Just bought a trailer

[Shad]

I just bought my dads 28ft yellowstone TT yesterday and I am going up to get it nxt week or so. I have yet to pull anything that heavy with my sub yet. Are you still able to use o/d while in tow, My jayco cardinal popup I always left it in o/d. I have to get some mirror extensions otherwise I think I am good to start. Then the mods will start right?

[tanker]

Congratulations Shad on your new'er travel trailer. You should be fine, but make sure you watch your pyrometer. Too much heat will cause problems while towing heavy. ie: pre turbo EGT's under 1150*, after turbo, I would not go over 1000*, its hard on head gaskets and can even crack a head. (been there and did that :mad: )
Make sure you use a weight distributing hitch and some form of sway control. I think the "Reese" dual cam set up is best ;) . Or a friction sway control.
Make sure when loaded and hitched, that your suburban and trailer are level, front to rear.
Towing in OD? I have been doing that since 95 with mine, without any problems, but if it starts to shift down and up, etc. pull it down into drive until conditions allow it to stay in OD.
I have a set of extension mirrors that slide over the factory mirrors for towing, if interested. (tanksalot@comcast.net)
Good luck with your new'er trailer. smile.gif

[James Hewett]

when I first pulled my trailer that weighed 8500# I pulled it out of overdrive until I was up to speed and over 2300RPM then slip it into overdrive but had to keep an eye on the R's , when it dropped down under about 1900 I would take it out of overdrive until the speed went back up, I didn't like to hear the engine scream at 2500Rpm and I could travel at 65mph to 75mph and keep the engine in a cool conservative RPM range.
It's best to keep your eyes a mile ahead of your truck to see if the hill ahead needed more RPm at the bottom to keep the engine up so it wouldn't die halfway up the incline and you find yourself looking for even a lower gear to peak over the top.

[GBurton]

Shad

When I had my 1995 Suburban I received very different advice concerning towing in OD. The advice came from an old friend of mine who owned his own transmission shop. I suggest that you stop and ask at a couple of transmission repair shops. One thing that might make a different is I was driving a 454-gas motor and I don't know that the 6.5 diesel uses the same transmission. I was told and shown that the transmission like the one that was in my vehicle had a Sprague gear (not sure if that is the right spelling of the name) gear in the OD system. That was the weak point in that type of transmission and he made it very clear that because of that I was not to tow in OD. If I remember correctly there was a GM installed sticker on the driver

[Shad]

Well I picked up the trailer today and traveled 150 miles in 45mph. wind gusts. I ran the truck at 62 mph in 3rd gear not in o.d. It seemed to want to lug at that speed in o.d.. Maybe I'll try the o.d. at 70-72 mph when it is less windy. The engine ran at 2500 rpm in 3rd however the temp climbed up to 215 once on a long hill. The truck runs well in stock form but the temp concerns me. The trailer weighs in at abouts 7000# and 8000#gvw.

[James Hewett]

I do use OD once I got rolling too, with no heavy wind you can really make some time,when i came east on I-80 in the Rockies I saw a big hill coming, I slipped it into OD and had that gas powered Ford 85MPH, man-o-man was I making up time, time I lost go'n west. Go,n west I couldn't get the truck in Drive 3, let alone think 'n about OD.
My Trailer is 8500#,double slides, but my srw trucks handle it real fine & stable at high speeds.I hardly can tell it's back there sometimes.

[HowieE]

Shad
My concern at this point would be the temperature you saw while towing this time of year. Summers is coming and the temperatures will go up. Looking at the age of your truck I would suggest you remove the radiator and have it rodded and cleaned. Also while it is out look at the AC condenser and blow it out from behind for bugs. If this does not greatly improve things consider the thermostate mode and install 2 180 degree stats.
If your truck has a 4L80 trans you should have no problem pulling in OD. However the weight of your trailer and the lack of engine modes will require the use of 3rd. on the hills.
Your trans should lock the convertor at about 50 mph in 3rd. or OD so down shift to hold your road speed above 50 if possible on the hills to reduce the temperature build in the trans due to the convertor being unlocked.

[Shad]

I think Howie your right! I pulled my grill off and cleaned out my radiator and coolers and WOW!found a varmint was trying to live in between my rad and a/c condesor. I pulled out a couple of pounds of bugs,hay,mud,fabric,plastic. Hopfully my next pull will be better. I'll keep ya'll posted.