2018 GMC Sierra 1500 5.3L Towing Question

[mikeyk101]

Some further info. I know this is for Silverado but Sierra has same equipment... 2nd photo just because the specs had (b) shown as a footnote although for bumper pull it doesn't apply.

 

If you need an owners manual, you can download it from GMC at this link.

 

https://my.gmc.com/content/dam/gmownercenter/gmna/dynamic/manuals/2018/GMC/Sierra/2018-gmc-sierra-owners-manual.pdf

 

 

 

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by mikeyk101

[swathdiver]

40 minutes ago, OkSierra1500 said:

Thank you for all of this information! Is the weight on the tongue going to be either/or in the bed of hte truck or in the trailer itself? Or is that 12% needs to be towards the front of the trailer? 

 

Again, I really do appreciate you breaking all this down for me.

 

When the trailer is attached to the truck, the tongue or coupler weight is now on your truck and not on the ground.  For best control and to eliminate sway, this weight ought to be 10-15% of total trailer weight.

 

When you buy a trailer, it is important that you load it evenly with your stuff.  Too much stuff stored under a front bed will overload the tow vehicle and too much stored behind the trailer's rear axles and you can flip the whole thing over.  You also want to make sure the trailer's axles are as evenly loaded as possible.

 

This sounds complex but it is not when you spend some time figuring things out and taking it to the scales and weighing it in different ways.

[PPK]

I have the same sierra that the op has.. i can’t imagine towing much more than a couple of tons. I drove to Dallas last week and it heats up a little sitting at idle.. i do not think the cooling is there to tow very much at all.

[dieselfan1]

I'm here to tell you from first hand experience. 

That's too much trailer for your truck I don't care what the tow rating is.

For sure you'll be overweight on the payload by the time you're loaded up ready to camp..

32 ft is a big wind catcher too.

Sure guys will say you're good. What are they towing?

Here's my setup.

18 5.3 6spd 3 42  dbl cab.

25 ft weighs 6000 loaded ready to camp.

Even this is a handful in the wind. 

I've towed all kinds of travel trailers and this is the most I care to tow with a half ton.

[swathdiver]

32 minutes ago, dieselfan1 said:

I'm here to tell you from first hand experience. 

That's too much trailer for your truck I don't care what the tow rating is.

For sure you'll be overweight on the payload by the time you're loaded up ready to camp..

32 ft is a big wind catcher too.

Sure guys will say you're good. What are they towing?

Here's my setup.

18 5.3 6spd 3 42  dbl cab.

25 ft weighs 6000 loaded ready to camp.

Even this is a handful in the wind. 

I've towed all kinds of travel trailers and this is the most I care to tow with a half ton.

That's what we often neglect in these discussions, the sail area of the trailer and how it affects the truck.  If it were pallets of bricks no higher than your bed, you could tow many more thousands of pounds comparatively.  Then again, the right hitch greatly reduces or eliminates the wind factor.

[OkSierra1500]

I appreciate all the information. Initially, it would be driving within my state (Oklahoma) a few hour drive there, a few hour drive back, etc. Also thought about just upgrading to a 2500 HD (gas engine, not diesel) and figured I likely would be safe there. But we'll see. I do appreciate the information. 

[NE18]

1 hour ago, dieselfan1 said:

I'm here to tell you from first hand experience. 

That's too much trailer for your truck I don't care what the tow rating is.

For sure you'll be overweight on the payload by the time you're loaded up ready to camp..

32 ft is a big wind catcher too.

Sure guys will say you're good. What are they towing?

Here's my setup.

18 5.3 6spd 3 42  dbl cab.

25 ft weighs 6000 loaded ready to camp.

Even this is a handful in the wind. 

I've towed all kinds of travel trailers and this is the most I care to tow with a half ton.

You are breaking my heart. I have the same truck and currently tow an rpod. Looking at a 25ft Airstream with a gvw of 7300lbs but dry is 5300lb. Can’t imagine loading 2000lbs into the camper. My payload is 1800lbs and think I’ll be okay. I’m think tongue weight will be around 1000lbs.

Do you mind expanding on your towing experience?

[swathdiver]

1 hour ago, NE18 said:

You are breaking my heart. I have the same truck and currently tow an rpod. Looking at a 25ft Airstream with a gvw of 7300lbs but dry is 5300lb. Can’t imagine loading 2000lbs into the camper. My payload is 1800lbs and think I’ll be okay. I’m think tongue weight will be around 1000lbs.

