Trailer towing

[pdisme]

Anyone who's got experience towing, do you think I'll have any issues with a 20 foot tandem car trailer with my '04 Chevy Avalanche? The Avalanche specs show 295 hp/330 ft lb torque standard V8, weighs 6800 pounds, towing capacity 8300 max. I've towed easy stuff like the Waverunner but obviously a 20 foot enclosed trailer with an 1100 pound Radical and a few hundred pounds of gear is a lot heavier.

I'm having trouble figuring out what the weight of that kind of trailer is, Haulmark conveniently doesn't tell you.

[RIE921]

You should be ok with your truck. Much more weight and I would go to a Diesel 3/4 ton truck. You are always much better not pushing your truck to close to its maximum towing capacity. I am assuming you have a 1/2 ton truck now? If so you, you have the weakest trans GM put in a truck(4l60e/4l65e), in that case you should be very careful(change tranny fluid every 10k miles, slow starts when trailering, just be easy on it). I personally went from 1/2 ton trucks(such as yours) feeling like I was pushing the truck to tow, to a diesel where I could pull a 10k pound trailer and not notice it. So to answer your question, yes you can use your truck, but if you were going to be trailering much more than a everyonce in a while or short distances, I would go to a diesel. I made this choice a couple of years ago and never looked back. Another bonus with the diesel is the gas mileage,which quite a bit better than a gas truck while towing. I hope this helps.

[pdisme]

Yeah, I'd rather not replace the truck, the Avalanche has been great for me, acts like an SUV most of the time and when I need to haul big stuff I can fold the rear wall down. I hope to use it at least once or twice a month for this towing.

Maybe I should stick to a smaller trailer? I have an opportunity for a 20 footer but the Radical is only 14 feet long; I could probably make due with a 16 footer since I can keep the spare tires and other junk for the Radical in the bed of the Avalanche if there's not enough room in the trailer.

[RIE921]

I would get the smallest trailer possible. I would even look into getting and open trailer with a "nose cone". Lighter trailer, less stress on truck. I understand about keeping the truck. Keep up on( or even be a little agressive with) the transmission maintence and all should be good. PM me if you have any questions. Good luck.

[pdisme]

Open trailer won't work since I'll be keeping spares and other parts in there and it will be sitting in hotel parking lots at night, etc. Although I must say that after going to a racing event, it was a pleasant surprise to see how no one worries much about their belongings when they're away from their spot on the paddock, thefts just happen rarely if ever, it's like a close knit family of people who don't actually know each other.

[jrfootin]

I just bought theat same Haulmark trailer. It weighs 3611 pounds. Towing the Radical you will be fine; however, if you put the Lambo in, you will have a tough time especially if you are driving against the wind. Try to get a V-Nose triailer if possible, helps against the wind.

Believe me I just towed my Murci in the trailer for the 1st time 2 weeks ago to Moroso & Homestead, was not that much fun!!!!!!

My vehicle tows 9200 lbs. max per specs. You MUST get a brake controler for your vehicle. That is a MUST!!!!!!

[pdisme]

Is that the 20 footer you have at 3611 pounds or 16 foot? I'll probably never put the G in it, just the Radical, so that would be great, even with car and tools we shouldn't be looking at more than 5000 pounds and the Avalanche should be okay with that I'd think?

[jrfootin]

That is the 20'. Exact model is : TH8.5x20wt3

The wt3 is the big heavy duty trailer with the upgraded 5200 torsion flex axles (very important) & the big tires.

Don't get the 3500 lbs axles, resale sucks, & it is always better to have more available carrying weight than not enough. You might one day want to trailer the "G" or maybe you will get a "M" some day!!!!????

Remember you got the weight of the trailer too on those axles.

[pdisme]

What are you hauling it with?

