Truck upgrade?

[hikingst1ck]

Hi, looking for some advice from the experts, we have a 2021 Chevy 1500 Custom. It’s the 2.4L 4-cylinder turbo. It’s rated to tow 9,300 and we’ve been towing our 5,000lb TT with it. It does ok around IL where we live, it’s nice and flat.

We recently took it about 1,000 miles to SD and it seemed to struggle a bit with the hills along I-90, specifically around the Missouri River and the black hills. Several times I just had to slow down and by the time we topped the hill we only doing about 50mph. We were getting passed like were standing still.

We’ve been talking about trading for either a 1/2 ton with a v8 or a 3/4 ton (which is a bit out of our price range but we do love the TT). If we’re going to take long trips out west or east for that matter what will tow it comfortably?

[Grit_dog]

Regarding up sizing to a HD truck. There are advantages like zero need for a wdh for most travel trailers (if you can get over the RVer mantra that those contraptions are somehow a requirement regardless of the tow rig).
What you won't gain is much if anything in the power department vs the big V8 1/2 tons and Eco Boost (6.2 GM, 5.7 Hemi and 3.5 EcoB will all pull about the same as the 3/4 ton gassers).

Bottom line, unless personal preference or skepticism about the longevity of the 2.7, your truck already does most of what the bigger engines does and the rest of the truck is the same.

[Grit_dog]

hikingst1ck wrote:
Any more than a slight grade and it’ll start losing speed and then shift again and we’ll be running around 4500-5000rpm which gets me a take-your-foot-off-the-gas-before-the-engine-blows look from my wife.

First, welcome to the forum!
And while I haven't driven one of the new turbo 4 banger Silverados, they are seriously impressive on paper and also, real world if you think about it. You've got basically V8 power in a tiny little package.
Yes there's a component of "How long do I run this thing wrung out at 80% + of it's max rpms?" And the other component is how often are you towing where you feel the need for extra power vs the rest of the time when it has more than enough to do the job and gets a few mpgs better than a N/A V8 truck?
I can't speak for the longevity of the engine, and not many can since it's relatively new on the market still, but that would be my only concern. Can you get 150k-250k miles out of it in a pickup truck, especially if you're running it hard sometimes. Or on the flip side, do you even care, if you upgrade trucks rather regularly?

The one bit of advice is that if you "upgrade" to say a 5.3L Silverado, you'll still drop a few gears towing your TT into a headwind and still be 4000rpms+ if you're pulling a grade and maintaining highway speeds. Yes, it will feel more composed. I had my '20 Silverado 5.3/10speed locked in 5th or 6th gear gear pulling the boat (6klbs) up a grade. Couldn't hear that it was running 4000rpms any more than around 2000 on the flats. Forgot until I was down the road a bit and saw the tach still on the wrong side of top dead center!
I haven't personally pulled any steep or long grades with my new 2020 5.3. Our son pulled the boat to Montana this year with it and coming up from the Columbia River eastbound said he was flat peddled at 55mph, by comparison.

If you upgrade now, you'll get premium $ selling yours, but pay a premium for a new one, so about a wash.
Personal opinion, I'd rather have the 5.3 vs the strung out 4 banger, but real world, unless it leaves you with a big repair bill in the future, it's very capable of pulling the occasional grade with your camper.
And to add to it, if you get into high altitude, it will do as good or better than the normally aspirated V8s if it stays cool because it won't lose significant power due to being forced induction.

[MitchF150]

yeah, it's gonna be a learning experience hearing the engine run over 5000 rpms.

It's normal and going to the full beans at around 5000 rpms, like has been said, is not out of range when on the grades.

Also, slowing down to 50 mph up the grade is nothing to fret about either.. Just part of the deal when towing a heavy brick behind you.. 🙂

If you ride bikes, what happens when you hit a grade? You gotta downshift, pedal faster (rpms) and you slow down and you work harder.. 🙂

V8 will rev just as high and be just as loud. My little 3.5 V6 turbo F150 is still the top engine over the 5.0 V8.

Anyway, I'd keep what you got and just learn to adjust your towing expectations to a level equal to the task at hand.

Good luck! Mitch

[2112]

Anticipate the grades. Start speeding up when you see an approaching incline before you get to it. Get a running start at it. Take it off cruise control. Play the hills. When you're on a decline and see an approaching incline, speed up. Give it a little more gas just as you get to the incline. Play it like a roller coaster. When your wife gives you the look, don't make eye contact. If she says anything, tell her you can't hear her over this screaming engine.

Is this truck your daily driver as well?

[hikingst1ck]

@Dadoffourgirls & JIMNLIN - Thank you for the perspective. Not having pulled a trailer long distance before it's really helpful to hear others' experience and technique.

[dodge_guy]

Anytime anyone says it can’t weigh much more than XXX lbs I kind of chuckle. I tell everyone to always add 1200-1500 lbs to the dry weight and this will get you very close without actually weighing. I know that section on I90 at the Missouri River. Although not huge it will tax the most non tow setup vehicle there is. A TV that is rated properly will pull that at 65mph without issue. So your 50mph really isn't all that bad. But for towing beyond IL I would want a truck with a V-8 and proper towing gears. Even if you got a V-8 1500 and you got the highest gears (numerically lower) you will be in the same position you are now.

[hikingst1ck]

@valhalla You have me curious about weights. Next time we're headed out we'll make some time to take it to the scale just so we know exactly what we're pulling.

I did almost always immediately back off after that 2nd shift it made that pushed it to the 4500-5000rpm range. I can just let it go as long as it's still within the range? It just sounds so wound up! It could be that with my normal driving habits my ears just aren't used to hearing the engine in my vehicle operating at 5K rpm 🙂 Slowing down is fine too, I'm not trying to set any records, just safely make it to the destination.

