First big road trip (towing and camping), things to know?

[TheRook]

I have already received such great advice on the purchase, so hopefully more is in store! Recently purchased a 2009 Yukon SLT w/ HD trailering package 82k miles, only one owner. Truck is in pretty great shape, seems to run very well, clean interior, etc. We bought it to tow a Jayco 184 BS and are heading out adventuring for the summer on a road trip from PA to Seattle and back. What are some things that the experts can help me to look out for? What's on the pre-service checklist that I should be discussing with my mechanic (I have a trusted one). We are staying primarily in hook up sites, but will probably do a little bit of dispersed camping once out in Washington and Montana. With 2 small kids, we are only planning on 300-400 mile legs on any given back to back days. What should I be worried about? The first tow home after picking up the trailer seemed pretty good. Lots of power, didn't struggle at all at highway speeds. Any insight/advice/help is much appreciated!

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

Put some money up for just in case and rock that motha!!! Low mileage so just run it and fix whatever breaks. Chances are nothing will break…

 

[adventurenali92]

If the transmission hasn’t been serviced it would be a good idea to have that done before heading out. I’ve found my best upgrade has been my trucool 40k transmission oil cooler. Really helpful in keeping temps down especially while towing. Make sure brakes, suspension and front end steering components all check out

 

[swathdiver]

I have already received such great advice on the purchase, so hopefully more is in store! Recently purchased a 2009 Yukon SLT w/ HD trailering package 82k miles, only one owner. Truck is in pretty great shape, seems to run very well, clean interior, etc. We bought it to tow a Jayco 184 BS and are heading out adventuring for the summer on a road trip from PA to Seattle and back. What are some things that the experts can help me to look out for? What's on the pre-service checklist that I should be discussing with my mechanic (I have a trusted one). We are staying primarily in hook up sites, but will probably do a little bit of dispersed camping once out in Washington and Montana. With 2 small kids, we are only planning on 300-400 mile legs on any given back to back days. What should I be worried about? The first tow home after picking up the trailer seemed pretty good. Lots of power, didn't struggle at all at highway speeds. Any insight/advice/help is much appreciated!
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Mileage is low and she's twelve years old or so. That can mean some rubber is needing to be replaced or needs to be replaced soon. I'm talking about control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, etc. Change all of your fluids, differentials, transmission, transfer case, radiator, etc. Most owner's never do this and most do not think they need to run on severe service schedule when they ought to.

Map out where the GMC dealerships are along your route, just in case.

My eyes aren't so good, do you have a weight distribution hitch on that with sway control? Does the truck have the Integrated Trailer Brake Controller or did you add an aftermarket one? Even if the trailer when loaded is below 5,000 pounds, the WDH will sure be nice to have on windy routes.

Don't be afraid to let the motor turn 3-4K rpms if necessary. You can tow in 5th and 6th but for maximum cooling efficiency or going up and down grades use 4th.

 

[TheRook]

Mileage is low and she's twelve years old or so. That can mean some rubber is needing to be replaced or needs to be replaced soon. I'm talking about control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, etc. Change all of your fluids, differentials, transmission, transfer case, radiator, etc. Most owner's never do this and most do not think they need to run on severe service schedule when they ought to.

Map out where the GMC dealerships are along your route, just in case.

My eyes aren't so good, do you have a weight distribution hitch on that with sway control? Does the truck have the Integrated Trailer Brake Controller or did you add an aftermarket one? Even if the trailer when loaded is below 5,000 pounds, the WDH will sure be nice to have on windy routes.

Don't be afraid to let the motor turn 3-4K rpms if necessary. You can tow in 5th and 6th but for maximum cooling efficiency or going up and down grades use 4th.

Thanks! Yes sir, got the WDH and sway control installed with the purchase of the Jayco as well as a Tekonsha brake controller. Wanted to be as safe as possible with my precious cargo! Quick question on the gearing. Do you generally use the "tow mode" button on the right hand side of the shifter? I've never towed long distances before so how do I know whether it is in 4th as compared to 5/6th? Newbie questions

 

[Big Mama]

My boat weighs about 5k and I use the trailer mode on hills up and down. To manually shift put your gear selector all the way to the right on M and use the up and down arrows. If you have auto leveling out back check your shocks and air lines.

