What length/weight could my 2013 Chevy 1500 (5.3) comfortably pull. I don’t plan on mountain driving.

Your owners manual will have the info. you need. Unless it's changed, I believe 1/2 ton vehicles usually limit out pulling 7,500lbs with a class III hitch. Even that weight is usually when using a weight distributing hitch (WDH. see link below). You also have to take into consideration how much gear weight you will have in the camper AND tow vehicle. I tow boats much more often than campers, but a camper (of equal weight to a boat) will feel like you're pulling more, because there is more wind resistance. You also want to make sure you have an electronic brake controller in your tow vehicle.

WDH:

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto...s/towing-weight-distribution-systems.htm

A modern 23' will be fine if you add a plug for trailer brakes. I say a modern camper cause the newer they ,the lighter they usually are due to modern materials.


For 2 adults, or even those 2 plus a kid or 2, I fail to fathom why folks want to pull around some of the monstrosities that they do.. It's camping... spend the bulk of your time .... outdoors.

Not nicessarily. Plenty of 23’ campers out there in excess of what a a 5.3 is rated for. Depends on gear ratio, how much you put in the RV, and how many people are in the tow vehicle. Do yourself a favor and go to am RV forum and do a
BUNCH of reading before you pull the trigger on anything.

GVWR is a term that will define the limits of what you SHOULD be towing anyway.

FWIW I agree with Gunzo on the part about getting out of the camper though.

4000 pound camper plus your gear and supplies is gonna be close I’d say

10x10 tent would work well.

Open the driver side front door of your truck. On the back pillar there will be a yellow tag. On that tag there will be several numbers. One of them will be the GVWR. That will tell you the most your truck can effectively pull. The GVWR listed will be the total weight of the trailer...wet and fully loaded. When we were looking with a F-150 we found that a 23' to 25' was about as big as we could handle. Then look for a similar tag on the trailer you are looking at. I would suggest that you not trust the salesperson to tell you the truth. They will tell you your truck can pull a trailer based on the dry weight of the trailer. You may be able to, but not for long.

You may want to sign on to www.rvfourm.net. They are very friendly and will be happy to help. Good luck.

The GVWR on your vehicle is not the “total weight of the trailer”

Your owners manual, or the yellow door sticker should give all of the information! memtb

I have a 4.6 Ford 1/2 ton set up to pull trailers and I pull a 27 ft. camper about 5200 lb. The truck is under powered for 27 feet. The 4.6 is good for a 21" camper and 4000lb. If you are not 100% in favor of a camper and willing to spend the money to get the right truck you will be miserable with the performance. Having the right truck that will pull the camper comfortably and at highway speed is half the battle. Get more truck than what the specs call for. With the 5.3 you own I wouldn't go over 21 ft and 4000 lbs. A 21 ft. camper will have the basics for 2 people. If you are taking grand kids or kids you will need 27 feet of space. I think your 5.3 will be underpowered for 27' unless it's got some really low gears in the rear end.

kwg

That is entirely dependent on your axle gearing, your manual will help you figure out your towing capacity.

Just remember the heavier the load you pull the more the vehicle will work and the less performance you will have.

Less than the rv dealer will try and sell you.

Prius has a pretty low gear .

NEVER max a vehicle out whatever the spec. code on the door says - subtract 20-25% - you'll enjoy travelling far more than being on pins and needles going down the Interstate .
Besides small campers are cool - they're easy to store/tow/cheaper and easier to sell .

If you want to maintain typical traffic speeds and not be “that guy” on the road holding up traffic; 50% of towing capacity for mountains and hills, 67% for flatter areas.

Ask this on an RV forum and it turns into one the best chainsaw type threads here.

On the RV forums you need a kenworth to tow a fuggin pop up coleman...

My travel trailer is tagged at just under 8k pounds....my wife packs 5 weeks of stuff into it for a weekend trip....i love my wife but nobody needs to change clothes 3 times a day...

Anyway I towed my "8000 pound camper" with a half ton Ram for one season. Anytime I had to tow the thing it sucked, even if it was a short trip of 60 miles. I had her and three kids in the back seat and it stressed me the he'll out.

We bought a 3/4 ton truck and towing the camper was instantly better. I had the weight distribution hitch on the half ton and I even use it on the 3/4 ton truck. The heavier truck makes me feel better when towing the camper.

Can it be done....yes, should it be done.....thats up to you.