[jrfootin]

Infinity QX 56 SUV

[pdisme]

So I picked up Greg's "old" 20 foot trailer last night and towed it back to my office with the Avalanche and no electric brake since I have not gotten the right cable to hook the brake controller to the Avalanche (doing it this week). I could definitely feel it back there, never towed anything that large, just my Waverunner. What I noticed though is that at 70 mph on 275, the truck would downshift out of overdrive pretty regularly, every few minutes typically, and there was not a lot of wind last night. I'm guessing that at interstate speeds, with 1500 pounds of car and equipment in the trailer that wasn't there last night, it's going to be spending most of its time in third gear at 3200 rpm instead of overdrive at 2100 which will cause me to burn a lot more gas and put more wear on the truck.

I'm going to see how she does this weekend but I might have to upgrade trucks going forward. I really like how the Avalanche works though with the fold down rear wall. Only things I can find with diesel are big hulking monsters and I'd like to avoid that. So that leaves just a slightly larger truck, since I need the pick-up bed, but which one? Maybe Toyota Tundra? It seems to have about 100 ft lbs more torque than the Avalanche and isn't incredibly huge.

[Jay]

If you like the Avalanche, just buy the bigger version. It's available in 1500 (5.3 liter V8) and 2500 (8.0 liter V8) sizes. :) I also have a 1500 Avalanche but don't tow the car with it. just a small enclosed trailer.

[pdisme]

If you like the Avalanche, just buy the bigger version. It's available in 1500 (5.3 liter V8) and 2500 (8.0 liter V8) sizes. :) I also have a 1500 Avalanche but don't tow the car with it. just a small enclosed trailer.

Not anymore, just the 330 hp regular V8. :(

[Lasombra52]

So I picked up Greg's "old" 20 foot trailer last night and towed it back to my office with the Avalanche and no electric brake since I have not gotten the right cable to hook the brake controller to the Avalanche (doing it this week). I could definitely feel it back there, never towed anything that large, just my Waverunner. What I noticed though is that at 70 mph on 275, the truck would downshift out of overdrive pretty regularly, every few minutes typically, and there was not a lot of wind last night. I'm guessing that at interstate speeds, with 1500 pounds of car and equipment in the trailer that wasn't there last night, it's going to be spending most of its time in third gear at 3200 rpm instead of overdrive at 2100 which will cause me to burn a lot more gas and put more wear on the truck.

I'm going to see how she does this weekend but I might have to upgrade trucks going forward. I really like how the Avalanche works though with the fold down rear wall. Only things I can find with diesel are big hulking monsters and I'd like to avoid that. So that leaves just a slightly larger truck, since I need the pick-up bed, but which one? Maybe Toyota Tundra? It seems to have about 100 ft lbs more torque than the Avalanche and isn't incredibly huge.

Did you happen to be going up a slight grade change? If the truck fells like the engine is about to take a load, it might automatically downshift to compensate for an expected change in grade so you aren't too low in the gear. Also, were you changing the position of your foot on the accelerator? Maybe just slightly putting on the gas is making the engine downshift for an expected change.

As for the new truck. You might want to check out the new Car and Driver, I'll look it up when I get home. It has a test comparison between Silverado, Tundra, Ram, F-150, and one more I think. Very good article, and gives some good info on the trucks capabilities.

[RIE921]

If you like the Avalanche, just buy the bigger version. It's available in 1500 (5.3 liter V8) and 2500 (8.0 liter V8) sizes. :) I also have a 1500 Avalanche but don't tow the car with it. just a small enclosed trailer.

Yup, GM killed the 8100 in the new body style. They are going to introduce the 6.2 from the escalade in the Avy this year though....

[pdisme]

Nope, just good ol' flat Clearwater to Tampa driving. Wonder how soon they'll get the big engine back in the Avalanche? I'm not planning on doing anything out of Florida for a couple months after this weekend.

[Jay]

Not anymore, just the 330 hp regular V8. :(

Yup, GM killed the 8100 in the new body style. They are going to introduce the 6.2 from the escalade in the Avy this year though....

Bummer. Didn't know that.