Tow Vehicle

[security6]

Re: Tow Vehicle

As the owner of one of those dodges (09 crewcab 1500) I can tell you that the coils in the back are really nice - even when towing 6K


But back to the 3/4 ton chev - their transmissions have a decent reputation, motor should last a good long time. I'd have no reservations about it as long as it was maintained before you got it.

The hunting in your current truck is more likely due to the 700r4 than it is your pontoon being too much for the truck itself.

His truck doesn't have a 700r4, it uses either the 4L60E or 4L65E. Although both transmissions are related (children, if you will) to the 700r4, the newer transmissions use electronic controls (thus the E in the name).

I have a Suburban with the 4L60E and the the 5.3L motor, and I don't have any issues when towing my 23' deck boat. The transmission doesn't hunt for gears or shift when I don't expect it to. Consider this a +1 for having your PCM flashed. I had mine flashed about 5 years ago. I didn't see the hoped for increase in mileage, but my towing has been just fine.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Tow Vehicle

His truck doesn't have a 700r4, it uses either the 4L60E or 4L65E. Although both transmissions are related (children, if you will) to the 700r4, the newer transmissions use electronic controls (thus the E in the name).

I have a Suburban with the 4L60E and the the 5.3L motor, and I don't have any issues when towing my 23' deck boat. The transmission doesn't hunt for gears or shift when I don't expect it to. Consider this a +1 for having your PCM flashed. I had mine flashed about 5 years ago. I didn't see the hoped for increase in mileage, but my towing has been just fine.

Some of them have a 4L80E, especially in the HD and/or the 2500 and above.

 

[jkust]

Re: Tow Vehicle

duckhunter, I have never seen a GM rust unless it was from the northeast. I have owned several of them without issue, both the 5.3 and the 6.0 and the only problem I ever encountered was on a 2500 you get a slight clunk when you first take off. Its just the driveshaft settling and is normal and doesnt hurt anything or get any worse, even at over 200k. We have absolutely no rust issues here in Florida. The OP is from AZ, so I seriously doubt he will have rust issues. LOL.

jkust, What I was getting at was that his 1500 Z71 should be fine towing, and I have had my Trailblazer "flashed" by a professional tuner on a dyno. It has been that way for over 60k now without issue, and the truck is pushing 90k, so if done correctly, you should not have any issues with your transmission.

A professional tuner can also custom load a handheld for you too. That way you can swap tunes for gas mileage and for towing.

Ours gets in the area of 21mpg on the highway, averages about 17.3 around town, drops to about 14ish when I am towing. Ours is an EXT as well, so it is on the longer wheelbase than the Ranier. Its a shame they stopped making them. Looks like the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the only medium SUV that can tow over 7k now. Damn Shame, we like the TB.

I'm in MN where salt is used liberally and GM's fair well here but you start getting to about 10 winters old an it becomes nearly impossible to stave off rust no matter what car you have. There are exceptions both ways as always. My current GM minivan is 10 years old and I maintained it to the max and it rusted regardless in the usual spot for that model. My best, longest lasting GM I ever owned (Bonneville SSEi meaning supercharged), I shipped up from Florida used and sold it at 12 years old and no kidding it still looked new having only seen 4 MN winters. When I sold it the buyers were stunned since we are used to seeing rusty underpinnings and corroded engine bays and it sold in one hour. I am all for buying from the south and shipping up here.

Regarding your professional tune, do you still get the second of hesitation if you are rolling slowly then give it gas? If stopped completely, it takes off fine but a rolling take off it's like someone shut a switch off for a second. The TB forum says it is part and parcel to the 5.3 in a TB. Also then, what kind of gains did you get in HP and TQ on the dyno? I forgot to mention that the downside of the Rainier is full time AWD which hurts mileage more than a TB in two wheel mode. It is a bummer we are being lead to car based suv's. I am betting there will be a lot of people overloading their tow capacities once the death of the midsized, truck frame suv is complete.