Chevrolet says 8700 pound towing for the 5.3 1500. My 5.3 1500 struggled with a 6000 pound trailer so I went with the Duramax on my current truck.

There’s no way im towing 8000 plus pound anything with a half ton especially when it’s suppised to be recreational.

Alwaysoutdoors, is exactly right, it is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for that particular vehicle. Each vehicle has one whether it be a 2005 Chevy or 2005 Peterbilt Tractor. Trailers and campers have them listed on them also. Now some trucks may have a GCWR on the inside of the door. If you see GVW on the truck or camper then that should be the empty weight of that particular vehicle, all should have one so that you could figure your empty weight and then figure how much weight you can add before you reach the GVWR of that vehicle.


I don't claim to be a camper towing expert many of you guys tow them way more than I do, BUT however I did stay at a HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS years ago.


All jokes aside years ago I owned an extended cab 2003 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton, 4x4 with a 4 speed automatic, the 5.3L Vortec and 3.73 rear gears. I also owned a 1987 Playmor camper (single axle) that was 16 foot long it weighed about 3800 pounds if I remember correctly. It was mainly our hunting camper, but I did take it back into the National Park a few times camping. With a bunch of gear in it enroute to hunting camp it weighed well over 4000 pounds. Of course the camper did have good electric brakes on it.

Here was my experiences with that combination. I live in the mountains, but my deer camp is pretty well in the flatlands 242 miles away. Heading out to deer camp I would hit some pretty good grades and then on the way back was a 6 percent grade probably 5 or 6 miles long. When my 2003 GMC, 5.3L hit the grades with the camper it felt like it didn't have any guts to it. It started loosing speed would be down in 3rd (drive) and until the truck finally down shifted to 2nd gear it was slow. Now after it hit 2nd gear and higher rpm's the truck woke up and would run the speed limit or better. Even on flat interstate roads, slight grades would make the truck shift back and forth between 4th gear and 3rd gear.


Really and truly I was disappointed in the towing ability of the 5.3L truck, so what did I do? In December 2005, I traded the 2003 GMC for a new 2006 Chevy 2500HD, Duramax/ Allison, crew cab, 4x4 truck. Of course you diesel guys know when I hooked the 2500HD to the same camper it was the difference of night and day. The 2500HD would pull the same camper up the 6 percent grade in 6th gear and never break a sweat, wow I thought that's the way it should be.


A few years ago we sold the 1987 Playmor and bought a 21 foot dual axle camper that is fiberglass, but it still weighs real close to 4000 pounds about the same as the old 1987 Playmor. The Playmor was all metal so that proves that some of the older campers were pretty dang heavy even though they might be short.


Sorry about the book, but really and truly the 1/2 ton, 5.3l truck will tow 4000 pounds or more just fine, however it won't be the fastest thing up the grades. One other thing and I will shut up. Pulling power is only one factor, but stopping power is just as important. Whatever camper you buy make sure it has real good brakes that work, or you will find yourself in a pickle somewhere when some ding dong head pulls out in front of you.

All THAT!! But you only forgot one thing: NEVER listen to the salesperson as to what you can/should tow...

You might even get by with a 12x12....If you stay outta the mountains

And as someone already said, remember to factor in water and gear in the camper. Also, other people and crap in the truck. Schitt adds up quick.

Never listen to the salesman. I see 1/2 tons pulling some pretty long trailers. The ass is usually dragging

Go rent you one of the black 4 wheeled hyd dump trailers ....run truck thu the scales .....add trailer ..run thu scales......add 3 yards gravel ....get weighted...go drive around ....go back and add more ....repeat . You will know in minutes ...betya u aint going to like the gravel/ trailer weight on the 1st go around..., my 2.00$...

This



And this.

Do all the math with gvwr, gawr, gcwr, etc and the Chevy manual. Depending on where you go, how far you go, and your tolerance for discomfort you may want an upgrade. I towed a 22' box super light (6,000 pound) with a 2005 5.3 with the tow package. Next year I bought a duramax. My kid has a 2500 with the 6.0 and it does just fine as well. It is as more about the brakes and suspension than the motor.

IMO, take the max towing capacity of your truck and subtract one ton of weight. The remaining weight is your max tow weight meaning, loaded with all the junk you will put in the camper!. With this formula you have some room for performance without dogging your truck. Yes, it is limiting but safety on the road is important. Also, any hills or grades you encounter will be easier. Camper salesman will try to talk you largest camper you truck can handle. Once you roll off the lot with it you will realize you made a mistake and need a bigger truck. Just my 2 cents, as if anyone cares!

