Tow Rig Questions and Opinion

[robert theisen]

i know i said nothing beats a diesel.the size of your family and the comfort of the ride do. if you can sacrifice the fuel mileage the braking and the stability. the tahoe will do fine.just make sure your trailer has electric brakes.they are a big improvement over surge brakes.

[Ewok]

With the smooth disc brakes on my trailer I have no problem stoping. It stays under control and does not wag the tail. My last boat had drum surge brakes and that was a little bit of boat pushing the truck but my RZ2 is very composed behind the 4runner. I wouldn't want to pull anything bigger than the rz2 though.

The advantage to a shorter wheelbase tow vehicle is it's easier to maneuver and back up the trailer into tight spots. I can squeeze this thing into some interesting parking spots when needed, and I know I couldn't have done it with a full size dually. I think trailer sway down the highway is a problem with tongue weight instead of a shorter wheelbase vehicle. But my 4runner also has the Xreas shock system which helps reduce body roll in turns and helps resist sway down the highway.

[KonaKing]

The 6.0 will staill out tow a 5.3 any day. Also the 6.0 prolly has a 4l80e tranny nit sure what they are putting in the new tahoes but the old ones had a 4l60e not to strong. Make sure you get the tow oackage because it will atleast have 383 rear end. All in all you are better with a gmc denali with the 6 speed and a 6.2 in the new ones.

[wallacmc]

The 6.0 will staill out tow a 5.3 any day. Also the 6.0 prolly has a 4l80e tranny nit sure what they are putting in the new tahoes but the old ones had a 4l60e not to strong. Make sure you get the tow oackage because it will atleast have 383 rear end. All in all you are better with a gmc denali with the 6 speed and a 6.2 in the new ones.

I test drove that Denali before I got my Navigator. I wish I could have afforded it. That thing is a beast!

[jzts0214]

Buy a 07-11 Denali. It has a 6.2 with 400 horse and a 6 speed. I also have a Duramax but sometimes you just have to fit more people then a truck will hold. The denali does great.

[KonaKing]

I test drove that Denali before I got my Navigator. I wish I could have afforded it. That thing is a beast!

We are leaning that way. 07 0r 08 Denali

[robert theisen]

the denali will tow smoother and be less likely to tail wag while towing.not to mention more room for passengers.

[wallacmc]

We are leaning that way. 07 0r 08 Denali

There is one other thing I forgot to mention about the GMs vs. Fords: the seating in the back of the Fords are much better for adults/teenagers than the GMs. In the GMs, the floor rises higher than in the rest of the cab in the back seat, sending your knees into chin. It isn't feasible to put medium to large people back there at all. The Fords, on the other hand, are not that way. And, the Fords have three seperate seats across the back while the GMs have two nice sized seats and then an area with a seat belt in the middle of the back seat that can't really be considered a seperate seat, especially for an adult or teen.

[jschnip]

We love our 3/4 ton diesel suburban. It took me a while to find one within driving distance - but well worth it. It tows our 24ve very well and has plenty of space inside for crew and gear. Great MPG for towing (~12) and regular highway (~20) - especially for a '96.

[chadster2]

Most of my driving is just around town with no load. So I love my Tahoe. I moved the boat up an inch on the trailer to solve any wag. I also have electric breaks I can't lock my break up but almost did last year going down a hill in a turn and was able to maneuver enough not T-bone the car with the little girl with big eyes. The girl in the truck with me couldn't see the trailer brakes smoking. (I’ll never forget that little girls eyes as we missed by a few feet;however, I would not enjoy running my errands around town with a bigger truck.

[carter]

I have a 2010 6.0 6 speed Avalanche LTZ that pulls my 22Ve (6000 loaded). I also have had a 2007 5.3 4speed Avy and a 2009 Silverado 5.3 4 speed. They all have about 8000 pound tow rating

The 6.0 is nice for towing and so is the 6 speed. The 5.3 with the 4 speed meant that I was often stuck in 3rd and reving high as we drive down the highway if there was any headwind. Also of note... the denali has the same power train as the new avy and it also has the self leveling rear suspension (also included with LTZ models) using airbag shocks. The soft coil springs on the denali/tahoe/avy realing compress after hooking on the boat and the truck is really nose high. Then the airbags pump it up to level.

Any one of these trucks does fine in flat sea-level conditions. I pull in the BC mountians and the passes are brutal the tow package is a must with lower gear ratios and tranny cooler. Also the newer model GM have digital tranny temp gauge in the driver information computer so watch for that. Also make sure your trailer brakes are solid as I wouldn't want to rely on the 1500 series brakes too much.

Regarding the diesel discussion... there is no doubt a diesel pulls better in the mountains. However, I dont haul much besides the boat and apprecaite the more forgiving suspension and other features year round that the avy/tahoe offers. I tow the boat about 1000 miles/year and drive a total of 15000/year empty.

Good luck.

[wallacmc]

Also of note... the denali has the same power train as the new avy and it also has the self leveling rear suspension (also included with LTZ models) using airbag shocks. The soft coil springs on the denali/tahoe/avy realing compress after hooking on the boat and the truck is really nose high. Then the airbags pump it up to level.

X2 - My Navigator has the typical Lincoln air ride suspension that has a self-leveling function. It is really nice to have.

[Timmy!]

I have a 2010 6.0 6 speed Avalanche LTZ that pulls my 22Ve (6000 loaded). I also have had a 2007 5.3 4speed Avy and a 2009 Silverado 5.3 4 speed. They all have about 8000 pound tow rating

How is the gas mileage in the 6.0 Av vs the 5.3? I had an '03 Avalanche and only got about 6 mpg towing my RZ2 but I live at altitude. The 5.3 could only pull the RZ2 in 4th gear when it was basically flat, any hills and it needed to downshift into 3rd and it run at a higher rpm.

[IDBoating]

One more thing to consider: Modern turbodiesels get insanely great mileage. My Dodge/Cummins truck regularly gets 25+ MPG in mixed, around-town driving. Towing sees 22+ MPG. My wife's minivan gets ~19 MPG while weighing half as much, and can't carry nor tow anywhere near as much load.

Diesels also retain their resale value far better than gas-engined trucks. And generally, diesels outlast gas engines (mine came stock with a 100K mile Cummins warranty). They cost more to buy, but you save from then on. And no one ever asks the question "Can your truck carry/pull/tow this?" {grin}

[Timmy!]

I call BS on your mileage #'s! Diesel fuel mileage #'s are the most inflated thing EVER! If they really got over 20 mpg towing or 25 mpg in mixed driving, they would save the auto industry and the big 3 wouldn't even make a gas engine anymore. I have a diesel as do ALL of my friends and we have all of the trucks (Chevy/Ford/Dodge and 7.3's, 6.0's, 6.7L Cummins and my LMM Duramax) and not one of them gets more than 20 mpg on the highway no matter how you drive it.

What a load of crap!