towing with a tahoe

[snacob14]

hey guys, I'm looking for a new family/atv tow rig. I've looked at the powerstrokes an cummins and all that stuff, but really am trying to stay on a budget since this is going to be my vehicle. I"m trying to keep the wife in the nicer vehicle. I've been looking at the 97-99 tahoe/yukons. 5.7l v8 4wd's. anyone use this rig. How well do they tow. I"ll be towing at the most a 12 foot trailer with three bikes on it. I'm looking for something that will pull it all without much trouble. Currently I'm using my dad's z71 with a 5.3 in it. IT does the trick, but sometimes feels overloaded with all our gear and two quads. Anyone have any input on this. Also, what are you guys getting for MPG's in these hogs.

[Pipeless416]

the biggest thing that will be hurting you with a tahoe is the short wheelbase. the 5.3 will pull a 12 foot trailer pretty easily, but even with a trailer that small, windy days won't be fun. i would get at least a suburban if you plan to do a lot of towing with it.

[TCracin440ex]

Originally posted by snacob14
hey guys, I'm looking for a new family/atv tow rig. I've looked at the powerstrokes an cummins and all that stuff, but really am trying to stay on a budget since this is going to be my vehicle. I"m trying to keep the wife in the nicer vehicle. I've been looking at the 97-99 tahoe/yukons. 5.7l v8 4wd's. anyone use this rig. How well do they tow. I"ll be towing at the most a 12 foot trailer with three bikes on it. I'm looking for something that will pull it all without much trouble. Currently I'm using my dad's z71 with a 5.3 in it. IT does the trick, but sometimes feels overloaded with all our gear and two quads. Anyone have any input on this. Also, what are you guys getting for MPG's in these hogs.

ok here is my take on the tahoe and burban...both are great vehicles. the 97-99 were known for the intake gaskets shifting causing overheating problems. they are a good running motor with plenty of power other then that. the tahoe itself will pull a 12ft trailer without a problem. my mom had a tahoe z71 and we had a 21ft boat that it pulled without a problem. but personally id be looking for a 2000-up with the 5.3 vortec in it. the 5.3 vortec is alot better motor then the old 350s. they last alot longer and the ignition on the newer body style tahoes and silverados are far more advanced with coil packs and capable of alot better mpg. draggin a trailer with a 5.7 tahoe you might be looking at right arround 10mpg the 350 vortec are kind of harsh on gas


also what year is the z71 with the 5.3 in it and is it a reg cab or ext cab. sometimes the reg cabs do feel like they are over loaded because of such short wheelbase.

[TCracin440ex]

Originally posted by Pipeless416
the biggest thing that will be hurting you with a tahoe is the short wheelbase. the 5.3 will pull a 12 foot trailer pretty easily, but even with a trailer that small, windy days won't be fun. i would get at least a suburban if you plan to do a lot of towing with it.

the tahoe aint much shorter then the burban honestly...maybe 2 ft shorter. but the burban is probally got quite a few lbs on it

you are right about the 5.3 tho...its an awsome motor. i think its one of the best motors chevy ever put in a truck. they last for a long time they get awsome gas mileage alot better then any 5.7 350sb

[honda400ex2003]

See now i feel just the opposite in the 5.3 vs the 5.7. i dont like the 5.3 at all. It just does not pull very good compared to the 5.7. the 5.7 has more torque than the 5.3 does so it pulls better from a stand still. although the 5.3 does have higher peak horsepower. The 5.7 truck will get about 14 pulling our 16ft floe with 2 sport machines and 2 4x4s. my 400, 300, rancher, and a rincon. Our burb gets about 12 pulling the same in o/d with it being worse in the t/h mode. the truck runs significantly lower rpms at speed compared to the 5.3 which struggles to get up a steeper incline even with the lower gears in o/d. We used to get 8-10 mpg with the 5.7 pulling a 30ft camper. i know our burb wouldnt pull it nearly as well as the truck. our truck is a z71 1997 with our suburban z71 being an 03 also for note. the truck gets 18-20 highway and the burb gets 18 empty, if you are lucky when you have the wind pushing you going down hill. the truck gets 18 at least even with a load in the back. All are nice vehicles and you should not be worried about putting your wife in any of them i would drive any. I would rather drive the 1997 than the 03 but it is all preference. just my .02 though, steve

