Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > MOTORHOME FORUMS > Toads and Motorhome Related Towing
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 11-19-2019, 11:27 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 164
Towing a 1500 GMC Sierra or Chevy Silverado

Anyone with experience using a recent year version of either of these pickups as a toad? Easy versus complex hookup, along with all other opinions are welcome. will be using a 37 foot Ventana to do the pulling. Thanks
PeteDr is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 11-19-2019, 11:35 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
burgman50's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Charlotte NC
Posts: 236
Following. I have a Silverado and plan on 4 down
__________________
2006 Fleetwood Revolution LE 40L, Cat C9
Chevy Silverado with ReadyBrute elite tow bar, 3 furkids
burgman50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-19-2019, 02:13 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
FIRE UP's Avatar


 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Out there, somewhere
Posts: 9,867
Well,
We tow an '11 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Extended Cab. We tow it with our '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT and Allison MH3000 6-spd trans. The truck weighs exactly 5300 lbs when I weighed it. When we tow the truck, it's quite often also loaded with a Rampage motorcycle lift that has our '08 Honda GL 1800 Goldwing in the bed. All in all, we're towing around 6,700 lbs. when we're cruising down the road.

I set the truck up with the base plates and did the wiring. I utilize the trucks tail lights as toad lights. That was easy. When it comes time to hook up the truck for towing, the wife's inside, doing all the needed tasks for prep for towing while I do all the tow bar hook up with cables and electrics. I also installed an M&G brake system in the truck so that the air brake system on our coach runs the trucks brakes for towing. That works slick.

Now, being that the truck is a 2011, there's no need for any battery disconnect or anything like that. I think it was around '14 or so when the need for disconnecting the negative on the trucks battery prior to towing but, I'd verify that. Anyway, we've been towing that truck now for about 7 years or so and, it's worked flawless. Hope this helps some.
Scott
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_0408.jpg
Views:	148
Size:	305.3 KB
ID:	267376   Click image for larger version

Name:	P1040639.jpg
Views:	110
Size:	406.7 KB
ID:	267377  

__________________
2004 ITASCA HORIZON 36GD, 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Toad '20 Honda NC750X DCT
Retired-29.5 yrs, SDFD, Ham - KI6OND
Me, Karla and the Heidi character, (mini Schnauzer)!
FIRE UP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-19-2019, 03:05 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
CWSWine's Avatar
 
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Manhattan (Little Apple) Kansas
Posts: 2,476
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteDr View Post
Anyone with experience using a recent year version of either of these pickups as a toad? Easy versus complex hookup, along with all other opinions are welcome. will be using a 37 foot Ventana to do the pulling. Thanks

A lot of the Vantana have a 2500 transmission that limits towing to 5,000 pounds. Check the sticker on your hitch to see what it rated to tow. You will also need to weigh you truck to get a accurate weight of your truck with all the options and cargo you will ge carrying in the truck.
__________________
2020 Newmar Baystar 3005 Gas V10 - 2020 Jeep Rubicon
1280 Watts Solar - Victron MultiPlus-II 12/3000/120-50 120V Inverter
300 Amp Lithium Battery
CWSWine is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-19-2019, 08:03 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 661
I tow my '14 Silverado 4x4. Tow bar setup uses the standard tow hook spaces so no cutting or other mods. I drilled extra holes in the tail lights with snap in bulb holders for a completely independent system. I use the M&G air system for the brakes which works very well. I have the egg crate grill which hides the air fitting nicely. It also hides the 7 prong wire connector.

Mine is one which requires the negative cable to be disconnected when towing. I use a latching relay to connect and disconnect with the switch hidden in the grill up at the top. This way I can lock the doors with the fob then disconnect the battery. When I get where I'm going, again I can connect the battery and use the fob to unlock. No extra keys etc. to keep track of.

