thinkin about buying a gmc sierra 1500

[heavy_chevy29]

its a 2001 fullsize extended cab with 4 wheel drive. it has the 4 speed automatic with a 5.3L motor. my questions is, would you think that i could tow my camaro on my open car trailer with this truck. im not really sure if that small of a motor would be any good at towing. does anyone on hear have one of these trucks. any complaints about it. what kind of gas milage would i expect from it. any info would be a great help. thanks alot

[Knipps]

its a 2001 fullsize extended cab with 4 wheel drive. it has the 4 speed automatic with a 5.3L motor. my questions is, would you think that i could tow my camaro on my open car trailer with this truck. im not really sure if that small of a motor would be any good at towing. does anyone on hear have one of these trucks. any complaints about it. what kind of gas milage would i expect from it. any info would be a great help. thanks alot

we have people on here towing boats w/ their cars
i dont think you should have trouble towing with it

[SteveR]

My friend had the same truck, but the 2wd version and we towed my '79, '55, and '72 around with it for four months before toasting the trans. On flat ground it was good, but on hills is where we did the damage.

ps- the '55 and trailer did out weight the max towing capacity considerably so that was our fault.

[DaSkinnyGuy]

That truck you should get 14mpg while towing and the truck will easily tow a car. It should be able to tow a 8,000lb trailer. If your camaro is that heavy then somethings wrong. And with 285hp and 325tq you should be fine. And if you plan on doing alot of towing get the Duramax Diesel.

[V]

IMO if you want a vehicle that will be mainly for towing, go diesel.
I'll be using my 96 ram 2500 2wd once i get a nice car trailer for my SS.
I have a 99 denali(5.7 vortec though) and that thing is horrible at towing just an open trailer loaded with car parts.
I towed dozens of vehicles with the Ram and you could barely feel anythign was back there.

[GP99GT]

make sure you get a trans cooler

[WildBillyT]

its a 2001 fullsize extended cab with 4 wheel drive. it has the 4 speed automatic with a 5.3L motor. my questions is, would you think that i could tow my camaro on my open car trailer with this truck. im not really sure if that small of a motor would be any good at towing. does anyone on hear have one of these trucks. any complaints about it. what kind of gas milage would i expect from it. any info would be a great help. thanks alot

You will probably be fine, but I don't know how easy it will be to set it up for electric brakes (if that's what you want to use).

What's the rear axle ratio?

[Iroc-z86]

those are good trucks, the only thing is the engine is a dog. small v8. the 6.0 is better imo or diesel.

[BigAls87Z28]

6.0 wasnt available that early. 6.0 didnt show up till GM started offering the VortecMax engine.
Trans-cooler is a 102108430128402384% must to have when towing anything...hell, if you drive more then a grandma would, you should. Heat will destroy your trans. All the filters in the world arent going to do **** to keep your trans from roasting in its own fluids.

[heavy_chevy29]

thanks for the replies. im going to look at it on sat. its main purpose is my daily transportaion. ill only be towing the camaro maybe once or twice a month. and thats to the track and back. right now i use my dads 2000 f250 with a triton 5.4l. that truck seems to struggle on the hills as well. its just that i want to get to the track more often this year and i feel bad asking him if i can barrow his truck all the time. i really want to get an 04ish 2500 with the Duramax Diesel, but that is no were near in my budget. this truck that im looking at is. this truck that im looking at has 56000 miles on it, which is alittle high. but if you think about that, it was averaging about 10k a year. thats under the average yearly milage of most cars. i dont know the gear ratio, ill have to ask. but the dealer is asking just under $15k. which i think is a pretty good deal. i can probably get them down alittle lower. judging from the pics i saw of it, it looks like its in really good shape. ill just have to wait until saturday and look at it. ill let you guys know what i think.

[BigAls87Z28]

See if they will deal on 12k for the truck. Dont be pressured into getting it now, Chevy makes close to a million trucks a year.

[Pampered-Z]

I have a 99 Sierra ext cab, 5.3 with the Z71 and tow package ( T- package has a switch that sets the trans for higher RPM shifts and firmer shifts and also has oil cooler and 3:73 gears). My truck came prewired for the brake controller and the fuse box under the hood has all the slots for the extra fuses for the trailer lights.) All I had to do was plug in the controller to the port under the dash and put in the fuses. I 'm not certain if this is on all trucks or part of the tow package?

I tow my 93 camaro with an 18' open trailer. The 5.3 is fine on the open highway going 65MPH. It does struggle a little on the big hills, but I don't push it hard on them. I tow 6-10 times a year, about 2,000 miles towing yearly.