[valhalla360]

hikingst1ck wrote:
You guys are quick! You’re correct, the truck is 2.7L, not 2.4. The TT is 4300 empty, so loaded (we’re not running with a tank of water or anything crazy) I’m guessing 5-5.5k. 2 Bikes in the bed of the truck. I know stuff adds up and I haven’t been through the scales but there’s no way it’s over 5500. On flat ground the engine runs around 2400rpm @68mph. I don’t go faster than that. On uphills it’ll shift once to about 3500rpm which if it’s slight it’ll maintain speed. Any more than a slight grade and it’ll start losing speed and then shift again and we’ll be running around 4500-5000rpm which gets me a take-your-foot-off-the-gas-before-the-engine-blows look from my wife. Most of the hills we encountered were no more than a few miles long max so it definitely didn’t take anywhere near 10-15 min.

You are traveling really light if the trailer is anywhere close to 5000lb. I'm betting you are closer to 6000lb. Of course, that is certainly within the trucks drivetrain ratings.

It's a change in mindset. The old days of 5000rpm being redline are long gone. The engine isn't going to blow because you are running 4000-5000rpm for a few minutes. It's not an ideal towing machine but it's also capable of doing what you ask.

A small V8 is going to crank up the RPM in the same conditions. Maybe not quite as high but you will notice it. The downside is:
- You will lose MPG when not towing.
- At high altitude, you may be worse off. The V8 at 8000ft will be down 25-30% on power. The turbo compensates for thinning air by force feeding the engine, so power loss is negligible.

[JIMNLIN]

GM ordering website shows the 1500 GM with the tiny 2.7 4 cyl turbo engine has a 9000-9600 lb tow ratings. Not the best choice for towing duties.

The 1500 5.3 or the 6.2 engine both with the NHT tow package or a 2500 with a gas engine would make a whole lot better tow vehicle. Your choice there.

The biggest advantage with a 2500 6.0 used truck or 6.6 new gas truck will be load carrying capacity over the 1500 6.2 gas NHT package with those big 420 hp and 460 lbs torque numbers.

I use the wifes '16 1500 4wd 6 speed tranny 5.3 355 hp/383 torque pulling a 10k car hauler with a 7800 lb 11' 4" tall blue tractor with a cab with around 8840-9260 lbs on the trailers axles (depending on implements on the tractor). I use the trannies manual mode in the hills that way I can keep the engine rpm where it needs to be (eliminates most TC locking/unlocking and number of shifts).
Now the 1500 won't perform like my Dodge/Cummins HO pulling the same trailer but its always surprise me how well the 1500 5.3 pulls the 10k combo in the hills.

[Dadoffourgirls]

So I just made the I-80 trip across Iowa with a 6.0 V8 gas engine in my Express. My trailer is 9500lbs. On some of the larger hills I needed 3700 rpm to maintain 60 mph. You would need to see where the V8 makes it power. Towing a trailer uphill at 65-70 mph takes alot of power.

[hikingst1ck]

I agree 100%. We had no experience towing a TT prior to this setup so we didn’t really know what to expect. Temps stayed right in the middle the entire trip despite spending 2 days driving across SD with temperatures above 100 so I guess Chevy did a decent job with the cooling setup on this engine. With that said, there’s no way I’d go anywhere near 9300lbs. It would take 15 miles to reach a cruising speed 🙂

If we upgraded (not that I want to take there hit on trading a brand new truck) what differences would I expect with the same trailer with the v8 1/2 ton and/or the 3/4 ton in the same situation?

[JRscooby]

If you are looking for a excuse to buy another truck, I will give you something besides the extra minute it takes to go up a hill. I'm surprised the wind didn't heat you up, but must be good on cooling.
I would question that 9300 tow capacity with the small engine, and the fancy interior you likely have.

[hikingst1ck]

You guys are quick! You’re correct, the truck is 2.7L, not 2.4. The TT is 4300 empty, so loaded (we’re not running with a tank of water or anything crazy) I’m guessing 5-5.5k. 2 Bikes in the bed of the truck. I know stuff adds up and I haven’t been through the scales but there’s no way it’s over 5500. On flat ground the engine runs around 2400rpm @68mph. I don’t go faster than that. On uphills it’ll shift once to about 3500rpm which if it’s slight it’ll maintain speed. Any more than a slight grade and it’ll start losing speed and then shift again and we’ll be running around 4500-5000rpm which gets me a take-your-foot-off-the-gas-before-the-engine-blows look from my wife. Most of the hills we encountered were no more than a few miles long max so it definitely didn’t take anywhere near 10-15 min.

[valhalla360]

Where did you get the 5000lb number from? If it's the empty weight, you could easily be up around 7000-7500lb when towing. If you are just guessing, run over the local CAT scale and find out what the real weights are.

When you say you "had to" slow down, did you ease up on the gas pedal or did the truck just slow down even though you were pouring on the coals? The 2.7L is good for 325HP but at 5000RPM so if you back off to keep the RPM down, you sacrificed HP.

5000RPM is within the engines operating limits, so with a new truck (assuming you broke it in already), there shouldn't be harm in running at 4000-5000RPM for 10-15min to get up a hill. You will be burning a lot of gas to keep 65-70mph up a steep grade.

PS: A 3/4 ton isn't typically much different in cost unless you push for the big diesel but

[APT]

I believe your engine is 2.7L turbo with 310hp and 348lb-ft of torque. That should be plenty to stay above 50mph. What was the typical engine speed on those hills?