Towing with a Tahoe PPV?

[aggmeister2010]

UPDATE: PPV hauls stuff just fine. I towed our 2 ton antique Chief's car on a heavy dual axle 18 foot trailer without an issue. Transmission temp never exceeded 190 degrees, even on a 95 degree day.

Rear end sagged a bit, helper bags would have been nice, but not necessary. As with anything, you'll need a brake controller for heavy loads, but the PPV is pre-wired and it only takes a few minutes to install.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[992dr]

Awesome update and great shot.

 

[iLikeEggs]

UPDATE: PPV hauls stuff just fine. I towed our 2 ton antique Chief's car on a heavy dual axle 18 foot trailer without an issue. Transmission temp never exceeded 190 degrees, even on a 95 degree day.

Rear end sagged a bit, helper bags would have been nice, but not necessary. As with anything, you'll need a brake controller for heavy loads, but the PPV is pre-wired and it only takes a few minutes to install.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tahoe PPV awesomeness!!

 

[Erik G]

992dr, I believe you're right. All of the City of Houston PPVs look to have them, and the 10 we got came from a department in the Tampa, FL area, and all of the ones I saw from there had receivers. It looks like it would provide a convenient tow hook hookup spot on the back of the truck should the truck get stuck in the mud, which is a common issue around here.

It seems some folks see PPVs local to them that don't have them, so yeah, it's probably a line on the order sheet and the department has their standard selections. IIRC, single or dual spotlights are also optional. Our truck has a single.

Odd - I live in the Heights and work downtown. All the HPD Tahoes I have seen (and I really started looking this weekend, I see at least 5 a day) had no hitch.

The only one I ever saw with a hitch, was under the bumper, sitting really low. It was not HPD, it was precinct 1 constable - and it struck me as odd. My guess was to tow a light float trailer for parades, maybe a small bike trailer or even a dingy for bayou search and rescue. It did actually have a ball on it

 

[aggmeister2010]

Odd - I live in the Heights and work downtown. All the HPD Tahoes I have seen (and I really started looking this weekend, I see at least 5 a day) had no hitch.

The only one I ever saw with a hitch, was under the bumper, sitting really low. It was not HPD, it was precinct 1 constable - and it struck me as odd. My guess was to tow a light float trailer for parades, maybe a small bike trailer or even a dingy for bayou search and rescue. It did actually have a ball on it

Likely for police bicycles or a S&R boat. Our Department Tahoes have the built in hitches, but they're typically only used to tow our light duty search and rescue boat. We use Booster trucks (F250 Diesel) to haul bigger trailers like our trench rescue trailer or Dozer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jz57]

To answer members' pray, CURT now makes aftermarket Class III towing hitch for Tahoe PPV, part # 13161. Check Curt web site.

See the video link:

 

[aggmeister2010]

To answer members' pray, CURT now makes aftermarket Class III towing hitch for Tahoe PPV, part # 13161. Check Curt web site.

See the video link:

We talked about this earlier in this thread I believe. If not here, than in another.

The Curt hangs below the rear bumper. The PPV is 2 inches lower than standard already. If you put any tongue weight on that trailer, you're going to be dragging chains or have a very limited approach angle range.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jz57]

Update for aftermarket Curt hitch installation result:

Curt hitch for Tahoe PPV, part # 13161, same as the above video described, the installation time is short or long depending on how the original Tahoe hitch bolt removal.

My situation is that the one of 6 welding lock nuts was dislodged, so the nut became free spin. The nut/bolt position is on driver-side, close to rear bumper. There is no way to hold the nut with any kind tool without removing rear bumper. So finally, I cut off the bolt hex-head, and left the lock nut and the rest of bolt inside rail. And also, left one bolt is not being installed.

The hitch is low, around 13-5/8 from ground. So, to tow some thing, there should be a raised hitch ball and a raised ball receiver to be needed. I checked U-Haul, their smallest trailer's coupler height is 25-in.

So, I will order 2-in raised hitch ball and a 8-in raised hitch receiver from Curt.

 

[992dr]

Like agg said, we talked about this hitch earlier in this thread.

That sucks about the nut breaking free.

Looks like you'll need something like this to raise that receiver.

Random question. Is that gusset only tacked on the top and bottom? Or, is it welded on the other side?

What are you planning on towing?

