7,500lbs behind a Silverado 1,500

[billyw]

A lot of "The sky is falling" talk here. I'm guessing many are used to older half ton trucks. Also, many people that tow with half tons don't take the time to ensure things like P rated tires are aired to max, and trailer and hitch are set up correctly.

OP, what does the manufacturer say about towing that trailer. In the last few years most truck manufacturers have begun adhering to the same standards, which I believe makes their claims much more believable. As you long as you understand the terms like "max payload", "max tongue weight", GAWR, GVWR, and GCWR, you should be good to go.

In my limited little mind, the worst things in your configuration are the 3.42 gears combined with a 6 speed transmission. If the manufacturer says that combo will tow your trailer, I think it will. Maybe you need to pay more attention descending mountains. And obviously you will need a good hitch that's dialed in to keep everything going straight.

Happy Camping!

[Jay D.]

Originally Posted by RyanZ71

I’m going to be picking up my Forest River Tracer 290BH in a few weeks, I have a 2014 GMC 1500 SLE CREW CAB STANDARD BOX With 2:42 gears. I’m fairly certain I should be able to pull this camper with with my truck but of course some of you guys have me worried. The trailer weighs 6457 dry with 1250 cargo with a 704 TW. Truck has a tow capacity of 9600 load weight of 1660. I should be good right? I know a 2500 would be better but right now not an option. (Hopefully once the wife sees we need one after a few trip of 10mpgs).
Hopefully I didn’t still the post from the original poster. I’m new to these forum sites!

should be 342 gears, your going to be right up there for length and weight. don't plan on getting any better than the 10 mpg with a new truck, even a diesel. maybe a coulpe more mpgs with a diesel, but you'll never recoup the cost of the diesel.
Jay D.

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by RyanZ71

I’m going to be picking up my Forest River Tracer 290BH in a few weeks, I have a 2014 GMC 1500 SLE CREW CAB STANDARD BOX With 2:42 gears. I’m fairly certain I should be able to pull this camper with with my truck but of course some of you guys have me worried. The trailer weighs 6457 dry with 1250 cargo with a 704 TW. Truck has a tow capacity of 9600 load weight of 1660. I should be good right? I know a 2500 would be better but right now not an option. (Hopefully once the wife sees we need one after a few trip of 10mpgs).
Hopefully I didn’t still the post from the original poster. I’m new to these forum sites!

A 2500 will not fix your MPG issue. If you load your truck and trailer correctly with a good integrated sway control WDH (NOT friction sway control) you should be good with your 1500.

[snxwmxn]

I towed my 2017 ORV 20 FQ with my GMC Sierra - 5.3l and 3.42 rear end with over 200000 miles. Trailer dry weight 4900 lbs with cargo with about 2000 lbs CCC. Had a WD hitch. Truck was very tired but it towed pretty well except not up passes in the Rocky Mountain west.
I bought a new GMC with the max tow package and 6.2l engine and everybody is much happier. I believe the max tow package on a 1/2 ton is very beneficial.

[tuffr2]

Towing 7,500lbs with a 150/1500 series truck is doable but at the upper limit. Give it a try and see how you like it. I towed at max weight but never on the freeway. All back roads. I did this for 3 years. I knew the 1st time I towed on the white knuckle freeway trip that I needed a bigger truck.

Lucky I could afford a bigger truck that I got in just a few weeks. The bigger truck made towing a breeze.

So try it, it will depend on your comfort level but I cap weight at 6,500lb on a 150/1500 series truck for me. I like easy towing.

[RyanZ71]

Yes I guess I fat fingered the 2 and 3 on the gear. I guess I really don’t have a choice other then give it a ride! I believe I’ll be alright just gotta take my time!

[Redapple]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Towing 7,500lbs with a 150/1500 series truck is doable but at the upper limit. Give it a try and see how you like it. I towed at max weight but never on the freeway. All back roads. I did this for 3 years. I knew the 1st time I towed on the white knuckle freeway trip that I needed a bigger truck.

Lucky I could afford a bigger truck that I got in just a few weeks. The bigger truck made towing a breeze.

So try it, it will depend on your comfort level but I cap weight at 6,500lb on a 150/1500 series truck for me. I like easy towing.

X2 I agree with this approach. What is going to really make it tough is the 3.42 diff.

If it proves to be too much, next step would be 3/4 ton gas, maybe different diff gearing, (4.10).

Good Luck

[Xmcdog]

Please don't do it.
Will you truck pull it? Sure. Is it safe? Likely not.
Braking and handling are the key.
I have a GMS2500 HD diesel that is hooked to a 8500 lb fifth. Pulls it like a dream.
Up grade your truck or downgrade your trailer.
Just consider how hard the engine, transmission, brakes etc are working.

Just my nickels worth

[Monacoach]

Just be sure to split the tongue weight evenly between both axles

[Freqz]

7500 is going to end up as ~1000 lbs between tongue weight and WDH leaving you with ~600 lbs under your GVWR. If that’s enough for stuff you want to take with you, then it’s enough

This won’t be worry free, all conditions capable but should be perfectly adequate and safe.

[Jay D.]

i feel for the O/P he has got answers from one end to the other. its been better than a comedy show.
Jay D.

[Jay D.]