The Basic Rule of Campers is that they all come in Size 2.

They're 2 small to live in, and 2 big to tow around.

Trucks have the same rule, but reversed. They're 2 small to carry stuff and 2 big to drive.

I personally would say around 21 foot or smaller unless you are going mostly to smooth flat campgrounds. My family wanted 30-35 foot units and I relented and got a 26 footer. Beautiful 2006 model about 6 years ago. My 2004 F150 does ok with it but I like to go remote places at times. I know there are options on trailers and towing, but I am watching for a smaller unit for a lot of my trips. My daughter and son-in-law got a 2015 GMC 1/2 ton and it really doesn't have any advantage over my Ford. A 3/4 ton with a healthy towing package would be a lot better for this particular camper.

^^^^^^ This ^^^^ at least this is what was explained to me when I bought my trailer. Max towing cap - 1k pounds. Mine is a 28 footer at about 5300 pounds and my 2013 F150 3.7 ( plain jane- no eco boost) pulled it up some big ass hills just fine. My truck is rated for around 6500. If your Chevy doesn't have the cooling package then it is roughly similar. If you do- then add another 500 pounds to capacity.

I bought a towing package so it is not a bumper pull -AND I installed a trailer brake. Would not like to do it without either. This with passenger tires on my pickup. I have since gone to LT's and feel better if pulling it again.

A friend on my lease told me I was way over cautious on all this and that he routinely pulled stuff over his towing max with no troubles. He hauled stuff all the time working for a heavy equipment retailer. I tend to error on the side of caution.

I skimmed these posts so sorry if already mentioned but if you have not taken possession of the camper my advice is to make them test anything having to do with water. Faucets leak, pumps leak, the little valve on the toilet s are notorious for freezing and developing splits in seems- as are some p-traps. Then we can talk about mice and rats.... Al lot of it is avoidable. Don't know how familiar you might be with trailers but pm me if you like and I can tell you some things that may save money and headaches and make your camper life more pleasant. When everything is good they are wonderful.

it’s not so much how much you can pull but how much you can safely stop when you have to. A bigger truck is better for towing.

DING!!

Motel is cheaper.

Get a Scamp.


You can tow em with a 1973 Pinto.

Truer words were never spoken.

The winner!!

Watch out for the salesmen, they will tell you "your truck will pull this just fine", all the while neglecting to tell you about the need to get stopped, to say nothing of the handling qualities.

Use enough truck.

It somewhat depends on where your towing also, there is a big difference towing in the flat lands vs towing in rockies. I have a 26' toy hauler that runs 9k-10k, I towed for a year with my 5.7 gas 3500 which is rated at 13k towing. That gas engine was working hard towing that much trailer in the northern rockies, 6 MPG and my foot on the floor most of the time running 4000-5000 rpm. It did the job, but not really well in the mountains, it would have been fine in the midwest. I traded that 3500 in on a diesel 6.7 2500 with a 17k towing capacity. Having more than truck than you need is really nice and makes for a more enjoyable trip.

Always just a little bit more!!

-Jake

viking,

FWIW-
I own a 25' travel trailer, that with batteries, propane tanks full, loaded down with camping stuff, sometimes water, will go 6-7K. Add more stuff to the bed of the pickup, plus two passengers and dog, and it's easily 7K on the weight.
I used a Ram 1500 for towing the first year we had it. Most of our trips were over mountain passes here in CO, and the Ram was at high RPM and struggling at times, with horrible fuel mileage.

The next season, I traded the Ram for a 2016 GMC Sierra 2500HD Duramax- wow, what a difference! Not only does the Sierra tow without ever breaking a sweat, the downhill trips with the exhaust braking system are effortless. You feel like you are always in control. On our last trip to New Mexico, average MPG was 12.4- not bad considering travel over several mountain ranges.

You state you won't be towing in mountains, but I wouldn't discount mountain trips just because your truck wasn't up to the task. My own rule of thumb nowadays is- if your tow weight exceeds 6000 lb, a 2500-class diesel is in order.

Right here !!!! Everytime I have to pull that camper I am miserable. The things we do for our wives.

kwg

I would pull nothing over 28ft with aluminum frame.

There aren't motels in 80% of the places I want be when on my time.

