Well I am probably asking the same question again or something another person has asked but has anyone pulled a 5-6000 pound camper with this truck-engine combination? We are looking at used campers and the 24 foot, 5-6000 pound variety seems to be "not to small" for our intended use. The truck only has 92,000 miles on it as I had a company car when I was working. Retired now the idiotic thought that we would pull a small house across the country popped into our heads again. I have to wonder if the motor is big enough to pull something of that weight on a steep grade.

Your owners manual will have the exact specs on what you can tow safely. If your truck can do it, you need to get educated on using/buying the right tires. The truck is only part of the equation. The right tires are an equally important but often overlooked aspect.

RAS

did not think about tires.

To me the most important question is can you stop it if your trailer brakes failed or became disconnected. The 5.3 may not provide a lot of engine braking.

This spring I was involved in the hauling of your weight specs/truck package using a 24' hauler full of residential furniture on several trips of 350 miles[one way].
2005 GMC sport/hauling package.
It was basically all downhill when loaded, from mountains of VA to SC coast.
It honestly would have been a push if we would have been going in the opposite direction loaded.
Just my .02

Bringin in all new mattresses to the condo after Black Biker Week in Myrtle Bch???😄💩👦🏾

My experience with tow ratings has been that they are seriously overinflated for marketing purposes. Halve whatever the manufacturer's tow rating is and that will put you ballpark for what the truck can handle for long distances. You can push that to maybe 75% of the tow rating if where you are going is gentle, smooth, and has few hills. Add in hills, altitude, frequent starts/stops and 50% of the tow rating is pushing it.

Towed a 23' boat that was within your weight parameter with the combination you're refering to for six years without any issues. I made 10 trips+ a season of roughly 120 miles each direction. No problems passing people going up hills in Michigan, could accelerate up to 70mph fairly quickly in tow mode. Boat trailer had surge brakes, no issues stoping even on wet roads.

Back in 2003 I bought a 2003 GMC Sierra, extended cab, 1500 Z71, it had the 5.3 Vortec (4 speed automatic) and had 3.73 gears in the rear end. At the time the heaviest camper that I was pulling was our hunting camper, it was a small single axle camper, weighed about 3100 pounds or so. When I hit the big grades it was like the truck had no guts about it, it slowed down and until it down shifted to 2nd gear it was loosing speed fast. After it downshifted to 2nd gear it would start pulling hard. As far as stopping I never had any issues since I had the brake controller and electric brakes on the camper.

All that being said, personally I wouldn't want to go out on a big cross country trip pulling a 6000 pound camper with that 5.3 truck. Yea if you are careful it would be doable, there are probably worst towing and camper combinations out there, you see people towing those campers with little SUV's all the time. Pulling and stopping are a few things but another thing to consider is does the truck have the transmission and oil coolers? How hot is the transmission going to get while climbing those big mountains?


I traded my 2003 GMC truck in December of 2005 for my current truck, a 2006, Chevy 2500HD 4x4 crew cab with the Duramax and the Allision transmission. Of course you know how that truck pulls, it could pull the GMC and the camper up the same hill faster than the GMC could ever think about pulling the camper uphill.

It depends on you gear ratio in the differentials. The 5.3 is plenty engine geared properly and the truck has plenty of brakes to handle it, it all depends on the diff's.

A full-size 1/2 ton pickup from any manufacturer will pull and stop a 5-6k # trailer/camper just fine, just slow down a little. You're not going to pull an 8% grade @ 80, in fact, you're probably not going to pull flat and level @ sea level @ 80. When you do top a grade, plan your speed accordingly for dropping down the back-side so as not to white-knuckle yourself or your wife, or worse, have to use a run-off ramp. Set your "tow/haul", watch your RPMs to make sure that the torque converter is locking up and staying locked and watch your transmission temp gauge if you have one. In my last 1/2 ton I'd just pull the shift-stalk into 3rd (direct drive) so that the transmission didn't even try to get into OD. @ 70MPH it'd run ~3200-3300RPM and create far less heat in the transmission because it'd stay locked up.

Regarding tires, my 1st thought would be to hop on craigslist and buy a 2nd set of wheels and then equip them with a mild/hwy tread set of Load E's. Load E's on a 1/2 ton are rough enough when air'd up, no sense in adding an aggressive tread that adds noise and reduces MPG while also throwing rocks.