Also to Incoops question, PCMforless will send you a loaner pcm so you can keep using your truck while they reflash yours.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Tow Vehicle

I'm in MN where salt is used liberally and GM's fair well here but you start getting to about 10 winters old an it becomes nearly impossible to stave off rust no matter what car you have. There are exceptions both ways as always. My current GM minivan is 10 years old and I maintained it to the max and it rusted regardless in the usual spot for that model. My best, longest lasting GM I ever owned (Bonneville SSEi meaning supercharged), I shipped up from Florida used and sold it at 12 years old and no kidding it still looked new having only seen 4 MN winters. When I sold it the buyers were stunned since we are used to seeing rusty underpinnings and corroded engine bays and it sold in one hour. I am all for buying from the south and shipping up here.

Regarding your professional tune, do you still get the second of hesitation if you are rolling slowly then give it gas? If stopped completely, it takes off fine but a rolling take off it's like someone shut a switch off for a second. The TB forum says it is part and parcel to the 5.3 in a TB. Also then, what kind of gains did you get in HP and TQ on the dyno? I forgot to mention that the downside of the Rainier is full time AWD which hurts mileage more than a TB in two wheel mode. It is a bummer we are being lead to car based suv's. I am betting there will be a lot of people overloading their tow capacities once the death of the midsized, truck frame suv is complete.

Also to Incoops question, PCMforless will send you a loaner pcm so you can keep using your truck while they reflash yours.

Ah yes, forgot about the AWD system. We looked at a Ranier when we got the TB. My wife actually loved the Saab 97X version. They were cheap too. We felt that the EXT would be better for towing though.

I honestly have no idea anymore what the tune yielded. I cared on my Camaro, and we got 49rwhp and 42rwtq from it, but when we did the TB I just told him we would be towing, but also wanted to get decent gas mileage. I think he primarily focused on shift points etc rather than getting big HP numbers. I didnt even get a dynosheet. LOL. That was partially due to the fact that the wife picked it up. Oh well, it definately tows nicely, and has a lot more off the line pep. I have never noticed any hesitation like you mention, so maybe it was fixed in the tune. I didnt drive it much before the tune. Wife's DD. I am gonna build the only Supercharged Trailblazer SS EXT once its paid off and we get the wife another vehicle. LOL I will get the dynosheet then.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Tow Vehicle

I meant Arkansas. I have relatives that live near Little Rock, so I even know better. LOL

Whereabouts?

 

[jkust]

Re: Tow Vehicle

Ah yes, forgot about the AWD system. We looked at a Ranier when we got the TB. My wife actually loved the Saab 97X version. They were cheap too. We felt that the EXT would be better for towing though.

I honestly have no idea anymore what the tune yielded. I cared on my Camaro, and we got 49rwhp and 42rwtq from it, but when we did the TB I just told him we would be towing, but also wanted to get decent gas mileage. I think he primarily focused on shift points etc rather than getting big HP numbers. I didnt even get a dynosheet. LOL. That was partially due to the fact that the wife picked it up. Oh well, it definately tows nicely, and has a lot more off the line pep. I have never noticed any hesitation like you mention, so maybe it was fixed in the tune. I didnt drive it much before the tune. Wife's DD. I am gonna build the only Supercharged Trailblazer SS EXT once its paid off and we get the wife another vehicle. LOL I will get the dynosheet then.

