GM overstates 2014 tow ratings by almost 25%

[EXSlider400]

Before I start, I have owned several Sierras and never an issue. Current truck has no real issues....except.....

GM overstated tow ratings by almost 25% on 2014 1500 NBS half ton Sierra Silverado with 3.08 gears.

GMC is wanting to royally screw me. They sent me a recall for owners manual that lowered my tow rating on 3.08 geared truck by 2,000 pounds (from 8,600 to 6,600). Now my camper is overweight at 7,600, even though when I bought the truck I was 1000 pounds under the trucks limit. My Insurance and Allied have both sent me a letter saying they are not liable for any damages/injuries because my camper is over weight, and GM's solution is to have me trade in my truck for one with lower gears....AND WANTS ME TO PAY THE EXTRA COST!!!! I turned down that ridiculous slap in the face so waiting for what their final offer will be today but pretty sure it will also be insulting. They act like this is my fault and they are helping me out by allowing me to trade in my truck and ultimately pay more money!!

This includes starting over on my payments and everything. This will cost me around 17,000 (low trade in price, higher monthly note on brand new truck over another 6 years)which I don't have the funds for. I even offed a deal so my payments would be an additional $50 per month and I would still start over on my 6 years of payments (currently 9 months in). So we have been camping in the back yard as pulling is it not worth the liability.

So I am talking to Attorney but without saying what he wants to do (probably take his route anyway), I was looking at trading my 2004 Jayco Eagle for a 2011 Forest River Surveyor Sport 293 and force GM to pay the difference.

Are these any good?

[TNGW1500SE]

GM was bailed out by the government and filed bankruptcy screwing their suppliers. I wouldn't care if their trucks could pill a mountain! I'll continue to buy Fords.

[Need-A-Vacation]

Exslider,

What all do you carry (estimated weight) in the bed of the truck when towing, and what is the aproximate weight of the family?

You state you may have messed up on the gvwr (seems like for the first truck), but why go with another 1500 besides for gas mileage? If you have much in the bed of the truck I would bet you're near if not over the rear axle rating (and possibly the gvwr). What is the yellow payload sticker state the passengers and cargo must not exceed "xxxx" lbs?

Hope the new truck serves you well! Just seems you didn't gain very much with the trade since no one I know of has ever exceeded (or came close to) the tow rating on a 1500 (trucks with the higher(est) rating) before they ran out of payload when towing a travel trailer.

Just found the listed dry tongue weight for your trailer is 915lbs. Add only the filled propane tanks and a battery, and you're in the area of about 1100lbs tw, before loading anything else in the trailer.

[EXSlider400]

Here is the door sticker from 3.08


here is the 3.42


I will pull across scales next time I get a chance. I may have messed up with GVWR, but am better on the tow ratings. Depends on what scales say.

[jmtandem]

If the OP thinks he won, I guess that is all that matters.

So often perception is reality; reality is irrevelant.

[TomG2]

The OP gets a heavier pickup with a 3.42-3.08= 0.34 better rear axle ratio and suddenly the insurance company is happy and the loading information from the door stickers is still unavailable? A 1500 with a fuel mileage rear axle ratio for another 1500 with a fuel mileage rear axle ratio does not sound like a great deal to me. No way of knowing, but it is likely that the tongue weight more than exceeded the available payload after passengers and stuff were accounted for. If the OP thinks he won, I guess that is all that matters.

[ktosv]

lbrjet wrote:
I'm glad GM stepped up to the plate and you got it worked out. Best of luck with the new truck.

My thought exactly. It might not be the perfect truck to tow that trailer, but it appears that GM stepped up and that he was able to negotiate a resolution that was mutually beneficial (for his situation).

[lbrjet]

I'm glad GM stepped up to the plate and you got it worked out. Best of luck with the new truck.

[TomG2]

Way back on Page 4, someone said something smelled like fish. I think they are correct.

[jmtandem]

Incredible!!! After all the responses to his query he goes from a half ton to another half ton without any regard to GVWR, Combined gross, and payload considerations. He works in a salvage yard with a CAT scale but apparently never weighed his truck and trailer? He is unhappy with GM that the misprint in the owners manual,but not in the door jam placard or tow rating guide, is costing him money. So what does he do? He runs down to the GM dealer to get another one. This is getting weird. Where is this going? And now he is bringing gas mileage into this??? This is a towing forum and everybody knows that gas mileage will suffer when towing regardless what engine or truck is doing the towing.

It has gone from not having the truck he thought he had because of GM's misprint to needing good gas mileage in his next truck so it is better to just get another half ton instead of what really will do the job in the 2500 series. Where is the logic?

[time2roll]

I bet those 3.42 gears cost more than $2,000 and could have had 3.73/4.10 ratio :R

[keymastr]

I agree with fla-gypsy, he learned nothing and is in as bad a shape as before.

[MitchF150]

Yeah, but he now has 3.42 gears and a heavier truck with more than likely LESS payload than the first one!! 🙂

But as long as that "tow rating" says it's okay, it must be okay.... 😉

I wish the OP good luck with it and hope it works out the way he wants it to.

Mitch

[fla-gypsy]

Oh brother, I'm done with this one. He jumped out of the fire into the frying pan and learned nothing.

[APT]

deleted

[westend]

EXSlider400 wrote:
As an update, I have been in contact with GM and we made a deal to trade in my 3.08 on a 3.42 truck at a discount. I upgraded to a Denali so my note is higher but both sides compromised. I will still post all the info and stickers for future questions and/or concerns. Also I need to know if I will truly be over weight with new truck.....

I would suggest a trip to a GM dealership is in order. By now, you should be gun shy of any published information. The door jamb stickers don't lie. They truly represent what the vehicle is rated for regarding weights and loads.
Since you have access to a scale, I would load the trailer in it's condition for camping with all of sundry camping items and pull it across the scale with your existing truck (this will be the last trip like this). What you need is the tongue weight of the trailer without any weight distribution enabled.
When you visit the dealer, open some doors and look for the cargo capacity stickers, subtract the total of tongue weight of the trailer and the weight of the WDH and see what the difference is. You can then figure the weights involved with your truck, adding in passengers, fuel, and cargo carried. If you come up with cargo capacity remaining, you have made everybody happy.
You can't select a towing vehicle in these weight ranges using the gross towing capacity of the vehicle, i.e. you must go by the payload or cargo capacity. You will run out of that capacity long before you reach the maximum towing capacity.

IMO, I would eliminate the guesswork and enjoy a better towing experience by ordering a 2500 series Denali or a 2500 series pickup truck. The assumed small amount of MPG saved vs 1500 would not be worth having the right truck for the use anticipated, i.e. towing the 8000 lb. trailer. Also, when it comes time for resale, the 2500 will be worth more than the 1500.

Good luck with your new truck.