Towing with Chevy Suburban 1500

[Hobbes525]

Hello fellow RV'ers.

I recently graduated from a modest little pop-up to a nice Bunkhouse TT and excited about going on some great family trips.

I'm a self admitted noob when it comes to the world of towing more substantial loads and had a few questions in regards to towing my new trailer with our suburban.

My TV is a 2003 Suburban 1500 with 148k on it. Its the 5.3 with a 3.73 gearing. I'm not sure if I have a tranny cooler on it as we bought it used. I did use tow mode.

The trailer is a 2016 Passport Ultra Lite 2920bh with a dry weight of approx 5200 lbs and tonguew weight of 625 lbs. All in we are probably at 6500 to 6800 loaded with passengers and gear.

We took the TT on its first trip of any significant mileage. Approx 150 miles. The suburban seemed to do okay but in all honesty I'm not sure what it would look like if it was pushing its limits.

On the trip we battled some decent side winds but over all the engine was running around 2500 up to 3000 rpms trying to keep up with freeway speeds. It seemed to be happiest around 65 mph. I'm running a full sway and load leveling hitch. I had some swaying but it was controllable. It seemed the most notable when semis or box trucks would pass My inexperience didn't help. 🙂

Braking seemed confident and my temps stayed steady at normal readings so it even with the higher rpms it didn't seemed too taxed. I didn't face any real hills but on some extended grades she would lose speed and by the time we crested the top we were down to about 50 - 55 mph. I was also nursing the gas to avoid it down shifting and reving higher. A couple times it did this and rev'd up to 4000 rpm. On our return trip we had head winds and I was running 3000 rpm and keeping at 70 mph. Hills brought this back down to the 50s as expected.

I know that patience is key with towing but my question is does this sound like the truck is over-loaded? Am I risking damaging the vehicle or something more serious? We are looking to do a family trip from WI to FL towing the trailer. Original plan is to use our suburban but I have considered renting a 3/4 ton diesel. I would prefer to save the cost of the rental but do you think the suburban can handle the trip?

I appreciate any advice offered. As I mentioned I am new to this world. 🙂

Thanks!

[Drew510]

Trans cooler - http://www.oregonperformancetransmission.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=LNG-4739

This is the one I have on my 03 3/4 ton Burb. It makes a WORLD of difference. My Burb has the HD Cooling package but the stock aux cooler was about the size of an iPad mini and did not help. I doubt you have one, but it sits right in front of the radiator. The one I linked has the bypass valve, which I would highly recommend. I regret not getting it on mine and it runs TOO cool in the winter. Like others said, get a trans temp gauge as well.

I'll echo falconbrother as well, get some sumo springs. They really help.

You can see my other mods in my signature. I love them all and would recommend them to anyone.

[falconbrother]

We pull a 5500 lb (more like 6500lb ready to go) 2017 Coleman 27 footer with essentially the same vehicle, a 2000, Suburban 1500 4x4 with the 5.3. The burb does great except for the 5.3. It's working hard pulling those mountains. I guess for what it is it does OK. It's actually the best tow vehicle that I have ever owned, which ain't saying much since I've had one TT in the past. I towed it with an F-150, that did well but was crowded with dogs, a Jeep Grand Wagoneer that sucked and even worse, a Toyota Landcruizer, sucked out loud.

The Suburban 1500 is very stable. Our burb has over 200,000 on it but the engine has about 45,000. I had the rear differential rebuilt a couple of months ago. Mine has the factory tow package and I considered adding an additional transmission cooler but, it has basically two now so.. I service the transmission several times a year, drain and fill 3.5 quarts each time. The 4l60e has been fine so far. Would I prefer towing with a 2500 with the 8.1? Sure but, I don't want to drive that back and forth to work. I considered getting a newer Suburban but, my mechanic says that this body style, 99.5 - 2006 was well built and worth keeping so, I'll just keep it.

I sound like I'm poo pooing the 5.3. I'm not. We moved from a motorhome with a 454 to the burb and travel trailer. The 454 spoiled me rotten for power.

BTW, get yourself some sumo supersprings for that puppy. They really improve the ride and tow-ability.

https://www.amazon.com/SuperSprings-SSR-204-40-SumoSprings-Solo-Upgrade/dp/B00715DKUO/ref=sr_1_7?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1497921302&sr=1-7&keywords=sumo+supersprings

[drsteve]

For a transmission cooler you can't go wrong with B&M. Give them a call and they can steer you to the right cooler for your application.

[Hobbes525]

Thank you everyone for all of the advice. I had not thought of the ratings for the trailer tires. We just picked up the TT this April. Not sure how long they have been on the camper but they look new.

They are Trailer King St Radial ST205/75R14. I confirmed as everyone suspected, they are rated to 65 mph. To be clear I was doing 70 for a brief period of time. My average speed was closer to 60.

For Tranny coolers does anyone have a recommendation? I see there are several styles with the stacked plate being the most efficient. Any thoughts on make and style that would be best?

[burningman]

You need to find out if you have trans cooler.
I'd install a LARGE transmission cooler. They aren't all the same, there are smaller and bigger ones. Sometimes they rate them by vehicle GVW; ignore that. That only means you can get away with a smaller one if you're lighter, but bigger is better.

[LarryJM]

Terryallan wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
?Sounds like it is doing a good job. No problems, EXCEPT as mentioned above. 99 percent of TT tires are rated to 65mph. IF you are running 70+ you are going too fast. Slow it down, and relax. No one will run over you.

Excellent point and compromising a tire's reliability is not necessarily a cumulative thing ... IMO it's sort of like cracking a glass, it only takes one time to crack it and then you've done the damage immediately. In view of the potential damage from a blowout vs the total cost of new tires if it were me I would be replacing all those tires ASAP. I personally just would no longer trust them to any longer. Of course I'm also the one that if I do have a flat on a tire, I consider the other tire on that side also no good (i.e. compromised reliability wise) and I replace tires in pairs.

