81 C10 Towing question

[machinehead131]

Hello,

I am considering purchasing a built C10 pickup to cruise around in/romp on/ and tow my drift car to events ~2-3 hours away. Car and trailer weight 5500 lbs.

Looking for advice on how well this truck would tow. It is 3.5 hours away and needs to have some carb/ignition tuning issues ironed out.


Description for truck:

C10. Iron block 6.0 rebuilt engine 450+ HP- comps cam xr275hr cam, new lifters, hardened pushrods, beehive valve springs, comps cam rocker trunion kit, high volume oil pump, edelbrock intake/ignition controller, new street avenger 770 carb. 4l80e Jakes performance 750hp rebuild and full manual kit, Hughes 2500 stall converter, tci rachet shifter. 12 bolt with 340 gears. Runs and drives great. New tires, bed cover

[Captkaos]

Engine really doesn't make a difference in pulling but with a built motor I am sure it would pull it fine.

[blazing816]

Is it bumper pull or gooseneck??? Because on a C-10 I would think that is a lot of weight for a normal bumper pull trailer (I mean even if you have a hitch installed). I am sure it will tow it but that would put a lot of stress on springs and rear frame. I would recommend a weight distribution hitch.

I have a K10 with a 305 and 3.08 gears (which are not that great for towing my camper, lucky just temporary) and I pull a 4500lbs travel trailer bumper pull, I have a receiver hitch and I went out and got a weight distribution and sway control hitch system, because it pulled my truck down pretty well. now It only drops 3/4 of an inch. Only problem I have is going up hills from dead stop is really slow, but that is a lot to do with my 305 and 3.08 gears, not really set up for towing.

[Irish_Alley]

we have hauled trucks with a blazer and 38" tires. granted we build this trailer from the ground up. dual axles off a camper stretched them out to be close to 8' we are with in a couple inches of whats legal in de. but you can put that trailer behind anything as long as you have electric brakes your good.

[jnt412]

What about cooling?..  is a tranmission cooler and/or oil cooler installed?....   I have a K10/305 and tow my landcaping trailer.. and on hot days she gets pretty hot...  Currently thinking about putting in a bigger radiator to hold more water..

[Tx_Phil]

I've never towed with a truck of this style but getting it moving is the easy part. From the description that truck has the pulling part well covered.

The real trick is controlling the load once rolling and stopping it. The suggestion above regarding the weight distribution hitch is spot on. With that hitch and a good set or electric trailer brakes you should be good. You might want to consider putting 10ply or load range E tires in the truck and you might want to look into upgrading the radiator and trams cooler. Those could be a good investment if you are in a hot climate.

[Steve341]

That is a lot of weight. I would recommend a C20 or some overloads to say the least. And using a hitch welded to the frame not bumper

[Irish_Alley]

i know on my 94 the bumper/tong weight is 400lbs and towing is 4000. that can be easy to get to that weight. i wouldn't think once to haul with my 94 since it doesn't have a trailer hitch and they can bolt on it doesn't have to be welded. then with a nice trailer and trailer hitch like i said above we hauled trucks with blazers and ½ ton trucks. if my 94 had a hitch and electric brakes i wouldn't think twice about hauling with it. theres not much difference in a ½ and ¾ ton maybe thickness but its the same size frame. so as long as you adjust your tong weight your good there, overload springs work wonders also

[blazing816]

i know on my 94 the bumper/tong weight is 400lbs and towing is 4000. that can be easy to get to that weight. i wouldn't think once to haul with my 94 since it doesn't have a trailer hitch and they can bolt on it doesn't have to be welded. then with a nice trailer and trailer hitch like i said above we hauled trucks with blazers and ½ ton trucks. if my 94 had a hitch and electric brakes i wouldn't think twice about hauling with it. theres not much difference in a ½ and ¾ ton maybe thickness but its the same size frame. so as long as you adjust your tong weight your good there, overload springs work wonders also

I agree I have a welded on hitch, full electric brakes, and a weight and sway hitch (because its a travel trailer) and it its great, mind you my engine and gears aren't meant for towing that much but I really only notice it on hills. Once my new truck is done it will tow my 4500-4800 camper with ease. I even tow it with my 600lbs ATV in the bed of my truck also. and that's with the 305 and 3.08 gears and th350

[Stewart G Griffin]

That is a lot of weight. I would recommend a C20 or some overloads to say the least. And using a hitch welded to the frame not bumper

i'm with Steve;  You want 3/4 ton MINIMUM and really 1 ton is preferable in my opinion if you want to tow a 5500lbs. trailer.

The other thing is, looking at the description, is HP is not important for towing.  Torque is.  What are the specs on that cam?    Also, is the 2500 stall speed going to work well for towing?

[Irish_Alley]

stew engine size matters, yes. but 1/2 tons can do the job with the right trailer. look at the stock bumper we all know they can be ripped off and arnt to be trusted. but gm rated them at 4k lbs on a 1/2 ton. that being said a class III trailer hitch is rated at 6k for our trucks. now like we said before braking is the big deal electric brakes make a world of difference. then you have the other add ons that help out

[werewolfx13]

Biggest concern with a trailer that size is panic stopping from highway speeds. Timed or pendulum trailer brakes are OK, but they usually either get real jerky or are slow on the uptake. Get a good, NOS or used Tekonsha or Kelsey-Hayes hydraulic trailer brake controller and the resistor block, spend a little more time installing them than typical all electric controllers, and you'll be much better off. They tie into the rear brakes at the master cylinder, and that allows your pedal pressure to dictate how hard your trailer brakes apply. With timed brakes, they lag behind and roll on the voltage slowly or really fast, depending on your settings, as soon as the brake lights are triggered.

Also, make sure the truck brakes are in tip-top shape..make sure the rubber lines are supple, steel lines aren't pinched, master cylinder is good, new pads/shoes all the way around, and bleed out your brakes and as you bleed them, replace with all new, fresh fluid.