Jump to content

what do i need?

jdelrizzle

By jdelrizzle
in Towing, Hauling & Hitches

Recommended Posts

jdelrizzle Enthusiast

jdelrizzle

Posted
Posted

hey guys well i got a 4.8 with gu5, 4 speed, i know the most i can tow is about 4700 pounds, as far as my towing set up i really dont have one its an sl model, i dont plan on towing much, but there will be times where i will need to tow at least 600 miles, Im in the military and well i need to be able to move on demand (that includes all my stuff) any how the biggest u haul and all my stuff will not exceed my towing capacity. Now question is what all do i need, I know i will need a hitch and an external trans cooler, I noticed I have the the wiring harness for the lights but im not sure what i need to put at the end of that harness, do you think its hooked up and ready to go, does it need a fuse in the box for that harness to get power, help me out, I know theres alot of expierenced guys on this forum that know all about towing.

nickvrebel Senior Enthusiast

nickvrebel

Posted
Posted

this will finish off your wiring, it should fit your bumper just like factory:

http://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-Vehicle-Wiring/GMC/Sierra/2011/PK11916.html?vehicleid=2011208765

Wiring harness will be live once hooked up.

 

You need the receiver hitch. Considering your weight limitations no need to spend the money on a Class V when a III will do:

http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/GMC/Sierra/2011/13322.html?vehicleid=2011208765

 

Then just the draw bar and a ball (2" drop "standard" bar and @" ball is the most common)

 

Transmission cooler is optional, some people put too much faith in them. If you aren't towing heavy loads on a regular basis just heed the warnings if you get one across the dashboard and pull over if you need to until the temps are more reasonable.

jdelrizzle Enthusiast

jdelrizzle

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hey thanks for your input, I probably should have researched a little more before I posted, but any how I already have a wiring harness it came factory, it's a 7 point, It doesn't have an adapter, I'm pretty sure there not hard to come by. I took a volt meter to the harness and it has power, at least 5 of the wires do, the other two aren't hooked up. The two that aren't hooked up are the 12v battery power and the trailer brake, my owners manual confirms it, it also says to have the dealership hook up the other wires, I found the wires and where they hook up to ( stud 1& 2) I also see we're the fuses are and where they go, do I really need the dealer to hook them up, is that technical? If i hook up the brake wire will the brakes on trailer work, or do I need one of them brake controls ( I don't think I do) what does or how does that brake wire work or do, does it get the brakes functioning on the trailer, I now the 12v battery wire is to supply power to accessories in the trailer, Im just confused as to what will the brake wire do I mean I keep reading about hooking up some thing under the dash board to get a brake controller going, pretty sure I don't need to do that.

TimmyG Senior Enthusiast

TimmyG

Posted
Posted

You can hook it up yourself, what are you towing? Mainly rv campers use the 12v not mainly others. If you need an adapter to change it from a 7 pin its probbly not used at all

jdelrizzle Enthusiast

jdelrizzle

Posted
  • Author
Posted

What the about trailer brake do I have to hook it up or will I be okay without it, as far as wiring it up, I'm not towing much 3500 at most

SparkySparks Enthusiast

SparkySparks

Posted
Posted

If you are pulling a U-Haul trailer I think most of them have surge brakes so they are controlled by the force of the trailer pushing against the receiver, not by the wire harness. For your truck to apply brakes on the trailer (if the trailer is equipped with electric-hydraulic brakes) you have to also install a brake controller along with hooking up the wire under the dash and installing a fuse. If your trailer use only using a 5pin connector then you don't have to worry about the 12V power or the brake controller pin.

nickvrebel Senior Enthusiast

nickvrebel

Posted
Posted

most 3500 lb trailers don't even have electric brakes. if that's the case then don't even worry about.

 

regardless, if you do pull a trailer with electric brakes you will need a brake controller or they will not work. DO NOT connect the wire under the hood for the brakes if you don't have a controller connected to the other end, that wire provides the power to the controller and you will have a live wire loose under your dash if it's not connected to a controller. You can connect the auxiliary wire if you want to.

  • 2 weeks later...
Loopedout Enthusiast

Loopedout

Posted
Posted

Like the others said, your truck will not activate trailer brakes without the brake controller. I just installed one in my truck yesterday and its a breeze. Also did the two red wires under the hood (12v for aftermarket brake controller, and 12v aux power). Easy job.

 

Are you sure your truck will only pull 4700lbs? Seems low. My 4.8L is rated for 6700 max. What is gu5?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Deadwood
      primary drive belt tensioner

      By Deadwood · Posted

      I bought belts and pulleys for my '20 L5P at Rock Auto a couple years ago. I have used them for many years, and almost always save significant money, especially when I buy maintenance stuff ahead of time.   They carry many OEM parts, which is all I use unless an aftermarket is shown to be same/superior, or if it is an insignificant part or unavailable OEM part anywhere else. RA is usually lower priced, often by a bunch, but parts are sometimes unavailable or out of stock, and I do shop around and sometimes find better prices at other sites.   Be aware that you pay shipping, and if you buy multiple items and they are coming from different warehouses, the shipping can kill the advantage. Planning ahead is best if possible.   If you have a transmission service in the near future, check out their OEM (AC Delco ULV) fluid, usually MUCH less than anywhere else.
    • Deadwood
      10L1000 anyone with High Mileage ? I hate Damocles....

