Towing capacity

JDopirak · Apr 27, 2020

Hello,

So i got the itch to finally buy a car trailer as i started working on ls swapping my foxbody mustang and make it a bracket car. I talked to a bunch of people i know about what size trailer to get and every single person said they have or have had a 18ft trailer and it was perfect for my mustang but if they could do it over again they would have bought a 20ft, So i ordered a 20ft but going to a 20ft i bumped it from 7k to 10k trailer. I wasnt really thinking of thrlr weight as its an open car trailer and no one else mentioned it when i talked to them but it weighs 2850lbs dry my mustang will be around 2900 when its all said and done.

My tow rig is 09 yukon 1500
5.3
I added a trans cooler as mine didnt have one from factory.
Brake controller
Did a bunch of motor work to give it a little more pep.(currently getting tuned)
Stock 6l80e i just rebuilt the techm 3 months ago.
3.42 gears.

I am purchasing new oem replacement shocks.
And i was thinking about either finding a replacement stock high coil spring for the rear but a HD version.
Or buying air bags you slip into the coil its self and inflate when towing.

Now i can not track down what my towing capabilities actually are online. Some sources say 5200-5400 and others say 8100-8400. I understand some of that is based on if you have the "heavy duty trailering package" aka trans cooler, brake controller and 3.42 gears. But it doesn't say whether there including the yukon xl in that range. I am willing to upgrade brakes, change gears or even buy a new driveshaft if need be.

So does anyone have experience towing 6k with a similar truck to mine?

I shot my self in the foot not thinking about the actual weight of the trailer being a 10k trailer.

Dantheman1540 · Apr 27, 2020

If you post your RPO code listing from the glove box I believe the code with your tow rating is on there. (Could be wrong I'm not a guru in that department).

6,000lbs is really not bad at all I tow that and more pretty often and the chassis handles it very well. Much better than my 1500 series pickup truck.

My biggest suggestion would be airbags in the rear so you can fine tune how stiff you want it depending on the load you have. The 6l80 is a pretty beefy unit I don't think you will have any issues there especially with a transcooler but you should still keep an eye on the temps.

Anything else is really dependent on your towing style and how far/what region you will be towing in. If your towing several hours in mountains or hills to get to the track then I wouldn't want a 1500 series truck for that. If its an hour or 2 across mostly flat ground I think you will be fine. If you feel the need for more power then I would consider gears to be the best improvement.

Biggest thing is just take it slow.

BG1988 · Apr 27, 2020

JDopirak said:
Hello,

So i got the itch to finally buy a car trailer as i started working on ls swapping my foxbody mustang and make it a bracket car. I talked to a bunch of people i know about what size trailer to get and every single person said they have or have had a 18ft trailer and it was perfect for my mustang but if they could do it over again they would have bought a 20ft, So i ordered a 20ft but going to a 20ft i bumped it from 7k to 10k trailer. I wasnt really thinking of thrlr weight as its an open car trailer and no one else mentioned it when i talked to them but it weighs 2850lbs dry my mustang will be around 2900 when its all said and done.

My tow rig is 09 yukon 1500.
I added a trans cooler as mine didnt have one from factory.
Brake controller
Did a bunch of motor work to give it a little more pep.(currently getting tuned)
Stock 6l80e i just rebuilt the techm 3 months ago.
3.42 gears.

I am purchasing new oem replacement shocks.
And i was thinking about either finding a replacement stock high coil spring for the rear but a HD version.
Or buying air bags you slip into the coil its self and inflate when towing.

Now i can not track down what my towing capabilities actually are online. Some sources say 5200-5400 and others say 8100-8400. I understand some of that is based on if you have the "heavy duty trailering package" aka trans cooler, brake controller and 3.42 gears. But it doesn't say whether there including the yukon xl in that range. I am willing to upgrade brakes, change gears or even buy a new driveshaft if need be.

So does anyone have experience towing 6k with a similar truck to mine?

I shot my self in the foot not thinking about the actual weight of the trailer being a 10k trailer.

which engine?

JDopirak · Apr 27, 2020

Dantheman1540 said:
If you post your RPO code listing from the glove box I believe the code with your tow rating is on there. (Could be wrong I'm not a guru in that department).

