which truck to tow with.

[LEGACY_GN]

Envoy

That's impressive. What's the motor and towing capacity on that? Do you have level ride shocks?

 

[Raymond Bunch]

Aforementioned, I would stick with a 2500/3500 Series Chevy/GMC truck or Industrial grade Surburban which I have. You just can't go wrong! They have HD Suspenion, brakes:smile: Oh yeah....Diesel engine is a plus.

 

[Water man]

That's impressive. What's the motor and towing capacity on that? Do you have level ride shocks?

It has the 6 cylinder in it and rated for 6400 lbs. Stock Bilstein shocks. Towed that GS from Nashville back to Pittsburgh no problem.

Kurt

 

[79TurboCutlass]

My old set-up was a 2000 Silverado 1500 Z-71 extended cab w/5.3 V8 pulling a 28ft enclosed. Pulled fine. I used my dad's '02 Silverado 3500 crew cab Duramax once and was in love.

 

[LEGACY_GN]

It has the 6 cylinder in it and rated for 6400 lbs. Stock Bilstein shocks. Towed that GS from Nashville back to Pittsburgh no problem.

Kurt

6 cylinder? WOW. I figured you had the 5.3. I know they put it in the SS. You didn't have any issue with hills or anything?

 

[IrvJr]

6 cylinder? WOW. I figured you had the 5.3. I know they put it in the SS. You didn't have any issue with hills or anything?

Trailblazer SS has the 6.0 LS2.

 

[TURBO 6]

I'd love to tow with my TBSS, just can't stand the idea of a short wheelbase. I tow my car with my 06 Ram 1500 hemi. Pulls just as good as my old 7.3 powerstroke with 5K total weight. Now I'm sure the 7.3 would have out pulled with more than that.

 

[CST 03]

I tow my 03 Cobra (open trailer)5,000lbs combined with an 08 GMC Sierra 4x4, 5.3 liter and it pulls like a champ.

 

[TTA850]

If I could I'd go with any of the 250/2500 series trucks but to prove you can tow with anything, here's my setup - 2005 ML500 4-Matic, 5.0L V8/5 speed auto rated for 5000lbs and pulls great I plan to go for an ML550 when the warranty is up (Oct '11 or 100K miles, currently has 53K), they are rated for 7200lbs and have considerably more power and a 7 speed auto so it should pull even better.

 

[Rubicon 327]

Get a Duramax and be done with it.

I agree, can't go wrong with the Duramax!

 

[nic87gnguy]

Anything GM but the Duramax! Thats just oh so nice!

 

[NCTURBOS]

My '02 Cummins, with a full weight GN, on a Featherlite open trailer, with (4) 2004r's in the bed, got 17-18mpg going to Ohio and back a couple weeks ago.

It gets 23-24mpg empty...


K.

 

[LEGACY_GN]

My '02 Cummins, with a full weight GN, on a Featherlite open trailer, with (4) 2004r's in the bed, got 17-18mpg going to Ohio and back a couple weeks ago.

It gets 23-24mpg empty...


K.

Is that still the 2 valve. I heard the mileage tanked went they went to 24 valve?

 

[DIAZ 87]

If I could I'd go with any of the 250/2500 series trucks but to prove you can tow with anything, here's my setup - 2005 ML500 4-Matic, 5.0L V8/5 speed auto rated for 5000lbs and pulls great I plan to go for an ML550 when the warranty is up (Oct '11 or 100K miles, currently has 53K), they are rated for 7200lbs and have considerably more power and a 7 speed auto so it should pull even better.

 

[NCTURBOS]

Is that still the 2 valve. I heard the mileage tanked went they went to 24 valve?

It's the last year of the 24v with a VP44 injection pump. '94-'98 are 12v, '98.5-'02 are 24v. 2003 is the first year of the common rail injection and also the first year of the new body style.

I also pick up a mpg or two from adding some Lucas additive to the fuel. And the truck isn't stock either. So I'd say the 24v does OK... Alot better than the other two diesel V8's...


K.

 

[TURBO 6]

When you're serious about towing and diesel performance you get a Cummins.

 

[bad V6]

A 1/2 ton pickup is capable of handling the payload you are inquiring about. However a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel powered truck is a workhorse, regardless of which brand. The truck will be much more stable and capable with the heavier duty suspension and drivetrain.

I currently have a slightly modded 2000 Ford Powerstroke, but will probably go with a GM next time. It's hard to tell when that might be, 'cause this truck only has 48k on the clock. With this truck, like most other diesels, I can't tell that the car and trailer are back there.

 

[Water man]

6 cylinder? WOW. I figured you had the 5.3. I know they put it in the SS. You didn't have any issue with hills or anything?

No issues at all.

Kurt

 

[JST A 6]

I'd go with a Ford with a 7.3 powerstroke. Tough strong workhouse of a motor. We have them in a fleet and they have close to 300k on them and some have never been touched other then L.O.F. The Cummins 5.9l have a lot of injection pump problems.

They only had these problems with the '98.5-'02 24v diesels with the VP44 injection pump. Once you replace that pump with one remanufactured after '03 you're good to go, as they fixed the problem on all of them built after that. I went through this trouble myself with my '01 Dodge. And as far as the Fords go, I helped my father move to Tennessee with my truck. He was driving his Ford 2500 Super Duty with furniture in the bed and his '06 Chevy Malibu on an open trailer, and I was hauling his lawn tractor in my bed and his big tractor (much heavier than a Malibu) on an open trailer. When we got into some mountain driving he tried to see if he could get away from me on an uphill grade, and I passed him. Oh, BTW, this is BEFORE I replaced my faulty VP44 injection pump. I drove the truck for more than a year with that bad pump in it.

Is that still the 2 valve. I heard the mileage tanked went they went to 24 valve?

That mileage is about what I got with mine too.

It's the last year of the 24v with a VP44 injection pump. '94-'98 are 12v, '98.5-'02 are 24v. 2003 is the first year of the common rail injection and also the first year of the new body style.

I also pick up a mpg or two from adding some Lucas additive to the fuel. And the truck isn't stock either. So I'd say the 24v does OK... Alot better than the other two diesel V8's...

I used a couple of bottles of 2-stroke oil on each fillup. Gained mileage and quieted the diesel down too.

When you're serious about towing and diesel performance you get a Cummins.

+1

 

[GregInAtl]

When you're serious about towing and diesel performance you get a Cummins.

YES, a 12 v or Common rail . 12v is easily upgraded to tons of power w/ hand tools. Common rail is 03-and up and is amazing. The ones referred to as 24v are great, but had more issues w/ added power than 12v and common rail. I am getting a common rail trock soon.... Nothing pulls like a cummins. (esp compared to a 1500 anything) We pull w/ an avalanche now (08 model) and it does it well, but 11-13 mpg is crap. A cummins will be 20+ pulling w/ less strain and less wear to the vehicle. Its a no brainer for me.