Larry

I change mine in 5s. Last summer I had 2 flats on one side of the TT in one trip. I am fully convinced that the second one went because it had to carry the full weight of that side of the TT for a few miles until we realized we had a flat. Later in the day. the other one blew.

they were in their 4th year. so when I got home. I bought 5 new tires, and junked all of the old ones. No more old tire for me, and now I carry 2 spares.

Interesting and sort of proves or at least lends some credence to what I was saying even tho more anecdotal than scientific.

I also now carry two spares, but I for the last 40 years and close to 200K miles towing have been living on the wild side since I'm a GY Marathon junkee who normally runs my tires right at (usually within 100lbs) of their max load carrying rating. In all those years and miles I have had like 4 flats and 4 tire separations. 2 of those tire separations where back in the early 90's when I had a set of car, bias ply tires on my trailer that were going on 8 years old and the most recent two were on my Kumho 857s along with one of my flats being on a Kumho 857. About 3 years ago I bought a set of Kumhos and within 2 years and less than 15K miles had three fail and they all had like 500lbs + reserve capacity on each tire.

My next set of tires will be the newer GY Endurance unless I hear a lot of negative info on them. I'm stuck with using 14" tires due to axle configuration/spacing unless I re do my axles and I can't do a simple "flip" since my axles are the torsion type on this trailer.

Larry

[Terryallan]

LarryJM wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
?Sounds like it is doing a good job. No problems, EXCEPT as mentioned above. 99 percent of TT tires are rated to 65mph. IF you are running 70+ you are going too fast. Slow it down, and relax. No one will run over you.

Excellent point and compromising a tire's reliability is not necessarily a cumulative thing ... IMO it's sort of like cracking a glass, it only takes one time to crack it and then you've done the damage immediately. In view of the potential damage from a blowout vs the total cost of new tires if it were me I would be replacing all those tires ASAP. I personally just would no longer trust them to any longer. Of course I'm also the one that if I do have a flat on a tire, I consider the other tire on that side also no good (i.e. compromised reliability wise) and I replace tires in pairs.

Larry

I change mine in 5s. Last summer I had 2 flats on one side of the TT in one trip. I am fully convinced that the second one went because it had to carry the full weight of that side of the TT for a few miles until we realized we had a flat. Later in the day. the other one blew.

they were in their 4th year. so when I got home. I bought 5 new tires, and junked all of the old ones. No more old tire for me, and now I carry 2 spares.

[KD4UPL]

It sounds like you've got the Sub fully loaded. You are likely very close or slightly over the payload rating. Do you have P tires or LT tires on it? If you have P tires I would switch to LT.
Don't be afraid of RPMs, let that little engine wind up if it needs too. There's nothing wrong with 4,000 or even 5,000 RPMs going up a hill.

[naturist]

It is not bad to let the transmission shift down a gear when the going gets tough uphill or into the wind. That's what gears are for. Running higher rpm will help keep the engine cooler if you have a mechanically driven water pump, and the engine puts out more power at higher rpm.

Overdrive is there to save fuel when full power is not needed. But when you need full power, you also need to get out of overdrive and into lower gears.

I don't have a Sub, but I have had other trucks and dragged around heavy stuff. And I say, let the tranny do its job and downshift when going up hills and into headwinds.

As for passing trucks, they have to shove the air aside to move, and that blows wind on your rig. As they go by you on your left, that wind will first push the back of your TT to the right, which will try to push you into the ditch. As the truck passes the trailer's wheels, the push switches to shove you under the truck. As the passing truck passes your TV middle, the push switches again to the right. All this is normal, and as long as it is not too bad, you expect it, and you retain control, all is good.

[LarryJM]

Terryallan wrote:
?Sounds like it is doing a good job. No problems, EXCEPT as mentioned above. 99 percent of TT tires are rated to 65mph. IF you are running 70+ you are going too fast. Slow it down, and relax. No one will run over you.

Excellent point and compromising a tire's reliability is not necessarily a cumulative thing ... IMO it's sort of like cracking a glass, it only takes one time to crack it and then you've done the damage immediately. In view of the potential damage from a blowout vs the total cost of new tires if it were me I would be replacing all those tires ASAP. I personally just would no longer trust them to any longer. Of course I'm also the one that if I do have a flat on a tire, I consider the other tire on that side also no good (i.e. compromised reliability wise) and I replace tires in pairs.

Larry

[Madmartigan]

I agree with the other posters. I grew up in a family that towed TT's with 1500 burb's and my folks loved it. They still do to this day. His last burb made it to 350K miles and he only got rid of it because he was ready for the new model. Engine still ran fine and didn't burn any oil. Towed for 14 years. His current model has 250K+ miles and has seen just as many towing miles. He loves it and will only ever buy suburbans. Enjoy your ride and be confident. I do recommend a solid tranny cooler.

[Terryallan]

?Sounds like it is doing a good job. No problems, EXCEPT as mentioned above. 99 percent of TT tires are rated to 65mph. IF you are running 70+ you are going too fast. Slow it down, and relax. No one will run over you.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

drsteve wrote:
As for engine RPMs, do not hesitate to let the motor rev. The 5.3 makes it's best power around 4500.

Actually it's 5,200 RPM.

Let the engine wind. It's how they make power.

[drsteve]

Your trailer's tongue weight when loaded for camping is probably close to 800 lbs. Watch your payload. Note too that the trailer tires are probably rated for only 65 mph.

As for engine RPMs, do not hesitate to let the motor rev. The 5.3 makes it's best power around 4500. I'd install a trans cooler and temp gauge too.