towing woe's

[2FORCEFULL]

65393


Soooo, I picked up a Hallett with twins...seems pretty heavy... but didn't weigh it...brought it home from riverside to vegas with my little rv







65391

[2FORCEFULL]

it seemed to do just fine...v-10 power..I took it easy on the grades...55 mph in California... never went over 62...
so now....I have the rv in the garage at havasu hooked up to the cheetah deck boat...I need to get some thing to tow the hallett with if the rv isn't in vegas..
I have this little ford...5.4 ...think it would do the job? anyone tow with one of these?



65392

[2FORCEFULL]

I also have this suburban 4x4....I did a new 6.0 motor swap, all new brakes/rotors, rebuilt trans, all new just about every thing under the hood,pumps,alt,radiator,condinsor,gm heavy duty fan..everything..runs cool and a lot more power than the 5.3...I'm just wondering if the trans will stand up to the weight of the hallett..100 mile round trip to mead.. up hill both ways,,


..6539465395

[2FORCEFULL]

I also have this alpine pusher...400hp 1200 tq 34'r to go to powell...it'll pull two halletts...
65396

[HB Vic]

The Alpine is bad ass!!

Any of the others will tow the Hallett imo. How they tow it is the question.

[2FORCEFULL]

The Alpine is bad ass!!

Any of the others will tow the Hallett imo. How they tow it is the question.

I just don't wanna be on the side of the road with problems....you outta see in side the alpine did a whole remodel from the floors up, all new flex steel furniture

[CarolynandBob]

How much does the Hallett weigh?

[2FORCEFULL]

How much does the Hallett weigh?

I'm gonna guess close or over 10k...it holds 1000 lb of fuel...twin smallblocks triple axel trailer....

[CarolynandBob]

Then I would not tow it with anything less than a F250. Remember it isn't about pulling as much as it is about stopping.

[2manymustangs]

wow.... you DO have the toys sir!!!


The 5.4 is a cool engine but still only like 330 cubic inches. The 6.0 is a killer engine for its size/displacement, as we know the LS engine is a stout piece and worthy of much respect... My big concern would be transmission and the gear ratio in your DIFFs...

The history of the lock up converter / propensity for failure are big factors in my book, maybe more than either the 5.4 or 6.0 ford versus chebby...

We need AHOLE HICK to chime in here and give his thoughts on the FAT block chevy suburban he purchased that can tow your Hallett with ease...

Having diesel power is cool but brings a whole new set of items/costs into the equation...

CarolnANDBob makes a great point about stopping power/safety...


P.S. I really like your V10 tow toy!!! I feel that the ford V10s are under estimated/overlooked... NOT perfect but well deserving of respect...

As you and everyone here knows by now, buying used isn't always fun/great BUT with a thorough background check and THOROUGH inspection eliminates a lot of headache...

[HB Vic]

Then I would not tow it with anything less than a F250. Remember it isn't about pulling as much as it is about stopping.

All things stop, eventually LOL

[2FORCEFULL]

wow.... you DO have the toys sir!!!


The 5.4 is a cool engine but still only like 330 cubic inches. The 6.0 is a killer engine for its size/displacement, as we know the LS engine is a stout piece and worthy of much respect... My big concern would be transmission and the gear ratio in your DIFFs...

The history of the lock up converter / propensity for failure are big factors in my book, maybe more than either the 5.4 or 6.0 ford versus chebby...

We need AHOLE HICK to chime in here and give his thoughts on the FAT block chevy suburban he purchased that can tow your Hallett with ease...

Having diesel power is cool but brings a whole new set of items/costs into the equation...

CarolnANDBob makes a great point about stopping power/safety...


P.S. I really like your V10 tow toy!!! I feel that the ford V10s are under estimated/overlooked... NOT perfect but well deserving of respect...

As you and everyone here knows by now, buying used isn't always fun/great BUT with a thorough background check and THOROUGH inspection eliminates a lot of headache...
if I ever decided to tow with the suburban I would do a gear change..

[2FORCEFULL]

thanks for posting

[2FORCEFULL]

my plan the other day was to sell the suburban and get a 3500 express passenger van...I found the short base one with the 6.0....put its in texas and they kept messing up the paper work...with the van I can do way more than a suburban

[2manymustangs]

All things stop, eventually LOL

:grad: truER words were never spoken... ;)

[2manymustangs]

if I ever decided to tow with the suburban I would do a gear change..


Brother Eason - AHOLE HICK searched out a Suburban that has the factory installed 8.1 liter/492 ci and I think its 4x4... No towing issues with that rig for certain...

Maybe Chevy made a utility van 4x4 (similar to your v10 Ford) with the 492/8.1 if you are partial to those conversions... :D I imagine that having 4x4 is handy out yonder on the boat ramps/lakes/desert/camping...???

From WIKI

Generation VII[edit]
L18[edit]
The Vortec 8100 L18 was a V8 truck engine. It was a redesigned Chevrolet Big-Block engine and was introduced with the 2001 full-size pickup trucks. It is an all-iron engine (block and heads) with two valves per cylinder. It retained the same bore diameter as the old 7.4 L Big-Blocks, but the stroke was upped by 9.4 mm (0.37 in) to reach 8.1L (496cuin), for a total of 107.95 mm (4.25 in) bore and 111 mm (4.37 in) stroke. Power output ranged from 340 hp (254 kW) to 550 hp (410 kW),[citation needed] and torque from 455 lb·ft (617 N·m) to 690 lb·ft (936 N·m).