[TCracin440ex]

oh im not taking anything from the 350sb...the 350sb has been arround for years and years. and still a very much desired motor to this day. you cant go wrong on either tahoe or burban. both are great vehicles.

honda you are also comparing apples to oranges. you are comparing a truck which is a vortec 350 to a burb which is 5.3

a vortec 350 silvy and a vortec 323 silvy compare them 2 and see which one pulls better. both are very awsome motors but with some small changes to the 5.3 you are capable of getting more then 20mpg hwy

i will also add that the older tahoes/burbans/silverados had alot of fuel pump issues. i replaced 2 fuel pumps in my 98 before i realized it was the wire harness itself going to the pump. my mom also had a pump replaced in her tahoe too. them pumps aint cheap coming in at 350$ or better.

i would jus spend the lil extra money and get a newer style tahoe or burban.

[honda400ex2003]

i know i am comparing apples to oranges but i am just using them as a reference. We have a topper and stuff on the truck so it is closer to the burb. I would definitely spring for a newer one just to have a newer vehicle that will hold its value better and is worth more. steve

[TCracin440ex]

oh def. man. i dont think he would be going wrong with the 350sb but i believe he would be better off in the long run with the 323.


but both are good vehicles. you should have a problem out of either one towing a 12ft trailer with quads and gear


also something might be wrong with your dads truck if it feels sluggish pulling a 12ft trailer with quads and gear. that truck should pull the trailer with no problem what so ever

[pizmo 400ex]

I just got an 02 chevy avalanche z71 and that thing pulls pretty good. We loaded our 12ft trailor with a 400ex ,z400, cr125 and a breeze 125, not to mention the bed was filled with wood and I could barely tell the trailor was there. I did already have to buy a fuel pump though, only cost me $400 to get it replaced. It's a good truck, has alot of inside space and it runs good.

[honda400ex2003]

Originally posted by TCracin440ex

also something might be wrong with your dads truck if it feels sluggish pulling a 12ft trailer with quads and gear. that truck should pull the trailer with no problem what so ever

the truck pulls everything great from a 12 foot 2 place to our old 30 ft camper along with the burb doing good but the truck just gets better mpg doing everything. you cant beat the space in the burb though with room for 7. that is nice. it is sometimes about the group and not about the pulling. the ave is a great truck, i wish i could afford to have one right now cause that would be the best of both worlds. a box that is bigger and full size inside. the new quad cab trucks are really nice too for space, plus have a full size box. it all depends on what you haul, who you haul and what you will be doing with it on a daily basis. any chevy you cant go wrong, each has its own place and time to use. Steve

steve

[TCracin440ex]

Originally posted by honda400ex2003
the truck pulls everything great from a 12 foot 2 place to our old 30 ft camper along with the burb doing good but the truck just gets better mpg doing everything. you cant beat the space in the burb though with room for 7. that is nice. it is sometimes about the group and not about the pulling. the ave is a great truck, i wish i could afford to have one right now cause that would be the best of both worlds. a box that is bigger and full size inside. the new quad cab trucks are really nice too for space, plus have a full size box. it all depends on what you haul, who you haul and what you will be doing with it on a daily basis. any chevy you cant go wrong, each has its own place and time to use. Steve

steve


i wasnt refering to you bro. i was refering to snacob. his dads 5.3 should pull the 12ft trailer no problem.

I can pull a 12ft trailer with 3 ATV's on it and the back loaded up with gear in a 4 cylinder Toyota Highlander that hardly has any power as it is. I get about 20MPG towing. It would be much nicer with the V6 though. Anyways my point is i'm sure a Tahoe is capable of towing a 12ft trailer.

[tri5ron]

I get 16-17 mpg avg. in my '97 Burb 5.7 vortec (not towing).

It will tow my i/o 16' boat, and not even know it's there.

It will also tow my 14' enclosed trailer with 4 quads, 3 landsailers(2 of which are about 250-300 lbs each) and a 1/4 cord of firewood.
(I don't know the mileage while towing, but I'd guess it at about 12-13 mpg while towing).

My '97 c3500 crewcab dually, 7.4 vortec, with 4200 lb. Lance Cabover, and same above trailer gets 8.5 mpg @ 56-57 mph.
6.5 to 7 mpg @ 60-62 mph.

