Major towing question, need answered asap

[jmpidgeo]

Stock 1995 chevy 6.5TD L65 package 4x4 with 3.73 gears, and I will be adding monitoring gauges for EGT, boost, and trans temp.

Could I tow a gooseneck flatbed, with 2-5,000 lb Jeeps, total load of probably 14-15k on the back through the mountains with this?

Will this be pushing the limits of my truck?

What could I expect for MPG with this much weight?

Will my truck die with this much weight? (haha)

[DennisG01]

I've got a few more add-ons than you, but my combined trailering weight is usually right around 13,500 to 14,000. Most of the time it stays in OD - long hills I sometimes back off to 3rd if I feel it's lugging. Keep the converter locked up as much as possible - easily a 20*-30* temp swing if not. Once you get your guages and get used to them, you'll feel more comfortable since you can easily see exactly what's going on. Even with a stock ECM, a little more boost will help. I personally think 14,000 to 15,000 is about on the edge of "comfortable". My towing mileage is about 13.

[jmpidgeo]

I've got a few more add-ons than you, but my combined trailering weight is usually right around 13,500 to 14,000. Most of the time it stays in OD - long hills I sometimes back off to 3rd if I feel it's lugging. Keep the converter locked up as much as possible - easily a 20*-30* temp swing if not. Once you get your guages and get used to them, you'll feel more comfortable since you can easily see exactly what's going on. Even with a stock ECM, a little more boost will help. I personally think 14,000 to 15,000 is about on the edge of "comfortable". My towing mileage is about 13.

wow, thats impressive. how can i control torque converter lockup?
i need to do some power/intake/exhaust upgrades...wish i had money haha.

[DmaxMad]

I know you have a 6.5. These are the weights loaded as you said. 2 Jeeps on 32 foot tailer, my truck is a 2002 Duramax/Allison 2500 hd.

http://www.iwouldntfollow.us/gallery/album31/IMG_0032_sized

Just the truck 3/4 tank fuel and 2 people 7060 total. 4060 on the front axle and 3020 on the rear axle.

Weight it with my goose hooked up with 2 jeeps. 22,760 was the total weight. front axle on the truck weighed 3960, rear axle weighed 6420 and the trailer axles were 12,380.

That means the trailer and jeeps weigh 15,700 with 3400 of tongue weight.

It is a lot of weight for a 2500hd,but it handles it well.

As for fuel mileage I see 9.5 running 70.

[Mark Rinker]

You already know the answer...you're at the upper limit of what your truck is capable of towing, especially with mountain grades. I've towed heavy alot with both drivetrains, and there is a night and day difference, especially in stock trim. Your stock '95 has a few outdated cooling componants that should be addressed before doing this regularly - or in the heat of summer. Your truck can tow that weight, but you will have to be ready to slow down on grades in the mountains. Don't be suprised if a high miler 4L80E gives up the ghost after a few thrashes at these weights.

In order of importance for this task, the following mods will help you make it up and over the pass with a full trailer as you've described:

1) Clean and/or new radiator (see Member's area, if yours is original 1995, I would simply replace it.)
2) Cooling mods (dual thermostat setup, Kennedy HD fan clutch - these mods are nearly mandatory for what you want to tow)
3) 3.5" or 4" exhaust and Free flowing intake (More help in the form of lower EGTs)
4) Chip and Boost control (Close to a stock Duramax now with all these mods in place.)

Good luck!

[DennisG01]

wow, thats impressive. how can i control torque converter lockup?
i need to do some power/intake/exhaust upgrades...wish i had money haha.


The way I do it is just to make sure my throttle position and speed/rpm are in the right range to keep it locked. If I'm going to slow in 4th gear to keep it locked, I'll shift to 3rd. There are some bolt-on ways to increase line pressure, but I have not gone that way, yet. I THINK there is a wite up here somewhere about a very inexpensive way to do it for you your model year (pre '96). Maybe someone else can point you toward that.

