Brassica wrote:
The 4.3l V6 in the "double cab" truck is rated for 7100 pounds. The trailer would be 4000 pounds wet. The truck would have two adults and 500 pounds of supplies. The trailer would have a frontal area of 60 square feet. GCWR is 12,000 lb, so we have 2,400 lb of margin on that account. Is this truck a good match?
I bought a 2014 Z71 with the 4.3l and tow package early this spring. I can tell you this about it:
The 2014 4.3 is a brand new engine, made for trucks. It has 11:1 compression and works well with E85. With E85 in the tank it has 297hp and 330lbs torque, and averages 13-14mpg. (gas is 285hp/305lbs, and I'm getting 16-17 combined mpg, 21-24 highway)
The 2010 5.3l I used to have averaged 15-16mpg, and had 315hp/335lbs torque. Not much different.
One difference I have noted running gas is I get 21-24mpg on highway trips, much better than the 2010 5.3l I had which would get 18-19mpg highway.
The six speed transmission is an improvement. I get 10-14mpg towing my 2000lb boat on gas or E85, depending on terrain and highway. (and it seems about the same as the old 5.3l)
Basically this engine is the replacement for the 4.8l V8, and a better engine because the 4.8l made it's 305lbs torque at 4600rpm, the 4.3l makes it's 305lbs torque at 3900rpm.
Love the truck so far, got the All Star pack, step tubes, bedliner, and tonneau.
All that said, the new 5.3l similarly a tweaked high compression version of last years models, and a more capable tow vehicle for $1000 more. In the price of these trucks, $1000 is nothing.
I got the 4.3l because they gave me a killer deal on my trade and a good price on the truck. (and I'm only towing a 2000lb boat)
If I were towing 4000, I'd get the 5.3l just to be sure. The 4.3l will do it easily from the reviews I read, but you might get a bigger trailer and why push it for $1000 on a truck that is going to cost you over $30K?
