Tow vehicle information.
Wayne
I own a 95 Chevy Z-71 350 shortbed truck that
I intend to tow this unit with. I did acquired a
great hitch system with the unit!
My question is: what should I expect for
performance and driveablility with this short
wheel base truck?
Thanks!
Wayne
HHamp5246
>performance and driveablility with this short
>wheel base truck?
An E ticket ride...... (c:
Kidding, what was the "great hitch system" that you got?
Hunter
Robert Carr
Chevy truck? Is the truck an extended cab model or reg cab model?
Bob
On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 20:57:03 -0400, "Wayne" <n4...@bellsouth.net>
wrote:
Donna
going to be less.
The truck is a Z71 4wd 350 regular cab model. I towed the trailer home with
it. Since I was not used to the weight behind me it was a different
experience that I need to get used to. :)) It might need some adjustment
on the load leveling Reese hitch that came with it.
Thanks.
===
meldx
In Sportmen's web site, I looked at a 25' and a 24Ultra-Lite model, both where
rated at 4500# and 4022 dry weight, way more than what your truck can handle,
specially if it's short wheel base.... your truck might not be enough for the
job.
(http://www.kz-rv.com/sportsme.htm)
Don't take this un-seriously, and check the real data on each vehicule, you
might get into the situation where you need to change tow vehicule if you want
to tow securely without putting your family in danger !
Mel
Steph and Dud B.
might want to read this: http://members.aol.com/stephndudb/weights.html .
As for the hitch, a Reese WD hitch is not a "really good hitch." It is an
average hitch and may be insufficient to control a travel trailer hooked to
a short-wheelbase truck. The only real good hitches I know of are the
Hensley Arrow and the PullRite. YMMV. Good luck.
--
Dudley - http://members.aol.com/stephndudb/rv.html
"Camping" in 5000 pounds of stick and tin.
"meldx" <me...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3B84F79F...@sympatico.ca...
Will Sill
Disappointment.
You probably have 3.42 gears in that truck, so you'll probably ruin
the transmission fairly soon if you try to tow it very much.
Will KD3XR
Robert Carr
through GMC(same as Chevy)truck brochures for model years 1993 through
1997. Unfortunately 1995 is not in my collection. The tow ratings are
5500 lbs for 1993 and 1997 with 3.42 rear end gearing. The tow
ratings are 6000 lbs for 1994 and 1996 with 3.42 rear end gearing. If
you have 3.73 rear end gearing, the tow rating is 6500 lbs for 1993
and 1997 and 7000 lbs for 1994 and 1996. All of these tow ratings are
for a 1500, 4WD , 350 cu. in. eng pickup.
On Thu, 23 Aug 2001 05:26:50 -0400, "Donna" <caro...@bellsouth.net>
wrote:
>The truck rating is for 4000 lbs. The FULLY loaded weight of the trailer is
>going to be less.
>
snipped
Todd Kattelman
"Robert Carr" <rac...@home.com> wrote in message
news:98aaot4n5n0dqq9vb...@4ax.com...
| I am surprised that the truck rating is only 4000 lbs. I have looked
| through GMC(same as Chevy)truck brochures for model years 1993 through
| 1997. Unfortunately 1995 is not in my collection. The tow ratings are
| 5500 lbs for 1993 and 1997 with 3.42 rear end gearing. The tow
| ratings are 6000 lbs for 1994 and 1996 with 3.42 rear end gearing. If
| you have 3.73 rear end gearing, the tow rating is 6500 lbs for 1993
| and 1997 and 7000 lbs for 1994 and 1996. All of these tow ratings are
| for a 1500, 4WD , 350 cu. in. eng pickup.
|
|
Didn't they also use the 3.08 rear end in some of the trucks? If they did
it would explain the low rating.
Robert Carr
models. A 1994 2WD model with 3.08 rear end is still listed at 5500
lbs. A 4WD version, if it exists, might be 500 lbs less at 5000 lbs.
