DragStuff

ERV JR wrote:

dadnova wrote:I use a Chevy 2002 gas 1/2 ton with air bags. It pulls my 20 enclosed trailer no ploblem. But if your going on a long trip be prepaired to get bad miles per gallon. Go for something with better areo in the front.

I belive you live in So Cal ? If so how does it tow to vegas and bakersfield ?

Do you guys think I should put a 3.73 or 4.11 in the truck the tires are about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches taller than stock ?
Do you guys think that the gear will help my crusing speed by being in the toqure more ? When I towed my travel trailer with everything loaded I think I was near 7600 to 7800 and could not go much more than 55 mph without really getting on the gas and would downshift. Was hoping the gear change would allow a me to maybe cruise better by being the power band better

Your trucks going to only go 55 and downshift and carry on even with a gear change. I had one it is the truck telling you your overloading it. Even if you get it to pull it, your tranny will soon give you the finger. You also need to think about stoping a half ton truck with a loaded 24ft. enclosed.

I thought about stoping and havent had to many problems , the trailer brakes help alot but if I panic stop there may be an issue

Normal stops aren't really the problem. Its the panic stuff. When someone pulls out in front of you or when traffic all of a suddenly stops from 65-70 mph without warning. And its all that much worse when its raining.

Ive towed my 24' enclosed trailer loaded car, four wheeler, tools ect from Montana to Oregon with my 97 chevy 1/2 ton 2wd. 70mph on flat land 50-55mph over passes 5-7mpg. I also tow here in Montana and there as a 7500' pass on the way to the track. Im sure a 1ton is a LOT better but Im pour.

I am in the same boat here guys, 05 1/2 swb w/5.3 It tows great and I thought about a gear change myself, but to me the big problem is stopping and vehicle longevity. Also think about what is supporting all that weight, two measily 3/4" wide axle bearings riding on a couple hundreth's work of hardened axle, its just a matter of time until something gives and is loosing your race car and your truck/trailer worth it? I am still happy with towing it local, but taking it on longer trips to other tracks has me thinking twice. I have been shopping 3/4 tons here lately, just can't get off my wallet.

ytnova wrote:I am in the same boat here guys, 05 1/2 swb w/5.3 It tows great and I thought about a gear change myself, but to me the big problem is stopping and vehicle longevity. Also think about what is supporting all that weight, two measily 3/4" wide axle bearings riding on a couple hundreth's work of hardened axle, its just a matter of time until something gives and is loosing your race car and your truck/trailer worth it? I am still happy with towing it local, but taking it on longer trips to other tracks has me thinking twice. I have been shopping 3/4 tons here lately, just can't get off my wallet.

Well said. You'll love your 3/4 ton when you find it. Get a diesel and you'll never go back to gas. I know I couldnt.

I'm still a newbie here, was reading through some of these old posts and would like to add to this.

I was a 1/2 ton guy for years(and still am to a point) I got a deal on a 24' enclosed pace, and thought my my 1/2 ton suburban would be light for it but all right. I thought " the flat bed weighs 2k even, how much more could some walls an a roof weight? not that much...surely"
WRONG.
I bought it and picked it up with my K1500 suburban with tow package/3.73's with load levelers/sway control on the trailer. pulled fine from Topeka to Lawrence. thought it was kinda heavy though. cleaned it up and put some tires on it(previous owners had 'P' series tires on it ) and weighed it. I thought it would weigh about 3300. LOL. It IS 4300lbs absolutely empty!! Lets do some math:

Burban with 1/8 tank gas: 5680

Burban with 1/8 tank gas
hooked to trailer: 6100

trailer by itself miss'n some
plywood inside hitched to
burban: 4300

that's about 420 or 10% tongue weight. I havn't weighted the gs or tools but i'm assuming about 4200 for tools/gs. then 175 lb generator. That gives me a total of about 8700 with a tongue of about 870 to 900lbs. add that to the suburban and that gets me a suburban weighing 6550 without me in it and no gas. a full tank will weigh 220 more. i weight 220. that makes the burban weigh 6990...just shy of 7k.

Burban specs: 6500lb tow rating by the manual with 3.73's that it has.
7300lb gvwr.


As you can see that is very marginal. A few accessories bolted on, here and there... and then bring some extra tires and wheels... come home with just about anything from the swap meet and your overweight.

