Chevy Silverado 1500 towing

[omullinger]

I am looking around at holiday trailers for next year. I am wondering if anyone has used a 1500 for a holiday trail, what were your experiences with towing it? And does anyone know the max towing capacity of the 2011 silverado 1500?

 

[Badass69]

Varies a lot depending on gear ratio, engine, 2 or 4 wheel drive and cab configuration which you have not provided. Could be as low as 6000 lbs if you have a crew cab 4X4 with a 5.3 and limp dick 3.08 gears.... Or even worse at 5900 lbs as a Hybrid, lol. Or as high as 10,700 if it's a 2wd 6.2 with 3.73's in an extended cab.

If you want the answer just look for yourself in your owners manual.

 

[kbrunlees]

And don't take the Maximum towing capacity number as your trailer weight, A: you don't want to tax your truck like that and B: water propane, stuff in trailer, your passengers etc are all added up. I had a 1500 4x4 Sierra and it was rated for 1500 cargo and 7500 towing, one or the other or ratios therein but not both. you are good for a 4500 lb trailer adding a thousand pounds for the extras and you are going to be ok but I would suggest a 3/4 ton if you are planning on taking a quad as well. You have to keep in mind that you have tongue weight to contend with as well. Adding airbags makes it level but it is the brakes that will let you down. As Badass stated check your manual and be realistic when adding your weights.

 

[DaveB]

I towed a holiday trailer with my 06 1500...it gets you there, but it struggles. Mileage goes from 19-20 to about 7-10 towing a 19' trailer (I think it was 3400 lbs).
My 2010 is the same. I don't tow a holiday trailer any more, but even just putting the sled trailer behind it takes it from over 20mpg to about 10.

My advice is to keep the trips short, use stabilizer bars, buy the lightest trailer you can, and don't try to win any races.

 

[imdoo'n]

I towed a holiday trailer with my 06 1500...it gets you there, but it struggles. Mileage goes from 19-20 to about 7-10 towing a 19' trailer (I think it was 3400 lbs).
My 2010 is the same. I don't tow a holiday trailer any more, but even just putting the sled trailer behind it takes it from over 20mpg to about 10.

My advice is to keep the trips short, use stabilizer bars, buy the lightest trailer you can, and don't try to win any races.

wanna race mister?

 

[MiledOut]

tow this bad boy around it does alright(5.3l with the 4 speed). like they say its no speed machine with it back there but it chuggs along a 110. also mines rated at 7500lbs like pritty well all equipt with the 5.3

 

[omullinger]

I pulled up the information from the owners manual,
the 5.3 w/HD cooling PKG with 3.42 gears says Max trailer weight is 9500lb, and GCWR is 15000lb. On the window sticker it says GVWR is 7000lb.

I dont really know much about towing but what I am seeing from that is the max weight of my truck alone is 7000lb and the max of the trailer/truck combo is 15000lb? Am I out to lunch or am I right?

 

[Badass69]

No you are correct. Your GVW is the max legal weight of the truck. So if you run it across a scale, to be legal you can max at 7000 lbs. Empty you are probably realistically around 5300-5500 lbs full of fuel.

And yes you are correct as gross combined is the total legal weight of the truck and trailer together. But under no circumstances can the trailer be over the weight of 9500 lbs.

I personally wouldn't want to pull that much with a 5.3.... it's going to struggle on anything but a downhill.... But you can use it as a rough idea.

 

[omullinger]

Thanks for that. Not planning on a trailer that heavy but just kinda ballparking for what trailer I can get that this truck is capable of towing till its paid off enough to get something else.

No you are correct. Your GVW is the max legal weight of the truck. So if you run it across a scale, to be legal you can max at 7000 lbs. Empty you are probably realistically around 5300-5500 lbs full of fuel.

And yes you are correct as gross combined is the total legal weight of the truck and trailer together. But under no circumstances can the trailer be over the weight of 9500 lbs.

I personally wouldn't want to pull that much with a 5.3.... it's going to struggle on anything but a downhill.... But you can use it as a rough idea.

 

[medler]

I'f your gonna do it. Get 4:10 gears little worse on gas but it will help with pulling


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[omullinger]

What are the 4:10's good for?

I didnt buy a truck to have outstanding milage, thats what the rocket is for

I'f your gonna do it. Get 4:10 gears little worse on gas but ...


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[medler]

What are the 4:10's good for?

I didnt buy a truck to have outstanding milage, thats what the rocket is for

Better pulling gears. That's what my 6.0l has.


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[omullinger]

Ah I didnt see the edit. May look into it. How much worse milage do you figure?

Better pulling gears. That's what my 6.0l has.


