To tow or not to tow?

[freedom_in_4low]

please take this in the context of someone who has never towed long distance anything bigger than about a 5x10 enclosed u-haul trailer, and anything larger (like car on a car hauler, boats, etc) was very short distances. I have the general understanding of major stuff like making sure the load is biased in front of the trailers axles, not crossing the straps, what to do if it starts swaying, etc.

I have a wheeling trip to SW Colorado in August, which is about 800 miles each way just to get there, and as we all know, a Jeep on 35s with a soft top and soft upper doors can be exhausting over that sort of distance. I know it's doable, and I've done it before, but I have a pickup that's a LOT more comfortable.

U-Haul's website indicates that the Jeep plus a car trailer is within their parameters to rent to me to tow behind my Silverado 1500. Flat towing might also be an option, though I've never done that and don't know anything about activating brakes on the Jeep, while I would guess the Uhaul probably has surge brakes.

My reservations:
Truck is a Chevy 5.3 that runs good and has good tires but is 23 years old with 150k miles on it
Should I expect any better (or worse) than the 12.5mpg I'm likely to get with the LJ?
Is this stupid? (just because I can, does that mean I should?)
what measures are suggested to secure the trailer to the truck while I sleep in a hotel so somebody doesn't drive away with my LJ served up on a trailer? Not my trailer so it can't require permanent modification. Safer to just camp in the truck?

 

[Shank]

please take this in the context of someone who has never towed long distance anything bigger than about a 5x10 enclosed u-haul trailer, and anything larger (like car on a car hauler, boats, etc) was very short distances. I have the general understanding of major stuff like making sure the load is biased in front of the trailers axles, not crossing the straps, what to do if it starts swaying, etc.

I have a wheeling trip to SW Colorado in August, which is about 800 miles each way just to get there, and as we all know, a Jeep on 35s with a soft top and soft upper doors can be exhausting over that sort of distance. I know it's doable, and I've done it before, but I have a pickup that's a LOT more comfortable.

U-Haul's website indicates that the Jeep plus a car trailer is within their parameters to rent to me to tow behind my Silverado 1500. Flat towing might also be an option, though I've never done that and don't know anything about activating brakes on the Jeep, while I would guess the Uhaul probably has surge brakes.

My reservations:
Truck is a Chevy 5.3 that runs good and has good tires but is 23 years old with 150k miles on it
Should I expect any better (or worse) than the 12.5mpg I'm likely to get with the LJ?
Is this stupid? (just because I can, does that mean I should?)
what measures are suggested to secure the trailer to the truck while I sleep in a hotel so somebody doesn't drive away with my LJ served up on a trailer? Not my trailer so it can't require permanent modification. Safer to just camp in the truck?

Your truck will be running pretty hard on that trip. You have to be close to the max rating.
Probably expect 8mpg or so towing.
It's not absolutely stupid, but it's not ideal at all.
Locks for hitch and tongue.
Camping in truck isn't a horrible option.


If it were me, I probably wouldn't do it but I have a much lower tolerance for that sort of thing than a lot of people. I have towed over 8,000lbs with a 1500 Yukon XL and it did it fine, but I did it slow and steady.


I'd probably take the Jeep or would like seeing a 3/4 ton pulling it.

 

[DaveC]

I had a 2001 Tahoe with the same engine and 8,700 lb towing capacity, and it was fantastic pulling my 21' boat that weighs 4,000 or so when full of fuel and gear on many trips of 200+ mi each direction. Tried using it to pull a toy hauler that weighed 6,700 lbs dry and ~8,500 lbs loaded (right at capacity) each of the times I did it and it sucked. Not great on relatively flat ground, terrible trying to hold highway speed on any grades, sketchy coming down the grades and got 8 - 10 mpg.

A good rule of thumb is that you don't want to tow anything above 80% of the vehicle's rated tow capacity. Across town at full capacity is probably ok, but I wouldn't want to do it on a long trip.

You should be fine to flat tow if you wanted to go that route, otherwise I'd drive the LJ.

