O/T Do I need more pickup?

I"m looking to buy a travel trailer and just wonder approximately how much trailer I can pull with a Chevrolet HD1500 6.0ltr/gas HD towing package and 4:10 rearend?
I realize many factors come in to play. But generally speaking. I would prefer a fifth wheel hitch. What are you guys towing and what do you use to pull it?
Don"t plan on going much outside a 200 mile radius from home. I have two young girls and the wife and we would like to spend some time at the lakes and state parks.

Thanks,
Tom

I never knew they put a 6.0 engine in the 1/2 tons. I've got it in the 2500's. Its all the engine you will need if its a 6.0.

You will be OK with that set up. I pull a 25 ft. 5th wheel with a Chevy 1/2 ton 5.7. But don't buy a real tall one.

Chevy makes that 1500HD which is essentially a 3/4 ton with a bit lighter suspension package. I think they all have the extended or crew cab on them. Built exactly for what Tom is wanting to do - haul the family, all their gear, plus a big camper or boat.

Watch GVW on 1/2 ton, You can pull small one but 5th wheels put a lot of weight on truck even for a 3/4 ton. I didn't know they put 6.0 in 1/2 ton. I have a 3.4 with a 6.0 with a 3.73 rear, they are rated at 300HP & 350 Pounds of torque. I pull a 5700 LB 85 Model Yellowstone. and it does a good job even in the WV hills.

6.0 in a 1/2 ton? Are you sure you don"t have a 2500 HD?

My wifes 1500 has a 6.0 in it .

Is that the Towmax? If I recall they are rated at 10000Lbs.I almost got one of those, but opted for a 2500 with a Duramaxx.

I don't have an answer to your question but I sure wish I could get to enjoy something like that. My life is a living _ell. Don't ever take for granted having a family, life really stinks when your alone. Can't count the number of times I have wished I had never been born and would still prevent it, if I could go back in time.

I found the unofficial dope on the attached link. It's for 2005 models.

Depending how much they beefed your suspension up as part of the HD package . . . you should be able to pull a moderate-size 5er with little problem.

Typically, you'll run out of GVWR on the truck before you exceed the GCWR. I suspect you'll have to watch your truck's weight when hitched up more closely than the trailer's weight. You'll find the individual axle ratings and the trucks GVWR (note that it's less than the sum of the two axle limits) rating on your door sticker. The trick to using a table like the one in the link is that the max trailer weight is usually determined by taking the GCWR (truck and trailer) and subtracting only the curb weight of the truck and a 150-lb driver. Add 400# of family and tools to the truck's weight, a full tank of fuel, and the weight of your 5W hitch (not figured in the curb weight) and it doesn't take long to shave most of 1000# off the size trailer in the charts.

Then, looking at the trailer and its GVWR, you have to consider how much it actually weighs, its curb weight. Add 40# or 60# for propane, and another two or three hundred for things like bicycles, coolers, food, clothes and general camping gear. (The specs on any trailer, if they give a curb weight at all, often don't include the weight of something like a generator or even - sometimes - A/C units.)

Point is if a chart like the one I linked to says you're good for a 10k trailer, you probably want to look at one rated for more like 9k just for the weight in the truck that isn't figured in, and a trailer that's rated for 9k or so but weighs more like 7500-8k as it sits actually equipped to give yourself a cushion.

Do not trust the trailer salesman on these things. They are the folks that send folks down the road with their bumpers dragging and the front tires skippingoff the ground.
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Tom, I see no reason that truck wouldn't work for almost anything you need BUT since you will be trailer shopping and want a 5th wheel you need to watch the front weight. My Dad pulled a 32 foot Carrylite fifthwheel for many years with a Ford F150, but it was a rear kitchen which put much of the weight of trailer to the rear. It was quite a load, I know as I towed it a couple of times for him.
Myself, I prefer a tongue pull RV for the simple reason I would miss the truck bed for carrying "stuff". When we used to camp in North Texas a minimum of once per month, we usually went somehwere with a small lake such as Cleburne State Park or Mineral Wells State Park (those were my favorite 2). In the picture below you will see the last rig I bought in 96 that we still have to this day. The topper has a rack that is a boat loader, unloader. Back up to the water, push the remote winch cable and the boat unloads into the water. Of course inside the bed I had to store the little 15 HP motor, trolling motor and battery, paddle, life jackets etc. Oh yea, don't forget the fishing poles! I couldn't have done that with a fifthwheel trailer although I have seen some tow a boat behind their trailer too. Imagine trying to back that up!
I knew a guy that had a set up like this so he could have a fifthwheel and boat:

He hated it, said whenever you were first in line at an intersection you couldn't see the traffic lights. Also said you couldn't see the gas station canopy to judge height.
Anyway, here is our rig that we still have. Since our kids are gone I've considered selling or trading it in since it's bigger than two of us need but.........it's real comfortable and a joy to drive (no sway on the freeways). FYI, it's a front kitchen trailer so it has a heavy nose so it's great to pull with our F350.

do you want to know if the truck can handle it? yes or do you want to know if its legal weight wize? probably not i was towing 12-14,000 with a 96 dodge 1500 ext cab with a 318 truck handled it great definately wasnt legal now i have a 01 dodge 2500 with the 360 and 410 gears im pulling the same weight with the 1500 could out pull the 2500 but the 2500 handles the weight a lil better wish i wouldnt have traded for the money i spent on the 2500 i could have beffed the 1500 suspension up and had a better truck

Here we go again.

