Show and tell: Your tow vehicle

[rangerdog]

NO, NO, Not weight distributing! arrrrrrgh!


You can get a heavy (class IV) hitch that bolts on, no new holes for about $200 from anyone who sells hitches. Way less trouble than the wd hitch stuff.

DING, DING, DING

Well, you know, my man, that must be why I am a member here. To get other people "thinking outside the box." I have been stuck in the "get a WDH" paradigm that It never occured to me to just go buy a class IV hitch and bolt it on. 8)

Ranger "Duh, rangerdog go buy new hitch for few dollars instead of spending many dollars" Dog

 

[Outta Here]

RangerDog,

Parker owners are usually too busy fishing to worry about trailer hitches, cup holders, seating accomodations for 15 people, white wall tires ( :lol: ), etc.


:lol:

 

[T-Bro]

'92 Range Rover County
95K Miles
Praying that it passes MA inspection for another summer
Great Vineyard Wagon
Getting tired of taking it off island to get serviced

 

[B-Faithful]

Fishfactory, I love the videos, esp. this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGlacQlBGcQ


Well the wife doesnt like giving up her suburban for me to tow the boat. I also have kayaks, a sunfish sail boat and my bikes to haul so I went out and added another tow vechicle today. I traded in my Lincoln LS for this: (2006 2wd Silverado, w/ 5.3l, g80 locking diff, tow package and 3.73 rear - same as my 04 burb)

Great vehicle for my almost daily dc commute :lol:

My father also bought an 05 2500 HD LTZ with 22k on it that is loaded for towing his Judge and travel trailer. It has the 6.0l. Look for his 1999? 1500 suburban to be for sale with 5.7 and 130,000 miles to be posted for sale soon.

 

[Ranger Tim]

How do you hook this thing up??? :wink:

 

[Megabyte]

Great photo Tim! :lol:

 

[Parker]

Tim - hey that looks like my tow vehicle. I have a 94 Miata M edition with 10K miles.

 

[Outta Here]

Fishfactory, I love the videos, esp. this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGlacQlBGcQ


Well the wife doesnt like giving up her suburban for me to tow the boat. I also have kayaks, a sunfish sail boat and my bikes to haul so I went out and added another tow vechicle today. I traded in my Lincoln LS for this: (2006 2wd Silverado, w/ 5.3l, g80 locking diff, tow package and 3.73 rear - same as my 04 burb)

Great vehicle for my almost daily dc commute :lol:
quote]


Yeah, that's a good video, I'm kinda' partial to the "pull-off". Where I'm from, that's the kinda thing to make the loser leave the county, or at least trade trucks! We're serious about our truck down here.

You'll need to swap your hitch (believe it's rated for 5000 #'s or so) and you'll be much happier with some Air Lifts. Both are cheap and install in 2 hrs. or so. Do 'em both at the same time and jack the truck up only once.

Don't know how you got 3.73's in an '06. Very lucky. Mine has 3.42's I saw your comments (and others') somewhere else. My '06 Z-71 gets 20mph any time on a highway around 60-65 mph. Combined city and suburban 16-17 .

You got the aluminum block 5.3 ? If so, that's the HO motor .

Like some others, I'm not a big fan of the angled headlights. A billet grill and a chrome replacement Bowtie will do wonders for the front. Your accessory money might be better off spent on the tailgate, tho'...with a SB Chevy and a 3.73, that's all most will ever see. :lol:

 

[greatcir]

My 2005 Escalade - 6 liter AWD - was on cruise control for most of the 700 mile trip home from Tampa to Nashville with my new 2120 SC boat.

Did have to shut off the cruise control coming up over some hills, but to really test the rig I punched it to 85 MPH near the high ponit at Mount Eagle and the speedo was still climbing when I eased off.

With the smooth ride & XM on, I'd froget the boat was back there unless I looked in the rear view mirror. Other times, truckers would toot and give me a thumbs up about the boat. Could see fine with the stock side view mirrors too.

Always had someone asking about the boat or wanting to see inside when I stopped to eat or buy gas.

Pete

 

[B-Faithful]

Hmm fishfactory, I havent received the build sheet on my truck. I asked the dealer if it had the 5.3l, G80, tow package and 3.73 rear and he said "yes". I know my 2004 suburban has 3.73 rear. It does feel "peppier" than my silverado. I have to drop off the factory rims to my lincoln next week so I will ask for the build sheet. If I did get the 3.42, what is tow capacity?

btw i do know it is not the AL 5.3l. Same iron one as in my burb..

 

[Outta Here]

The '06 Chev C-1500 Crew Cab (2wd) is rated "Maxium Trailer Weight" 6700 #'s (3.23) and 7700 #'s (3.73).

