Towing Capacity

[NVhoop]

I have a 2008 Silverado, 4WD, 5.3, Ext Cab, with a towing package. I am thinking of moving up to a TT and am wondering what my towing capacity is.

[StStg1]

Welcome to the fourm. You can go to trailerlife.com and search for the 2008 towing guide to find your answer. Sorry, I don't have the link handy.

[NVhoop]

Thank you very much..........

[TXiceman]

In order to determine the tow rating you will need to know the rear axle ratio. Once you find the tow rating, realize that this is a MAXIMUM and is based on a base model truck, no cargo, no hitch, no options or accessories, and only a 150# driver.

For every pound you add over this mythical base model truck, you reduce the towing capacity by the same amount. So most people recommend that you use 80% of the manufacturer's rating and look for a loaded trailer weight below that number.

Ideally you want to weigh the truck with normal passenger and cargo load and full fuel. On the door jamb you will see a sticker with the GVWR for your truck. In the owners manual there will be a list of the GCWR (gross combined weight rating) for the various cab/engine and axle ratios.

GVWR - loaded truck = max loaded trailer pin/tongue weight.

GCWR - loaded truck = max loaded trailer weight.

You cannot use the trailer dry weight as it does not include any item listed as an option like the A/C, microwave, awning, batteries etc. Then you add propane water and your camping supplies. So a trailer can easily reach 750# to 1000# or more over the dry weight.

And last, never believe the RV or truck salesman. Their job is to sell trailers, not be your consultant. Very few even tow or use an RV. They could have been selling used Yugos last week.

Ken

[NVhoop]

Thank you for all the info.....

[Randy the sly old fox]

With a 3.73 rear end your max tow rating is 7500 lbs and 8800 with a 4.10 rear end. Since the 3.73 rear end is standard I would suspect that it is what you have. I would suspect that your CGWR is between 12,000 and 14,000 lbs. So as Txiceman suggested you need to weigh your truck with a full tank and passengers, then subtract that from 80% (CGWR x .8) of the CGWR (look in your owners manual for this info) what is leftover is the GVWR of the trailer you should be looking at. As far as real world experience - I towed my AF 22H with a 99 Tahoe (5.7 3.73 rear end) for two seasons before I could trade up to the 2500HD. The Tahoe/AF tipped the scales just under the CGWR of 12,000 lbs. While it did ok on the flats, any hill slowed me to a crawl in 1st or 2nd gear - never towed in 4th. Now with the HD I fly up the hills at 55 in 4th (It has the 6 speed). There is another person on our AF owners forum that is looking at upgrading from his 5.3L to either the 6.2 in the Max Tow pak or getting a 2500 HD to tow his AF 25S - because he is tired of slow hard pulling on hills. FYI my AF scales out at 5600 lbs (w/o water) the brouchure dry wt says 4880 lbs The differences include batteries, LPG, food, pots and pans, clothes etc. - your stuff adds up in a hurry - also the mfg wt is only an estimate and could be based on average material wts or even the first model produced.

I would try and find a TT in the 4,000 to 5,000 lb region. I had no problems with my Tahoe and an older TrailLite that weighed closer to 4000 lbs.

[NVhoop]

Thank You.... Just what I needed to know.