6,000lbs is really not bad at all I tow that and more pretty often and the chassis handles it very well. Much better than my 1500 series pickup truck.

My biggest suggestion would be airbags in the rear so you can fine tune how stiff you want it depending on the load you have. The 6l80 is a pretty beefy unit I don't think you will have any issues there especially with a transcooler but you should still keep an eye on the temps.

Anything else is really dependent on your towing style and how far/what region you will be towing in. If your towing several hours in mountains or hills to get to the track then I wouldn't want a 1500 series truck for that. If its an hour or 2 across mostly flat ground I think you will be fine. If you feel the need for more power then I would consider gears to be the best improvement.

Biggest thing is just take it slow.

BG1988 said:
which engine?

5.3 sorry i just edited my post

gooffeyguy · Apr 27, 2020

You will have lots of room on that 20' open trailer with your mustang. I have an 18' open trailer (16' wood deck, 2' diamond plate dovetail) and usually tow a '95 5.0 or a '02 4.6. The trailer's max weight capacity is 7k lbs and weighs about 1800lbs. I have a box on the front with winch, straps, tie downs, etc, and usually also place a 10x10 pop up canopy in it's bag and a few cinder blocks across the front of the deck for transport. So the entire weight I'm towing is about 5200-5500.

I haven't used my 2012 Denali to tow yet, but my 2001 SLT with the 5.3 and 3.73 gears did fine on mostly flat ground (across Missouri, from STL to Indy, and STL to Bowling Green). I did install a larger trans cooler and a good brake controller. The 2001 is rated at only like 280hp and has the 4l60e trans. I'm slowly transitioning to a larger trans cooler and installing a brake controller on the 2012 so I can use it to tow.

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

gooffeyguy · Apr 27, 2020

Also, depending on what suspension you have, whether it's the auto-leveling, air suspension or conventional type. I have the conventional on the 2001 and I did install airlift bags in the rear coils and mounted the inflation valve near the trailer 7pin plug. I would keep them at 10psi when not towing and inflate them to about 30psi when towing. It helped with keeping the rear from sagging.

Also, the placement of the car on the trailer makes a big difference also. I found with my 18' trailer, if I placed the rear bumper of the mustang about even (or just a little forward) of the rear edge of the trailer it left about 2-2.5' in front between the car and end of the deck and also make the tongue weight just under 500lbs

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

swathdiver · Apr 27, 2020

JDopirak said:
Hello,

So i got the itch to finally buy a car trailer as i started working on ls swapping my foxbody mustang and make it a bracket car. I talked to a bunch of people i know about what size trailer to get and every single person said they have or have had a 18ft trailer and it was perfect for my mustang but if they could do it over again they would have bought a 20ft, So i ordered a 20ft but going to a 20ft i bumped it from 7k to 10k trailer. I wasnt really thinking of thrlr weight as its an open car trailer and no one else mentioned it when i talked to them but it weighs 2850lbs dry my mustang will be around 2900 when its all said and done.

My tow rig is 09 yukon 1500
5.3
I added a trans cooler as mine didnt have one from factory.
Brake controller
Did a bunch of motor work to give it a little more pep.(currently getting tuned)
Stock 6l80e i just rebuilt the techm 3 months ago.
3.42 gears.

I am purchasing new oem replacement shocks.
And i was thinking about either finding a replacement stock high coil spring for the rear but a HD version.
Or buying air bags you slip into the coil its self and inflate when towing.

Now i can not track down what my towing capabilities actually are online. Some sources say 5200-5400 and others say 8100-8400. I understand some of that is based on if you have the "heavy duty trailering package" aka trans cooler, brake controller and 3.42 gears. But it doesn't say whether there including the yukon xl in that range. I am willing to upgrade brakes, change gears or even buy a new driveshaft if need be.

So does anyone have experience towing 6k with a similar truck to mine?

I shot my self in the foot not thinking about the actual weight of the trailer being a 10k trailer.

Joe,

You can tow something rated for more than you can tow if you don't exceed your own rating. Does that make sense? How did the TECHM rebuild work out?