I like the SAAB too but at the time the brand was on its way out. Now it is back on track however. The SAAB is an inch lower than the rest of the pack, except the TB SS, and really is just bit more refined too (hid's, strut assist hood, nicer rims, semi SAAB interior). Actually for a 40k+ vehice, you can get a steal on the Rainier's with low miles too since I don't think they make it onto many people's list and really the same with the 9-7x. The only issue with towing with the Rainier is yes it is a good bit shorter than the EXT version of the the others and is slightly noticable at high highway speeds. Truthfully although it is rated at 6500lbs, I can't imagine towing that much weight with it frequently. We keep our minivan because we need at least one vehicle with third row seating for the kids and their friends and also need a car that can get spilled on without much thought. I can't fathom having the LS engine in essentially the same truck. My wife has a lead foot as it is and an SS would surely get us both in trouble. There is a guy who added a supercharger to his 5.3 on the Trailvoy board which apparently is easy to do with off the shelf kits and got some decent increases.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Tow Vehicle

I'm spoiled, my 09 CC Hemi Ram gets 20-21 hwy unloaded

Geez, I'd kill for that. Non-towing, I get 10 mpg in stop-and-go, up to 14 on the highway... and that's all she wrote. Luckily, I have a short commute to work.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Tow Vehicle

Geez, I'd kill for that. Non-towing, I get 10 mpg in stop-and-go, up to 14 on the highway... and that's all she wrote. Luckily, I have a short commute to work.

Sadly my 2003 Nissan Frontier 4x4 doesn't do much better. I get about 14-15 for my stop & go commute. <13MPG towing & 17ish highway. And I only get to tow about 1/3-1/2 what you can

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Tow Vehicle

My o3 1500 Avalanche with the 5.3 and 3.73 gears gets 21 mpg highway, 15ish city. Towing 6200lbs it gets about 10-12. My 09 K2500HD with the 6.0 gets 11 highway/city/towing/idling. But it pulls like an ox and couldn't care less that the boat is back there. The Avalanche does a pretty good job towing, but it gets hot on a long hill and definitely no where near the power of the 6.0.

 

[carey965]

Re: Tow Vehicle

Incorrect. The airbag circuitry needs less than 1/2 the time it takes to crank over the engine to find faults.

His problem is most likely in the seat sensor that seems to fail on a lot of GM's. If it is, its about a $250 fix.






More incorrect info...lol. I own one, (actually I've owned everything but a Dodge) and the Gen II Tundra is more 3/4 ton than 1/2 ton. Most Tundra owners would agree. What brought the Tundra up anyway? I thought this was about GM's? Nobody likes trolls

thanks alot there is no trolling just giving an opinion if he decided he wanted to shop around, i dont want to get off topic so i wont tell you everything that is wrong with the tundra and just keep that to myself, but i will say you were right on the seat issue i forgot they like to go,

as far as tuning goes, if you want something that will do everything you could ever want and then some check out a program called HPTuners it hooks up to your laptop and there are endless possibilities with that program my friends and I have been using it for a few years and could not be happier with it

also on these trucks there is no overdrive, just the tow/haul function so that would not be a problem
all in all you have a great truck for what you want to do i say spend a few bucks on a decent tune and maybe do things like an intake and exhuast to help free up a few hp and make her better to drive when towing

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Tow Vehicle

also on these trucks there is no overdrive, just the tow/haul function so that would not be a problem

Pretty sure that they all have overdrive. Usually the tow haul button will disable OD in addition to adjusting the shift points.

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Tow Vehicle

When we bought our pontoon a few years ago we had a 2002 Suburban 1500 4X4 w/ a 5.3 and 3.73 gears. I wasn't real happy with the way it towed and had a performance tune done. It helped a little but I still wasn't thrilled. Now keep in mind I tend to overkill things and would much rather have too much truck than just enough. We sold the Suburban and bought a 1500HD with a 6.0 and 3.73 gears. It pulled it a lot better, but I missed the 3rd row seating of the Suburban. So I sold the 1500HD after last season and searched all winter for another Suburban. Even though I was in the market for a newer body style truck I ended up finding a 1997 3/4 ton Suburban with a 454 Vortec motor. It had 80K original miles and was in great shape. Believe it or not we ended up getting it for $3500. This truck is an absolute beast! It gets the same mileage pulling the boat as the 6.0 did but with A LOT more power. We had the brakes done and this truck has the 3500 series brakes on it so it stops as well as it pulls. It also rides well for a heavy duty truck. We are extremely happy with it! Good luck with your search.