 

[MountaineerTom]

Sounds like your Silverado is similar to mine. (a '99 extended cab with 5.3 and currently has 185,000+ miles) In 2014 I used it to tow a CJ-5 from WV to SC using a Uhaul trailer. I think it had surge brakes if I remember correctly. The truck did ok but there were a couple long hill climbs in the mountains that got the trans temp up higher than usual but not near overheating. I don't remember my milage, but it wasn't great. As far as security, I don't think the trailer had the ability to use a tailer lock. They may have changed since then. I wasn't too worried about it as were doing the trip in one day, only 360 miles or so. You could always wrap a cable and lock around something like the hitch and a handle on the trailer, if it has something like that to run it through. Not 100% thief proof, but anything that slows them can be a deterrent to move to an easier target. At a hotel, I'd try to find a parking spot where you can back the trailer up to something (a curb, dumpster, wall, light pole, etc) that way there's no room to move it if someone did unhook it.

It wasn't ideal, but it worked.

 

[RINC]

Easy peezy lemon squeezy. Go slow. Like the big trucks, do 65mph. Increase following distance. Slow it down BEFORE dropping off a hill. Do not try and follow the hot hatchback doing 90mph.

Live life in the slow lane.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Your truck will be running pretty hard on that trip. You have to be close to the max rating.

yes, owners manual lists 7500lbs max trailer weight for my configuration (5.3, 4x4, 3.73 gears). U-Haul says their trailer weighs 2210 empty and I would guess my LJ would be around 4500, so I'd be at about 90% of the tow rating. Flat towing would cut it down to 60%, but as I mentioned before I know I need some sort of braking apparatus.

Probably expect 8mpg or so towing.

ouch.

It's not absolutely stupid, but it's not ideal at all
...

If it were me, I probably wouldn't do it but I have a much lower tolerance for that sort of thing than a lot of people. I have towed over 8,000lbs with a 1500 Yukon XL and it did it fine, but I did it slow and steady.


I'd probably take the Jeep or would like seeing a 3/4 ton pulling it.

Just curious (and definitely not arguing because you're obviously more experienced here than I am), is this input based on the geography mentioned or just in general even in flatlands? Despite the final destination being deep into the rockies, I wouldn't be towing into the mountains. I meet my wheeling buddies in Pueblo and caravan the rest of the way from there, and I have access to secure parking there for the truck and trailer while I'm gone. I took the Raton route last year but it has a mountain pass (which would suck to tow over) and the final 2 hours is 75mph+ interstate which cranks the Jeep wind noise level to 11.

The other route options keep the grades below 2% at the maximum and are generally about 0.5%. The Kansas route despite being a hair longer is a little more attractive because Garden City is a nicer place to stay than Guymon, and staying there I start the morning about 45 minutes closer to Pueblo. Either way keeps speeds down as the peak speed limit is 65.

Guymon route elevation profile

The Kansas route is also a bit more smooth and steady on the elevation gain.

I drive like a grandpa so I have no expectations on how the truck performs, as long as it's safe, but my wife thinks the truck will break down on me and the risk of having to hear that "I told you so" might be the thing that deters me from the possibility altogether.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I had a 2001 Tahoe with the same engine and 8,700 lb towing capacity, and it was fantastic pulling my 21' boat that weighs 4,000 or so when full of fuel and gear on many trips of 200+ mi each direction. Tried using it to pull a toy hauler that weighed 6,700 lbs dry and ~8,500 lbs loaded (right at capacity) each of the times I did it and it sucked. Not great on relatively flat ground, terrible trying to hold highway speed on any grades, sketchy coming down the grades and got 8 - 10 mpg.

A good rule of thumb is that you don't want to tow anything above 80% of the vehicle's rated tow capacity. Across town at full capacity is probably ok, but I wouldn't want to do it on a long trip.

You should be fine to flat tow if you wanted to go that route, otherwise I'd drive the LJ.

yeah that doesn't sound fun. I might look into flat towing. Never done it before, but it takes me from 90% to 60% of the towing capacity, and takes care of the threat concern, at least down to no worse than it would be if I was just driving the Jeep.

Sounds like your Silverado is similar to mine. (a '99 extended cab with 5.3 and currently has 185,000+ miles) In 2014 I used it to tow a CJ-5 from WV to SC using a Uhaul trailer. I think it had surge brakes if I remember correctly. The truck did ok but there were a couple long hill climbs in the mountains that got the trans temp up higher than usual but not near overheating. I don't remember my milage, but it wasn't great. As far as security, I don't think the trailer had the ability to use a tailer lock. They may have changed since then. I wasn't too worried about it as were doing the trip in one day, only 360 miles or so. You could always wrap a cable and lock around something like the hitch and a handle on the trailer, if it has something like that to run it through. Not 100% thief proof, but anything that slows them can be a deterrent to move to an easier target. At a hotel, I'd try to find a parking spot where you can back the trailer up to something (a curb, dumpster, wall, light pole, etc) that way there's no room to move it if someone did unhook it.