Other important differences between the Vortec 8100 and older Big Blocks include a changed firing order (1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3), a new 18-bolt head bolt pattern, longer connecting rods, different symmetrical intake ports, different oil pan rails and the use of metric threads throughout the engine. The fuel-injection system for the Vortec 8100 is nearly identical to that used on Gen III engines, right down to the fuel and spark tables in the ECU.[22]

Vortec 8100s were built at GM's Tonawanda Engine plant. The last L18 was manufactured in December 2009.

L18 Applications:

GM sold the Vortec 8100 to Workhorse (now a division of Navistar), making it one of the most popular engine choices in gas powered Class A motorhomes during the first decade of this century. GM stopped installing Big Block V8s in the Silverado HD trucks when the GMT-800 series was discontinued in 2007.

Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD & 3500HD (option)
Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL 2500 (option)
Chevrolet Express 3/4 or 1 ton
Chevrolet Avalanche 2500 (std on GMT800 2500)
Chevrolet Kodiak
Workhorse Class A motorhomes.
T-98 Kombat armored vehicles.
U-Haul's 26-foot (7.9 m) truck.
Malibu Boats, e.g. Wakesetter.[23]
MasterCraft Boats

[CarolynandBob]

All things stop, eventually LOL

LOL Very true

[jordy]

If it was a 27' other than a Hallett, I'd be a little less nervous, but that's a whole lotta boat to get in and out of Mead, and I've been on all the roads around there as we did the roadwork on the road out of Henderscum 20 years ago. There isn't an easy route for that boat and a half-ton no matter how you cut it.

I'd look at a 3/4 ton anything and you'll be much happier.

[Ricks raft]

Depending on year of express not very high how ratings. I have 07 3500 6.0 3:73 gears rated for 7700lbs. The same as my 11 f150 5.0 3:55 gears. The later years 15? With 6 speed and more power are higher but they come with3:42 gears so still only good for up to 9600 lbs.
my f150 towed my 255 hallett better than the old fashioned express 3500.

[2FORCEFULL]

Depending on year of express not very high how ratings. I have 07 3500 6.0 3:73 gears rated for 7700lbs. The same as my 11 f150 5.0 3:55 gears. The later years 15? With 6 speed and more power are higher but they come with3:42 gears so still only good for up to 9600 lbs.
my f150 towed my 255 hallett better than the old fashioned express 3500.

I need to run the hallett across the scales,..towed it back and forth to mead with the v-10 rv..the v-10 did fine took off well , and stopped fine..I built up the suburban as a leave at havasu to haul people around, and if I needed to tow the boat down to the lake...only 2 mile from my house to Windsor ramp...I also have a 2002 short bed I fixed up to haul stuff to the dump..and make runs to home depot...


6539965400

[2FORCEFULL]

Depending on year of express not very high how ratings. I have 07 3500 6.0 3:73 gears rated for 7700lbs. The same as my 11 f150 5.0 3:55 gears. The later years 15? With 6 speed and more power are higher but they come with3:42 gears so still only good for up to 9600 lbs.
my f150 towed my 255 hallett better than the old fashioned express 3500.

does your 07 have the 6.0 motor?

[Ricks raft]

does your 07 have the 6.0 motor?

Yes 6.0 3:73 gears.
As a side note. I don't know on the latest years but my 07 is a 3500 passenger that I use for my Business(wanted the insulation, headliner, dual ac. then pulled out last two rows of seats and installed racks and such for service. I can still put in the second row and carry 5) it only has a semi floating rear end and I've been through 2 of them in 177k miles. The cargo versions like my 98 have full floaters I put 220k with no failure.
When I said my f150 tows better, The express' older chassis design seems to wonder more needing constant corrections when towing, even with the stock sway bars and 10 ply tires. Doesn't bother me much as I've driven service vans for over a million miles.

[2manymustangs]

Yes 6.0 3:73 gears.
As a side note. I don't know on the latest years but my 07 is a 3500 passenger that I use for my Business(wanted the insulation, headliner, dual ac. then pulled out last two rows of seats and installed racks and such for service. I can still put in the second row and carry 5) it only has a semi floating rear end and I've been through 2 of them in 177k miles. The cargo versions like my 98 have full floaters I put 220k with no failure.
When I said my f150 tows better, The express' older chassis design seems to wonder more needing constant corrections when towing, even with the stock sway bars and 10 ply tires. Doesn't bother me much as I've driven service vans for over a million miles.

^^^^^

My buddy and I were having the exact discussion about his OLD one ton dodge dually diesel versus his brand new one ton dodge dually diesel... Seems that the factory suspension geometry and design has altered the way the new one tows as compared to the old dodge... Always some hidden things that will bite ya, things you can't know until you start driving/towing....



**** EDIT

His assumption/my assumption was that the new truck would tow at least very similar to the old truck but it doesn't, and when he tows heavy loads (5th wheel loaded with structural steel) the new truck eats front tires like we eat fish tacos...

[2FORCEFULL]

Yes 6.0 3:73 gears.
As a side note. I don't know on the latest years but my 07 is a 3500 passenger that I use for my Business(wanted the insulation, headliner, dual ac. then pulled out last two rows of seats and installed racks and such for service. I can still put in the second row and carry 5) it only has a semi floating rear end and I've been through 2 of them in 177k miles. The cargo versions like my 98 have full floaters I put 220k with no failure.
When I said my f150 tows better, The express' older chassis design seems to wonder more needing constant corrections when towing, even with the stock sway bars and 10 ply tires. Doesn't bother me much as I've driven service vans for over a million miles.
I had a 2016 extended, and one with the 135 wb...both I just left the one bench seat in and added a bed to the back....I also had the ford with the 5.4 motor...the ford with the twin I beam seemed to wonder... but the chevys tracked pretty good.. that and the chevys have more passenger leg room