Towing With My Half Ton

Buddy67Lincoln · June 30, 2008

I have a 2006 GMC Sierra entended cab 4x4 with the H.O 5.3 and Light Duty power package witch includes limited slip, tow package, 3.73 gears. Has of course the transmission cooler and class 3 hitch. I wanted to know if this truck can handle hauling a 1964 Olds 88 Convertible....weghts around 4500-4600 lbs alone then tac on the tandem car hauler. Not sure how heavy the car hauler is, but its a standard open car hauler and not a 'front tires only' hauler. I need to tow it 3 and half hours from OH to Pittsburgh but Ohio is mostly flat. Gets hilly where I live, but I can always let it off the trailer and drive it 30 minutes home if hills will be pushing it. It does run, but needs checked out before I drive it 3 and a half hours! Its a heavy car and I know the Uhaul page will not allow me to tow it if I rented thier hauler even as a regular Olds 88 not to mention that the convertible is a bit heavier. Any sucess stories about hauling several hours witha load that might be a wee bit too much? Thanks a lot. To help with the 88s size...its the same thing as a Chevy Impala convertible.

Zembonez · June 30, 2008

I wouldn't want to haul that load on a daily basis but once or twice for a few hundred miles should be fine. Your truck should be rated for 7200 lbs or better. The biggest issue will be loading it so that there isn't too much weight on the tongue. If you center the load over the wheels rather than pulling it all the way to the front, I'd think it could be done. That and do the obvious stuff like strapping the car down abuot three times as much as you think you should!

Surely some more will chime in here.

alaska511 · June 30, 2008

Success stories? Yep. 1972 Chevelle SS on a tandem car trailer, 450 miles through the mountains of Alaska.

No problem.

HawkeyeOC · June 30, 2008

The double axle car haulers that u-haul has are 2000 lbs for the newer aluminum ones and 2800 for the older steel ones. They don't like anything more than 4000 lbs being towed on their trailers regardless of what kind of truck (including their own) is used to tow it. Your truck is more than capable.

nbscanuck · June 30, 2008

Brakes, you should have brakes. If you have a towing package you should have a tranny cooler. Pull in 3, not D. No speed record needs to be set, take your time. You'll be ok. You will notice the back end will sag and you will get some bounce. If you are going to tow often, get a set of airbags installed that will stabilize everything.

Buddy67Lincoln · June 30, 2008

Thanks a lot. I think she can do it as well...just might sag a bit. Good idea on keeping the car off the tongue by trying to get it over the axles. I will try. Thanks again.

rckt442 · June 30, 2008

Got any pics of the 88 convertible? Here's the car I haul around.

asilverblazer · June 30, 2008

I'd suggest no faster than 60mph. Any faster will likely be working the truck pretty hard.

Starrman · June 30, 2008

absolutly make sure the trailer has brakes, either electric or surge.

With electric brakes you will have to hook up a brake controller to your truck under the dash....pretty easy and if you have the tow package it will already be wired back to the plug (although you may have to install the fuse for it under the hood).

With surge brakes, you have to do nothing to the truck, the trailer has a sensor in the coupler that applies the brakes when the hitch puts pressure on it as the vehicle slows down.

I have an 18' tandem axle open hauler rated at 7k lbs that weighs about 1200lbs itself and I tow a mustang (not as heavy, about 3400lbs) and with the car over the trailer axles it leaves about 3' of deck in front of the trailer with I use to strap down an easy-up and a couple cinder blocks. Plus I have a tongue box with tools and an aluminum/steel floor jack, so the total trailer weight is about 5k lbs. Yukon does fine with it, I keep it in drive with the tow/haul mode on and air up the rear tires a bit more (but not to exceed the max psi on sidewall).

Buddy67Lincoln · June 30, 2008

Got any pics of the 88 convertible? Here's the car I haul around.

Nice Olds! I hope you drive it somewhere so you can enjoy it! We drive my fathers Skylark everywhere and its just nice to see the heads turn and thumbs up and all that. Here is the 88 I want to lug home. Needs the colors changed...yellow out and green inside. I am thinking medium/royal blue with white tuck n roll. Take care

rckt442 · June 30, 2008

Got any pics of the 88 convertible? Here's the car I haul around.

Nice Olds! I hope you drive it somewhere so you can enjoy it! We drive my fathers Skylark everywhere and its just nice to see the heads turn and thumbs up and all that. Here is the 88 I want to lug home. Needs the colors changed...yellow out and green inside. I am thinking medium/royal blue with white tuck n roll. Take care

Nice looking car. What engine? 394ci? Transmission?

Buddy67Lincoln · July 1, 2008

Got any pics of the 88 convertible? Here's the car I haul around.

Nice Olds! I hope you drive it somewhere so you can enjoy it! We drive my fathers Skylark everywhere and its just nice to see the heads turn and thumbs up and all that. Here is the 88 I want to lug home. Needs the colors changed...yellow out and green inside. I am thinking medium/royal blue with white tuck n roll. Take care

Nice looking car. What engine? 394ci? Transmission?

394 reg compression, 3 speed auto. POSI!!! Nice car that needs some minor work. Cant wait to drive it! I'd like dual exhaust and a 4 barrel. Hard to find

SilveradoCJ7 · July 1, 2008

I tow my Jeep CJ with my 06 Silverado 5.3L and I think it has the 3.42 gears. The jeep is about 4000lbs and my trailor is another 2000-2500lbs. It pulls and stops fine even with out the trailor brakes. Of course I strongly recommend the trailor brakes. In tow haul mode it pulls pretty good. If I did it daily I would want a 2500 truck but for occasional pulling and only going a few hundred miles its great.

Getting the load over the wheels is key to let he trailor carry the weight. You need to have a inch or two in between the bump stops on the truck for safety.

hoorders · July 1, 2008

I wouldn't want to haul that load on a daily basis but once or twice for a few hundred miles should be fine. Your truck should be rated for 7200 lbs or better. The biggest issue will be loading it so that there isn't too much weight on the tongue. If you center the load over the wheels rather than pulling it all the way to the front, I'd think it could be done. That and do the obvious stuff like strapping the car down abuot three times as much as you think you should!

Surely some more will chime in here.

Make sure you have a good weight distribution hitch, a brake controller, dont be trying to break any time records and you will be fine.

alaska511 · July 1, 2008

I wouldn't want to haul that load on a daily basis but once or twice for a few hundred miles should be fine. Your truck should be rated for 7200 lbs or better. The biggest issue will be loading it so that there isn't too much weight on the tongue. If you center the load over the wheels rather than pulling it all the way to the front, I'd think it could be done. That and do the obvious stuff like strapping the car down abuot three times as much as you think you should!

Surely some more will chime in here.

Make sure you have a good weight distribution hitch, a brake controller, dont be trying to break any time records and you will be fine.

WD hitch on a car trailer? It won't have that. He will be fine.

WD hitches are on on travel trailers, larger trailers...

This car trailer will likely have surge brakes so a controller is not needed