Ok, you have the short RWD 2009 GMC Yukon with 3.42 gears if memory serves right? Yours does not have the external engine oil or transmission coolers right? If correct, you are rated to tow 5,900 pounds with a GCWR of 11,500 pounds.

Upgrading to the K5L standard will allow you to tow 8,400 pounds with a GCWR of 14,000 pounds.

The K5L Enhanced Cooling Package aka HD Cooling Package aka Trailering Heavy-Duty Cooling Package consists of 700 watt electric cooling fans, a radiator with the built in engine oil cooler (KC4) and the external transmission oil cooler (KNP).

gooffeyguy · Apr 27, 2020

@swathdiver, I think he has an 09 1500 listed as his vehicle, so that would be an XL?

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

swathdiver · Apr 27, 2020

gooffeyguy said:
@swathdiver, I think he has an 09 1500 listed as his vehicle, so that would be an XL?

Could be either I think. They're both 1/2 tons. Does 1500 usually reference the longer wheelbase?

JDopirak · Apr 27, 2020

Dantheman1540 said:
If you post your RPO code listing from the glove box I believe the code with your tow rating is on there. (Could be wrong I'm not a guru in that department).

6,000lbs is really not bad at all I tow that and more pretty often and the chassis handles it very well. Much better than my 1500 series pickup truck.

My biggest suggestion would be airbags in the rear so you can fine tune how stiff you want it depending on the load you have. The 6l80 is a pretty beefy unit I don't think you will have any issues there especially with a transcooler but you should still keep an eye on the temps.

Anything else is really dependent on your towing style and how far/what region you will be towing in. If your towing several hours in mountains or hills to get to the track then I wouldn't want a 1500 series truck for that. If its an hour or 2 across mostly flat ground I think you will be fine. If you feel the need for more power then I would consider gears to be the best improvement.

Biggest thing is just take it slow.

swathdiver said:
Joe,

You can tow something rated for more than you can tow if you don't exceed your own rating. Does that make sense? How did the TECHM rebuild work out?

Ok, you have the short RWD 2009 GMC Yukon with 3.42 gears if memory serves right? Yours does not have the external engine oil or transmission coolers right? If correct, you are rated to tow 5,900 pounds with a GCWR of 11,500 pounds.

Upgrading to the K5L standard will allow you to tow 8,400 pounds with a GCWR of 14,000 pounds.

The K5L Enhanced Cooling Package aka HD Cooling Package aka Trailering Heavy-Duty Cooling Package consists of 700 watt electric cooling fans, a radiator with the built in engine oil cooler (KC4) and the external transmission oil cooler (KNP).

My truck is currently at the tuners so i cant look at rpo code right now but you are correct 09 5.3 4x4 short body no external cooler factory and no built in brake control factory. But i do have 3.42s i do remember that when looking at rpo codes when i got it.

I guess i did " upgrade" to the K5L package with adding a second cooler that is external so it goes through rad and then into external cooler amd back into the trans i may add a fan im not sure yet. Plus the brake controller.

So with that being said i should be able to tow up to 8400 and be within GM'S reccomended tow rating. As i not technically have that trailering package?

TECHM went slow lol. I found all of the valve body tq specs and procedures,all the placements of the check balls. I watched countless videos and just took my time and it fixed all of my trans issues with the exception of the 2-3 flare. 3 out of 4 diphgrams where cracked/ blown out. I replaced all the check balls, new plate in the valve body i also took some of the springs out and did an overall cleaning of the valve body. I cut open filter and took it to local trans shop and they said it looked perfect for 113k trans.

swathdiver · Apr 27, 2020

JDopirak said:
My truck is currently at the tuners so i cant look at rpo code right now but you are correct 09 5.3 4x4 short body no external cooler factory and no built in brake control factory. But i do have 3.42s i do remember that when looking at rpo codes when i got it.

I guess i did " upgrade" to the K5L package with adding a second cooler that is external so it goes through rad and then into external cooler amd back into the trans i may add a fan im not sure yet. Plus the brake controller.

So with that being said i should be able to tow up to 8400 and be within GM'S reccomended tow rating. As i not technically have that trailering package?