Currently I have 140,000 miles on the truck and I drive it about 300-500 miles a week. On the highway get about 20 MPG highway with the cruise set at 70MPH. When towing I get about 13-15MPG.

If you plan on doing allot of long distant towing then I would say diesel, but I think the 5.3 will be fine.

John

[bad64chevelle]

You should be fine towing, stopping may be a problem though. My dads 05 1500 chevy with the 5.3 tows VERY nicely, but slowing down is sometimes a little scary. If you only plan on towing once in a while, you will have no problem.

[curt86iroc]

you'll be fine. i pulled a 25 ft trailer from harrisburg to michigan with my dad's 01 silvy 5.3L. did just fine.

[89 Trans Am WS6]

Id say go for it. You should be fine.

Definitly do as suggested and add a aux trans cooler.

Another thing you can do if it doesnt have the tow/haul mode, or even if it does, is have someone tune the pcm. Im sure someone on here can do it. In addition to getting some more power out of the truck, they can prolly modify the shift points/firmness aswell. Remember, a firmer shift is better for a trans because it keeps it from trying to be in two gears at the same time.The factory gives a smoother shift, but more friction. Friction=heat. Heat=enemy

No matter what anyone says, what it all boils down to is the only thing that kills automatic transmissions (and alot of other things, hah) is heat. Eliminate as much as you can and your golden. :)

[camaroracer1992]

duramax is where its at. id find a used Dmax if i were you. better economy and waaay more pulling power

[GP99GT]

make sure you get a trans cooler

!!!

[armymp1983]

I have 96 heavy duty suburban for sale. 10k pounds towing capacity. Let me know if you are interested. You'll have NO problem towing anything with it.

[heavy_chevy29]

i would deffinately put a trans cooler on it. that and i would service the trans on a regular basis. the truck does have the z71 offroad package. im not sure about a tow package(it has a hitch on it, which doesnt really mean anything). thats another question ill have to ask about.

it would love to get a duramax, but a good clean low milage truck is in the $25k-$30k range. i just cant afford that right now. plus they are more expensive to maintain.

i think all gm trucks come with the place in the fuse box to plug in the brake controller. i would just have to get the wire harness and plug it in. ive installed a couple of these on gm pickup. they were all very easy to install.

[BigAls87Z28]

OR YOU CAN GET A TUNDRA WITH BIGGGGG MASSSSIVE BRAKES TO STOP THAT BIG UGLY HUNK OF CRAP!!! IT CAN STOP THE EARTH FROM ROTATING THE ROTORS ARE SO BIG LOOK AT THE ROTORS THE ROOOOTORS!!!!!BRAAAAAAAAAAH

Still some left over anger from yesterday's Toyota display. Between that and the NASCAR lesson Toyota was giving everyone, Id say that is down right comical that they are wanting so hard to be American.

[WildBillyT]

OR YOU CAN GET A TUNDRA WITH BIGGGGG MASSSSIVE BRAKES TO STOP THAT BIG UGLY HUNK OF CRAP!!! IT CAN STOP THE EARTH FROM ROTATING THE ROTORS ARE SO BIG LOOK AT THE ROTORS THE ROOOOTORS!!!!!BRAAAAAAAAAAH

Still some left over anger from yesterday's Toyota display. Between that and the NASCAR lesson Toyota was giving everyone, Id say that is down right comical that they are wanting so hard to be American.

Come on, you know you said you wanted bigger rotors and a larger ring gear on your pickup.

[johnjzjz]

we have 2 trucks for race shop one is a 305 5 speed stick 2500 GMC - for local to the track its ok your not getting their in a hurry and gets 10 to the gallon towing -- our 28 foot haulmark with stuff 10,000 pounds our 03 chevy 4 door 2500 HD Dura Max diesel / allison on cruse towing the trailer up and down the hills in PA going to the grove or atco or US75 at 70 MPH gets 15 to the gallon -- no ford diesel had 4 we have had or dodge had 2 has been close to the truck - the d max is it now has 94,000 miles in 3 years we have it and its sweet if you can afford one go that way for sure -- jz

[jimmyboy8301]

that truck will be adequate to tow it. i have a 05 silverado 1500 with the 5.3HO and an 8" lift on 35's and would have no problem towing. The general rule on half ton's is that the combined weight of the trailer and what is being towed now weigh more than the truck. That truck should weigh 5500-5800 so you should be fine.