What does overweight mean? you probably won't get pulled over or weighed.... BUT.... If what if some dumb a$$ pulls out in front of you? You know... the same type that come out of the wood work every dang time you hookup. You hit him/her. The cops find your stopping distance to be a factor... then they weigh you.... your over. Will your insurance company pay for damages and injuries? Not a chance. They are out to make a buck, and if there is a loophole for not paying a claim, you can bet your a$$ they will use it. You will be holding the bag.

I know you guys just love to hear sermons, but I got the same treatment when i was trying to pull the big enclosed with a half ton. I am glad I listened. I now have a 3/4 ton Suburban and it is STABLE, just judging from the one time i have pulled with it so far. this will be a way less stressful ride and legal too. It has an HONEST 10k tow rating, and 8600 gvwr(this was limited by a GM/ cafe/tax thing... could have been way more)

BTW... how many of your 1/2 tons have brakes like this (13"x3 1/2"). and a 4" stack of leafs... and bellowed air bags?

Bought this rig needing TLC for 2000 and put about 700 in it so far... mostly maint stuff.

I'm using a 05 GMC 1500 to tow my 28'. It's 8600lbs. loaded and I get 11 mpg roundtrip from home to the track and back through the hills of Iowa. I did use the 1000lb. weight distributing hitch. Is it ideal...no but it is managable for me for now. I will be looking for a 3/4 ton in the spring, I just keep an eye on the shifting and hope it doesn't break before I trade it

I have a 28 ft and have always towed with a crew cab dually. I recently retired the 87 GMC 4x4 gas burner for a 01 powerstroke crew cab dually 4x4. and man what a difference 75+mph and you dont even know its back there, The gmc was the same except for the th400 and 4.10s..... at 65 mph she was screaming...nice gmc for sale if anybody is looking ...cheap too

My know it all buddy just bought a 32 ft triaxle and says he is going to pull it with his denali.. I told him good luck.. .He said he hooked it up and it moves it around the yard just fine... I said yeah my puny explorer moves mine around the yard fine too, to cut the grass, but I wouldnt leave the driveway with it.. he will find out when he has to stop short or pull any sort of grade.

I have a 24 ft enclosed trailer I tow with my F250 PowerStroke FWD and it's a nice combo. I let my buddy borrow the trailer for the better part of a year, hauling a door slammer 71 Dodge Demon all over the place. He has a 1/2 ton Avalanche and after going through two rear ends (bearings, carriers, etc.), he finally went back to using an open trailer. My trailer with the Camaro in it prolly weighs around 7,500 lbs and it's almost too much for most 1/2's to handle easily.

This spring my son was towing my 24' enclosed trailer with a Mustang in it on the Cimmaron Turnpike west of Tulsa with his 3/4 Ton Dodge/ Cummings. I was dozing in the passenger seat. As I woke up, it dawned on me that the motor sounded exactly the same on an uphill grade as it did on the flat and level. I can't imagine a better tow rig, but he says he'd rather have one with a five speed.

spaz109 wrote:I'm using a 05 GMC 1500 to tow my 28'. It's 8600lbs. loaded and I get 11 mpg roundtrip from home to the track and back through the hills of Iowa. I did use the 1000lb. weight distributing hitch. Is it ideal...no but it is managable for me for now. I will be looking for a 3/4 ton in the spring, I just keep an eye on the shifting and hope it doesn't break before I trade it

Won't be using my half ton anymore. Picked this up for $4000 yesterday. Has 4.10s all brake parts have been replaced, new head gasket, turbo has been redone with bigger bearings, 235 hp van aaken box, bigger injectors, new transfer and injector pump, and the trans has been beefed up with a hd converter and other internals, it even has a pump I can control from the inside of the cab for the air bags!

Sounds like you got a heck of a deal.

How many miles on it....it does sound like a heck of a deal. I got an 01 4x4 4 door with the Cummins and love it.

350,000 I was a little uneasy about that but my father-in-law and a good frien are big diesel guys and they said it sounded like they have replaced everything that needs to be replaced for those miles. The truck books for $11,000. I even found a "blowout" clearance leather kit form one of my suppliers. So for $150 it will get leather!

Hugger73-
How much boost can you build with yours not towing anything. Mine seems to hit a wall at 18 lbs. Do I need to get a "boost fooler" or will it go up with a load on it?