TECHM went slow lol. I found all of the valve body tq specs and procedures,all the placements of the check balls. I watched countless videos and just took my time and it fixed all of my trans issues with the exception of the 2-3 flare. 3 out of 4 diphgrams where cracked/ blown out. I replaced all the check balls, new plate in the valve body i also took some of the springs out and did an overall cleaning of the valve body. I cut open filter and took it to local trans shop and they said it looked perfect for 113k trans.

View attachment 245780 View attachment 245781 View attachment 245786

I'm glad that went well and hope that your experience inspires others to rebuild their TECHMs too and avoid unnecessary rebuilds.

If your 2009 was built prior to December 2008, the cause of the 2-3 flare maybe caused by leakage in the sealing ring area on the pump cover which feeds the 1-2-3-4 and 3-5 reverse clutch packs. GM has a new design pump cover with 2-piece sealing rings with anti-rotation tabs which will also work on older design pumps. New pumps come with them already installed, 24248573. Must use a pump alignment tool. No genius here, just picked up a copy of the ATSG 6L80 Rebuild and Service Manual.

JDopirak · Apr 27, 2020

swathdiver said:
I'm glad that went well and hope that your experience inspires others to rebuild their TECHMs too and avoid unnecessary rebuilds.

If your 2009 was built prior to December 2008, the cause of the 2-3 flare maybe caused by leakage in the sealing ring area on the pump cover which feeds the 1-2-3-4 and 3-5 reverse clutch packs. GM has a new design pump cover with 2-piece sealing rings with anti-rotation tabs which will also work on older design pumps. New pumps come with them already installed, 24248573. Must use a pump alignment tool. No genius here, just picked up a copy of the ATSG 6L80 Rebuild and Service Manual.

It really wasnt bad as long as you take your time. If anyone has questions they can contact me.

Man i wish i knew that was the fix when i had the motor out, I could have pulled converter put and swapped put the trans pump probably wouldnt take long if i had all the tq specs and what not.

swathdiver · Apr 27, 2020

JDopirak said:
It really wasnt bad as long as you take your time. If anyone has questions they can contact me.

Man i wish i knew that was the fix when i had the motor out, I could have pulled converter put and swapped put the trans pump probably wouldnt take long if i had all the tq specs and what not.

Yeah, but still not a big deal if you're physically able to pull it out, fix it and pop it back in over a weekend or even a whole Saturday. Oh to be young again, we used to pull a race car into our shop and 60 minutes later the motor was a bare block!

intheburbs · Apr 28, 2020

JDopirak said:
So with that being said i should be able to tow up to 8400 and be within GM'S reccomended tow rating. As i not technically have that trailering package?

Ok, fine, I'll be the nag/weight police....

I've found that most people "estimate" the weight of their trailer way low. It's amazing how easy it is to throw 500, 1000 lbs of junk into a trailer when gearing up for a trip. Most people buy based on "dry weight," while the actual "as loaded" weight is substantially higher.

I tow an 8600-lb trailer (verified on a scale) with my 2500 Suburban. That maxes me out on all of my ratings - RAWR, GVWR, GCWR. Actually, it puts me slightly over on 1 or 2. ;-) According to my owner's manual, my "tow rating" is 9,300. Yeah, right.

Comparing to a short-wheelbase half-ton, Tahoe or Yukon, the 2500 has over 1000 lbs more curb weight (to lessen the chances of the tail from wagging the dog), as well as the longer wheelbase (more stability). No way, no how, would I ever even contemplate pulling anything near 8,000 lbs with a short-wheelbase half-ton. I pulled a 7,000-lb trailer all over the country with a half-ton Suburban, and while I wouldn't say I was always white-knuckled, it certainly was never boring, either. A short-wheelbase tow vehicle would almost certainly put one into "white knuckle" territory.

An 8,000-lb trailer, properly loaded/balanced, is going to have over 1000 lbs of tongue weight. That will easily overwhelm your payload and rear axle ratings. And that doesn't even take into account your GCWR.

Can a Tahoe/Yukon comfortable tow 5-6,000 lbs? Sure. All day every day. But 7-8000 lbs? Nope. Bad things will happen, and stuff is going to break.

