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Seeking some advice on modding my 2500 to tow.

SaiOmega

SaiOmega

Full Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
15
Location
Kaon
Hello everyone! I've lurked here alot over the last four years I've had my 2500, I love the truck but I have recently come to a bit of a conundrum.

We have an 09 39' Jayco Jayflight Bungalo that my sister has had planted and living in until this year.
We are looking to tow this trailer occasionally in the area, (flat plains of Texas, no more than 1000m round trip) with some travel off of the caprock (mild grades up and off of the drop off) Mainly being towed to Midland for a Christian music festival once a year (475m round trip on flat straight road down and back) as break place for staff.

The dry weight on this trailer is around 10900, with a Gross in the manual of 12500.

Assuming that the tanks are kept empty as much as possible, this trailer is right at the limit of the 4:11's in the avalanche.

My question becomes Which hitch is the best to upgrade to? I've been reading here the last week and I see timbrens(sp?) or airbags in the back are popular for loads near maximum capacity as well.

Are there any other major upgrades recommended?

Everyone tells me I need to sell my beloved avalanche and get a real truck (dodge diesel dually) but the Avy has towed everything else Ive thrown at it and well. I love this truck.
 
Look here for your answers

http://chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php/topic,104112.0.html

http://chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php/board,50.0.html
 
Air bags are a waste - don't change any specs. Just be sure your wgt distribution hitch is set up to properly balance the front-back load, and actual wgt on the hitch does not exceed abt 700 lbs. More will bend the hitch as it curves around the spare tire.
 
I disdagree with Texas86, I have air bags and they made a huge difference when towing the boat which is 11,000 lbs. They do not change your load capacity. I found they SMOOTHED out the ride and gave ther truck a more stable feeling. They are not easy to install. Do a search on this forum in this section- I installed them in 2008.

Get a Hypertech programmer- you will appreciate it the extra power. I use the 87 tune. I have logged probably 5,000 miles towing so i have alot of experience.

Here endeth the lesson.

Avalon
 

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Well SaiOmega I tow a tat overweight. I have a reese tow beast 45013. The trailer is 41 feet from the back of the truck to back of the trailer. And paid a lot to make the 2500 it do it. Yes it can pull it but handling may be a issue.

Yep I do not want a diesel anything.

The Reese has a 2 1/2 receiver not a 2 inch and I'm happy I have it.

I don't have air bags because the trailer has triple axles and it more balanced.
 
I regularly tow heavy more often than not two heavy. I installed timbrin helper springs on mine and a reese 41930 hitch. Similar to mso3s hitch just in a 2 inch version.
 
Ty for the replies.
After all the reading this last week I was leaning towards the reese hitch, but was looking for some more info on the timbrins.

My plans are as such for Sheila
2in wheel spacers on the back
3"2" leveling kit
timbrins
reese hitch
possible hitch up front
brush guard
black widow safari rack
second battery, dual optimas
enough lights to light an airfield.
Upgrading the existing headlights.

I'm running summit mud hogs 265/75/17 LRE's at the moment But by next summer I'll have to have a new set of tires.

I just got done with my trans am's build and resto and my avalanche calls to be built up.
I see people pulling 11k here enough to give me hope, but I dont want to tear the truck up pulling this travel trailer.
I also know this truck will easily pull my car hauler and other vehicles.

 
You may want to upgrade the Rotors and Pads.
 
The timbrins work good as long as you have the gap set right otherwise they ride like crap, if the gap is two small or dont take the weight if it is two big. I had to cut the bump stop bracket off the get the proper gap.
 

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As far as the front hitch with a brush guard. The problem comes when you try to bolt the hitch on once you arledy have the brush guard on or vice versa and you realize that they use the same mounting location.  Or at least that is what happened to me. So I made a custom brush guard mount that incorporated the front hitch and some recovery loops.
 

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That front end shot gave me a truckgasm....
I have a shop with everything I need to mod up the brushguard mounts. ty for the heads up!

Same goes for the timbrins, Brakes were already on the list, but I forgot to put them on the one here. Sheila is a big tank lady... she doesnt like to stop....
 