 

[jz57]

I am about to order following raised Curt parts:

CURT Trailer Ball #40034; Shank Rise 2 IN

CURT Class 3 Ball Mount #45110; Rise 8 IN

The towed items are an U-Haul 5 X 8 cargo trailer, with Empty weight 900 lbs, plus a Vortec 8.1L engine as cargo, weight around 700 Lbs. So the total weight is below 2000 lbs.

The newly installed hitch should hold that weight even missing one bolt.

The aftermarket hitch is bolt to chassis from bottom, please see the attached pix.

......

Looks like you'll need something like this to raise that receiver.

Random question. Is that gusset only tacked on the top and bottom? Or, is it welded on the other side?

What are you planning on towing?

 

[iLikeEggs]

UPDATE: PPV hauls stuff just fine. I towed our 2 ton antique Chief's car on a heavy dual axle 18 foot trailer without an issue. Transmission temp never exceeded 190 degrees, even on a 95 degree day.

Rear end sagged a bit, helper bags would have been nice, but not necessary. As with anything, you'll need a brake controller for heavy loads, but the PPV is pre-wired and it only takes a few minutes to install.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

UPDATE: PPV hauls stuff just fine. I towed our 2 ton antique Chief's car on a heavy dual axle 18 foot trailer without an issue. Transmission temp never exceeded 190 degrees, even on a 95 degree day.

Rear end sagged a bit, helper bags would have been nice, but not necessary. As with anything, you'll need a brake controller for heavy loads, but the PPV is pre-wired and it only takes a few minutes to install.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice work on the hitch! That is awesome!

 

[eagle-co94]

Has anyone here bought a used OEM hitch and installed it on a PPV? I prefer the factory look although I can't really argue with the $120 shipped price for the Curt from Autoanything right now. Seeing the hitch hanging that low is probably going to really bug me.

 

[992dr]

eagle-co94,

Yes, I did. Found it online at carparts.com. That's the only way I would've installed a hitch. I wasn't feelin the Curt design, maybe for light use but nothing else.

 

[eagle-co94]

Thanks for the info. The look of the Curt just seems like such a bad idea...not to mention that the bumper opening was designed specifically for a hitch. My PPV hasn't been loaded up to head this way yet so I'll hit the local yards tomorrow to see if I can find one...as well as a back seat while I'm at it.

 

[992dr]

Any time. I agree.
Some call them a hitch and others call them a rebar. Not sure why, haha.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

Definitely go with the factory receiver, it fits, and is not in the way when not being used.

 

[14PPVHOE]

I've just installed an OEM rebar/hitch on my '14. It was a bit of a pain,
but if on a hoist it is relatively easy and took less than an hour.
The wiring is there and the socket part is readily available.
( Lol - I found a scrap hitch/bar a week later )

The heaviest I'll be towing is a 1,600 lb Palomino pop-up trailer.
Pics of before and after......

 

[Ron Mills]

I just bought a 2012 Tahoe PPV to tow our recently purchased 21' travel trailer. It had no hitch when purchased so I had the dealer take care of that and the 7 wire plug wiring. I installed a Tekonsha electric brake controller myself and did the setup for the Reese 10,000 lb. weight distributing hitch, which came with the trailer.
I noticed there was no "tow mode" switch, and from what I have read GM says the PPV's are not intended for towing... yet the trailer wiring was very conveniently there, nicely tucked up under the dash, and along the rear frame rail. Even with the suspension sitting lower, and the 6000 lb. Curt hitch mounted under the bumper, I was able to setup the Reese ball mount so that our trailer sits level. Loaded, our trailer GVW is about 4000 lb., about 500 lb. tongue weight, and there is plenty of clearance below the hitch. The torsion bars don't work very hard distributing the weight, and with the PPV's stability and additional cooling we haven't had any issues so far. Without the "tow mode", it does shift from 6th to 5th frequently, but I find with a little attention to road grade, I can avoid the shifting with increased accelerator pressure approaching hills.

From what I read here there are several of you hauling various trailers without any issues... hopefully we can keep sharing our experiences and learn from each other...

Ron & Lucy

 

[wjburken]

I noticed there was no "tow mode" switch,

I am pretty sure some folks here have been able to add the tow haul button and function to their PPV.

 

[Ron Mills]

I am pretty sure some folks here have been able to add the tow haul button and function to their PPV.

Thank you... I hope you are right, as I really don't want transmission issues due to excessive shifting, stays cool enough under load...