Silverado 01

Norm · February 1, 2001

I got a 2500 LD LT EC 4X4 6.0 SB, Rigid Suspension. The GVWR is 8,900 pounds. do you think it possible to pull a bit more without serious trouble. I'm looking to pull a 30' fithweel with app. 11,000 pds.

Shaners · February 1, 2001

I think you could do it but not across the country every year. If your truck has the 4.10's then it is rated to pull 10300 lbs.. That weight includes you and your passengers and fuel and gear etc... If it has the 3.73's it's rated for 8300 lbs. That seems heavy for a travel trailer so you must be looking at towing a horse or cattle trailer then. I have a 32' pull behind travel trailer with a 14' slide out and it weighs about 7200 lbs. empty. I plan I towing it about 200 - 300 miles a year with my 1/2 ton which is probably going to be overweight. The roads I tow are relativeley flat and straight and I know this truck will tow better than my old G-20 conversion van, but probably not as well as my LD F250 that I traded on this truck. Power wise it will be better than the 5.4L Triton, but I may have to add a helper spring to carry the tounge weight. I'll find out in the spring.

Norm · February 1, 2001

Tanks for your reply Shaners, my rear dif. is a 3.73 and i'm wandering if i can put a 4.10, do you know if it is expensive and should i expect a big drop in fuel consumsion when not pulling.

The 5Th wheel is for camping and got 3 pull-out. The empty weight is 8,998 pds but with all equipement and fluid, it probably reach the 11,000.

PS; sorry for my spelling i'm french from Montreal.

Shaners · February 1, 2001

I don't know what the cost of switching to 4.10's would be but on a 4x4 it would NOT be cheap. I doubt you'd expect a big drop in mpg's and the truck would feel a little peppier but would prob. be turning 300 - 400 rpms higher on the highway. Try towing the way it is and see how well your truck does... You should use the tow/haul mode of course. A trailer with triple slides probably has a pretty heavy pin weight so make sure you are OK there. Kingpin weight should be between 15 and 25% of the total trailer weight. Your truck is probably maxxed out at about 2200 lbs. (the book says up to 2500 lbs. but take away the weight of the excab and 4x4 and I'm guessing... 2200 lbs).