ETA: Weigh slip from my last long haul to Wyoming last year. Plug these numbers in for a Tahoe, and let me know how that works out...

petethepug · Apr 29, 2020

Went looking through some of the links to trans manuals in past posts … found a PDF link to known, common 6L80/6L90 issues, part updates and best of all pictures!

https://atracom.blob.core.windows.net/webinars/gm/6l50_80_90_updates.pdf

LittleFish · Apr 30, 2020

Look at your tire pressure prior to towing. If it shows 44 PSI MAX, I would set it at 44 to give the tires less flex and maintain the coolest temp you could have on those tires. If you went to a 8 or 10 ply rating on the tires, I would go to 65 psi at a minimum to prevent heating. Your trailer should have electric or surge brakes. Try a few stops to figure out where to set your brake controller for best balance. Be sure and grease wheel bearing on the trailer and keep tire pressures up for best life and cooling of the trailer tires. Best of Luck. LittleFish...

exp500 · May 1, 2020

I'm in agreement with Intheburbs- swb 1/2 tons shouldn't pull more than a little aluminum boat! Granted, my experiences are from older versions, but too many wrecked rear ends,transmissions and not enough brakes. Personally, I think that the rating should be as we call it "HALF TON". Had a small amount of difficulties with 3/4 tons, None with one tons. Towing weights ranged from 2500-14000.I also think there is a distance/speed factor in the rear ends- at least the 80's vintage 10 bolts - less than 100 miles no freeway no problems. Balance on the old blazer was critical, tongue weight had to be perfect. Did around million miles towing to the cabin 200 miles. Guess how I know the 100 mile limit. Went thru alot of trucks.

MT Elk Hunter · May 4, 2020

JDopirak said:
Hello,

So i got the itch to finally buy a car trailer as i started working on ls swapping my foxbody mustang and make it a bracket car. I talked to a bunch of people i know about what size trailer to get and every single person said they have or have had a 18ft trailer and it was perfect for my mustang but if they could do it over again they would have bought a 20ft, So i ordered a 20ft but going to a 20ft i bumped it from 7k to 10k trailer. I wasnt really thinking of thrlr weight as its an open car trailer and no one else mentioned it when i talked to them but it weighs 2850lbs dry my mustang will be around 2900 when its all said and done.

My tow rig is 09 yukon 1500
5.3
I added a trans cooler as mine didnt have one from factory.
Brake controller
Did a bunch of motor work to give it a little more pep.(currently getting tuned)
Stock 6l80e i just rebuilt the techm 3 months ago.
3.42 gears.

I am purchasing new oem replacement shocks.
And i was thinking about either finding a replacement stock high coil spring for the rear but a HD version.
Or buying air bags you slip into the coil its self and inflate when towing.

Now i can not track down what my towing capabilities actually are online. Some sources say 5200-5400 and others say 8100-8400. I understand some of that is based on if you have the "heavy duty trailering package" aka trans cooler, brake controller and 3.42 gears. But it doesn't say whether there including the yukon xl in that range. I am willing to upgrade brakes, change gears or even buy a new driveshaft if need be.

So does anyone have experience towing 6k with a similar truck to mine?

I shot my self in the foot not thinking about the actual weight of the trailer being a 10k trailer.

I have owned and towed race trailers for decades. I purchased an 07 Denali XL new an ran it for 10 years before buying a 2017 Denali XL, both with trailer packages and no further upgrades except ceramic brake pads and cryo rotors, and have towed a 28' Forest River enclosed trailer with a 3,000 drag car, golf cart, tools..., and crew of three without a problem. My only suggestion if you don't have them already is purchasing the 2500 series extended mirrors. My 2017 Denali needed to have new door wiring harnesses custom made to have them work properly. I can give you info on that if you need it.

JDopirak · May 15, 2020

Picked up the trailer yesterday with towhaul its not bad at all, It levels the yukon out empty, When i load mustang up it squats pretty good so ill freshen up the rear with new oem shocks new springs and a ill install some air bags in the springs to help out.

petethepug · May 15, 2020

Run the numbers on that set up. Tongue weight.

https://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Curt...MI7NCth7y26QIVDk2GCh2Uag4wEAQYASABEgLI1fD_BwE

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Towing capacity

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