I've mentioned on this forum in the past that when I was a GM salesman, the most consistent mistake I saw buyers make was underestimating what they needed for a tow vehicle for a particular situation.

If you even question your tow vehicle, it's probably not hefty enough.

Lighten up, Gary. Someone luvs you...and God does too.

Weight and wind-resistance of the trailer you want to pull make a huge difference. So does the terrain. Pulling on flat-land is much different than pulling up and down long hills. Power is one issue, but so are the brakes. You do NOT want to trust your life on the trailer-brakes. You need a truck that has its own HD brakes.

I pulled a 5000 lb. ball-hitch trailer all over the USA and Canada with a diesel K5 Blazer that has a three-speed auto trans and 3.08 axles. Engine is only around 140 horse with 240 lbs. of torque. I'm sure a 6 liter gasser does much better. As "weak" as that sounds, it was fine on flat highways, and kind of dismal on hills. Handled the weight fine with an equalizer-hitch.

I've also traveled and camped with a slide-on truck camper which is by far, my preference. Done it with a wife, big dog, one little kid, and two teen-age girls. Since our starting place is in New York, I need a truck with an extended cab since New York does not allow passengers in a truck camper when moving. We prefer the truck camper for several reasons. You can take it off in a camping area, and drive the truck without it, if desired. We can also off-road and have the camper with us, which you're not going to do with a 4WD truck pulling a camper.

I've also pulled a big fifth-wheel camper and hated it. But, that's just me. Pulling and worring about a big camper behind me takes the fun out of trip.

I don't know if you care about fuel mileage, but here's what I've gotten.

1983 K5 Blazer with 6.2 diesel pulling a 5000 lbs. camper trailer. Drove 3000 miles and averaged 13.2 MPG. TH400 trans and 3.08 axles.
Drove great in Michigan and Canada, but was at times a struggle in the mountains of New York.

1985 Ford ex-cab, 4WD with 6.9 diesel. Pulled a 5000 lb. camper and got 13 MPG. Also used it with a slide-on, pop-up truck camper and got 13.8 MPG. 4.10 axles and C6 trans.

1994 Ford ex-cab, 4WD with 7.3 turbo diesel. Used the slide-on truck camper with pop-up roof. Got 14.2 MPG on a 4000 mile trip. 4.10 axles and E40D trans.

1992 Dodge ex-cab, 4WD with 5.9 turbo/intercooled Cummins diesel. Used the slide-on truck camper with pop-up roof. Got 17.5 MPG for a 3000 mile trip. 3.50 axles and a five-speed manual Gertrag trans.

2001 Chevy Duramax 2WD diesel with a fifth-wheel camper. Allison auto trans. Camper weighs around 6000 lbs. loaded. Got 11 MPG on a 2000 mile trip and hated every moment of it. Plenty of power, just hated pulling that trailer.

Our main camp rig now is a 1986 Chevy K5 Blazer with a small motorhome body on it. 6.2 diesel, 3.08 axles, and 700R4 trans. Has a pop-up roof and weighs 6700 lbs. empty. Fits and sleeps five people and has an overall fuel-mileage so far at 16.2 MPG. Also plow snow with it in the winter. Note that General Motors got sued years ago for selling these things. Special camper-body was a dealer-installed item. It was later found that the vehicle exceeded its GVW as soon as two big people sat in it. Part of GMs settlement was to later include a warning-label on all later Blazers stating "no campers" allowed. That was in 1980. My rig is beefed up much more than that version was.

Crew Cab Ford F-350 w/460 V8 Fuel Inj. 5 speed stick shift. Don't know the Gear Ratio. About 7-8 MPG pulling the Trailer. Run it in 4th gear mostly. Sometimes 5th gear. Trailer is a Jayco 35' Fifth wheel 11,600 pounds of trailer.We've been over most of the passes in Colorado and the Mountains of I 17 in Arizona. It won't keep up with these new diesels but pulls at 60-65 MPH on most hiways with no problem. We like it. Your 1/2 ton truck will pull a 20' bumper Hitch RV if weight distribition Hitch is used. I would say a short 5th Wheel would be ok for that Truck .I would say that 6K pound Trailer would be about max for a 1/2 ton truck.If I was in your shoes I would be looking at a bumper hitch Rv and would make sure the RV trailer was tandem axle equipped no longer than a 24' model and have a weight distribution hitch. Some of them are real nice.I have had Motor Homes,Pop up camping trailers and one wilderness 24' bumper hitch and now a 5th wheel.We like the 5th wheel a lot. It is like a small House.We have spent 1-3 months at different times in Colorado living in the 5th wheel to escape the Arizona heat where we live.

