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Wife Wants A New Camper!

turnerms98

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turnerms98 Enthusiast

turnerms98

Posted
Posted

So we currently have a small pop-up, maybe 2000lbs. Well she wants a shower and toilet so she has found a new travel trailer she WANTS. I keep telling her she has to watch the weights and it's just not registering with her. The one she has currently found is a 30footer with a hitch weight of 540lbs and dry weight of 4945lbs, and cargo weight of 2255lbs putting me at a Gross Weight of 7200lbs. We currently have an 09 5.3L Ext Cab Silverado with 3.73 and the trailer package. I also have already installed the P3 brake controller as well. What do ya'll think?

offroadjunkie Enthusiast

offroadjunkie

Posted
Posted
So we currently have a small pop-up, maybe 2000lbs. Well she wants a shower and toilet so she has found a new travel trailer she WANTS. I keep telling her she has to watch the weights and it's just not registering with her. The one she has currently found is a 30footer with a hitch weight of 540lbs and dry weight of 4945lbs, and cargo weight of 2255lbs putting me at a Gross Weight of 7200lbs. We currently have an 09 5.3L Ext Cab Silverado with 3.73 and the trailer package. I also have already installed the P3 brake controller as well. What do ya'll think?

 

 

I'd be interested to know others thought about this as well. I'm currently in the same situation and have the exact same truck. From what I've read the max towing capacity for my truck is 9000lbs but I'd like to know how these trucks are actually towing. Mileage would be nice to know too!

Stevens03 Senior Enthusiast

Stevens03

Posted
Posted

You won't have any trouble with trailer. My personal experience with the 5.3L is keep the dry weight under 5500 lbs and you won't have any troubles :dunno: You'll need a weight distribution hitch and sway control but otherwise the truck won't have any trouble with that weight. I've towed from Pa to South Carolina with ZERO issues several years and that was with a lifted truck and 35" tires.

 

I also have a WDH for sale if interested but shipping would be outrageous I'm sure.

temmert1 Enthusiast

temmert1

Posted
Posted
So we currently have a small pop-up, maybe 2000lbs. Well she wants a shower and toilet so she has found a new travel trailer she WANTS. I keep telling her she has to watch the weights and it's just not registering with her. The one she has currently found is a 30footer with a hitch weight of 540lbs and dry weight of 4945lbs, and cargo weight of 2255lbs putting me at a Gross Weight of 7200lbs. We currently have an 09 5.3L Ext Cab Silverado with 3.73 and the trailer package. I also have already installed the P3 brake controller as well. What do ya'll think?

 

 

You will have no problems towing that at all. I pulled my 31ft TT which has a dry weight of 6300, add all cargo ect lookat at 8500 or so with my 09 crew cab 5.3 6speed and 3:42's. That 6 speed workd great for towing....

cghbuilder86 Enthusiast

cghbuilder86

Posted
Posted

In my experience anytime you are towing with a gas motor mileage is going to be bad. Probably from 8-12 mpg. I usually get a bout 10-11 when towing my 5,000 pound horse trailer with my 5.3

So we currently have a small pop-up, maybe 2000lbs. Well she wants a shower and toilet so she has found a new travel trailer she WANTS. I keep telling her she has to watch the weights and it's just not registering with her. The one she has currently found is a 30footer with a hitch weight of 540lbs and dry weight of 4945lbs, and cargo weight of 2255lbs putting me at a Gross Weight of 7200lbs. We currently have an 09 5.3L Ext Cab Silverado with 3.73 and the trailer package. I also have already installed the P3 brake controller as well. What do ya'll think?

 

 

I'd be interested to know others thought about this as well. I'm currently in the same situation and have the exact same truck. From what I've read the max towing capacity for my truck is 9000lbs but I'd like to know how these trucks are actually towing. Mileage would be nice to know too!

 

temmert1 Enthusiast

temmert1

Posted
Posted
I believe I have the 4sp tranny.

 

That doesnt make any sense to me. I could be wrong but I thought all the 5.3's had the 6 speed in 09 and the 4.8's came with the 4 speed. Also you have 3:73's ? hmmmmm...... r u sure they are not 3:42's?

Stevens03 Senior Enthusiast

Stevens03

Posted
Posted
New for 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 adds a new 6-speed automatic transmission paired with the 5.3-liter, 6.0-liter and 6.2-liter engines. A more powerful E85-capable 6.2-liter V8 engine is available on Crew Cab.

 

I believe you could have the 4-speed but thats what GM specs say for 09 :dunno:

music Senior Enthusiast

music

Posted
Posted

The 09 Ext Cab had the 4-spd. Our camper is 32 ft bumper-to-tongue, and is ~6900 lbs fully loaded. Empty "specs" from the manufacturer was 5300 lbs dry, and ~850 lbs tongue. With a family of five... we're right at 13k lbs total combined weight, loaded and ready to go (with ~1/3 water tank). I wouldn't mind having double the torque on grades (diesel would be a big difference), or a 6-spd combo (little better), but I've learned how to drive this particular combo with relative ease. Our previous camper was ~5k lbs (loaded) and 22 ft, and there's not much difference in how they pull. If anything, the longer camper cruises down the road easier (zero indication of sway, but the tongue is very heavy).

 

You have to adjust your driving to what you have, which means:

 

- When pulling out uphill, wind it out pretty good so you don't get lost in the bottom of 2nd gear. Pulling out on normal grades is not an issue.

- Cruise in 3rd, unless it's pretty flat and low head wind.

- Pull steeper grades in 2nd. ~3300 to 4000 rpm @ 50 to 60 mph. I usually pull long/steep hwy grades @ 50 to 55 mph, just to keep the rpms in that range. The 5.3 comes *alive* above ~3600 rpm... but it doesn't hurt a thing. I can easily maintain 65 mph on any hwy grade around here (5% to 6%), but I prefer falling in behind other big trucks / RVs and taking it easy instead.

 

As Steven said, a good WD hitch and brake controller. Can't say enough good about the Reese Dual Cam, but I've heard similar praise for the Equalizer. I'm torn on getting LT tires myself, but that's mostly because the stock Goodyear A/T-S tires have been great, and can be run at 44 psi. 30k miles, and still 60%+ tread left... so hard to justify going with LT's right now. Running LT's at 50+ psi helps with tire "wallow/squirm".

Daryl LBZ Senior Enthusiast

Daryl LBZ

Posted
Posted
I believe I have the 4sp tranny.

 

That doesnt make any sense to me. I could be wrong but I thought all the 5.3's had the 6 speed in 09 and the 4.8's came with the 4 speed. Also you have 3:73's ? hmmmmm...... r u sure they are not 3:42's?

 

 

 

 

Mines a 4spd.

mdauwald Enthusiast

mdauwald

Posted
Posted

You are going to within your limit so you'll be fine. That said I'm within my limit and I'm fine for trips a couple of hundred miles or so. But if I was going to be pulling thousands of miles cross country I'd go smaller trailer or larger truck.

 

trailer.jpg

temmert1 Enthusiast

temmert1

Posted
Posted
I believe I have the 4sp tranny.

 

That doesnt make any sense to me. I could be wrong but I thought all the 5.3's had the 6 speed in 09 and the 4.8's came with the 4 speed. Also you have 3:73's ? hmmmmm...... r u sure they are not 3:42's?

 

 

 

 

Mines a 4spd.

 

 

I definately stand corrected. sry about that.... :(

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