will my pickup haul my travel trailer 1000 miles?

vyletterose wrote:
will my custom(has cadillac escalade front end),2000 silverado 1500, with vortec v8 engine, pull my 30' bumper pull mallard camper trailer 1000 miles?
thinking interstate 40 for most of trip from kentucky to arizona

Need more info. What V8? 4.8, 5.3, 6.0? What rear gear? 3.08, 3.43, 3.73,???

How heavy is the TT. 5000lb, 6000, 7000lb, 8000, We need to know more

No it won't.

If you have to ask, then you don't know, therefore, the answer has to be no.

Mike

hbrady wrote:

rexmitchell wrote:

hbrady wrote:
I had a 2014 Silverado w/ 5.3L, 4.10 rear end, tow package, heavy duty front end, etc. and it was rated for 9100 lb towing capacity. Towed my camper (~ 6300lb 30' TT) a couple of times and immediately traded it for a 2500 RAM. Why? #1 my payload was maxed out before I was done loading bed, #2 the truck struggled on hills, it was not pleasant. Even after you examine all the numbers you may conclude you will be OK on paper but personally, I never would have towed my TT 1,000 miles with that Silverado.

I didn't realize chevy made a 4.10 rear end, all I saw on their website was 3.08 and 3.42.

:S 3.42, had the RAM rear end I wish I had on my mind.

Lol, same setup I have and pull my 29 ft. TT. While I don't get great gas mileage, it pulls fine for me. Could it be better? Yes. Will I buy a 2500 diesel next time? Yes. However, I'm not hitting the mountains just the hill country and for that it is doable.

rexmitchell wrote:

hbrady wrote:
I had a 2014 Silverado w/ 5.3L, 4.10 rear end, tow package, heavy duty front end, etc. and it was rated for 9100 lb towing capacity. Towed my camper (~ 6300lb 30' TT) a couple of times and immediately traded it for a 2500 RAM. Why? #1 my payload was maxed out before I was done loading bed, #2 the truck struggled on hills, it was not pleasant. Even after you examine all the numbers you may conclude you will be OK on paper but personally, I never would have towed my TT 1,000 miles with that Silverado.

I didn't realize chevy made a 4.10 rear end, all I saw on their website was 3.08 and 3.42.

:S 3.42, had the RAM rear end I wish I had on my mind.

I've never seen that combo make it more than 999 miles. Don't risk it.

hbrady wrote:
I had a 2014 Silverado w/ 5.3L, 4.10 rear end, tow package, heavy duty front end, etc. and it was rated for 9100 lb towing capacity. Towed my camper (~ 6300lb 30' TT) a couple of times and immediately traded it for a 2500 RAM. Why? #1 my payload was maxed out before I was done loading bed, #2 the truck struggled on hills, it was not pleasant. Even after you examine all the numbers you may conclude you will be OK on paper but personally, I never would have towed my TT 1,000 miles with that Silverado.

I didn't realize chevy made a 4.10 rear end, all I saw on their website was 3.08 and 3.42.

Trick question. ;) Not enough information. Some photos would help...

My SIL and DD have a non slide Mallard about the same size. Their's has a rear bathroom with tub on the drivers side, a double bed with upper shelf/kids bunk bed, and a big side storage at the back. Queen front bed. It's dry weight is 4300 pounds, so loaded, about 5700.

Your 150 should tow this OK, their Tacoma does. One of the tricks I would use would be to take the slower side roads, and stay off the freeways as much as possible. It is pretty unnerving when you are surrounded by trucks passing you thousands of times. Certainly having a good WD hitch, and knowing the trailer brakes are working perfectly is a good start.

It's not getting up to speed that is the problem, it's managing to stop safely, and make sudden road emergency swerves to avoid something that is the concern.

Let's face it, you can tow with most anything that can pull the load.

How fast and how comfortable is another question. Only you can judge that.

Hook up and tow it a few miles, then decide if you want to spend 3 or 4 days pulling it; or hire it done.

I would have a trusted mechanic do a bumper to bumper inspection on the tow vehicle or do one yourself and service it. I wouldn't go to a quickie lube because most of the young folks who work there really don't have the experience to give you an honest assessment.

Check hoses and belts and check the transmission fluid to see if it smells burnt. Check oil/grease levels in the differential. Look for obvious issues with the frame and suspension, like rust or cracking. Check the brakes and have the wheel bearing packed if it hasn't been done is several years.

Have them pressure check the cooling system and check the coolant for rust. If in doubt, have the radiator flushed and refilled with clean coolant. You can check the radiator yourself with a handheld temperature gun. Look for cool spots in the radiator after the vehicle has warmed up. If you find them, it indicates clogged coolant passages that will lead to overheating.

The cost of the inspection itself should take about an hour and cost about $100, plus the cost of the oil change and packing the wheel bearings. The inspection should catch many of the common issues.