silverado 1500 with 5.3 tow packages

Is this going to be enough to tow a Jay flight 248rbs ?

The gross weight is 6800 pounds . I dont want to buy too much truck but I also want to by the right one.

Why a Chevy ?  a lots of incentive from GM and from my workplace.... !!

Homer1959 said:

Is this going to be enough to tow a Jay flight 248rbs ?

The gross weight is 6800 pounds . I dont want to buy too much truck but I also want to by the right one.

Why a Chevy ?  a lots of incentive from GM and from my workplace.... !!

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The 1500 will be "enough" to tow your trailer and some gear in the bed. Just watch your payload weight. The trailer will put around 700# of tongue wt on the truck.

The big question is..... is "enough" what you really want. It's sure nice to know that you have adequate  truck for the load when the going gets tough. Sometimes "enough" isn't quite as much as you may want it to be. IMHO, a 2500 series would make you feel much better with that size trailer. You might also want to consider that this may not be the trailer that you stick with for the long haul. 

I know I know there is always the what if, and the but in any decision thats why I cant wait to be done with this purchase 

Dry tongue weight is 555 so like you said its easy to see close to 700 I think.....wonder how much tongue weight the hitch can take on this truck ?

Homer1959 said:

I know I know there is always the what if, and the but in any decision thats why I cant wait to be done with this purchase 

Dry tongue weight is 555 so like you said its easy to see close to 700 I think.....wonder how much tongue weight the hitch can take on this truck ?

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A Class4 receiver hitch is rated at 1,000#. You will want to use a WDH.

I had an '07 Silvy 1500. I towed my brother's 25' Wilderness travel trailer (about that same weight) to Montana for him. NEVER again...... I was on pins & needles on the steep grades. It wasn't the power going up, it was the brakes overheating going down. I kept the speed way down and road the 7-8% grades in 2nd gear @ ~ 35-40MPH.

Looks like fun  :

Well another question 3.08 or 3.42 in the diff ? Which one is the best compromise for pulling power and fuel economy ( yes I know ) relative fuel economy ?

3.42 will definitely be better, the transmission will never shift into hi gear with 3.08. IMHO, the 1500 will be the minimum for that trailer, we live on the left coast and that truck would struggle.

Homer1959 said:

Looks like fun  :

Well another question 3.08 or 3.42 in the diff ? Which one is the best compromise for pulling power and fuel economy ( yes I know ) relative fuel economy ?

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I believe that the tow package comes with 3.73 diff.

It's probably enough, but if you're going to tow a lot in the mountains, I'd step up to a 2500.  Towing is more than just "can I move the load?".  Being able to control the load is even more important.  My thing with "half ton" trucks is their suspensions feel cushy and sloppy to me.  A "3/4 ton" truck will have a beefier suspension, brakes, steering, frame, etc. 

As mentioned above...do you want "enough" truck, or do you want one that will manhandle your trailer in any conditions?  Your call.

I would have to say your not going to be happy. It not the weight that's a issue but the pure length it will be like the tail wagging the dog and white knuckle ride. I own both 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks but I can tell you I can load up a short utility trailer with 7,000 or so pounds of firewood and being shot length the 1/2 tons it just fine. But now empty my RV 31' Jayco and get close to 7,300 pounds and the 1/2 ton still pulls it but the first sign of a breeze its can get rather wild feeling. (white knuckles).

From the other posts - your planning on wintering warm, live in Quebec, and retired.

From Quebec to -- Florida, Texas - your going to hit a hill or 2. You loose 3% per 1000' of elevation in a gas engine. You have to factor that in. It is also a (Montreal to Tampa) 1500 mile trek or Texas (Montreal to Corpus Christi) 2100 mile trek. With the distance involved, a bit of the larger truck makes for a less strenuous drive. Engine not pulling as hard, knuckles not as white, etc.

Your going to be warm - that means that you'll be leaving in Nov and returning in April (give or take some there). Either way, within the 180 days. So, the truck / trailer will be your home for that time. More clothes, pots pans, stuff in general for a 180 day stay than for the average weekend. (More truck for more weight).

Retired  - NO WORK DAYS - a goodly portion of the trucks' duty is going to be pulling the trailer and stuff back and forth to the warm places. Daily mileage is less of a concern than the daily commute to and from work.

My old diesel gets 21 miles per gallon running empty and 14 pulling 12,000 of trailer.
The new one - LOL - you don't want to ask. ---- 9 mpg pulling 24K of trailer (see icon) - wife runs behind with a F150 that we use as a daily driver.

This is always a difficult question, for several reasons. "Enough" is somewhat a matter of your performance expectation, plus it is affected by the terrain and other driving conditions, the weight of people and gear that will be in the truck, and even the proportion of time spent towing vs other driving.

There is no question that a 2500 would be a superior towing vehicle,  even with a similar power train, but maybe the 1500 is "enough" for your needs.  A 6800 lb trailer with a 700-800 lb tongue weight is well within the trucks rated capacity IF equipped with the 3.42 axle. I would consider the 3.08 to be inadequate because the max tow with that is only 6700 lbs and you would be pushing the limits too far. By the way, you didn't say but I am figuring an extended cab truck with either standard (6.5 ft) or long (8 ft) bed and either 2WD or 4WD.  A 2500 with a similar cab & bed is going to be equipped with the 6.0L engine and be a stronger truck all the way around, perhaps at some cost in fuel economy. The 2500 tow capacity starts at around 9600 lbs, giving you plenty of suspension, power & braking for heavy loads.