OK; thanks. Didn't know that.

Gary, a lot of us keep giving you the answer but it appears that you prefer your current path.

Chevies soft springs and don't make the best tow package. I had a 3/4 ton with over loads and air shocks and it still wasn't very good but it would pull anything up the steepest mountain with the 327 that had been souped up plenty. gearing helps a lot for that.
If you really want to enjoy the trip get a Ford or Dodge with the extended cab and a diesel engine. You will never look back.
Walt
PS I have a Ford Ranger with the 4.0 6 and heavy duty suspension and low ratio rear ends I pull a trailer with 2 ton of hay with no trouble. My friends Ford 350 can pull the mountain and get 18 to 20 MPG on the highway.

Just go buy a spring kit for the rear end and you will be fine,,,,,,,,,,,,I went though this when i bot my goose neck stock trailer for my 1500,,,,,,,,,,,,,,if your going to be on the road a LOT then maybe buy something a little bigger other wise you will be fine,,,,,,O,,and then i am also way past my teen age ah ,,,pedal to the metal years also,,,,

Six or eight bolt rims?

The 1500HD has 8 bolt rims

Keep it smallish as others have noted. I am of the opinion that most people look at engine transmission too much for towing. There are few things scarier than having a trailer pushing around the tow vehicle during stopping or "evasive maneuvers". Thus I look for the heaviest, longest, widest tow vehicle I can justify. Being able to stop with a load safely is just as important as getting the rig going. Equalizing and Anti-Sway hitches can help, but they only go so far.

Just my $.02,

Kirk

That makes it an 8600+lb truck. Should be fine for trailering in this application.

Whats a HD 1500 chevy come with nowadays. 3 leaf springs in the rear? Get something heaiver. Or find a real chevy like the real trucks they made in the early 70s and 80s. lol... Todays chevy trucks are nothing more then a smooth, comfy car, but looks like a truck..To many people have turned soft, they put big 17inch crome rims on there trucks, tannou covers, loud exhaust, so these "trucks" work for them. Compaines are makeing them cheaper because noone works there trucks anymore.just my thoughts.

I've owned or used motor homes, 5th wheel, and bumper hitch RV trailers, and am convinced that pulling is MUCH more influenced by air drag resistance than weight or design. Obviously, a nice aerodynamic unit will pull much easier than a boxey trailer - either bumper hitch or 5th wheel, or a boxey, square fronted, tall truck mounted camper.
My Dad pulled a 28ft Argosy all over the western US with a 1992 Chevy Suburban 1/2 ton with a 350 - -not a real ultralite trailer, but very aerodynamic.
I've got a 30' Award made in Canada, weighs 4200 lbs, and think I could pull it with a Ford Explorer - but use only a 1/2 ton or larger vehicle just for more stability and stopping power.
I think you have enough pickup mass, braking capacity, and size to be stable, presuming you use either an aerodynamic and liteweight 5th wheel or similar bumper hitch with anti-sway bars and weight distribution hitch, and have good trailer brake system.
I'd really suggest a good used Airstream, Argosy, or Award aerodynamic trailer design - -somewhere in the 25'-30" MAX length, (as there will be rainey days where everyone will need to be inside!!), with a load-leveling and anti-sway hitch, and have the trailer brakes inspected well! You probably can buy a new "box" trailer cheaper than these used units - -but, I really think their quality and aerodynamics more than make up for being used. Plus, they tend to re-sell well on down the road.

Best Wishes!
John

8 bolt rims on a 1500,,??

My CrewCab 4X4 is a 1500HD. Came from the factory with the heavy truck rating and emissions in the 8600+lb class.
Has the 3/4 and 1 ton eight bolt rims. Transmission is the 4L80 and transfer case/differentials are all the HD Dana and chev 14 bolt units.
Local parts counter couldn't find brake rotors to fit, they kept giving me 6 bolt units. I finally told the guy the truck was a 3/4 ton 4X4 and he handed over everything that fit.

I have a 28' pull behind travel trailer. 9800 lbs. I used to pull it with an 05 half ton ford 4x4. I had to replace rear shocks and brakes all the way around the truck. $700 worth the work. I now have a 3/4 ton diesel.

Me too! and I love it so far, 2000 f250 diesel. I would never go back to a gas job again.