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[Badass69]

If you are going to do that supercharge it, an drop headers on it too, lol. Gears would not hurt.... even with the 6 speed trans. Guys will yap off all day long about how deep first gear in the trans is and how you don't need deep rear gears( first is granny @ 4.02:1)...... But you don't go down the highway in first gear do you. Not to mention imo mileage may improve in 6th unloaded as 110 km/hr would be right at 2000 rpm versus the 1700 you probably see now.

If you want to see what highway mileage would be with 4.10's lock the transmission into 5th gear now with your current 3.42's.... it's very close ( a little higher actually at around 2100 rpm). But that is only just for pure cruising as it is mimmicking the cruise rpm only......

Honestly if you are open to modding the truck, gears and a custom tune with either EFILive or HP tuners would have you set a lot better than you are now. Plus you can disable that absolutely useless AFM cylinder deactivation. Even just a tune would wake that thing up. You have a 5.3 with excellent heads( 243 or 799 castings) and a larger 87 mm intake manifold ( more or less carbon copy of the top end on the TrailBlazer SS's LS2). They can make decent power, just not tons of low end. That's what all the gearing will help, lol.

 

[medler]

Around 1 mpg i figure..maybe ,maybe 2 .pretty expensive to change gears after the truck is bought and it pulls like chit though.i average about 15 .5..17mpg with my 08 2500HD 6.0L CC 4x4 with 4.10's..And the other thing is plan for the future,,maybe youll want a bigger truck some day...maybe a deck to haul the quads and a trailer....what i am saying is dont short change yourself

Ah I didnt see the edit. May look into it. How much worse milage do you figure?

 

[omullinger]

Already tuned by davenport and also have the diablo tunes as well. Intake and exhaust as well already done. Gearing could be done by a mechanic friend so 200 bucks for a gear set isnt bad really.

If you are going to do that supercharge it, an drop headers on it too, lol. Gears would not hurt.... even with the 6 speed trans. Guys will yap off all day long about how deep first gear in the trans is and how you don't need deep rear gears( first is granny @ 4.02:1)...... But you don't go down the highway in first gear do you. Not to mention imo mileage may improve in 6th unloaded as 110 km/hr would be right at 2000 rpm versus the 1700 you probably see now.

If you want to see what highway mileage would be with 4.10's lock the transmission into 5th gear now with your current 3.42's.... it's very close ( a little higher actually at around 2100 rpm). But that is only just for pure cruising as it is mimmicking the cruise rpm only......

Honestly if you are open to modding the truck, gears and a custom tune with either EFILive or HP tuners would have you set a lot better than you are now. Plus you can disable that absolutely useless AFM cylinder deactivation. Even just a tune would wake that thing up. You have a 5.3 with excellent heads( 243 or 799 castings) and a larger 87 mm intake manifold ( more or less carbon copy of the top end on the TrailBlazer SS's LS2). They can make decent power, just not tons of low end. That's what all the gearing will help, lol.

And you are right, the 5.3 is good but with the tune, intake and exhaust it really opened it up. A lot more than my reg cab 4.8 did

 

[Badass69]

Ls engines are that way in general. My 05's 6 liter is not the same truck after custom tune ( efilive by me), intake and electric fans. It's actually kinda fun to drive, lol. Picking up an 07 4.8 that seized for $100..... Has 243's and the 87 mm intake like your 5.3 on it so would make a nice top swap for my LQ4. But then so would a supercharger or appropriately sized turbo. Need to buy a different one of these trucks to play with and leave this alone.......

I need about 4.56's even with my 30" tall stockers to get the gearing I want....... But I am too cheap, lol.

 

[oler1234]

myself i got a 6.0l halfton with 4.10 gears. towed the bobcat out to golden and had no issues pulling 110. I find it your over 5000lbs trailor, a guy should have stabilizers to help to help keep the bouncing down. load placement is the key with above 5000lbs and using the bars. Last weekend i hauled a load of dirt in the box.... came in at 4200lbs rear axle weight, roughly 20kg over the door sticker, and it did that fine as well. Gatta say... dirt is heavy, wasnt even a full box full.

 

[omullinger]

I like the turbo idea, and have been thinking about setting up a kit for my truck... then again I could buy a lot with 6g

Ls engines are that way in general. My 05's 6 liter is not the same truck after custom tune ( efilive by me), intake and electric fans. It's actually kinda fun to drive, lol. Picking up an 07 4.8 that seized for $100..... Has 243's and the 87 mm intake like your 5.3 on it so would make a nice top swap for my LQ4. But then so would a supercharger or appropriately sized turbo. Need to buy a different one of these trucks to play with and leave this alone.......

I need about 4.56's even with my 30" tall stockers to get the gearing I want....... But I am too cheap, lol.

 

[OVERKILL 19]

U need a Dodge Dually! I hear a Cool guy at work has one for sale!