The transfer case switch is a rotating knob which you hold hard clockwise for 10 seconds or more. Then the red "N" will glow in the switch. Be SURE before you buy that the transfer case is one which will go to N. Not all do. There is a service bulletin out with the specific transfer cases that have an N position. The dealers had no idea when I was shopping for mine. They all swore that there was no problem, "lot's of people do it". When I asked them to show me neutral, 3 different dealerships couldn't do it. I gave my local dealer 2 days to figure it out and they couldn't. (which supports the person above who said maybe 2014 was the first year for the new system) Dave Smith Motors in Idaho was able to show me. They also had the best price on what I wanted.
(https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam...0Silverado.pdf)
bucks2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2019, 07:53 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Hawkeye's Avatar
 
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: IOWA
Posts: 549
I pulled a 1500 for 13 years until recently. I went Ford this time, but looked at the 2019 Chevy and GMC. They offer two types of transfer cases now and one you can flat 4 tow and the other you cannot. I believe the one you can tow is a two speed transfer case and is a $300 option
__________________
Loren - Sarah & Sammy the Flying Sheepadoddle
2023 Dynamax 28SS Ram
2023 F 150 Tremor
Hawkeye is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2019, 01:20 PM   #7
Junior Member
 
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Longview, TX
Posts: 1
Thanks for the informative post. Do you know why the battery negative must be disconnected? Is it only for the locking steering wheel or is there something else. I would rather not have to reprogram all memory every time I tow. Looking to tow a 2019 Tahoe.
Speaks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2019, 09:12 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 661
On my 2014 it has an electric power steering pump which they say can be damaged by towing with battery connected. Use a latching relay and it's an easy job to connect and disconnect the battery.

Three things happen when I disconnect my 2014 Silverado crew cab LTZ.
1. The radio forgets what station it was on. It does not forget the presets, it does not forget the time. Just push a preset button on the touch screen after you reconnect the battery and it's just like it was.
2. The dash screen forgets the last 25 or 50 miles fuel mileage and the best mileage on that one screen. The resettable mileage screens do not change.
3. It tells you to put the drivers side window down and up again if you have the auto windows option.
That's it. Period. Done. No Biggie. Don't worry about it.
bucks2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2019, 04:44 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
mydogmax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Marble Falls, Texas
Posts: 530
I tow a 2013 2500 4.4 m and d brake, just put the transfer case in neutral, put the transmission in park, lock the doors and go. Looking at a new ford f150 diesel, hope its as easy to tow.
__________________
2005 Monaco Windsor, 40 ft single axle.
TRW GB, Watts front and watts x braces rear.
mydogmax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2019, 09:02 PM   #10
"Formerly Diplomat Don"
 
Dutch Star Don's Avatar
 
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,914
I believe the 2014 and newer GM/Chevrolet trucks require the battery disconnect. As stated, the new trucks have electric steering which is ACTIVE all the time, even when the key is off. If you don't disconnect the battery the truck will try and correct the steering while being towed.

You can disconnect either the positive or negative cable. I use a Roadmaster relay that disconnects the positive side of the battery. It has a switch that mounts in the cab and disconnects the battery. You never have to lift the hood. I use an SMI AF1 braking system. I can still connect it directly to the battery and power the unit while towing.

I towed a 2012 Silverado 4 door for about five years. It's a big truck and can give a little push on the back of the coach in low speed turns. Overall it towed nicely. Since I no longer needed a full size truck, I went with a 2016 GMC Canyon. It tows really well.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
Dutch Star Don is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2019, 02:38 PM   #11
Member
 
bepsi57's Avatar
 
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Waco, Tx
Posts: 55
2017 GMC Sierra 4x4 is now our Toad

Hi Guys,
When I read these posts my husband and I were in the process of getting our '17 GMC Sierra set up to tow with our "08 Fleetwood Expedition.
Had our RV Repair shop quote a new Patriot Brake System and Tow bar plus all wiring etc. set up for 4K.
Didn't want to go that route and found a Used Patriot system with blue ox tow bar for 500.00 on FB Market.
Bought base plate and wiring harness for 525.00 and Hubs installed. We had the wiring installed professionally for 325.00. So for 1350.00 we were ready to tow.
Did a test run this weekend and everything worked great. We will be adding the Battery Disconnect switch in the near future, disconnecting and reconnecting battery too much of a hassle.
However, as some research stated you would lose all channels and other radio set ups (hands free iPhone) is not accurate as all our presets were not affected.
All research stated you must disconnect one terminal or risk steering column damage and or dead battery. We don't want to take a chance, hence Battery Disconnect switch seems the safest way to go.
Putting transfer case into Neutral piece of cake.
If we can help with any questions, feel free.
Betsi and Jim

