Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

[Road Head]

Boat: 1994 21' Chaparral inboard/outboard with 5.7L merc. Dual axle trailer with surge brakes. I have found posted weights for the boat in the 3500# range, add in the trailer, people and miscellaneous stuff, and I am leaning towards 5k-6k pounds (probably closer to 5k, but I would rather be safer than sorrier).<br /><br />Current tow vehicle: 2001 Toyota 4Runner, 6 cyl auto 4wd, has 4.10 gears (they are available stock)<br /><br />4Runner does ok around town. We have successfully towed it around, taken it out for our first ride last weekend. No problems. It worked great. However, I feel like the 4Runner is working pretty hard and is near its limit. I drive pretty slow, and around town is under 40mph and less than 5 miles from my house. We want to be able to take the boat from Nashville to Knoxville easily (about 200ish miles) not to mention I want a truck.<br /><br />So I am looking at:<br />'01-'02 Chevy/GMC 1500 ext cab, short bed with the 5.3L engine and z71 offroad package (comes with 3.73s and towing setup).<br /><br />I did my searching, and it seems like many people use this vehicle (or the tahoe/yukon) for towing. I just dont want to regret having looked for the 3/4 ton diesel. I mean, who doesnt want a 300 hp 550 ft-lbs of torque to tow with, but do I really need it? <br /><br />The vehicle will be my daily driver (about 50-60 miles a day). I want to be able to pack my wife and dogs in and head out to go camping, or take a vacation to the beach. I want to be able to go get mulch or gravel or ... whenever I feel like it. I want to be able to tow my boat up to a couple hundred miles away with no problems?<br /><br />I think it should work nicely, but you guys have been doing this much longer than I have, so I appreciate your input. Thanks

 

[JB]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

What is it rated to tow? That is the first question and if the answer is less than 7,000lb it should be the only question.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

You'll be fine with that combination.

 

[496 Cubic Inches]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

The problem with the 1500 series trucks is not usually a matter of power,its more often running out of cargo capacity or axle rating.<br /><br />I went to a 2500HD after realizing my '98 Z-71 just didn't have the capacity to tow our boat or trailer along with carry all the junk my wife has to take. <br /><br />If you like to travel light a 1500 will be perfect. If take everything but the kitchen sink a 3/4 ton with the diesel may be a better choice.

 

[Speedwagon]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

The new diesels are about 30-35% more efficient then a gasoline engine of similiar size. So you might consider what kind of efficiency the 2500 would get, compared to that 5.3L. Especially under load, the diesel won't change as much on economy.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

And don't ignore how many miles you'll have to drive to make up the difference between the cost of the two vehicles based on diesel economy, especially since you won't be towing all the time. This is not an insignificant amount of money. There is also the option of a weight distributing hitch for a couple hundred bucks. Bigger is not always better (or necessary).

 

[ratracer]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

496CubicInches is right. If you have the OEM trailer package the truck can safely tow that amount of weight although going up hills the tranny will most likely need be in 3rd gear and sometimes downshift to 2nd to maintain speed.<br /><br />But - you need to add up how much you, your wife, your dogs, and everything else you will put into the truck and truck bed AND then add the tongue weight of the loaded trailer. If you're going to exceed the payload or GVWR of the truck you should consider instead a GM 1500HD or any of the 3/4 ton trucks. For the 2006 model, a truck like the one you're looking at has a payload rating of 1350 lbs.<br /><br />You will get better mileage with a diesel all around. You would also have to deal with a couple of minor annoyances as well, like having to remember to idle the engine for 30-60 seconds before shutting it off so the turbo can spin down. If you decide to go diesel, do your research carefully before considering a 2003-2004 Ford 6.0 PSD.

 

[Road Head]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

Thanks for all the input. I really want an '01-'02 Chevy crew cab duramax/allison 2500, but they are either very expensive with low miles, or cheaper with a TON of miles.<br /><br />But, the 1/2 ton is much cheaper, and for what I need it for it may be the best solution. Realistically, I see myself towing the boat 200 miles or less, 2-3 times a year. Other than that, towing will be less than 5 miles, with the occasional tow (maybe 2-3 times a year) to another local lake about 20 miles away. Heck, I could manage this with my 4Runner, but I just really would like a truck many reasons.<br /><br />I have a daily driver 1993 Corolla - I will probably drive it 2 days a week, so gas mileage isnt too big of a concern. It would probably take a long time to see the benefits of any real gas mileage savings with the diesel.<br /><br />Oh, what to do? I think I will just see what I can find for a good deal. Obviously, 3/4 ton is better, but I think realistically, the 1/2 ton should do its job just fine. And if I buy a 1/2 ton now, that gives me a reason to upgrade to an 06 Duramax in 3-4 years

 

[DJ]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

Do yourself a favor. Have the boat weighed-ready to go condition-before you do anything. Don't forget to add the people and their "stuff".<br /><br />Once you know your REAL load, you can make an intellegent decision.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

This thread is quickly getting out of hand. GM 1500 series pickups (1/2 ton - 4x4 - 5.3 V8) currently shows a GCWR (gross COMBINATION weight rating) of 12,000-13,000# and a maximum trailer weight of 7,000 - 8,000 depending on gearing and long/short box. GCWR is the combined weight of the two vehicles. The GVWR is gross vehicle weight rating of the truck and its contents -- not whats being towed. It does however include the tongue weight. So the truck this gentleman wants will be more than adequate for the job at hand. There is no doubt the Duramx/Allison/2500 series would make a great combination but it compares to using a sledge hammer to drive a thumb tack. I can vouch for this vehicles capability as I used to tow a 24 ft travel trailer that weighed over 6000# with a 1500 series GMC van with a 305 (5.0 V8) smog motor and three speed automatic and was never in anyones way. It performed in excellent fashion. I did of course use a weight distributing hitch. That engine was rated at 145 HP. I'm sure 275+ HP in an '01 or '02 Chevy half ton will work just fine. Even the 4.3 V6 in a 1500 series is rated for a 5100# max trailer weight. Even that engine is a workhorse. S10 crew cab has that engine (as did the Astro AWD before it). These engines pull like mules and get good mileage to boot.

 

[Road Head]

Re: Chevy 5.3L Z71 as tow vehicle

Upinsmoke, thanks for all the numbers and the experience. As much as I would like the diesel, I think the 1/2 ton will work for me just fine, esp since I have a corolla to drive, and my towing is light duty.<br /><br />Also, thanks for the experience with the travel trailer. My wife and I would live to have a similar trailer. We want a bed, bathroom and little kitchen - nothing spectacular, just a little camper. This, of course, is 4-5 years away, but something we eventually would like to have.<br /><br />Also, thanks to everyone else for the suggestions, especially about weighing the boat loaded. Although I feel that it will be well under the tow rating, it is a good idea to know just how much it is. You never know, and its better to be safe than sorry.