Kind of pissed.

[Tx_Phil]

Let's see if this works.

99 silverado long bed with a V6 and 4 speed auto. The only help she has is a set of Monroe air shocks set at 65lbs.

The trailer, 35' Prowler with a big slide out. Weighs in right at 8000lbs.

Ok, I confess. I would never take it on the highway with that truck but it did pull it around the ranch pretty well.

[audrima]

hehe thanks I think the nuts there thought I had a C15 or s10 lol. (ever seen a 4cyl s10 pull a 2 car trailer made from a mobile home frame up a hill? or drive on the interestate with 1ton of roof bolts? my dad did both!)

I think a 1990's 34footer with no problem. exp with a 650cc motorcycle in the bed ^_^.


Aud

[PromiseKeeper]

Some great advice on here.... make sure you read Bake's post carefully. X2 on the stopping power! It's not always what you can tow, but what you can STOP. I'm sure there are lots of us that could share some "close call" stories about not having enough stopping power. Be safe and have fun!

[Tx_Phil]

Some great advice on here.... make sure you read Bake's post carefully. X2 on the stopping power! It's not always what you can tow, but what you can STOP. I'm sure there are lots of us that could share some "close call" stories about not having enough stopping power. Be safe and have fun!

Bingo!!
Pulling the load is the easy part. Stopping the load is the real work. I don't care if you have a 1/2 to or 3/4 ton if you are pulling something as heavy as a travel trailer you really need trailer brakes.

I think the next most overlooked aspect is the suspension and your ability to control the load you are pulling. That trailer in that pic is a 95 model and it's a 34 or 35 footer. We don't have any mountains along our route but there are some pretty fair hill. The wind through those passes will send that rolling house all over the road. When we hit the highway we use my buddies Ram mega cab 4x4 and we've almost lost that trailer a couple if times due to cross winds making it fishtail.

Don't mean to harp on this but we almost lost a buddy last year when his 26' trailer hit cross winds. The trailer pulled his newer 3/4 ton silverado off the road. Roller truck and trailer several times. Nothing left but a big mess.

[bake74]

     Here's a real world example that should help you out.
     My parents bought a toy hauler that when loaded weighed in right around 8200 lbs.  I use to own a 99 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer, they thought they could tow with it.
     They went and picked up the toy hauler and the toys they bought, and didn't make it 2 miles before they called me and said something was wrong.  The expedition had adjustable air rear suspension, they were using a load leveling and equalizing tow and hitch bar with the sway bar hooked up on the leveling hitch.  The Expedition could run it down the road just fine, the problem was it would not stop swaying all over the road.
     I went with my 74 k10, picked it up with just my ball hitch and drove it home with nothing else hooked up, with no problem.
     THE POINT !  Newer vehicles does not translate always to better.  The Expedition was longer than my truck, both weighed about the same.  There's many factors to consider when towing.  My truck could tow the trailer because it had a thicker and stiffer frame (kept the tow vehicle from flexing).  The Expedition was rated to tow more lbs than my k10, but in the real world it just doesn't always work out that way.
     And yes to all those wondering, the first thing I did was check everything out and drove it myself, it was level between the vehicle and trailer, and had enough tongue weight, Expedition just would not tow it safely.

[78 Chevyrado]

Here's the s-10 thing the rv-ers prolly pictured...



love the 4x4 tailgate support....  classic!   how does it turn at all?





Best upgrade I ever made was getting a weight distribution hitch.  I got an equal-I-zer 10k.  works wonderfully!

[bake74]

     OK those pictures are hilarious, absolutely love the 4x4 wood block.  But I do not think that is legal, even in Utah.      

[74k20]

Here's my 2 cents (for now).  My 2000 Honda Passport/Isuzu Rodeo mid size SUV tows our camp trailer nicer then my 74 K20.  ONLY due to pulling power.  The SUV has a 205hp v6, where as the 74 has an original LOW hp stock 350 (for now).  SURE the 74 stops and hauls it MUCH better then the SUV, but it's SLOW.  New motor is 1/2 built and waiting for some more funds.

[audrima]

ya, trailer brakes and 2 axles on it  are requirements for any trailer I would tow.    I have no problem with slow. 55mph is just fine. 35 up hills is fine to lol

[travisr1988]

I have 1 79 3/4 ton 350, turbo400, 4:10s in a full floater with the 11" brakes and the first thing I did when I got it was tow a 38' rv fully loaded. I had absolutely no trouble pulling it, albeit the roads we were on never exceeded 45mph speed limits and we didn't push it. This was an rv, so someone had to ride inside to steer and brake, honestly the issue if it were a trailer would have been braking. The sticker in my glove box says 8600lbs gvwr with a slide in camper.