Make sure your company didn't delete the transmission cooler (some corporate rigs they'll do this because they positively forbid towing). Install a trailer brake controller and then either a 5th-wheel plate or load-distributing hitch and enjoy the ride.

This^^ we quickly realized that 70MPH was the MAX speed we wanted to hit , not the average.

Yup...

I towed the same boat with a 350ci Yukon. The hills from Clare to Cadillac were a b!tch. The 2002 w/3.73 and tow/haul mode made a world of difference.

My 28' bumper-hitch camper is ~6100#. I pulled it exactly once as I bought it to park on a permanent lot at a campground. I have an '11 F250 diesel w/factory trailer brake controller etc. I didn't buy a weight distributing hitch for the 1-time I was going to pull it ~200mi to it's final destination. I set the cruise @ 67 and it felt safe and secure. However, if I was going to pull something like that regularly, I'd have an equalizer hitch and doubt I'd drive any faster. The camper catches a LOT of wind and is far more top heavy than say a big load on a flat-bed.

We were pulling a 24' enclosed V trailer with all of the towing bells & whistles, fully loaded with stacked in the carton furniture averaging 5800# per load. Any speed much above 70 the trailer was driving the truck.

The 6.0 with a 4.10 rear end, maybe.

Honestly, I’m sure it’ll tow it fine. She’ll just be huffin’ and puffin’ to get up the hills. Get a good hitch that can throw some weight forward and a anti sway set up.

Give it a go for a bit and see if you want to upgrade your truck.

Folks today are funny. Gotta get em a diesel 350 with DRW to haul groceries.

For several years, I did tow-n-show with this exact combination for a skid steer attachment company. The trailer claimed to be 2,000 lbs, to which I'd add another 2,500 to 4,000 lbs. in equipment. My territory was Kansas City to Rochester, NY, and the truck handled that load fairly well. Steep grades in the Appalachians would find the tranny kicking down early, and the tach running at 4,500+. At first, it was disconcerting to hear the engine scream like that, but I got used to it. Perhaps it didn't bother me as much, knowing it was a company truck...

Anyway, they gave us the same 5.3/Z-71 combination in 2000, 2002, and 2003 models, and they all ran flawlessly. Granted, we ran them from brand new until 60K or 70K miles, so one wouldn't expect problems driving mostly highway miles for a relatively short time. Still, the trucks handled fine so long as the loads were balanced correctly. Just thinking out loud, I'd surmise that the camper weight wouldn't hold you back. However, my loads weren't shaped like a big box: the wind resistance of a camper would have to add extra strain that I never experienced.

A time or two I actually towed a skid steer + attachment for short distances, and that was more than the 1/2 tons were up to. The engines would get the rigs moving, but the suspension & brakes (and trailer brakes) were straining pretty well.

Having driven those 3 trucks, and also owning a 2000 Yukon XL with the same engine/gearing, I became a fan of the 5.3 engines. Were I able to buy a clean truck of that vintage that had maintenance records, I'd feel pretty confident in its longevity. Any 5.3 after 2006... not so much. I've detailed my nightmare with the AFM system enough times in other posts.

Also, I did run some E-rated tires on a different 1/2 ton Yukon, and had them swapped out after 400 miles. In an unloaded truck, they just beat me to death. Additionally, the TPMS couldn't be reprogrammed (at least in a 2007) to view 55 PSI as normal, so the stupid light was going to stay on as long as I had those tires. If I was looking at doing enough towing to warrant having a separate set of E tires on hand just for towing, I'd honestly just start looking at 3/4 ton trucks. Just one guy's $.02.

FC

What Mountain10MM said: Half the vehicles manufacturer's rated weight (not half the receiver hitch manufacturer's). I've been towing for over 40 years, and that's my rule of thumb.

It's not so much the weight people want to tow that's popularized the HD trucks outside of "work-truck" status. It's the speed at which folks want to tow their heavier loads. Interstate speed limits in the West are 75-80 and 2-lane roads are 65-70MPH with a good percentage of folks running 5-7MPH over that. 65MPH with a 1/2ton running a 75%+ of it's tow rating is plenty fast, but sure doesn't seem so when almost everyone on the road is running 15-25MPH faster than you are.