[BigAls87Z28]

Come on, you know you said you wanted bigger rotors and a larger ring gear on your pickup.

I actualy said I want 2 ring gears, and 18 inch rotors with two calipers per wheel. Way to fall short, Toyota.

[WildBillyT]

I actualy said I want 2 ring gears, and 18 inch rotors with two calipers per wheel. Way to fall short, Toyota.

Yeah, I told them I wanted my truck to fly, and to spray Johnnie Walker on the windshield when I hit the sprayer. I think that fell on deaf ears, though. :rofl:

[Randy99]

A lot of people worry so much about the "is this enough power to pull my car factor" but fail to forget, "will this be able to stop and handle well"...1/2 ton pick-ups are basically worthless as far as towing goes...they're great for boats and small landscape trailers ect...don't get my wrong you can tow w/a 1/2 ton truck...just remember its not going to handle or stop like a 3/4-1 ton truck...I'd recomend 3/4 ton leafs or at least some helper springs in the rear, it will make a drastic difference...also an external trans cooler and a good electronic brake controller (preferable one with "hard" and "soft" adjustment dials)...also take some time to check your tounge weight, too much or too little tounge weight can lead to a mess trying to tow down the highway...

Good Luck!

[heavy_chevy29]

well i just go back from the dealer. over all its in decent shape for its age. the body has one dent at the top of the bed on the pass side(i could live with that). but there are alot of little scratches all over the place. on the diver side bed panel around the wheel well it looks like someone scraped it. i could get i would say about 85-90% of the scratches out with some compound and a buffer. the interior was perfect. very clean. no rips in the seats, no stains, and wasnt faded or anything like that. i was very impressed by the inside. here is some more about it:

Options
All Wheel Drive
Am/Fm/Cd In Dash
Cruise Control

Seats
Quantity: Bench Rear Seat
Front Seat Type: Split-Bench Front Seats

Towing and Hauling
Ground Clearance: 8.50 Inches
Max Gross Vehicle Weight: 6400.00 Pounds
towing package

Engine
Engine Description: 5.3L V8
Engine Displacement: 5.30 Liters
Engine Block Configuration: V
Cylinder Quantity: 8
Fuel Type: Gas

Convenience
Steering Power: Power Steering
Steering Adjustment: Tilt-Adjustable

DriveTrain
Drive Train Type: 4WD
Transmission type: Automatic
Transmission speed: 4
Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic

Safety
Driver and Passenger Airbag
ABS
Anti Theft System: Anti-Theft System
Infant Child Safety Seat: N
Headlights Dusksensor: Dusk Sensing
Daytime Running Light: Daytime Running Lights


now for all the service that it needs.
-from what i could see it either needs rear brakes or it will be due soon
-needs an alignment
-needs four tires
-needs a coolant flush(still has dexcool in it. im not a fan of dex)
-trans fluid looked preety good and didnt smell bad, but i would still do a service to it.
-also could use a brake flush
-i would also do all the driveline fluids just because i dont know if they have ever been done before.(front/rear diff and transfer case)


it doesnt look like it has ever been in an accident before. the sales guy didnt seem to know that much about the truck. he ran my credit for me and said that i you be approved for the loan. they wouldnt talk about the price to much with me because i wasnt ready to finalize any deals right then and there. he asked me if i had a number in my head and i told him 11-12 thousand. he said that they could work with me but he wasnt that sure about that price. so im up in the air on this one right now. i understand that its not a brand new truck. i know that anything that is in my price range will need some work. the good thing is that i am a mechanic so i wont have to pay for any labor, just parts. check out the pics on their web site. let me know what you think.

http://www.auction123.com/showroom/park_ave_acura/vehicle/101259.html

[maroman88]

i like it :)

[BigAls87Z28]

You are looking at a good 1500-2k in repairs to the vehicle between brakes, tires, alignment, and other maint. things.
What's wrong with DexCool?
And a personal thing, never let them run credit unless you are ready to deal.

[heavy_chevy29]

i dont think it would be that much in repairs. i dont have to do everything right away. i would do the important things first. i could do everything during luch and after work so that would save me the labor cost. i went back this afternoon with my dad and looked at it with him. he seemed to like it alot(which kinda supprised me). im going to go back monday or tuesday and test drive it. if i can get them down to the 12k-13k price range ill buy it. it think its got alot of potential.

as far as dex goes, im just not a very big fan of it. im sure this discussion will start an arguement but ill tell you why. the earlier stuff was complete ****. the newer stuff is better because they started sealing the coolant systems better. ive had to pull intakes on alot of gm vehicles due to dexcool. as soon as you pull the manifold you inspect the coolant passages. they are usually loaded with a white sludge type substance, ive actually seen the passages be completely and partially blocked off due to the use of dex. like i said the newer stuff is alot better. i just rather have convetial green coolant in my vehicle.