Originally Posted by bddadles

Simple answer. It is not enough truck. It will probably pull it but it will not be pleasant and you can't stop it safely. And after you make that first panic tire smoking stop (and you will) you will agree. Then you will get new seats and a bigger truck. You can be the best driver in the world but your problems will probably be caused by someone else and then you are in just as much trouble as you would be if it were your fault.

what do you mean he needs a bigger truck, you can't stop safely. so we are towing the same weight and your in a 2500 and i'm in a 1500 and we make that tire smoking stop your 2500 weighs 1000# more than my 1500 if we have the wheels locked who do you think is going to stop in the shortest dist. my guess would be the 1500. realistically the wheels wont lock they should have anti lock brakes but the 1500 should stop sooner.
Jay D.

[JIMNLIN]

Originally Posted by Jay D.

also most 2500 or 3/4 ,ton rigs will weigh a 1000# more than a 1/2 ton or 1500. thats a lot of extra weight to slow down and its all up to the tires. the brakes are up to the task but the tires resistance to the pavement is what's going to stop you. so as far as one quick stop your not going to see much difference. were the actual brake size or design will make a difference is on a long slow down. such as down a long mountain pass 6 or 7 % for 3 miles.
Jay D.

Good point.
The '14 and up GM 1500 5.3 with 355hp and 383 torque 3.42 gears 6 or 8 speed tranny are hands down a better towing platform than older GM trucks.

I have a 2500 Dodge/Cummins short bed and a 3500 drw crew cab chevy 4wd long bed I use to pull my various GN/5th wheel and bumper pull rv and non rv trailers.
One of my bumper pulls is a 10k car hauler I use to move equipment but mostly a 7600 lb blue tractor/cab/fel with a 7' mower or a bb to different construction jobsites doing loader jobs or bb work or brush hogging.

One thing I notice is the wifes '16 1500 will stop the same car hauler and load in a shorter distance than the other two trucks.
The wifes '16 1500 chevy crew cab short bed 4wd weighs 5460 lb gross
The 2500 Dodge/Cummins NV5600 QC 2wd weighs 7080 lbs gross.
The one ton drw chevy 4wd weighs in at 8620 lbs.
So yeah heavier trucks take more distance to make those emergency stops.

All of my trailers from the 10k car hauler on up to my GN triaxle trailers brakes with 5.2k axles and up to 7k axles stops the loaded trailers and the trucks brakes stops the truck just like they were designed and mfg'ed to do.

I use the trailer mfg dry weight and its gvwr and ccc numbers when figuring what a certain truck can handle. Some RV trailers can have ridiculous high CCC numbers so a GVWR may never be reached with these trailers and the owners needs.

The OP '18 1500 chevy and the trailer in question will make a good safe combination from a tow rating or load carrying weight perspective.

[gwalk]

I just sent my son-in-law this link as he just bought a 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 w/max tow package & is looking for a trailer to match it. I don't have All of his weights yet (can't seem to find the door jamb label!?), but he (we) will get it figured out.

I pulled for four years with a 2013 Ford F150 3.5 V6 ecoboost 4x4 supercrew w/wheel base of 157", 3.73 gear ratio, LT275/65R18 tires, max trailer tow package, trailer sway control, trailer brake control, base curb weight of 4937, front GAWR of 4050, rear GAWR of 4050 & GVWR of 7700# (latter from window sticker). Somewhere I also have written down a GVWR of 7850, but don't know where that came from (door post maybe? or Ford stat sheet?). Maximum GCWR was 17,000 (whew!) I had a 10,000 Equilizer WD hitch. Never pulled before this. Probably pulled over 20,000 miles, mostly from Oregon to points east as far as Richmond, VA.

Trailer was 2012 Northwood Snow River 246RKS, 28' with a GCWR of 8500 with Marathon tires rated at 65 mph sustained. Hit the CAT scales eight times while I owned this combination, half weighing truck wet & then w/trailer, half with only truck & trailer. Exceeded rear axle once (first time out when we towed to VA) by 30#. Never again. Exceeded truck GVWR twice, by 120# on noted first trip & by 20# on last trip (to OK). The WD hitch & sway control never failed me, although the worst trip was the first one, west to east across the southern great plains with the fall north/south winds. What a time to learn to tow! Two panic stops, once in GA & once in Houston, TX. No problems, save for balding a trailer tire in the Houston one.

When the warranty on the ecoboost expired, I decided that it was time to discard what was then a new engine (it never ever failed me & pulled the trailer just fine) & move to a diesel (2017 F250 diesel superduty 4x4 crewcab, 160" wheelbase, 3.55 gear ratio, Michelin LT275/65R20E tires, trailer & sway control, base curb weight lost in translation, front GAWR 5200, rear GAWR 6340, & GVWR 10000. Don't know offhand the GCWR. Using the same Equalizer hitch. Have also moved up to 2018 Northwood Arctic Fox 25Y, 30' with a GCWR of 10000 with Goodyear Endurance ST225/75R15 tires rated above 80 mph sustained. Have weighed three times since Feb of 2018 & have never exceeded any weights. Now, I don't even know that I am towing a trailer, although the cross wind can still play havoc & call for reduced speed. Have pulled thus for probably another 20000 miles, again mostly cross country west to east.

So that is my sum experience, mostly good, but some not quite so good. Hope to pass on what I know to Mike & my daughter. As always, the devil is in the details.

Any comments & suggestions are welcome, especially as I have zero experience/knowledge of Chevy's or trailers other than Northwood. Many Thanks.