SaiOmega said:
Ty for the replies.
After all the reading this last week I was leaning towards the reese hitch, but was looking for some more info on the timbrins.

My plans are as such for Sheila
2in wheel spacers on the back
3"2" leveling kit
timbrins
reese hitch
possible hitch up front
brush guard
black widow safari rack
second battery, dual optimas
enough lights to light an airfield.
Upgrading the existing headlights.

I'm running summit mud hogs 265/75/17 LRE's at the moment But by next summer I'll have to have a new set of tires.

I just got done with my trans am's build and resto and my avalanche calls to be built up.
I see people pulling 11k here enough to give me hope, but I dont want to tear the truck up pulling this travel trailer.
I also know this truck will easily pull my car hauler and other vehicles.
Click to expand...

The Timbrens will work but you cannot adjust them on the fly- thats why I like the bags.

The reese hitch is a must.
The factory tune runs out of breath at 4000 rpm. The hypertech really gives you another 500-800 usable rpm on the 8.1

All opinions here are my own and expressed from my experience.

I have run my boat and trailer over a set of scales so the verified wt is 10,890. Truck weighed 7000 total was 17,890.

I have a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller.

I have Michelin LTX M/S Erange tires 245/75/16- factory size and they are the best. 75,000 miles and great traction.

Good luck
 
avalonandl said:
The Timbrens will work but you cannot adjust them on the fly- thats why I like the bags.

The reese hitch is a must.
The factory tune runs out of breath at 4000 rpm. The hypertech really gives you another 500-800 usable rpm on the 8.1

All opinions here are my own and expressed from my experience.

I have run my boat and trailer over a set of scales so the verified wt is 10,890. Truck weighed 7000 total was 17,890.

I have a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller.

I have Michelin LTX M/S Erange tires 245/75/16- factory size and they are the best. 75,000 miles and great traction.

Good luck
Click to expand...

I also have Firestone bags with an onboard compressor.  As stated, they do not change the rating but they do allow you to level the truck and greatly improve the ride.  I love mine.

I ditched the joke of a factory hitch and installed a Curt hitch.  Cost was around $100 and is rated at 15K capacity with 1500 pound tongue weight (weight-carrying!).  Again, this does not increase the capacity of the truck itself but now the hitch is no longer the weak link.  I relocated the plug into the bumper and the rear of the truck is also much cleaner looking as the Curt tucks up very nicely below the bumper.  Be sure to also get a hitch mount and ball that are rated for that big load.

I installed extendable towing mirrors with the convex lower mirror.  I highly recommend you invest in a set of OEM tow mirrors such as are currently installed on the HD trucks.  Mine are aftermarket and vibrate like crazy; I'll be ditching them soon and buying OEM.

You might consider a back-up cam; that'll be the next mod for my rig.
 
Skip the leveling kit also.  And the mud bog tires.

Either show, or tow. 

Can't do both with a 39' 12,500 lb. trailer.
 
Yep you can't have both worlds.
 
Tires etc, will be show/purpose as we live on a 250 acre spot of land a mile off the paved road.

Spacers will get dropped when I need to tow as this will be maybe a couple times a year.

I do the same with my TA, I have two different exhaust setups so I can go get inspected and then drive it how I prefer it.

think of it like having a pair of work boots and a pair of vibrams.

=D
 
The spacers were nice but not an absolute needed item on the truck. I did notice a slight improvment in tracking but when I am pulling my max speed is 65 so not a big difference. They do put added load on the axle and studs.

Avalon
 
ramv said:
Skip the wheel spacers.  They reduce the capacity of the rear axle.  The 14 bolt housings tend to bend wen overloaded.
Click to expand...
:eek:  ???
 
I knew you would post that Ron, I never ever heard of a 14 bolt axle bending It's a 1 ton axle.
 
Most don't know that the axle in the 2500's are the same as they put in the 1 tons... In figuring load capacity of our trucks I do not hesitate to say that the weak link is not the rear end. I've had a 2,800 lb pallet of bricks in the back of mine and it drove just fine, it did not feel unstable or overloaded..


Randy
 
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