Maybe Donna or Wayne could tell us what ratio rear end gearing they
have.
Bob
Robert Carr
I don't know where the 4000 lb tow rating came from. However, one
other possibility is that it is the trailer weight limit for use of a
load bearing hitch(non-weight distributing). In the GMC brochure for
model year 1993, they limit the max trailer weight to 4000 lbs for a
load bearing hitch(bumper hitch).
Bob
On Thu, 23 Aug 2001 16:50:59 GMT, Robert Carr <rac...@home.com>
wrote:
meldx
Mel
Hugh
My best guess without knowing your axle ratios would be,
You're probably not going to be disappointed with either.
Since it's a 5.7L engine, you have enough power to pull the
trailer and since it's the Z71 package, the suspension is
also up to it. You've got the 117.5" wb which is the same as
my '91 Sonoma, std cab, long box had. We towed our 30' Award
with it but the Sonoma didn't feel 100% good. I added Reese
twin cam and that, with the friction bar, made for a better
tow. It still wasn't perfect and I wouldn't recommend anyone
else do this. Your truck has more going for it than mine
did. Your track is much wider than mine was. Your suspension
is much stiffer than mine was (2x4). And your frame is
better than mine was.
Friend of mine has a '97 Chevy ext cab, short box, 5.0L
engine, that he tows a 22' Sunline trailer to Florida and
back. He is perfectly satisfied with his power. Your trailer
weights are also similar, so my gut feeling is you will be
satisfied. I don't think I'd go more than that 24' trailer
as the short wb could get you in trouble pretty fast. I'd
definitely recommend a good friction bar sway "control".
Just don't get too relaxed driving, that wb can get you in
trouble in a heart beat. Watch the mirrors and know what's
coming up on you. Know for sure how your trailer feels under
all towing conditions.
Something to really watch out for. If going down a grade, on
an interstate, you let off the gas and feel your trailer
"wiggling" back there, SLOW DOWN, pull over and take up on
your friction bar. Then proceed, keeping your speed down and
be even more alert to that "wiggle". It can and will kill
you and yours and once it starts in earnest, it ends in
upset. That you can take to the bank.
Hugh - hoping this helps
Steph and Dud B.
friction sway control. They need constant monitoring and attention. Going
down a long grade? Tighten it up. Wet road? Loosen it. Backing into a
tight space? Loosen it again. That (and the far superior performance) is
the beauty of a Hensley or PullRite hitch - you set them and forget them.
"Hugh" <hug...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3B85573B...@earthlink.net...
Hugh
Fraid you misread my post. I never touch my friction bar,
once it's set. If you follow my reasoning, first comes the
"non-sway-bar-setup". This has to be almost good enough. In
other words, if something like a bus, going by at 20+ mph
more than you, sets up a one time swing of the trailer and
the trailer settles down without any special input from the
driver, other than the usual wheel movement, it's ok to use
the friction bar. Using the bar does not mean "crank the
mother till it won't crank no more", it means, just snug the
lever up enough to offer "some" resistance. Going more than
that is foolish. All that friction bar is supposed to do, in
my opinion, is dampen the swing of the trailer.
The situation I describe above happens to people all the
time. Usually, they aren't watching the back end of the
trailer that close. It happens even with a heavy tow vehicle
pulling a lighter trailer, they just can't feel it.
People need to realize, friction bars are a form of shock
absorber. The first real shocks on cars were arms pivoting
on an adjustable friction setup. This "dampened" the up and
down movements of the suspension parts. The same principle
needs to be applied to the friction bar sway "controls".
Just as tightening the old friction shocks would defeat
their purpose, doing the same with friction bars renders
them useless.
Hope I explained myself better this time. I was trying to
help Wayne with his question. He's going to be driving a rig
that will need careful setup to be safe.
Hugh
xupp...@vaxxine.com
- awsome.