My 52,000 lb Concrete truck, with a 4 cyl, Detroit 50 series, gets 4.5 mpg fully loaded, and will still climb a freaking tree,..... :p
(just thought I'd throw that one in there too) :D

BTW- I've got a new 600hp, 8000+ rpm, 350sb, that I'm looking to sell, (really), but it dosent qualify in the mpg arena, Its more of a "gpm" issue. :devil: (and probably dosent really qualify as a "preferred wife's powerplant") LOL!
But I'm pretty sure it'll move any dang thing you want to hook up to it !!!

[born2ride14]

WE haul our 20 ft race trailer with our 2000 z71 tahoe, it pulls it pretty good, the sort wheel base isnt good when it windy. But i woulndt hesitate to pull a 16ft trailer with it. The tahoe has 33s on it, flowmaaster pipes and k n air filter, the computer has been reprogramed withthe hypertech programmer. We get 9MPG !!!!!!!!! o well

[mxduner]

I would go 'all in' and get the newer burb. both motors are awesome, and will easily tow your stuff. the newer style she will love the ride and turning radius way better, and the easy steering.

my 1/2 ton silv gets 18.5 mpg going back and forth to work 1/2 city 1/2 highway. That is with 33.5's. freeway and 14' enclosed it got 13-14's at 74 mph. That is with a lift and the tire's. Btw it has 190k miles and barely uses any oil.

[Flynbryan19]

I have either owned or driven a 97' tahoe (5.7 vortec), 99 tahoe (same motor), 00' tahoe (5.3 vortec), and a 08 tahoe (5.3 vortec). Out of them all I liked the 97 tahoe the best far as towing. The 5.3L motors will tow fine, but they have to constantly sing a tune on the tranny between drive and overdrive. My 5.7L would lug alot lower with out having to shift up and down all the time. They're all nice vehicles, but obviously as they got newer the creature comforts were nicer.

A 5.7L Vortec will tow a trailer of that size fine. It won't get the greatest mileage ( got around 12mpg hauling a similar load), but once you get in a vehilce this size your not buying it for mileage. You buying it for what it will haul. FWIW I could get 20mpg empty on the interstate and 13-14mpg around town.

[ben300]

ive pulled a 25 foot enclosed trailer iwth three different yukon/tahoe models, my dads old 96 yukon wiht the 5.7, a 00 5.7 (friends), and an 03 5.3(same friends), adn by far the 5.7 pullled better than the 5.3 did..from a dead stand still and going up steep inclines you will notice a diffenence in the 5.7's power over the 5.3. I am basing this cause we would use these to pull the trailer with various luggage from quads to hunting equipment from western PA to just outside vail colorado. we noticed the difference in the torque espeicially when we got out west in the higher elevation with steeper inclines.

the 5.3 got better gas mileage for sure when pulling across the plain states, but we got better gas mileage when we started getting into the mountains with the 5.7.

ive also pulled stuff, not that trailer, but others, and several hundred multi chord trailer loads of wood wtih an 04 5.3l 1500 chevy crew cab, adn i stil think the 5.7 pulles better. i personally think its just one of the better motors that gm ever made..


personally i would buy a newer vehicle over and older vehicle, regardless of engine size. you'd be happy with either motors, thee really isnt going to be that much of a difference in either that its going to bother you. I personally think that a newer vehicle for daily driving purposes is jsut a better investment.

[honda400ex2003]

Originally posted by TCracin440ex
i wasnt refering to you bro. i was refering to snacob. his dads 5.3 should pull the 12ft trailer no problem.

lol, sorry i thought it was for me. lol. Steve

[snacob14]

well, I'm kinda on a budget, in a few years I can get what I want...quadcab f250...but until then I need something that will get me by back and forth to work, and tow me to practice with two quads 3-4 times a month and have room for the whole family if necessary. I'm thinking I can find a 97-2000 that will do that and still give me plenty of full size room for hte family.

[raptorobbie]

i have an 06 suburban z71 and it must have the 5.3L in it (the smaller V8). this summer we towed a 20' enclosed trailer w/ 3 full size quads and 3 mini quads plus a ton of gear and luggage/food for a week w/ no problems. I did spring for the weight distributing hitch w/ sway control - 70mph down the interstate w/ no problem.

Make sure you get a brake controller too if your trailer is big enough - I towed 3 quads in an enclosed 12' trailer and could really feel it when braking b/c the trailer didn't have its own brakes.

my 2 cents.....



good luck - rob