Not sure why photos are sideways or upside down, tried to fix but no go, left them anyway, lol
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Rvbrake.jpg
Views:	76
Size:	291.1 KB
ID:	269014   Click image for larger version

Name:	baseplate.jpg
Views:	81
Size:	307.8 KB
ID:	269015  

Click image for larger version

Name:	towing.jpg
Views:	181
Size:	654.0 KB
ID:	269016   Click image for larger version

Name:	Rvtruck.jpg
Views:	92
Size:	650.1 KB
ID:	269018  

__________________
2008 Fleetwood Expedition 38S
2017 GMC Sierra Z71
bepsi57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-16-2019, 06:21 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 164
Toad is in the driveway. Went for a 2018 GMC 4WD, crew cab, 1500 pickup. My thanks for all the input and in general iRV2 has been a gold mine of information. Why the choice? First I am a GM loyalist, and have been for 60 years. But, to be more technical, the Sierra 1500 model went through some changes in 2019 that are not helpful. The 4WD option became a single speed, no neutral unit without any fanfare. Not 4 wheels down towable. You definitely want the 6 speed automatic versus the 8 speed. They are difficult to find in the 2019 models, if available. Prior years have also used the 8 speed in high end models. Suffice to say there is a class action suit on the 8 speed. Google it if interested. The 5.3L V8 (the most common engine by far, in the lineup) has had AFM (Active Fuel Management) for many years base on electric solenoids, in 2019 that changed to Dynamic Fuel Management which is very mechanical, and allows the engine to run on any number of cylinders from 1 to 8. The former was either 4 or 8. Also, I read that starting with 2019 the engine has automatic stop/start, with no way to disable it. But check me on this, just one mention I saw.

So, 2018, 4WD, 6 speed automatic, 5.3 AFM, no stop/start function, was the sweet spot for me.
__________________
Pete
2019 Newmar Ventana LE 37
IRV2 Member November 2019
PeteDr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-17-2019, 05:32 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Hawkeye's Avatar
 
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: IOWA
Posts: 549
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteDr View Post
Toad is in the driveway. Went for a 2018 GMC 4WD, crew cab, 1500 pickup.
Good choice, I wanted a 2018 GMC, but it was the dealer's last 2018 Denali and he was pretty proud of it. There is less plastic to cut out on the 2018 to install your tow bar also. The 2019 4WD does have an optional two speed transfer case, so you can tow them 4 down, with that $300 option. I have been a GM guy for 40 years, but do like my Ford. Good Luck!
__________________
Loren - Sarah & Sammy the Flying Sheepadoddle
2023 Dynamax 28SS Ram
2023 F 150 Tremor
Hawkeye is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-17-2019, 04:58 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 164
Anyone thinking about a 2019 or 2020 GMC or Chevy with a 8 speed automatic, will be doing themselves a favor, with some research as part of the buying process. The 2 speed optional transfer case for $300 is good news.
__________________
Pete
2019 Newmar Ventana LE 37
IRV2 Member November 2019
PeteDr is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
chevy, tow, towing



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2019 Chevy 1500 and GMC Sierra are here!!! tuffr2 Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion 59 12-13-2018 09:15 AM
2013 GMC Sierra 1500 ext cab. towing 6200 lb tt cherv Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion 8 02-22-2018 03:08 AM
Towing a 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 rocky34 Toads and Motorhome Related Towing 3 06-26-2016 09:50 PM
Flat Towing a 2015 Chevy Silverado 1500 4wd Grandpa913 Toads and Motorhome Related Towing 1 04-27-2015 10:13 AM
2014 Silverado/Sierra 1500 Miller303KDS Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion 45 11-27-2013 10:15 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:15 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.