The only thing I would suggest is get a good hitch and watch the
tranny as you can easily cook it if you're into the hill/mountains.
Flat hauling should be problems.
On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 20:57:03 -0400, "Wayne" <n4...@bellsouth.net>
wrote:
>I've just purchased a 24 foot used Sportsmen.
UCA Consultants
remove the "x" for proper e-mail address.
Will Sill
>People need to realize, friction bars are a form of shock
>absorber. The first real shocks on cars were arms pivoting
>on an adjustable friction setup. This "dampened" the up and
>down movements of the suspension parts. The same principle
>needs to be applied to the friction bar sway "controls".
You're right that early "snubbers" were friction devices. But it's my
POV that you do NOT want a trailer to "stick" in any given angle with
respect to the tow car.
While obviously many people feel their friction gadget "helps", I'd
encourage everyone to think through the claims very carefully. A
wrench with a 20-foot handle can generate enormous torque, right?
In order to provide enough restraint to meaningfully resist a 20-foot
trailer from rotating freely on the ball, any friction device must be
pretty tight. BUT, since it generates the SAME amount of resistance to
a return to the straight condition, it could easily cause you to lose
control. (Cam-type devices have a small advantage in this regard,
since they return easily to center IF the deviation isn't too great.)
Which might help to explain why I feel that if they are too loose they
don't do squat, too tight and they can cause a control problem - and
nobody can tell for sure how tight is right!
Will KD3XR
Hugh
Still, I'd rather see a rig, using a conventional hitch, add
a friction sway bar. Will, the things work. I've used, am
still using them and am convinced they do some good. If you
read what I wrote, I am saying they should not be used as a
band aid for a poor towing setup. I know what they feel like
when they are too tight and I know what they feel like when
they are too loose. It doesn't take long to "feel" them out.
They come with instructions and the y don't say to "crank
till it stops". Cranking them up as tight as they can go,
will result in you going in circles.
My point is, there are too many of these light tow vehicles
being hitched to light weight trailers to ignore them. We
have two distinct groups, those who keep going bigger and
those looking for something light enough to tow. The
friction bar sway "control" fits the needs of the latter.
Hugh
Wayne
Robert was correct! The tow rating for this year model is 5500 lbs. NOT
4000 like the Chevy dealer told me!! I think he might have been talking
about the "bumper towing capacity" and not the tow package.
This model of the Z71 came with both gear ratios. It took some looking,
but, this one has the 3.42 package.
Thanks to all the good info, and some great input from the "GMC" dealer, it
looks like this truck might handle this unit. The GMC dealer also said that
a single or double stabilizer system would go a long way in making this
combination handle better and more safely.
Well, I guess it is time for a test drive. I've got a feeling that I might
STILL end up with a different tow vehicle!! :)) Oh well, Christmas is
right around the corner!!
Thanks to everyone.
Wayne & Donna
Wilmington, NC
Hugh
Enjoy it Wayne.
Hugh
HHamp5246
>Robert was correct! The tow rating for this year model is 5500 lbs.
Hey, hey..... I told you that first. (c:
<grumble, grumble> No one listens to girls.....
Hunter, watching Condit bobbing and weaving
Will Sill
>This model of the Z71 came with both gear ratios. It took some looking,
>but, this one has the 3.42 package.
As I suspected. NOT a good figure for towing. In top gear that is
equivalent to 2:39:1 - an absurd number for anything but dead level
w/tailwind or downhill.
>Thanks to all the good info, and some great input from the "GMC" dealer, it
>looks like this truck might handle this unit. The GMC dealer also said that
>a single or double stabilizer system would go a long way in making this
>combination handle better and more safely.
What is "a single or double stabilizer system"??
Let me remind you that I'm saying that rig is simply not the right one
for a heavy trailer. Since I own a similar one and tow with it
regularly, I assure you that anything over about 2 tons is startying
to have the tail wag the dog.
Will KD3XR