[BigAls87Z28]

I do know a lot of the 3.1/3.4's that had intake problems, but I always thought it was due to the intake coolant passage design and poor gasket material, on top of the higher corrosive properties, but outside of that I have yet to run across a major problem with it at work.
As for costs...
Figure that the tires and align are gunna cost you 500-700 bucks, depending on the quality of tire and price of alignments. If you are gunna tow and do hard work, investing in an LT tire instead of a P-metric tire might benifit you due to the added load capacity and heavier carcas.
Brakes, if you do it yourself, will save you a lot of money.

As for the actual cost...you could always use that figure to fight with the dealer to get the price down more. ;)

[GP99GT]

the dealer should have to guarantee itll pass inspection....so if the tires and brakes are that bad, make them do them

[heavy_chevy29]

well, i went to the dealer today to test drive it and work out some numbers. they pretty much wont budge. the lowest the will go is $14,077. all said and done, im looking at about $15,500. i offered them $13k and he said that they wouldnt even take $13,500. that sucks because it drove great and i really like it. i told him no thanks, but he said to think about it and let him know by the end of the week. ill have to think about it, but ill most likely pass it up.

[BigAls87Z28]

Tell him 13,500, you will cut him a check today (if you can do so) and you will walk away with a truck, and he will walk away with the sale.

[heavy_chevy29]

thats the thing. i cant right him a check. i need to get a loan to pay for it. i found some 2500s with the 6.0l engine in them that im thinking about going to look at. the are little under 20k. but the have about 30k miles on them(just alittle under). i think they would be better for what i plan on doing. my boss said that he has a guy at a chevy dealer that might be able to get me a better deal on a truck. so ill have him call that guy and see if he can find me something nice.

[BonzoHansen]

Randy is right about the heavier trucks having better suspensions & brakes for towing.

[BigAls87Z28]

Best bet is to find a 1500HD. Much bigger brakes, stiffer chassis, HD suspension parts, but in a 1500 body.
2500 HD might be a lot easier to find.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

You should definitely be able to tow the camaro and open trailer no problem. I mean my mom's 1/2 ton 4x4 suburban can tow like 8k pounds.

[trashman01]

i picked up my 01 ram sport for 12.5 it has the 5.9L i had the bed full of wood and it didnt budge the suspension. its rated for 7,100 lbs towing. on the GMs u gotta look at for the backing plates and fuel/brake lines. if it was me, id get a dodge, my 5.9L getrs bout 14-15 in the hills and prob 20 on the open road. i have 4.10 gears and a LSD with 33" AT/S
and the best part bout this truck, it sits high like a truck, not low like a car/suv(aka the GM trucks)

[jimmyboy8301]

you can tow what the vehicle weighs is the rule with 1/2 ton trucks.

[84HOtransam]

ive used 2 trucks to tow my 16' trailer and 84 bird..my dads new 2500hd 6.0l,..tows like a dream...and our old plow truck which most of you have seen- maroon 86 k20 4 speed 350...i even use the bumper hitch on the old truck....its not the safest thing but it gets the job done...definatly set up the electric brakes trans cooler and springs if the truck sags with the weight...also keep the car about centered on the trailer..you want the tounge to weight about 10-15% of total trailer weight...

keep looking around for trucks..there are alot more out there..a friend of mine just pickup up a truck simular to what you showed for under 13k...also go to AAA and try to get a loan from them..i heard they have better rates..

[heavy_chevy29]

i really hate dealers. i found the exact truck that i was looking for. it was a 2004 gmc 2500hd 4x4, 6.0l automatic, extended cab, and short bed. you name it, it had it. 27k miles and the price was $19,991. i emailed the place on wednesday to tell them im interested and i wanted to know if it was still there. the emailed back saying that it was still there. i called them early on friday and set up an appiontment for saturday. so i show up today and the sales guy came out, i showed him the print out of the truck that i had. he said that he would go get the keys. he comes back and guess what, they wholesaled the truck last night. i guess a phone call telling me that they sold it was too much for them to do. ****ing A man. sorry for my venting but someones gotta listen. looks like on back to searching again.

[BigAls87Z28]

Wow...effing dealers.
Im also looking for a 2500 HD with a 6.0...but wrecked, favorably in the rear...:)