      By Deadwood · Posted

      New member here, very long time occasional guest. Saw this thread, thought it would be a good time to contribute someting. It is only my experience and not a claim that everyone will have the same.   I bought my '20 3500 L5P new and have put 99.9% (literally) of it's current ~400k miles on it myself, with over 50% of that towing loads between 4k to 15k, and to me this truck has been nothing short of amazing. For the first 235k I had zero issues, and from there until 321k I replaced a NOx sensor, two failing glow plugs, and three of the notorious injector connectors. I believe this truck is in part, a testament to good luck, but also good care and following a decent maintenance schedule (I also keep meticulous records.) As a result, it looks as good as a well cared for 70k rig, up and down, inside and out.   At some point before that 321k mile mark I began to get a little spooked about the 10L1000, especially the valve body. Word of mouth about potential issues prompted me to jump on the net to sift through all the noise and determine what all the fuss was about. I routinely take long trips, coast-to-coast and points in between, so roadside breakdowns can be '...a thousand miles from nowhere' and a bit of a challenge, and though I had no issues, my guard was up and activated.   And then I stumbled across a chance to salvage some parts off a new 2025 that had been wrecked in transport. I grabbed a few wear items (alternator, pulleys, etc.) and on a whim asked what the ten speeder would cost me. It was cheap...really cheap. I knew some changes had been made in the '24+ version 10L and were supposedly not compatible, but I called service/parts at my local Chevy dealer and asked why and they didn't know. A call to a well known aftermarket transmission outfit revealed it was very likely it would be fine, but to them not 100% sure.   Because it was cheap (really cheap) and I was spooked, I took the chance. Had it installed by a local shop and it worked like a champ, shifted just like the original. At it's first service at 37k, I had the shop put in a Next Gen valve body kit, which after some initial hiccups and rough shifts, smoothed out though with somewhat firmer shifting.   All that said, I have a very serious concern about my newer transmission as just two weeks ago it suddenly began to exhibit a strong reluctance to engage forward or reverse. It was a bit past due anyway so I took it in for service. The reason it was sticking was due to 'glitter' in the fluid clogging the filter...not good folks, often indicates a converter giving out. We ended up going ahead with the new filter and fluid, first to see if it would move and shift, and then if so buy me a little time. It did, and I've driven it over a thousand miles and it is shifting smooth, no noises or slipping. Regardless, it looks like a third gearbox is in my future so I can resume taking long trips with some confidence. In the very short term, my curiosity will have me examining the fluid to check how much glitter has reappeared.   An earlier poster had alleged, in the context of 10L100 failures, that it is another example of how we seasoned citizens somehow descend into hysteria, lose control of our senses, and react irrationally after brief encounters with the idiocy of the internet infosphere. Let me say (and I have used and abused said internet since it's infancy) there is no segment of the populace that has a corner on over-reaction to digital garbage. Just as my offering of experience in this arena is purely anecdotal and should not be considered gospel or all-encompassing, I believe it is still worthwhile information to consider, along with other relevant anecdotal experiences about things like complex transmissions, especially when balanced with other sources.   So to answer the original question, yes I got high miles out of my first 10L, trouble free for 321,000. Now I really wonder how much longer it would have went. Did I 'overreact' to the internet ghouls by replacing a 'good' one with a 'bad' one? Maybe. Who knows, the thing might have taken a puke a 100 miles later. So I'll just fix it again, then move on and start thinking about all the other stuff that will eventually wear out. It still has the original brakes (they're at ~60%), original injectors/pump, turbo, water pump, etc....pretty much original everything. Knock on wood.
    • swathdiver
      6 Speed vs 8 Speed

      By swathdiver · Posted

      At peak temperature.  They get to cool down and warm up more, especially those with the external cooler.  I have three GMT900s and one of them has over 225K on its original transmission.  Fluid gets changed about every 36K miles, all of it.     It's not the bean counters, it was the government.  They had to meet CAFE standards and other government requirements.   To get around that, we tune them and modify them to our liking.
    • GMCustomerService
      Will not stay in Reverse

      By GMCustomerService · Posted

      Our customers' safety isn't something we take lightly. To ensure you get the proper assistance for your truck's repairs, please fill out the form at https://s.chevy.com/support-request with all pertinent details including your username.
    • GMCustomerService
      2026 Z71 Forward and Rear Park Assist help

      By GMCustomerService · Posted

      We appreciate you sharing your experience with your truck. To ensure we get you the proper assistance, please fill out the form at https://s.chevy.com/support-request with all pertinent details including your username.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...