Towing trucks ??

GREYWOLF

GREYWOLF

Junior Member
My 2001 dodge ram 1500 with a 5.9 v8 **** the bed yesterday , not worth the $$$ to fix it , I am looking at a 2004 chevy 1500 4x4 with a 5.3 v8 with a towing pkg. engine and trany are all ok and come with a 90 day warenty. has any one used this truck for towing a fuly loaded v20 ? I think it will be fine but I havent had a chevy in 12 yrs. Any thoughts ?
 
I've got a 2004 Suburban with same motor. What kind of mileage. Tranny needed rebuild at about 150k. Otherwise only brakes, U-joints, front wheel bearings and a couple of sensors. Oh yeah, and 4 power window motors, and every moving part in the front end. Make sure you can lower the spare tire, they get stuck. Some 5.3's with the Cast-tech had a problem with coolant leaks under the valve covers. Seems like there's always something to fix but I still like the truck.
 
Well no but last december when my dually died in TN I used dad's 98 chevy 1500 z71 with the 5.7 to tow my 16,000 lb 38' fifth wheel home through the mountains.... It was ill suited for the job.... the trailer mashed it down to within an inch of the bump stops in the rear and the front was sky high... we averaged 65 mph and made it with no issues. It would have pulled the hills at speed but I was letting it fall off from 75 at the bottoms to @55-60 at the tops to keep the torque converter locked.....

Just being able to move that trailer speaks volumes about how good of a truck it is.

That truck would laugh itself silly at the thought of pulling a lil v-20.... The 5.3 might not have quite the low end grunt the old 5.7 has but still has great power and gets better mpg... I suspect that the first time you tow with it you will forget you ever had the dodge.

Btw My mom has a 2003 Burb with a 5.3 and I wouldn't be afraid to pull my 28' 10,000 lb cruiser with it for short distances if I needed too.
 
Well that makes me feel safer. the truck has 130,000 on it and is in great shape and the price is right $4695 I have always been a MOPAR guy but this truck is nice , and it dosent have a lift kit and 35" tires on it . My wife can get in it without getting a running start LOL any way life is good thanks my friends I will rest easy tomight
 
i have a 02 tahoe w/5.3 (4wd) that pulls the v fine. twice to the keys , 1500 miles round trip with no issues. i also have a dodge pu with the 5.9 that i pulled it with 3 times before that. could not tell a lot of difference.
 
I hope my new chevy gets better mialage with the 5.3 as the big dodge with the 5.9 I only got 12 to 16 on 93 octane at highway speeds
 
thats not bad does she run 87 octaine ? I have heard chevy's have more power to torque ratio . pluss MPG ????
 
GREYWOLF said:
thats not bad does she run 87 octane ? I have heard chevy's have more power to torque ratio . plus MPG ????
Click to expand...
yep 87.. it'd likely do a little better w premium but not worth it for the money

The 5.3's in my opinion are a little less torquey (EDIT: than a bigger chevy motor) but make great power in the midrange and top end.... I don't think you'll be disappointed at all

Keep in mind I'm used to driving a built powerstroke with a 6 speed and 4.10 gears so I'm used to LOTS of torque
 
If you pulled 4 plug wires off the 5.3L, it would tow about the same as your 5.9 does, it has that much more power. A friend has a 98 1500 with a 5.9L, and he got his father in laws 04 1500 with a 5.3L when he passed and couldn't believe how much stronger it is than his DOdGe. The 4L60E trans is pretty good for the most part, but some have had failed around 125-150K miles, but then again I have seen a lot more with over 250K miles still going untouched. It will probably need a pitman and idler arm for the front end around 150K miles, and the engine may need a set of intake gaskets(seems to be more of a northern problem). The 5.7L engine that GM had in the 90's would flat out leave a 5.9L DOdGe, and the 5.3L will make the 5.7L look like it's only running on 6 cylinders.
 
I am a GM guy all the way!! I had a 2002 1500 Z71 with the 4.8, towed every where with it, and no issues!! I sold it to a friend with 175,000 miles and I saw it last night when he got home from a trip to NY ith it, It now has 257,000 miles and still strong!
Window motors and wheel hubs are there weak points but other wise was a great truck for me and he loves it!!
I then bought a 2009 1500 with the 5.3 and just gave it to my son, that thins towed my 23 Sea Ox all over with out issue and goig strong right now for him with 60,000
I now have a 2002 Tahoe with the 4.8 I have not towed with it yet but I would not even think about it!
 
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