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Message
re: Towing capacity & travel trailers
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:22 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:22 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Especially the way I drive.
0
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:23 pm to VetteGuy
Transmissions and diffs are one place where synthetic fluids REALLY pay off big time. In the engine, not so much; but anywhere that you don't have to deal with blowby will get huge benefits from synthetics.
I suggest to everyone who has a reasonably new vehicle make damn sure to put very good synthetic oil in the transmission and transfer case.
I suggest to everyone who has a reasonably new vehicle make damn sure to put very good synthetic oil in the transmission and transfer case.
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:23 pm to VetteGuy
quote:
GM, the problem with that particular vehicle is that the bumper cover blocks the airflow from going across the fins on the trans cooler. I have an 08 EXT AWD and while the motor was as strong as acid, towing any kind of load in the summer raised the hell out of the trans temp. I will say, too that the stock gauges have improved dramatically and are fairly accurate. The OP's vehicle has almost the same bumper cover as the Cadillac, I would expect the same problem.
Interesting, same with the tahoes?
I hope to get my diesel by next season though.
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:24 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
I drop my pan and replace the filter every 25k 
I haz da skurred.
I haz da skurred.
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:25 pm to NYCAuburn
quote:
I drop my pan and replace the filter every 25k
Extremely good habit. Probably a whole lot of overkill, but transmissions are anti-cheap.
ETA: If you're the original owner of the vehicle and stick to what it says to do in the owner's manual, you won't have fluid-based failures.
This post was edited on 8/14/13 at 6:27 pm
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:29 pm to NYCAuburn
If they have the six-speed Alison its not as critical but with the 4l60e and pulling a load very far I would definitely put a good cooler and good fluid.
Most people never service there transmission until I notice a problem and then it's too late and it makes it worse.
I do mine every 50,000 miles and use high-quality synthetic fluid. my Tahoe has 300,000 miles on the original tranny and motor
Most people never service there transmission until I notice a problem and then it's too late and it makes it worse.
I do mine every 50,000 miles and use high-quality synthetic fluid. my Tahoe has 300,000 miles on the original tranny and motor
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:30 pm to NYCAuburn
quote:
Interesting, same with the tahoes?
It could be.
I bought it from new and it would get to 220+ when towing 3-4K in the summer. This was on level interstate. The truck also came equipped with the towing package (receiver and trans cooler).
Once I looked at how the air flowed, I figured it out.
I also figured out it wasn't gonna make a good tow vehicle unless I modded the trans cooler.
Posted on 8/14/13 at 6:41 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
ETA: If you're the original owner of the vehicle and stick to what it says to do in the owner's manual, you won't have fluid-based failures.
I bought it with 15k, first thing I did was change the dif, trans, and oil. You just never know. Originally we were going to use this as our tow vehicle, that's why I have been excessive as well. However moving to a dedicated tow vehicle as future boat will probably be 10k.
Posted on 8/15/13 at 7:42 am to greasemonkey
quote:
know for a fact the bumper cover design on your vehicle will dramatically increase transmission temps when towing. Iwould add a quality trans cooler. and a trans temp gauge dont trust the factory trans temp built into the info center. By the time it says trans is hpt ot has already done damage. I would servce trans with qualoty synthetic fluid. For every 5 degrees a transmission get over operating temperature it loses approximately 30,000 miles in life.
Thats some good advice paw paw
Posted on 8/15/13 at 7:47 am to NYCAuburn
How can I tell if my vehicle has a tranny cooler?
Posted on 8/15/13 at 7:56 am to rattlebucket
quote:
How can I tell if my vehicle has a tranny cooler
I would say yours has a tranny cooler, but to be sure you can crawl around under the hood and see if you see a smaller radiator under or on the side of the large main radiator...there will also be hydralic lines running from the smaller cooler back to the tranny.
Posted on 8/15/13 at 7:57 am to rattlebucket
The single biggest thing to consider when pulling a travel trailer (I live in one for most of the year, and tow it all over the country) is what you are carrying in the trailer as well as what you are carrying in the truck. Look at your total load capacity. If you exceed this, you'll lose transmission life. Period. Most vehicles will pull well over the rating. This doesn't mean you aren't causing damage that you can't see. If pulling a bumper pull trailer, a quality weight distribution hitch is a must. This will increase the life of your tranny immensely. It also makes it MUCH safer to pull the trailer. Sway bars aren't a bad idea either. However, a good weight distribution hitch has built in sway control. Don't go cheap on this, as it's probably one of the most important things you can buy. I see trailers on their sides on the interstate at least every second or third time that I travel. Most of the time, this is a half ton truck pulling a heavy trailer. If they had simply used a weight distribution and sway control, this probably wouldn't have happened. When the trailer begins to sway, it pushes the opposite direction on the frame of the tow vehicle. If you overcorrect, the sway just gets worse.
Posted on 8/15/13 at 7:58 am to rattlebucket
quote:
How can I tell if my vehicle has a tranny cooler?
more than likely you do, more so if it came with a factory hitch. but if you have two about 1/4" sized hard lines running from the trans to the radiator area, you have it. However, if you tow anything worth a damn its a good idea to get a secondary heat activated fan cooled one
Posted on 8/15/13 at 8:05 am to BayouBrawl
quote:
: BayouBrawl
Thanks for advice. Just trying to get learned before I get the family going down the road. Looks like I've got an investment to make in the vehicle first then buy a trailer that'll fit it.
Good stuff here OB
Posted on 8/15/13 at 9:07 am to rattlebucket
With a 8k lb towing rating i wouldn't exceed 7000 to 7500 lbs. You will need a weight distributing hitch and a trailer brake controller. Most travel trailers will put around 700-800 lbs on your hitch. Expect under 9 mpg while towing with a gasser.
Posted on 8/15/13 at 10:02 am to BayouBrawl
quote:
The single biggest thing to consider when pulling a travel trailer (I live in one for most of the year, and tow it all over the country) is what you are carrying in the trailer as well as what you are carrying in the truck. Look at your total load capacity. If you exceed this, you'll lose transmission life. Period. Most vehicles will pull well over the rating. This doesn't mean you aren't causing damage that you can't see. If pulling a bumper pull trailer, a quality weight distribution hitch is a must. This will increase the life of your tranny immensely. It also makes it MUCH safer to pull the trailer. Sway bars aren't a bad idea either. However, a good weight distribution hitch has built in sway control. Don't go cheap on this, as it's probably one of the most important things you can buy. I see trailers on their sides on the interstate at least every second or third time that I travel. Most of the time, this is a half ton truck pulling a heavy trailer. If they had simply used a weight distribution and sway control, this probably wouldn't have happened. When the trailer begins to sway, it pushes the opposite direction on the frame of the tow vehicle. If you overcorrect, the sway just gets worse.
I was in here to post this. If you are towing near your limit you must use a WD hitch. That limit assumes you are using one. Once you tow with one you will never go back to a standard hitch on a heavy load.
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