Do you mind expanding on your towing experience?

You'll be fine with the right hitch setup.

[mikeyk101]

2 hours ago, OkSierra1500 said:

I appreciate all the information. Initially, it would be driving within my state (Oklahoma) a few hour drive there, a few hour drive back, etc. Also thought about just upgrading to a 2500 HD (gas engine, not diesel) and figured I likely would be safe there. But we'll see. I do appreciate the information. 

The biggest problem I see with going with a 2500 is that you would be paying premium price for that truck right now. And that's if you can even locate one that has what you want. Although a 1500 isn't the ideal tow vehicle for some of the larger trailers, if you are only going to occasionally tow and only for a couple hours, I would say stick with what you have now and make it work.

 

I have considered upgrading myself but I'm not about to pay top dollar for something that would only come in to play a couple times a year right now. I have a 2016 Crew Cab 5.3 4x4 short bed with the 3.42 gears. It has the tow package with the locking rear differential minus the integrated brake controller. I am towing a Wildwood FSX toyhauler. Its a 25 foot trailer. Dry weight is around 4500lbs and it has a cargo capacity of 3100lbs. After my trike is loaded up, and supplies added, I'm usually around 62-6300lbs. I come in around 800lbs tongue weight. I am using an Equalizer 4 point hitch which makes a big difference. I have taken it through some pretty decent grades in places like Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri. I have figured out how to make use of the manual gears to maintain speed and prevent unnecessary heat in engine and trans. 

 

This is the day I first purchased it and before I got a chance to get the Equalizer hitch dialed in so you can see the rear sags a little more than it should. I have since taken care of that...

[mikeyk101]

Just some further info for you. Although this trailer is slightly lighter and shorter than what you are looking at, it's good information. CAT scale weights will be very important in getting things set up correctly.

 

 

This photo is posted in this thread.

 

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f45/towing-with-our-1-2-ton-sierra-553260.html

Edited September 10, 2021 by mikeyk101

[dieselfan1]

12 hours ago, NE18 said:

 

Do you mind expanding on your towing experience?

 

I'm 59 and I've towed 24' car haulers full of kitchen cabinets for my job for around 25 years daily. Avg trailer weight was around 8000- 9000.

I used a couple 3/4 ton 454 Gas Chevys until I upgraded to a Duramax in 2003. 

Most trips were less than 100 miles.

Longest trip was from Minneapolis to Aspen Colorado.

I've owned 4 travel trailers.

2 were 20 footers. 1 was a 27 ft Coachman and the 25ft Hornet I have now.

I also had a 4 place enclosed snowmobile trailer we took weekly trips with.

I've owned 1 boat. A 23 ft Boston Whaler center console. 

I always have had a 6x12 cargo trailer . I tow this with my lifted Chevy. 

I haven't had a diesel in over 12 years and do most towing with my stock 1/2 ton nowadays. 

If I had to estimate, of the 2.75 million miles I have driven in my life,  I probably have around 1 million miles towing something. 

Edited September 10, 2021 by dieselfan1

[asilverblazer]

I'm towing a travel trailer, 39'-8" long, with GVWR of 9900 lbs, behind a 2015 GMC Sierra 5.3 CCSB 4x4 with 3.42 axles all over Oklahoma. 

 

I've pulled several bumper pull trailers and fifth wheels with several different trucks. 

 

Its already been said but the added cost of upgrading trucks cannot be justified by the  amount of time my current trucks is towing this trailer around. Which it does fine, but of course a much bigger truck would do better.

[dieselfan1]

2 hours ago, asilverblazer said:

I'm towing a travel trailer, 39'-8" long, with GVWR of 9900 lbs, behind a 2015 GMC Sierra 5.3 CCSB 4x4 with 3.42 axles all over Oklahoma. 

 

I've pulled several bumper pull trailers and fifth wheels with several different trucks. 

 

Its already been said but the added cost of upgrading trucks cannot be justified by the  amount of time my current trucks is towing this trailer around. Which it does fine, but of course a much bigger truck would do better.

Maybe Oklahoma City.

Drive much in the wind?

You won't be bragging if you did.

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by dieselfan1

[asilverblazer]

3 minutes ago, dieselfan1 said:

Drive much in the wind?

 

Been to Oklahoma?

[dieselfan1]

8 minutes ago, asilverblazer said:

Been to Oklahoma?

So you're trying to say you drive all over Oklahoma in windy conditions with a 40 ft trailer with a little half ton small bed?

Sure Bud.