who in their right mind would have ever imagined a truck topping $100k? Wouldnt have believed it till i saw it with my own eyes.

[Grit_dog]

falconbrother wrote:
I'm pulling a 5800 dry weight TT with a 2000, 5.3 Suburban. The chassis does fine for my weight. The 5.3 is just OK. Nothing to brag about. For pulling hills remember to pull the transmission down a gear and get the RPMs up.

Solid advice. In fact, I'd never let it hit OD and downshifts to 2nd would happen pretty quick on any grades.

One of the biggest factors for the OP is not the weight of the camper or the rating of the truck, but the condition of a 20 year old vehicle. 150k miles, could mean trans fluid looks like gear oil and the rear brake rotors have rust holes in them, or it could mean a very nice, well maintained capable truck.

[falconbrother]

I'm pulling a 5800 dry weight TT with a 2000, 5.3 Suburban. The chassis does fine for my weight. The 5.3 is just OK. Nothing to brag about. For pulling hills remember to pull the transmission down a gear and get the RPMs up.

[Grit_dog]

mkirsch wrote:


The population of the United States was only 213 million in 1974. Every 16 year old did not get a brand new car for their birthday. One-car families were still very common.

Translation: Lots less traffic on the road.

Yes there were Interstates but not nearly as many, so definitely more surface road travel.

Translation: Slower speeds, less power needed to maintain them.

Further, folks were more tolerant of someone poking along pulling a heavy trailer. Now you'd be lucky to make it without some idiot plowing into your rear because they "didn't see it." If they don't plow into you, you get the lovely hand gestures of irate drivers, and a good possibility of finding one of those irate drivers waiting for you at the next rest stop, ready to give you a piece of their mind, feed you a knuckle sandwich, or give you lead poisoning.

Very good point and totally true.
However, to your point, a car with a trailer making it up the pass at 25mph in the '60s being acceptable, a horse and buggy going 4mph or a model T blocking traffic would not have been.

Fast forward 60 years and the old underpowered rig pulling a trailer up the pass, slower than most of the semis, is today's horse an buggy.

It's all relative.

[Grit_dog]

hohenwald48 wrote:


Probably by working on it twice a day and once at night. While you and your siblings were out playing around in the campground or sound asleep. 🙂

Well, it was a Ford, so...lol

[mkirsch]

Brandon the Traveler wrote:
When I read threads like this it makes me wonder how dad hauled 5 kids, mom, 3 packed coolers and a ton of other gear, out to Yellowstone then the Grand Canyon @ 1974. He was pulling a 25' Holiday Rambler TT with a 1963 Falcon 6 cylinder wagon. I think those things had about 75 HP lol.

The population of the United States was only 213 million in 1974. Every 16 year old did not get a brand new car for their birthday. One-car families were still very common.

Translation: Lots less traffic on the road.

Yes there were Interstates but not nearly as many, so definitely more surface road travel.

Translation: Slower speeds, less power needed to maintain them.

Further, folks were more tolerant of someone poking along pulling a heavy trailer. Now you'd be lucky to make it without some idiot plowing into your rear because they "didn't see it." If they don't plow into you, you get the lovely hand gestures of irate drivers, and a good possibility of finding one of those irate drivers waiting for you at the next rest stop, ready to give you a piece of their mind, feed you a knuckle sandwich, or give you lead poisoning.

[Sjm9911]

Just take your time, it will be a dog on hills and you will not be setting any land speed records. But you'll be fine.

[hohenwald48]

Brandon the Traveler wrote:
When I read threads like this it makes me wonder how dad hauled 5 kids, mom, 3 packed coolers and a ton of other gear, out to Yellowstone then the Grand Canyon @ 1974. He was pulling a 25' Holiday Rambler TT with a 1963 Falcon 6 cylinder wagon. I think those things had about 75 HP lol.

Probably by working on it twice a day and once at night. While you and your siblings were out playing around in the campground or sound asleep. 🙂

[blt2ski]

MFL wrote:

Brandon the Traveler wrote:
When I read threads like this it makes me wonder how dad hauled 5 kids, mom, 3 packed coolers and a ton of other gear, out to Yellowstone then the Grand Canyon @ 1974. He was pulling a 25' Holiday Rambler TT with a 1963 Falcon 6 cylinder wagon. I think those things had about 75 HP lol.

This is amazing, just a bit over the top! If you could post a pic of this rig, hooked up, ready to hit the road, I will say "welcome back to the forum". :C

Jerry

Not as low on power, but in 92 did this with an 88 GM BB ext cab, 26' Terry Prowler. Found myself doing 15-20 mph in 1st gear. Not fun.
9 years later Thursday/Friday after 9-11, same trailer, 6.5td crew cab, did speed limit everywhere. Kids were 9-16. 1300 lbs of us. Same trailer 2000-2500 lbs heavier gcw. 4000 lbs over GM's gcwr! I'd do that trip in heartbeat again with same truck. My favorite truck I've owned. This 2014 1500 might be close behind, or get ahead of that one ...

Marty

[MFL]

Brandon the Traveler wrote:
When I read threads like this it makes me wonder how dad hauled 5 kids, mom, 3 packed coolers and a ton of other gear, out to Yellowstone then the Grand Canyon @ 1974. He was pulling a 25' Holiday Rambler TT with a 1963 Falcon 6 cylinder wagon. I think those things had about 75 HP lol.

This is amazing, just a bit over the top! If you could post a pic of this rig, hooked up, ready to hit the road, I will say "welcome back to the forum". :C

Jerry

[blt2ski]

Interstates started getting built in Eisenhower time frame. So 50's!

But as noted, my 4.3 V6 has 50 more HP, down 35 lb ft of torque in motor, my 88&89 454's. 6 gears instead of three. I pull my equipment trailer with mini excavator better and faster with my 2014 2500. A bit better than my 2000 C2500 5.7 4 sp 4l80 trans.
My son towed his dodge conversion van from Wenatchee over Stevens pas, which is way harder pull than I90 with his 05, 4.8 V8, 3.42 gears, 4" lift and 33.5" tires. He survived. A bit slow.

Enjoy.
Marty

[Brandon_the_Tra]

Celica77 wrote:
Yeah but what were the speeds back then? Back roads only 45mph no free ways.

I forgot the Interstates did not arrive until 2010 LOL.

[Celica77]

Yeah but what were the speeds back then? Back roads only 45mph no free ways.

[Brandon_the_Tra]

When I read threads like this it makes me wonder how dad hauled 5 kids, mom, 3 packed coolers and a ton of other gear, out to Yellowstone then the Grand Canyon @ 1974. He was pulling a 25' Holiday Rambler TT with a 1963 Falcon 6 cylinder wagon. I think those things had about 75 HP lol.