Question About Towing Horse Trailers

crepitus · June 1, 2007

My wife is getting into showing horses again and wants to get a 2 horse trailer with live in quarters. My question is will my 06 Sierra with a 5.3 pull this or will i have problems? I have 3.42 gears and the tow package if that helps.

asilverblazer · June 1, 2007

It'll be OK. Add a brake controller and it'll be good. Plan on speeds less than 65mph and it'll be great.

cmoore74 · June 1, 2007

I'm not sure what your total weight would be. I have a '06 Sierra crew cab with the 5.3L and 3.42 gears. I tow 3500 lb's with no problem. I put it in D (not over-drive) and use the tow/haul mode. Tows just fine. If I do hit a steep hill it will down-shift to maintain 65 MPH.

If I was towing a lot more than this I'd be wishing I had 3.73 or even 4.10 gears. In hind-site I would have preffered the 3.73 gears as it is a little bit annoying how much down-shifting it does (out of OD) when you hit a hill.

asilverblazer · June 1, 2007

If you tow in over drive it WILL downshift going up hill. I tow my horse trailer, similar to the style mentioned above in 3rd/drive, and it will cruise 65mph fairly easily. I also have the 3.73's so 65mph maybe pushing the truck pretty hard. Gas mileage will be pretty low too. I would expect 10-11 mpg.

C & A s Dad · June 1, 2007

What do you think the weight of your trailer will be when fully loaded?

svensk · June 1, 2007

If your total loaded trailer weight is over 6000 forget about. Those passenger car gears will hold you back too much.

asilverblazer · June 1, 2007

I would bet between 5-6,000 lbs.

1,000-1,500 lbs per horse = 3,000

2,000 lbs for trailer...

Is it a steel or aluminum trailer?

I think with a brake controller and maybe larger transmission cooler ir will be fine. Just don't plan on a record setting pace.

mljenkins · June 2, 2007

My wife is getting into showing horses again and wants to get a 2 horse trailer with live in quarters. My question is will my 06 Sierra with a 5.3 pull this or will i have problems? I have 3.42 gears and the tow package if that helps.

Whoa there everyone. A trailer with live in quarters typically indicates a gooseneck trailer, as they don't make bumper pulls with LQs (unless you have them custom done). If you're pulling a bumper pull, get out your owner's manual and check your towing capacity for the 3.42's. You can get the 07 specs at:

http://www.gmc.com/sierra900/1500/specsDimension.jsp

If you're planning on pulling a gooseneck, from experience, I would not recommend it. Aside from adding the hitch, you probably would have to beef up the back suspension depending on the tongue weight of the trailer. I had to add helper springs so my headlamps did not shine up in the air at night. Without the springs, the trailer just about bottemed out the suspension in the rear. Not good if I had hit a pot hole. The only reason I did it is because I got a deal I could not turn down on the trailer, and already had the truck. I had planned to pull a 2-horse bumper pull, which I can do and have done with no modifications.

I currently pull a 2-horse 18' gooseneck with weekender in the front. It doesn't have water, but does have a lot of wood in the front section for all the cabinets, table, and bed. It's a steel trailer and weighs close to 6500 dry weight. With the horses (~1100 each) I am at 8700, which is over what Chevy says I can tow (8500). I have so far only towed one horse in the trailer because I don't want to exceed my weight ratings. Not only could I get ticketed, but worse I could jeopardize my horses safety or my safety. Until I can get my weight down in the trailer, I probably won't tow both horses in it. It's a pain getting up the hills here in WV, but on the flat it pulls fine. Truck is a Chevy 1500 WT ext cab 4x4 w/ 5.3L 4.10 w/ heavy duty suspension & trailer package. I wouldn't be moving up hills if I had a 3.42 with this trailer.

I looked at a new aluminum 2-horse gooseneck trailer earlier in the year with a weekender in the front that of course were not built out. It weighed around 4500 dry weight. Was thinking of trading mine in but the cost was too high. Besides, I have a good reason to keep arguing with the wife for a bigger engine ;-)

Bottom line, in my opinion, if you want a true LQ with water and other works your going to have to go gooseneck, and your answer is no. If you want a bumper pull with a large dressing room in the front that would be big enough to sleep in, you may be ok. However, get your towing capacity from the owner's manual and don't buy a trailer with a GVWR over it. The only exception would be if you plan to have less weight in the trailer than it is rated for (i.e. you are only towing one horse as I am doing with my trailer), but that's another story. Good luck and stay safe,

Matt

svensk · June 2, 2007

Holy crap you tow 8700 with your 1500? wow... You need a 3/4 ton pretty bad.

mljenkins · June 2, 2007

Holy crap you tow 8700 with your 1500? wow... You need a 3/4 ton pretty bad.

Yeah, tell my wife that!!! :-) My GCWR with one horse runs around 12,000-13,000 lbs depending on what I bring, so I am legal (<14,000). Trailer has good brakes and I've got a good intertia brake controller. Truck pulls it without a problem on the flat, but hills on the highway are no fun. I think in a few years I will trade in for a used dissel. Guess we'll see what time brings...

Matt

asilverblazer · June 2, 2007

Hmmm, I guess I was pictureing a bumper pull with a "tack room" rather than "living quaters". If it is a true "living quaters" I think 3/4 ton would be in order. At the very least a new gear set or rear axle with lower gears. A 2 horse trailer with tack room at the front would be no problemo. Heck I've drug a 3 horse with tack room up front just fine. (Slow going on the highway but handling and stopping were more than adeguate.)'

How 'bout a picture, or make model, of the trailer in question?

svensk · June 2, 2007

I don't short change the 5.3 though, she really does jerk those big toys around with authority -if you can stand listening to your engine scream past 3500rpm. If it doesn't pull 7k lbs. well at 1800rpms most people don't want anything to do with it. I say that's no fun!

breecher_7 · June 2, 2007

OK. First off, this will depend ALOT of the trailor you have.

I have two Draft horses, both around 2K pounds and a steel/aluminum trailor that I pull them in.

Your truck WILL pull just fine but you may want to consider upgrading to 4.10 or 4.56 gears if you want any kind of efficiancy or accel power.

I pull this with either my 05 Dodge ram 4x4 quad cab hemi or my 06 Crew cab 4x4 Silverado Vortec MAX with the H.O. 6.0, My dodge has 4.56's and the chevy has 4.10's both pull it with no problem.

Gas consumption is another story though, i get about 10mpg pulling it with either truck, if you want efficiancy, go diesel.

OH......and leave it in 3rd with tow haul on. If you leave it in "D" it will constantly search for gears and the converter will constantly be unlocking, good way to burn up your transmission. I will go 70, with 4.10s and be running in the 3K range, runs great!