 

[642mx]

Re: Tow Vehicle

thanks alot there is no trolling just giving an opinion if he decided he wanted to shop around, i dont want to get off topic so i wont tell you everything that is wrong with the tundra and just keep that to myself, but i will say you were right on the seat issue i forgot they like to go,

There is nothing wrong with the Tundra.... the only people who don't like them are haters, people who can't afford them and pretty much any UAW worker. The guys that own them, love them... ask any owner.

Bottom line is, it should have never been brought up, because the Tundra had absolutely nothing to do with this thread. Funny how everybody compares every truck against it tho.... kind of like it sets the standard eh?

 

[642mx]

Re: Tow Vehicle

also on these trucks there is no overdrive

What truck is this? Overdrive has been around in pretty much every car/truck for a very long time....lol Your expertise is cracking me up!!

 

[109jb]

Re: Tow Vehicle

One thing to watch out for if you are ever planning on towing to the max towing capacity of the truck is the capacity of the hitch. Just because it has a receiver hitch on it that came from the factory does not mean that the hitch is up to snuff. Case in point is my 2003 GMC 2500HD Crew Cab Diesel. It came from the factory with a hitch rated for a max of 7500 pounds but the truck could tow 12,000 pounds. It cost me another $250 to get a receiver hitch rated to the full capacity of the truck.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Tow Vehicle

thanks alot there is no trolling just giving an opinion if he decided he wanted to shop around, i dont want to get off topic so i wont tell you everything that is wrong with the tundra and just keep that to myself, but i will say you were right on the seat issue i forgot they like to go,

as far as tuning goes, if you want something that will do everything you could ever want and then some check out a program called HPTuners it hooks up to your laptop and there are endless possibilities with that program my friends and I have been using it for a few years and could not be happier with it

also on these trucks there is no overdrive, just the tow/haul function so that would not be a problem
all in all you have a great truck for what you want to do i say spend a few bucks on a decent tune and maybe do things like an intake and exhuast to help free up a few hp and make her better to drive when towing

HPTuners takes a lot of work and research to get used to it. I have a few friends that have it. Yep it can do just about anything, but in the wrong hands it can make for a bad combo. You can cause major problems if you dont know what you are doing.

Every GM made today also has an overdrive by the way.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Tow Vehicle

Think I'll stick with a 72 GMC heavy half ton, essentially a 1/2 ton rearend with 3/4 leaf springs, has a factory big block and if you keep your foot out of it while pulling the boat you can get just as good of mileage as you get with the newer trucks.

Best thing is I can keep an extra fuel pump, plugs, wires, cap & rotor behind the seat if I ever have a problem and be back on the road in minutes, instead of having the expensive tow bill and a ruined fishing weekend.......oh did I mention it just looks sweet parked next to all of the 2000 somethings at the boat landing.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Tow Vehicle

We are passionate about our trucks, aren't we? Seems boating guys almost always are. I'm going to address the airbag issue and look into the tuning option and see where that goes. I appreciate all the input guys. It's very informative and entertaining. Keep it coming. Incidentally, I'm a member of the "can't afford one" demographic with regard to the Tundra LOL.

 

[The Hammer]

Re: Tow Vehicle

I haven't read all the posts, but if I was looking at a 2500 I would really like to get the diesel for the gas mileage, don't know much about them though. Hard to find on the used market too.

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Tow Vehicle

I haven't read all the posts, but if I was looking at a 2500 I would really like to get the diesel for the gas mileage, don't know much about them though. Hard to find on the used market too.

The only issue with a diesel is the price. They are 4-7K more than a comparable gas truck. That would take a lot of driving to make up the difference in the mileage (probably 100K miles or so just to break even). Don't get me wrong they tow incredibly, but I personally can't justify the difference in price. I also can fix just about anything on a gas motor and probably could on a diesel if I ever gave it the effort, but I have never owned one so I will stick with what I know.