 

[Geotrash]

Thanks! Yes sir, got the WDH and sway control installed with the purchase of the Jayco as well as a Tekonsha brake controller. Wanted to be as safe as possible with my precious cargo! Quick question on the gearing. Do you generally use the "tow mode" button on the right hand side of the shifter? I've never towed long distances before so how do I know whether it is in 4th as compared to 5/6th? Newbie questions

I tow a 6500 lb. trailer with our 2012 XL Denali and used to tow one that was almost identical to yours, so I can offer a few things for you, perhaps.

If your truck has the oil coolers on both ends of the radiator, it will be helpful. The one on the driver's side is for the engine oil and the one on the passenger side is for the transmission. With the HD trailering package, you should also have the additional transmission cooler in front of the radiator and A/C condenser. Pulling across the midwest's rolling hills in the summer with the usual westbound headwind, your coolant temperature will start to climb on the gauge, and your transmission temp will climb with it. The same will be true as you get into the Rockies in either Wyoming or Montana, depending on your route. 2 years ago, I watched an F-150 blow an engine (huge billows of blue/white smoke, not steam) on westbound I-80 outside of Rock Springs pulling a big cargo trailer into a 30 mph headwind, after he passed me like I was standing still. I was taking it easy at 65, in my '07 Denali and had no trouble at all. You'll get there. Your coolant won't boil until 265º and your transmission temp will likely hover around 210-235º depending on the terrain and winds, with peaks as high as 250º after crossing a big pass. Ignore the many charts on the Internet that say you gotta keep the transmission below 175º or it'll blow. Those charts are for 1970's vintage transmissions and fluids. Modern transmissions and Dexron VI fluid can handle much more, so the engineers designed that into our trucks - this directly from a GM powertrain engineer. Trust your truck and the engineers who designed it.

As far as things to do before you go, this would be my list:

• Have all fluids changed (engine, transmission, differentials and transfer case), as swathdiver suggests
• Replace the plastic heater hose coolant tees at the firewall with OEM (not Dorman or any other aftermarket brand). These are a common failure point and yours have aged out if they haven't been replaced.
• Might as well replace all belts and hoses while you have the coolant drained. Check the water pump for leaks, and replace if any seepage at all, with OEM only.
• When you have the belts off, spin the tensioner pulleys by hand to make sure there is no play, and that the bearings roll smoothly. If not, replace both.
• Check your oil and transmission cooler lines for seepage (common), and replace as needed.
• Pay close attention to your oil pressure readings right now. If your gauge shows 20 or below at hot idle, it's time to replace the screen below the oil pressure sender, which sits behind the intake manifold.
• Your motor mounts are likely getting weak. Might be worth having both replaced with mounts for an H3 Hummer V8 (solid, not fluid filled, and way more durable). There are many threads here on which ones to get. If your shop won't use your parts, then make sure they use either the H3 mounts or OEM. Forget aftermarket mounts - they won't last.
• Plugs and wires, if they haven't been done.
• Front sway bar links with better than OEM. This will make a big difference in handling with a trailer.
• If your trailer has "China bomb" tires on it, take it to Discount Tire and have Goodyear Endurance tires installed. You don't want to risk a failure on a single axle trailer.
• Check the date codes on the sidewall of your Tahoe's tires. It's a 4 digit code with the first 2 digits indicating the week of manufacture (01-52) and the 2nd two indicating year. You want your tires to be newer than 5 years old for a trip like that. I see that you also have different brand tires on the front and rear. Make sure you have identical tires on either end of both axles. It's okay to mix/match front to rear, but not side to side. Ideally, I'd want all 4 tires to be identical and new.
• Check your brake pads front and rear.

That's about all I can think of for now. Have a great trip and enjoy the drive!

 

[swathdiver]

Do you generally use the "tow mode" button on the right hand side of the shifter? I've never towed long distances before so how do I know whether it is in 4th as compared to 5/6th? Newbie questions

Tow/Haul mode really only works and feels right when you are at 75% or more of your GCWR. So if your truck weighs 6,000 pounds and your trailer weighs 5,000 pounds and your GCWR is 14,000 pounds, you're at 79% and can make great use of it.

You can also shift the transmission into M and use the buttons on the shifter to select the highest gear you want it to shift into. When in this mode, the DIC tells you which gear you are in.

 

[wsteele]

You might want to look into a tire pressure monitor for the trailer. With a tandem axle setup it is important, with a single, pretty critical.

 

[Geotrash]

One more thing: For dispersed camping, you'll want a generator if you want to keep the wife and kids cool (you do. trust me on this ). I mounted a Stromberg-Carlson Trailer Tray on the A-frame of our little camper when we had it to set a Predator 3500 generator on. It worked flawlessly.