Towing in the mountains vs flat land

**jicurtis** · 05-17-2009, 11:25 PM

I have a 2008 Suburban 1500 4x4. To the best of my knowledge I can tow a max of 7000 lbs according to the literature. My question is how much can I tow in the mountains of Colorado, like on I70 going west it will be over 10,000 feet going thru Eisenhower Tunnel. I dont want to hurt my transmission or engine from over heating. I am trying to decide how heavy of a Camping trailer to buy....

**TexasT** · 05-18-2009, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by jicurtis

To the best of my knowledge I can tow a max of 7000 lbs according to the literature.

Remember the 7K# includes all the gear, water, and anything else you plan to put in the trailer. Also you need to look at the GCWR. This is the total weight of the truck, trailer, people and gear. 7K# seems like a lot but water and gear is heavy and it fills up fast.

The lightest would give you the ability to carry more "stuff", but might not get you the amenities that you want.

**L0sts0ul** · 05-18-2009, 10:40 AM

2008 Chevrolet/GMC Suburban/Yukon XL 1500 4WD 5.3L V8 7000lbs
Requires 3.73 axle ratio

2008 Chevrolet/GMC Suburban/Yukon XL 1500 4WD 5.3L V8 8000lbs
Requires 4.10 axle ratio

Your total hauling ability for your truck is 7000lbs if I understand your setup correctly.
Now, I agree completely with texasT in that you have to account for the whole shooting match. When you look at a trailer it will say on the production sticker inside a cupboard or something inside the trailer what the GCVW is. That is the MAX capacity that the trailer will haul (called Wet Weight). your DRY weight is the GVW ( i believe). You need to keep the TOTAL WET WEIGHT BELOW 7000lbs. I would leave at least 1000lbs for a variable problem that you may not know about. say you forget to empty your wastewater tanks before you leave (easily 1000lbs).

Now, onto something else. Your truck is cooled more effeciently than mine is. BUT, these are the 3 things I would consider.

1.) A transmission cooler, they are relatively cheap ( about 150 bucks or less + install ) This will keep your transmission fluid cooler, and last longer on the long hauls (only problem I had was that my fan wasn't cooling it well enough, so I have to keep moving to keep the cooling up).

2.) you NEED a tranny temp guage. Keep an eye on the thing to know where you are at, so you know when you HAVE to stop vs when you THINK you have to stop... trust me ive hauled through the mountains, and you need to know when you have to slow, and gear down.

3.) look into a Oil cooler for your motor. I am getting one in a couple of weeks, and from what ive seen, using an oil cooler extends the life of your motor 10 fold, and reduces a lot of problems when towing.

one more thing... if you get the chance, and have the funds, always use the thickest oil the journals on your motor will support. ( newer motors, and more finicky even 10w30 can screw with it sometimes) .

I run 10w30 year round in my truck, but I use Quakerstate 4x4 and it seems to keep oil pressure up better than anything else Ive tried. but an oil cooler would help that even more.

**jicurtis** · 05-20-2009, 04:27 PM

The trailer I am looking to buy is 5200# UVW, I have estimated adding about 500# to the trailer and an additional 500# to the back of the Suburban. That would be bring me to about 6200#. I have also taken out 130# of weight(3rd row seating), so I would have about 930# less than the 7000# max. Do you think I should be ok in the mountains? Do any of you have experience pulling a trailer thru the mountains?

**L0sts0ul** · 05-21-2009, 11:01 PM

as a personal choice I try to stay 500 to 1000# below GVCW.

yes I have towed in the mountains, and you NEED a tranny cooler at least, and always tow in the lowest possible gear when climbing and use the trailer brake as much as you can when you are going down hill.

**kmcelyea** · 04-05-2010, 09:44 PM

jcurtis - I am curious. What kind of trailer did you decide on? And did you you come to the Colorado Mountains? I live in Colorado and I have a 21ft Trail Cruiser travel trailer. It weighs 3000lb (dry). I have towed it for several years with my Jeep Grand Cherokee (4.7L HO V8 and 3.73) and I really do not have that much trouble in the mountains. The high compression really helps control the downhill speed. I now have a new Suburban 2008 1500 4x4 because we really are quite crowded in the Jeep. The Jeep's tow rating is 6500lbs so I am hoping the Suburban will do as well or better than the Jeep and give my family and 3 large dogs a more comfortable trip. The weight really does add up. I figure with full tanks, a portable generator, 3 kayaks, 300 pounds of dogs and 400 pounds of people and all their stuff (inclucing bikes) I gotta be pushing 5000 lbs. I have towed for thousands of miles with the Grand Cherokee and I know most people will say that it isn't the best tow vehicle. The only issue I have had is that my Jeep is a full time 4WD and it seems that the axles need servicing about every 20000 miles.

I am looking forward to towing with the Sub. How did yours do?

**Sandhopper** · 04-05-2010, 10:22 PM

I pulled a 25' travel trailer all over the east coast with our 02 Yukon XL 3.73 rear 1500. The Total weight of the trailer was about 6K loaded. No problems with the mountains of PA or NY. It did have the trans cooler though which was included with the HD trailering package. We have not towed with the new burban yet.

**bigdaddy77084** · 04-05-2010, 11:32 PM

Ya cant get any aftermarket helper springs for the back?? My grampa had an old 1/2 ton with a 3/4 ton rear end and springs . He pulled his boat and hauled firewood with it forever..

**vncj96** · 04-06-2010, 07:15 AM

Dont let the computer do all the work either, get the truck prepared before you head up or down the mountains. Overdrive should only be used when on flat while towing, manually drop it down to 3rd. the computer will only downshift when it has too and to make up for the lose of power it will drop to second which isnt always needed. This will help greatly

**jicurtis** · 04-13-2010, 12:45 AM

The trailer I purchased was 5,120 lbs dry, guessing it is about 6,000 wet with all of our stuff in it. So I am about 1,000 lbs under the max. Our 08 Suburban 1500, 3.73 rearend pulls it great on flat land or in the mountains. my first test was going to Brainard Lake in Colorado, the campground is over 10,000 feet. No problems at all pulling the trailer up there, no over heat, and the transmission stayed under 230 degrees. I am very satisified with the performance. I hope this helps everyone!!

Jim