You need a 3/4 ton diesel truck.

Or, get the camper & try a couple shorter trips using the 1/2 ton you already own, before plunging into the expen$e of a 3/4 ton. You should know pretty quickly whether you're comfortable with it or not.

FC

I had that exact truck and used it to tow a 20' boat in the 4500 lb range for a couple of years. Though it worked, I wasn't happy with that combo - brakes and suspension weren't adequate in my opinion (too squirrely coming down mountain passes). The 5.3 pulled the hills okay, though it was a 2nd gear pull around 5k rpm with the engine screaming. Towing a camper / trailer with a weight distributing hitch and electric brakes with a controller may make all the difference on down hills, but can't say from experience. I use a 3/4 ton diesel for all my towing needs now and don't think I'd go back to a 1/2 ton.

Edit to add - we now have a 31.5' fifth wheel that is rated to be towed with a 1/2 ton but there is no way I'd ever consider that. As others have said, I think manufacturers are optimistic on their ratings / capacities and just because it's legal to tow a given weight, it's not necessarily a good idea.

I towed about 10K on a flatbed tandem from texas over the divide in colorado with a 2007 5.3 with 3.73 rear end, HD tow package. In retrospect I wouldn't do that again. It was fine on the flats but didn't handle the mountains well. I thought we were not going to make it up Hoosier pass. A camper has a much higher wind load. As long as you have a weight distro hitch and anti sway and good tires you would be ok except in high altitude. If you are going to do this very often you should change rear end to 4:10

Yes sir. It's scary how fast folks bomb down Snoqualmie pass with a 25' trailer behind them.

I have the same truck in a 2008 model 3.73 gears. I tow my tractor with bucket and bushhog approx 6500# plus the trailer. I use a weight distributing hitch and single axle electric brake. I don't haul Cross country but I can move it 70mph down the interstate without any issue to date.

I have not found the need to change tires. I have the Goodyear LS 2 275-55-20 load rating 111 2400#

Half the tow rating is comfortable for long trips.

Go over that, and you'll soon start thinking about a bigger truck just so you can feel comfortable again.

https://www.topspeed.com/trucks/truck-news/towing-payload-gcvwr-what-s-it-all-mean-ar170318.html

People eat more. Look at the U.S. obesity rates. ;-)

2002 Chevy Silverado.
I have 300,000 maintenance free miles on mine.
Best truck I've ever owned.

Maintenance free?

I was considering trading my low milage Z71 for a Dodge Ram 2500 if I could find one in decent shape, what the hell happened to truck prices? $50K for a 2013 truck with 60,000 miles?

not at $75,000.00!! I would just buy a used class a motor home.

^^^^ Great advice here. ^^^^

A lot depends on what you intend to do. Trailers are nice if you are not going to be on the move a lot. Park it somewhere and stay a while. If you are going to primarily be on the road traveling, then a motor home is a lot better choice.


Jerry

I had a 2000 Silverado 4 WD in this setup, I don't think you would want to do any steep grades with that much weight. I pulled a 22 ft Hewescraft around in Kodiak, approx. 4500 lbs, not any steep grades, and it did pretty well.

I had a 2003 Yukon XL 1500 with that 5.3 and a 3.73 rear end with the towing package. I towed a 3 horse slant load trailer with three or four horses in it several times. We took out the dividers to fit the 4th horse. I'm guessing the trailer weight was around 8,000 lb. I had to use a weight distributing hitch as the rear sagged badly without it. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it did. We made several trips involving 6% grades. Just put it in tow-haul mode and let that vortec rev. You're not going to be passing the turbo diesels, but you'll get there.

On the topic of towing at or near the max rated: When I first started towing it was with gasoline half tons rated for around 7K lb., putting out around 210 HP Those trucks struggled with heavy loads. Now for the last ten years I have been pulling with turbo diesels. My current one is a 2008 F250 with a lightly modded 6.4 putting out about 420 HP. I tow a gooseneck trailer weighing 14,450 lb.most days in the summer, which is about all it is rated for. This truck handles it like a kitten on a string. I think it could go 16K easily, maybe more.

