# towing vehicle



## gettingthere (Feb 26, 2004)

Hello all. I just love the information here. We are looking at purchasing an 21rs or a 23rs. Never had an rv before nor a truck. From the reading I have done and people I talked to, it seems a 2500 is my best truck. Somewhere I read to tow about 75% of max weight. That seems to fit the 2500. What do you think of going for the 2500 instead of a big engine 1500. Also, 4x4 vs 4x2? Thank you. action


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Hello and welcome to OUTBACKERS!

I tow a 25 RSS with a 5.3 Chevy (1500) Tahoe. It tows fine, but would probably struggle a little in elevated terrain. (I camp/tow mostly in the plains) I guess I would get more truck than I needed, if I were buying a new tow vehicle. More IS better/safer when towing, especially long distances and in mountain areas.

You want to tow a smaller trailer now, but will you in the future? If the answer is/could be yes, maybe upsizing now would be a better plan.

Just my thoughts.


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## gettingthere (Feb 26, 2004)

What about a silverado 1500hd. I was just told that it is very simular to the ability of an Ran 2500? I need to tow 6000 lbs at this time. Thanks.


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

Gear ratio goes hand-in-hand with towing capacity. My 2001 Yukon XL 1500 has the heavy duty towing package which means better 4.10 gears and max towing of 8,100 pounds. Standard gear ratios are 3.73 or lower. Like you, I want to be well under the towing capacity of my vehicle when I am trailering. When our 26 RS is loaded up, plus the family of 5 is in the Yukon, we will be more than a ton below max towing. Excessive wear and tear is likely as you move closer to max towing.

Before you jump in and get a 2500 vehicle (or 3/4 ton), consider two other things besides the increased towing capactiy (On GMC / Chevy, the 2500 moves you to 12,000 towing!). First consider the gas mileage loss. Bigger engines in the 2500's will drink more fuel. Second, consider the ride comfort. 2500 vehicles are "medium duty" trucks. Stronger / stiffer suspensions on these.

As far as 4x2 or 4x4, I think that is preference. Living in Colorado, no question.

Randy


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

A 1500hd is a 2500 series truck, it has 8 lug wheels and all the other ingredients of a 3/4 ton truck. A 2500hd is a one ton truck with single rear wheels. So you would be able to pull 6k without much trouble with a 1500hd. Like NDJollyMon said, you also want to have enough truck if you decide to upgrade your trailer. Randy has a good point about ride quality, 2500's ride kind of rough, if you will be using it as a daily driver, you may tire of the rougher ride, I don't mind it (have 250 series trucks at work), but my wife would. A lot to think about









You are being wise doing your research to make sure you get a safe/comfortable setup.

Mike


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## edt (Jan 30, 2004)

Hi,

Take it out to a parking lot. Try backing up. Get the signals between you and your guide worked out. You usually need to know how much space you have on the sides and how far you can backup. Taking an hour or three to learn will save you a LOT of frustration.

Ed


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## CamperDC (Oct 30, 2003)

I would rather have a 2500 over my 1500, however, I have to use my truck for my daily commute to work which is about 50 miles each day and the 2500 would simply be a too much for the reasons noted above. So if I was not logging so many miles I would not hesitate to to go with the 2500.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

As mentioned above, the GM products 1500HD's are a 3/4 ton truck, with 9600#GVW, and the standard 1500 is lower. The Max towing on the 2500HD is over 12,000#, and I think close to 15,000 with the Duramax Diesel/Allison Tranny combination.

I have a 1500 series 4x4 Avalanche, and will be towing a 26RS with it. I have no worries about it's ability with that trailer.

Remeber that you want to look at not only GVW, and Max towing capacity, but also GCVW or Gross Combined Vehicle Weight. For my Avalanche, that is 13,000#. This is lower than the other two total added up. GVW is 7000#, and the maximum trailer weight of 7100#, which is 1100# higher then GCVW. Don't forget to figure in the weight of your passengers, and baggage.

I can't speak for the Dodge and Ford products, but I am sure the numbers are all in the same ballpark.

As far as 4x2 vs. 4x4, you will have slightly higher weight ratings with a 2wd model, as the front drive line is non-existant. I live in the Northeast, and like Castle Rock in Colorado, opt for the 4x4 versions. (My old pickup, which was a 4x4 Chevy 1500 would slip the rear wheels starting on a hill if the pavement was wet, in July, nevermind in January.) 4x4's are also more expensive. Some models are even offering AWD now.

Make sure what ever you get, you use a quality weight distributing hitch w/sway control. Either an Equal-i-zer or Dual Cam HP (Reese/Draw-tite) are good units.

Good luck in your search, and welcome to the forum.

Tim


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## aplvlykat (Jan 25, 2004)

hey castle rock,
I have been considering changing the gears in mine to 4.10 or 3.73 limited slip from 3.42 single axel what kind of gas mileage do you get around town and on the road? I get around 16 mpg around town and if I am lucky 11 mpg towing. kirk


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## brad03ca (Mar 4, 2004)

aplvlykat said:


> hey castle rock,
> I have been considering changing the gears in mine to 4.10 or 3.73 limited slip from 3.42 single axel what kind of gas mileage do you get around town and on the road? I get around 16 mpg around town and if I am lucky 11 mpg towing. kirk










I have also been thinking of changing gear ratios. Mine is 3:42 with a 5.3 engine, in a GMC 1500/half ton. Good milage down the road, but lacks that extra"Bit of jam" on the hills. How much reduction would there be with a 3:73 gear ratio, as compared to 3:42, with gas milage. Is there all that much more power/torque with the 3:73 gears? Could smaller tires on the back increase torque? My tires are255x16....could reduce to 235x16


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## JimWilson (Feb 24, 2004)

hatcityhosehauler said:


> The Max towing on the 2500HD is over 12,000#


Not on all of them. I have an 02 2500HD CC SB 4wd that has a towing capacity of 10,100. It's got the 6.0 and the 4.10 gears.


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## JimWilson (Feb 24, 2004)

brad03ca said:


> How much reduction would there be with a 3:73 gear ratio, as compared to 3:42, with gas milage. Is there all that much more power/torque with the 3:73 gears? Could smaller tires on the back increase torque? My tires are255x16....could reduce to 235x16


The difference in "power" would be approximately 10%, which you'd most likely only notice a little bit. If you're struggling now it might be enough to make it a bit more tolerable, but don't expect miracles.

Smaller tires will change your "effective" gear ratio, but it's mostly an illusion. You'd be better off swapping gears, because that's at least a "real" change.

Note that if your truck is 4wd you have to do both axles at the same time; you can't have 2 different sets of gears on your truck.


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