The 3.73 was impossible to find on 4x4's. Choice was 3.42 or 4.10. On the 4wd's (extended cabs) same capacity of 7700 #'s with either 3.42 or 3.73.

No need to wait for build sheet. Look at all build codes on sticker in glove box. I know "G-80" will be there if you have it. Also codes for engine model, rear end gear, etc. Go to somewhere like www.FullSizeChevy.com to decipher codes.

"Nice driving car, needs more motor"...Dale Earnhardt after driving a Roush Ford around Atlanta a few years ago. :lol:

Almost forgot..."Suburban feels peppier". Yeah, it might. Chevrolet cripples standing start acceleration with a computer program called "Torque Management". This saves driveline wear, warranty claims and avoids lawsuits when those 6.0 SS Silverados are in the hands of kids. Nail your truck at about 20 mph and I'll bet you'll smile. You can order numerous re-flashes, and "tunes" to remove some or all of TM.

Found some axle codes:

GT4 3.73
GT5 4.10
GU4 3.08
GU5 3.23
GU6 3.42

 

[gw204]

Yeah...it's got a HEMI!

Mods include a Flowmaster cat-back exhaust and Mobil 1 synthetics in the motor and front/rear diffs. The Flowmaster is coming off in a few months though. I'm going back to a single 3" and will probably send it through an SS Magnaflow. Eventually it will get some sort of cold air induction, a Superchips programmer, Transgo shift kit and either some 28570R17s or 33x12.50s. I'de love to toss in a set of 4.56 gears too.

Chevrolet cripples standing start acceleration with a computer program called "Torque Management". This saves driveline wear, warranty claims and avoids lawsuits when those 6.0 SS Silverados are in the hands of kids.

Dodge puts something similar on their trucks too...only their TQM cuts power when shifts occur. For the '03 models, the ECU and TCM are separate units and there is a wire that you can disconnect to disable the TQM. '04 and later truck that the ECU and TCM in one single unit so you're stuck with TQM unless you get a programmer. I left the wire in place. Didn't want to take any chances given Dodge's questionalbe auto-tranny reputation. 56K and no problems so far. The pumps are bit loud though.

 

[Megabyte]

You'll need to swap your hitch (believe it's rated for 5000 #'s or so) and you'll be much happier with some Air Lifts. Both are cheap and install in 2 hrs. or so. Do 'em both at the same time and jack the truck up only once.

I agree.

Check Daves Trailers up in GB and swap out the Class 3 for a Class 5.
Not a lot of money for what you gain.

I also have the AirLifts on my Jeep and they are great!
All it takes is a bicycle pump to level the truck and it will tow so much better!

 

[Megabyte]

Oh... and I can attest to Brians HEMI power.

When I bought my Parker, he towed it to the dealer and back for me. :wink:
That HEMI knew it had a load back there tho...

The boat instantly got the nickname "Porky" 8)

 

[B-Faithful]

Found some axle codes:

GT4 3.73
GT5 4.10
GU4 3.08
GU5 3.23
GU6 3.42

Hmm Dealer didnt know what he was talking about (neither did I). My silverado has the GU5 and my suburban has the GT4. No wonder the burb has more punch. Oh well, I will close to my max tow capacity. (I figure I am at 6200# loaded)

BTW, Brian's Hemi is a beast!!! You can probably hear it in NC.

Thansk for the info

 

[gw204]

Good thing that Flowmaster sounds better than it looks....

 

[gw204]

Found some axle codes:

GT4 3.73
GT5 4.10
GU4 3.08
GU5 3.23
GU6 3.42

Hmm Dealer didnt know what he was talking about (neither did I). My silverado has the GU5 and my suburban has the GT4. No wonder the burb has more punch. Oh well, I will close to my max tow capacity. (I figure I am at 6200# loaded)

BTW, Brian's Hemi is a beast!!! You can probably hear it in NC.

Thansk for the info

That's one of the benefits of having a 4x2....you only have to buy one set of gears! Ring and pinion should cost you around $300 for the parts and a few hundred more for installation.

 

[Uncle Matt]

2005 Chevy 2500HD.

 

[Outta Here]

Hmm Dealer didnt know what he was talking about

You can check to see if you have HD trailer tow package by looking at the trailer wiring plug at the hitch. HD trailer tow package will have an eight wire plug (from the factory). Also, shipped loose to original owner is a harness for elect brake controller on HD TT package. If no HD TT pack, you might want to add a trans cooler, also easy install.

Every Chevy truck from the mid 60's on has had every compotent itemized in the glovebox.

Dealer knew EXACTLY what he was talking about...get money from B-faithful! :lol:

 

[mildew2]

Nice mx-5 Ranger Tim I've had Miatas for quite a while, but never tried pulling with them.lol