Not if you figure in eating at restaurants twice a day for a family of 4 or 5. We have a 27 foot trailer, we don't really take extended trips as the kids get antsy when in the vehicle for extended amounts of time. They are 8,7, and 7, riding in a car to see a rock formation doesn't interest them, riding their bikes and catching sunfish from a dock is what they want to do.

We find spots within 3 or 4 hours of home and enjoy our time at a destination. We just go camping more often than spending 2 weeks on a long summer vacation. If we stayed in hotels, it would be sitting inside watching them swim at the pool, we can do that in the winter.

We bring the kids bikes with us on our weekend trips, it's amazing how easy it is for kids to make weekend friends in a campground. I also don't feel worried about letting the kids roam a bit on their own when in a campground, in a hotel no way would I let them wander around.

While you have good points, the eco boost is another class. It’s got its max torque down low in the rpm range (2000-2500ish). That’s like a diesel.

My camping would be fairly remote. But with the grandkids I agree with everything you just stated.

Yeah, but hook a camper to it and your mileage will closely match that of a '70s Town Car.. And that ain't no diesel..

(and in case anyone's wondering, my son has an F-150 Eco and he loves the mileage - until he hooks up a trailer...)

Forget towing capacity. The limiting factor will be payload capacity which almost always maxes out long before you get a trailer too heavy for the drive train, at least with 1/2 tons. Find the GVWR which is usually on the drivers door or door jamb. There may, or may not be a payload rating, but it isn't accurate. They take the actual weight of the truck after it comes off the assembly line and subtract that number from GVWR to determine payload. But any aftermarket items you've added or gear you keep in the truck is cutting into the posted payload. It is best to actually weigh the truck as it is now and subtract that number from the posted GVWR to find your true payload.

The tow rating is probably going to be between about 7000-9000 lbs. But payload will probably fall between 1600-1800 lbs. It varies, 4X4 trucks, extended cab and crew cab trucks are heavier with lower payloads. Higher trim levels are heavier with lower payloads. It can vary between 1100 lbs to 2100 lbs on 1/2 tons depending on how they are equipped and cab styles. A regular cab base model 4X2 long bed might well have more payload than a lot of 3/4 ton trucks. Or a loaded up 4X4 crew cab could have less payload than my Tacoma.

Figure 13% for tongue weight and a 5000 lb trailer will have 650 lbs on the tongue. Add another 100 lbs for a WDH and you've used up 750 lbs of payload. With MY 1/2 ton F150 that would leave me with 1000 lbs payload for passengers and gear in the truck which is reasonable. You're truck may be different. Using payload as a guide around 6000-6500 is all I'd tow with my truck even though it is rated for almost 8000 lbs. It aint hard, but you need to crunch some numbers for your truck

Very good post... Kudos..

Seems you got offended because I compared the peak torque in a turbo charged gas motor to a diesel which is a fact.

If you want a real eye-opener, take your truck across the scales with just you in it, no cargo or anything. Then hook up your trailer all ready for camping or whatever, throw in the coolers, the family, the dog, all the stuff, then go across the scales again. Subract for the difference. I can almost guarantee you will be shocked and amazed.

Just for hunting deer and elk for one week I have right at 1200lbs in the truck. This is gear for two people, base camp, and hiking equipment/camp.

Not offended in the least.. Don't know where you got that idea.. Just pointing out that torque is one thing - MPG is quite another... If one is going to haul a camper (or similar trailer) around a bunch, the ECO is actually not the way to go IMHO..

YMMV.

If you're serious about pulling, get a diesel.

Camping 101.

How about hauling? Like a truck-bed camper such as a Bigfoot, etc.

Exactly...

Same.

Gas/diesel - either will work.. But it's the load that's important.. I looked at those camper specs and IMHO it would behoove the owner to go up to an F-250.

Here's a link to the F-150 towing chart.. Scroll down to the 'slide-in camper' section....


https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/conten...df/guides/18RV&TT_Ford_F150_Oct9.pdf

I took a pickup camper to SW Montana in 2001 for an elk bowhunt. I hauled it with a 1/2 ton Silverado with a 350 .

Huge mistake!!! 😂😂😂


Talk about learning the hard way...

LMAO...

Ever see those leeetle minitrucks with campers mounted on the back?? OMG! Best to stay FAR, FAR away from one of those on the highway.. A 10 mph gust of wind and they're damn near on their sides...