towing with a 1500 w/Z71 pkg
 

I'm new to this forum. Hope I'm in the right place. ;)

I need some advice on towing with my 2010 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab 4x4. It's a 5.3, 6 speed, It has the Z71 pkg, which gives it a 3.08 rear end.

Does anyone tow a travel trailer with this truck that has a 3.08 in it?? The book says it can tow 6700. GCVWR: 12200. I'm not sure what's the max size travel trailer I can tow. How well does it handle when it close to the max towing capacity??

Also, does anyone know if I have GM change out the gears to a 3.42 does GM void the 100,000 powertrain warranty??

Thanks,
Melissa :)

Hi chevygirl02,

Welcome to the Chevy Forums.

On a positive note, the Z71 offroad chassis package offers the constant additional traction of the G80 posi-rear, as well as slightly larger wheels, which will provide a little additional stability advantage when considering hauling a higher weight ratio.

However, most veteran haulers look for some "reserve capacity" when towing loads, especially in rough weather or hilly road conditions. What this means is that while hauling the maximum tow weight for your specific vehicle is technically feasible, there's a large difference between towing that weight on a dry, straight, level highway in broad daylight during good weather versus towing the same load down a steep,narrow, curvy mountain grade at night in heavy weather. Also, the more constant the load, the higher the overall stress on the drive-train, once you approach or exceed the maximum allowable weight.

The exact amount of specific leeway is somewhat of a gray area, and open to debate. Many argue 10 to 20% lighter loads than the maximum listings, while I have to agree that it depends largely upon the overall percentage of haul time during the life of the vehicle.

Suffice it to say, waiting till you're overburdened in adverse driving conditions is a bad time to give your most serious consideration to this matter, as it is most likely also when the tail will try to wag the dog.

As to changing to the 342s, most of us wait till the warranties expire before considering any large drive-train changes. Considering a jump to a higher gear ratio may be in order,(such as 373s) as going to 342s from 308s while noticeable, may be a negligible improvement. You may want to reconsider this change for awhile, perhaps while taking the opportunity to try driving trucks with other gear ratios before you buy. I personally love my 342s, many others consider it to be a doggy gear. I did, however convert down from the punchy 410s, leapfrogging the 373s, and I have been quite satisfied with the change.

Furthermore, the only advantage of having GM do the job, given the additional expense of paying top dollar at a dealership, would be an ironclad guarantee IN WRITING the work does NOT void ANY warranty. :cool:

My 2011 Z71 silverado crew cab 4x4 owners manual states a 5.3L with K5L HD cooling, 3.08 gear can tow 6,700. and same package with 3.42 gear can tow 9,500. seems like a significant increase to me. and since it lists that in the owners manual it must be a factory option. Mine has the 3.08 but I need to tow a 6630 dry weight trailer, I want to regear but Is it that simple or would anything else need changing.

Hi Scottfer,

Welcome to the Chevrolet forums. Please bear with me,

I'm just hooking this revived thread

up to life support. Most ultralight trailers today are in the

4500 to 6500 lb range, dry, depending upon size. I just got

a 28' Keystone which is, IIRC, 5870 lbs. That's a 25 footer, with

a three foot tongue.

Still have the same pickup truck, and I am more satisfied with my

decision to get the 342s, lo these few years ago, than ever. But

towing was a secondary consideration, when I made my gear change.

Improved gas mileage, and lower highway RPMs, on the long hauls

was my primary objective.

Do you intend to do long hauls? If you are primarily interested in

staying in a small area of the country, I would recommend

researching 373s. They are a very common and popular GM

gear, but you would sacrifice gas mileage for torque, and have

higher highway RPMs than with 342s. But at what it costs to

have new gears installed,(guesstimate-2600$-OTD?? now?) it would be worth a look.

As to the gear replacement itself, your on-board computer,

assuming it's stilled called a "PCM", would need to be re-flashed to

adjust your speedometer to reflect the proper speeds with your

new gearing.


I'm assuming you know, of course, that you must match your

front differential gearing to your rear differential.

Or, you could stick that 2600$ back into your pocket, and go for the

gas savings on those (oh, so gnarly-I'm so jealous) 308s...

thank you very much for the reply, i also posted the same question in another thread i started as i was impatient and not familiar with the forum. I am seriously considering keeping the 308's and tow in 5M with tow haul mode activated .

If your horsepower with the gears you have is acceptable,

I would avoid a gear change. I changed mine because the 410s

I had, while, in all likelihood, as a work truck, would have provided great torque

and horsepower, at cruising speeds on the highways was roaring

along at 3400 RPM.

it will be a load but hey its a chevy
i'll take the back roads
im sure your savings at the gas pump has been substantial

Actually, almost insane is more like
it. 3MPG highway, and I doubled my
gas mileage around town. I used to fill up once a week, now it's once every
two weeks.
But the only way a gear change pays
for itself in gas mileage is if you keep the truck for years afterward.

My estimate for you is the 342s would
lose you @1.5-to-2 MPG highway. So
if you aren't towing almost constantly,
it probably wouldn't be worth it.

yeah i agree, no gear change for me. I really like the truck and have all intentions of keeping it for many years. My towing will be only 6-8 times a year and most of that will be about a 20 mile haul to the lake.
Ive had the truck a full week now and man its sweet!
Anything you know of thats been a problem i need to look out for on my model?
I saw the thread about the cracked dash, looks like that was resolved before 2011.
Wow 3 mpg... that is insane, you can afford the new silverado with all the savings from that over the years.

IME, a 3 MPG mileage increase is almost unheard of. Mileage increases

can usually be measured in 1/10th of a MPG. Makes a huge difference,

especially because at 11MPG, once you get below half a tank, you're

looking for a gas station. In this case, I also put on a fiberglass cap.

MPG increase on the cap was also 3MPG! Now, at 17MPG highway, I'm

looking for a gas station at 1/4 of a tank.