It wasn't ideal, but it worked.

Fortunately my route won't have anything steep, but the whole thing is basically a 3000ft climb spread out over 500 miles. I don't have a trans temp gauge either, and the transmission is probably my biggest concern. It gave me an OBD2 code once in 2020 that I haven't seen since but never have been able to forget.

Easy peezy lemon squeezy. Go slow. Like the big trucks, do 65mph. Increase following distance. Slow it down BEFORE dropping off a hill. Do not try and follow the hot hatchback doing 90mph.

Live life in the slow lane.

No problems there. I'd do the same thing in the Jeep anyway, and none of the route options really offer a faster alternative since the interstates would take me hundreds of miles out of the way.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

You should be fine to flat tow if you wanted to go that route, otherwise I'd drive the LJ.

I might look into flat towing.

well that was fun while it lasted. Oklahoma and Colorado both require braking systems when exceeding 3000 pounds. I'm not about to spend four figures on a towed vehicle brake system so flat towing is out, and I'm not liking the sound of 1000 miles at 90% of my trucks tow rating, so I'm gonna look into some more ear protection options that are a little more comfortable to wear for hours on end.

 

[DaveC]

well that was fun while it lasted. Oklahoma and Colorado both require braking systems when exceeding 3000 pounds. I'm not about to spend four figures on a towed vehicle brake system so flat towing is out, and I'm not liking the sound of 1000 miles at 90% of my trucks tow rating, so I'm gonna look into some more ear protection options that are a little more comfortable to wear for hours on end.

I think my whole set up for flat towing was around $800, but that's still not cheap, especially if it's a one time or very infrequent deal.

Ear plugs/ head phones, dead pedal and lumbar support FTW!

 

[RINC]

No problems there. I'd do the same thing in the Jeep anyway, and none of the route options really offer a faster alternative since the interstates would take me hundreds of miles out of the way.

You got this. I have been all over those routes hauling 50 tons more than you would be doing.

As MJ said, Just Do It.

 

[Rickyd]

Be easy on that 4l60e if you tow.they aren't the most robust transmissions

 

[Claytone]

I say do it like @RINC sez.
I hauled mine from here to Sedona (via the Grand Canyon) and back with my 13 Tahoe. I kept it around 65 and yeah it was slow going thru the mountains but that's how it should be anyway. Overall it did fine.
A couple weeks later, I towed it to Moab and back.
Over that 2000mi of towing I averaged 13 mpg, which is what the LJ gets on the highway.
If I have to go far, I'll tote it since the mileage is a wash and I can fit all 4 of us plus stuff in the Tahoe.

You do live in cheap trailer territory, relative to here. Go get a 16 footer, you'll use it for other things and could bring it here and make a profit if you need to. I drove to eastern Kansas to buy mine a couple of years ago, it saved me a lot of $$. I should have bought 2 and sold one here.

 

[Just Chillin]

Maybe the answer is someplace between flat tow and a trailer. You can cut the weight down by renting a U-Haul tow dolly and still get the surge brakes. They really reduce the load on the tow vehicle. Although, depending on your gears, I would pull the rear driveshaft for a long tow.

 

[Mike_H]

You’re overthinking this. I had an 02 avalanche with the 5.3 that I towed a 21 foot cuddly cabin boat with (6000+) lbs. it worked the 5.3 but that truck had 183,000 when I sold it and it was still going strong.

I tow my TJ on an aluminum trailer with a 2017 Colorado now. You won’t get good mileage…

Also, if uhauls calculator say you can, you can, easily. It’s pretty conservative. Use tow/haul mode, go 65 or less, and use the engine to help slow you down on big hills. Take it slow and easy…relax, and enjoy the drive.

Properly loaded, the trailer will just pull right along no sweat.

 

[MountaineerTom]

Maybe the answer is someplace between flat tow and a trailer. You can cut the weight down by renting a U-Haul tow dolly and still get the surge brakes. They really reduce the load on the tow vehicle. Although, depending on your gears, I would pull the rear driveshaft for a long tow.

View attachment 432830

I’ve considered buying one of those. Several places around my area have them at a reasonable price.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

Maybe the answer is someplace between flat tow and a trailer. You can cut the weight down by renting a U-Haul tow dolly and still get the surge brakes. They really reduce the load on the tow vehicle. Although, depending on your gears, I would pull the rear driveshaft for a long tow.