Wavery said:

I believe that the tow package comes with 3.73 diff.

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Wavery knows more about this than me, and can likely clarify.  I sure don't know about the newer models, but i can say that in my '06 the tow package didn't define the rear end......
I assumed my truck had the 3.73:1 since it had the factory tow package, but when  checked it, it has the 3.42:1 rear end..... really limits my capacities.....

The 4WD model sometimes has a higher ration rear axle than the 2WD, even though the rest of the specs may be similar. That might explain the differing reports of axle configuration.

Mopar1973Man said:

I would have to say your not going to be happy. It not the weight that's a issue but the pure length it will be like the tail wagging the dog and white knuckle ride. I own both 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks but I can tell you I can load up a short utility trailer with 7,000 or so pounds of firewood and being shot length the 1/2 tons it just fine. But now empty my RV 31' Jayco and get close to 7,300 pounds and the 1/2 ton still pulls it but the first sign of a breeze its can get rather wild feeling. (white knuckles).

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HMMMMM! "tail wagging the dog" was not an issue with my '07 Silvy 1500. It had a 157" wheel base and was very stable towing that 25' trailer, even in high winds (which I had plenty  :-\). The 1500 was soft in the rear until I really cinched down on the WDH. The big issue was breaking, going down steep grades. If I let it get above 40MPH (I mean like 41), I had a hard time slowing it down and I could smell the brakes. I had to pull over on a few occasions and allow the brakes to cool....... and "Yes" the trailer brakes were working  )

My take is your gonna find out you want a bigger trailer than 24'. So while you will be fine towing it with that truck, you might want to think about what you need to tow a larger trailer.

I sat back and watched the responses trickle in.  Both to this thread, and to the other one posted about the TT itself.  Clearly the consensus, (nearly unanimous) was that you'd be unhappy with the 1500 and would be much better off in the long run with a 2500.    I have to agree based on all the arguments offered so far.  I think the REAL question is, were you really looking for advice, or just hoping for a confirmation of the decision that you've already made.
My son decided to buy a Silverado 1500 to pull their new horse trailer.  Even though it was spec'd sufficient to pull the weight, (gooseneck), and the suspension was spec'd to handle the weight in the bed, both were fairly close to the limits.  My advice was to go with a 2500.  He wasn't really asking for my advice, it turns out.  What he wanted was for me to put my "rubber stamp" of approval on his decision to buy the 1500.  Of course he did, and now that he's had it a little while, he's already shopping for a heavier duty truck.  Of course, his "cover story" is that he's planning to upgrade his trailer in the future, and will need a heavier truck for that use.  As all you guys out there surely know, it would violate a code if a son ever admits that his father was right.  The only exception is when one of the two is deathly ill.  In that case, the admission can be made, but only quietly in private.  Of course, both father and son must understand that this confession is protected confidential information, which can never be shared with anyone else.

Wavery said:

If I let it get above 40MPH (I mean like 41), I had a hard time slowing it down and I could smell the brakes. I had to pull over on a few occasions and allow the brakes to cool....... and "Yes" the trailer brakes were working  )

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And this is where a diesel with an exhaust brake really shines.  For those of us who tow heavy loads in mountainous terrain at high elevations where steep grades for long distances are more the rule than the exception, having a big diesel truck is a no brainer.  With the engine brake engaged, downhill is bub bub bub bub bub bub bub..... and the brakes seldom if ever get touched. 

"Enough" truck, at least out here, isn't enough.  Too much is just right.....

Well, I maybe on the minority but have to say it all depends on the 1500 configuration. There are 1500 with 1,400 payload and others with 1,753. The way they are equipped, the new trucks can be a big difference.  It also depends where do you travel, how many miles you want to tow, and how fast you want to go.  I used to pull a 6,700 TT with a 1,753 payload 4WD 1500 2012 Chevy with no problems using an Equalizes WD.  I do not go to the Rockies so I cannot tell you about what it might be there, but have no plans to head that way.  However, unless some rvers I do not drive over 62. I am amazed to see how many of our friends on the  road forget they are not driving a car, but pulling several tons on the back of their trucks.  I move this year to a 5wheel and needed to buy a 2500.  When you are not pulling something behind, you will wish you would have a 1500. Therefore, the amount you use your truck as a daily driver makes a difference too.  My two cents from recent personal experience.

RVRAC said:

When you are not pulling something behind, you will wish you would have a 1500. Therefore, the amount you use your truck as a daily driver makes a difference too.  My two cents from recent personal experience.

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A lot of people say that, but I disagree.  My new Ram 2500 Cummins is a joy to drive empty too.  It's roomy, near luxury car quiet, feels nice and tight steering and suspension wise, and gets close to 20 mpg empty.  And it has an ABUNDANCE of power.....

Again....JMHO, but I'd rather have a big truck with capacity to spare than a smaller one that is running close to its limits. 

Redbarber !

I was coming for a confirmation about a decision that i was on my way of making.....and since i am older than your and my sons i've learned long ago to listen to people with experience....;-)

I have now everything on hold ...rushing thing is never good.....

thanks to all of you guys