(1) Properly rated tires that are properly inflated.
(2) Sufficient braking capacity.
(3) Drive sensibly.
(4) Enjoy...

"It's not the truck. It's the nut behind the wheel."

I have a GMC extended cab 1/2 ton with the 5.3, 460L automatic, and 4:10 gears. Tow package too. It will tow what you are thinking of doing but you would be a lot better off with a 3/4 ton. The 480L is a better transmission than the 460L in my opinion. It will last a lot longer towing heavier loads than the 460 will.

Have a 2001 Tahoe with that engine and tow package. Toad a 28' Coachmen with 12' slide and stuff about 40 miles home when I bought it then about 90 miles to a campground where it currently resides. Easy 6500 lbs. Flat or mostly so with small grades was no problem. Last part of the journey was from 800ish feet elevation up to 3100ish including uphill for a couple thousand feet on a truck warning grade. That's absolutely all the weight I ever want to pull uphill with the 'Hoe. Too many RPMs with a 4speed auto. Braking (lectrics) combined with downshifting to involve the engine made the few downhill grades no problem but uphill steep was a strain.

The truck will pull 6000 lbs easily that isn't what you need to worry about. The thing that limits towing capacity is payload. There should be a sticker on the drivers door or door jamb with 2 numbers on it. One will be payload, the other is GVWR. The GVWR is the total weight of the truck and contents including trailer tongue weight. passengers and cargo. Payload is GVWR minus the weight of the truck when it left the factory.

My truck is rated to tow 7700 lbs. My GVWR is 7350 and payload is rated at 1621. That means my truck weighed 5729 lbs when it left the factory. The combined tongue weight, and weight of passengers and cargo shouldn't go over 1621. BUT.... My truck actually weighs 6000 lbs with the gear i keep in it, my fiberglass cap and myself sitting in the drivers seat. Now my payload is only 1271. A 7700 lb trailer will have about 1000 lbs tongue weight plus about 100 lbs for a weight distribution hitch and only leaves me 170 lbs for my wife and cargo in the truck..

For my truck about 5000 lbs is as much as I'd feel comfortable pulling. I don't need a WDH and with about 650 lbs tongue weight I'm left with over 600 lbs for other passengers and cargo in the truck.

You need to figure out how much weight your suspension is rated for 1st. You are probably right at the limit with a 6000 lb trailer, but could be over. You might have room to spare. I'd strongly advise taking the truck to some scales and find out exactly how much it does weigh. Any accessories you've added such as bigger tires, bumpers, winches, tool boxes etc will cut into available payload. A 4X2 truck will weigh less, as will a regular or extended cab. My crew cab is heavier and that does reduce payload.

3/4 ton trucks can handle more weight because they have more payload, not necessarily because the drive train is more powerful.

From my experiences with my Chevy 3/4 ton, 6 liter engine, 4L80 trans, towing package and 3.73 gears I would say that a 2002 Chevy 5.3 liter Z71 towing package would not be a good tow vehicle for a 5-6000 lb. camper unless it has a standard transmission. When I pulled my deer lease truck on a trailer (6500 lbs.) to the deer lease it only got 8 mpg, the torque converter was constantly unlocking/unlocking and the transmission was constantly shifting up/down. A slight incline would cause it to shift all the down to 2nd gear. I don't remember how much gas it held but it only had a range of a little over 200 miles. It did the same thing pulling my small bass boat which was much lighter. I wanted to order the standard transmission but the dealer talked me out of it. If I had got the standard transmission I would probably still own my Chevy truck but I sold it to my SIL and bought a Dodge diesel.

Ive an '06 Z71 1500 quad cab, with the tow package. and the 5.3 I don't know exact weights, but I have an 18 ft car hauler that I've hauled a lot of chit on. With that truck, I hauled a '76 1500 suburban with a big block from AZ to MT, an '84 2500 suburban (big block) on a couple 1 hour trips and a 3 hour ride, and probably close to 5 ton of big round bales on a 2 hour trip. I would not do any of that again. Yeah, it made it and I never blew anything major on the truck but it was over loaded as hell. Was my only option at the time. Still going at close to 200k now. Thought the motor is getting tired lol.