View attachment 432830

Your Jeep should not be towed with 2 wheels on the ground. Check the manual. May be ok if you pull the driveshaft.

When I bought my LJ I towed just over 800 miles home on a UHaul trailer with my 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The truck handled it well and I got 10-12 mpg.

When in a hotel parking lot I was more concerned with someone rolling the Jeep off the trailer than taking the entire trailer. I did have a lock on the trailer and hitch. I backed the trailer up to large electric service box so that could not happen.

UHaul trailers are equipped with front ratchet straps that are designed for about 32 inch tires (I fit 33's once but barely). Anything bigger and you will need your own tie downs. They probably won't even rent to you if you tell them the Jeep has bigger than 31/32 inch tires. They definitely asked both times I rented a trailer. The LJ had 35's and I told them it had stock tires so they would rent to me.

 

[Just Chillin]

Your Jeep should not be towed with 2 wheels on the ground. Check the manual. May be ok if you pull the driveshaft.

When I bought my LJ I towed just over 800 miles home on a UHaul trailer with my 2015 GMC Sierra 1500. The truck handled it well and I got 10-12 mpg.

When in a hotel parking lot I was more concerned with someone rolling the Jeep off the trailer than taking the entire trailer. I did have a lock on the trailer and hitch. I backed the trailer up to large electric service box so that could not happen.

UHaul trailers are equipped with front ratchet straps that are designed for about 32 inch tires (I fit 33's once but barely). Anything bigger and you will need your own tie downs. They probably won't even rent to you if you tell them the Jeep has bigger than 31/32 inch tires. They definitely asked both times I rented a trailer. The LJ had 35's and I told them it had stock tires so they would rent to me.

View attachment 432838

Yep, I forgot about the tire size. You will need to buy some wide heavy duty straps for those 35s. The uhaul straps on the car dolly won't fit.

 

[BlueC]

My reservations:
Truck is a Chevy 5.3 that runs good and has good tires but is 23 years old with 150k miles on it
Should I expect any better (or worse) than the 12.5mpg I'm likely to get with the LJ?

Well, it’s a Chevy, so aren't you used to problems by now?

Seriously though, if the truck is in good shape then you'll be fine towing, and I’d be surprised if you exceed 10mpg. I’d guess you be more in the 8mpg range towing.

Another option is to rent a truck and trailer from U-haul. They'll have newer trucks with better weight ratings, better fuel mileage, and you won't be burning up your personal truck in any way. A big van might also be an option.

 

[tworley]

Let it rip.

My F150 has a 7700 lb capacity. With the uhaul trailer and my jeep (4040) I am around 82% capacity. I've only done 300-400 miles a time and the only issue are the shitty surge brakes. Keeping the tow/haul mode on and I can control my descents really well by downshifting and holding gears 2-3-4. Cruising I may lock out 6th as the 6R80 likes to hunt between 5th and 6th gear but I cannot remember if thats possible on the 4l60e, havent had one of those since 2012. They're only 4spds correct?

I have no reservations cruising at 70 mph and have recorded about 13mpg. Pulling passes and it'll drop down to about 8-9 mpg. Speaking of passes, I've pulled up the east and west sides of Eisenhower/Johnson tunnels at 6 & 7% grades, Vail at 7% and Kenosha at 5% and my trans temp stays pretty consistent at 199-218° and coolant around 220-227°.

 

[Mike_H]

Let it rip.

My F150 has a 7700 lb capacity. With the uhaul trailer and my jeep (4040) I am around 82% capacity. I've only done 300-400 miles a time and the only issue are the shitty surge brakes. Keeping the tow/haul mode on and I can control my descents really well by downshifting and holding gears 2-3-4. Cruising I may lock out 6th as the 6R80 likes to hunt between 5th and 6th gear but I cannot remember if thats possible on the 4l60e, havent had one of those since 2012. They're only 4spds correct?

I have no reservations cruising at 70 mph and have recorded about 13mpg. Pulling passes and it'll drop down to about 8-9 mpg. Speaking of passes, I've pulled up the east and west sides of Eisenhower/Johnson tunnels at 6 & 7% grades, Vail at 7% and Kenosha at 5% and my trans temp stays pretty consistent at 199-218° and coolant around 220-227°.
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View attachment 432938

Eco-boost or 5.0l? I miss my eco-boost for towing….