[JoeyD]

Stock 1995 chevy 6.5TD L65 package 4x4 with 3.73 gears, and I will be adding monitoring gauges for EGT, boost, and trans temp.

Could I tow a gooseneck flatbed, with 2-5,000 lb Jeeps, total load of probably 14-15k on the back through the mountains with this?

Will this be pushing the limits of my truck?

What could I expect for MPG with this much weight?

Will my truck die with this much weight? (haha)

I think there are some mods in order to do this and make it there and back.
You will need more power but you have to address the cooling 1st, do the 97 gm mods and then an intercooler. Then a set of guages and a chip. I say intercooler 1st because without it you will never be able to use the power you make with the chip.

[jmpidgeo]

I think there are some mods in order to do this and make it there and back.
You will need more power but you have to address the cooling 1st, do the 97 gm mods and then an intercooler. Then a set of guages and a chip. I say intercooler 1st because without it you will never be able to use the power you make with the chip.
problem with that, is that i am in college and don't have much extra money.

[DBlake]

James,

I tow a 7500lb 5th wheel with my 94 K2500. Your truck is rated at 13,500lb Combined Gross Weight (truck and trailer) with 3.73, The Pyro for EGTs is a must and I suggest pre-turbo. Kennedy has a good product with instructions. Next is to change out the downpipe from the turbo and for that matter - change out the exhaust. As mentioned before, 3 inch downpipe and 3.5 the rest of the way will really help to cool off EGTs. I bought Kenndy's and couldn't be happier. It went on very easy and has been on for almost 4 years and still looks new. Keeping the torque converter locked will help with tranny temps. I use a BD torque locker. A bit pricey but it does work. Long grades will be slow. Keep an eye on the EGTs or you will melt something important while towing that much weight. Start backing off at 1200F (pre-turbo), and keep it below 1050F for most crusing. Also on those long slow grades - keep an eye on the tranny temps. Synthetic ATF will help protect things if you exceed 220F. Fuel milage will drop significantly above 60-65 mph. But if you want to do 70-75 mph, get a Duramax! (we can dream, can't we!) Good luck and watch the pyro!

[DickWells]

Hi James::)
Lots of good info in the answers you've gotten. You'll be pulling a lot more than I ever did with the old 2500 Burb., but, if you get gauges and put in sythetic in your trans., before you start out, you just might be OK. You didn't say how much mileage you have on it. That could be a BIG factor. Does it have the big factory transmission cooler? If not, put the biggest after-market one you can find in there. I never did see more than 210 deg. F in mine. Usually ran right around 170.
The best thing I ever did for my 6.5 before I put in the mechanical pump was the Phazer timing gears. Everything was sharper and smoother after that. But! They were well over $300. Almost none of the stuff that makes a 6.5 better is cheap.
If you can get your hands onto some of Jim Bigley's manuals on the 6.5, you'll save yourself a lot of money.
One of the cheapest and easiest things you can do is to open up the air intake and install a high flow, cleanable filter. Mine is a K&N,
Not to discourage you, but just FYI, I have somewhere between $5500 and $7000 tied up in additions to the old Burb. and I'm not even using it any more!
Still, Andy Langerand, back home, has an old 3500 flat-bed that he knows has one weak cylinder, that he routinely runs down the road weighing over 30 K, truck and trailer! :eek: Don't know how he does it. He has a home-made water-to-air IC, shaved pistons, a mechanical pump, and big home-made exhaust. And gauges! And a big pair of something-or-other!
For what it's worth, and good luck.
Dick Wells:)

[Inspector]

I had towed heavy with a 6.5 for a lot of years. For what you want to do I wouldn't even attempt without the mentioned mods as well as a set of 4:10 gears. I just don't think you will be able to muscle the load on 3:73s. You just don't have the horses available. I had all the mods mentioned and a Gearvendor aux and it was still pushing the limit in my opinion. My gross was the same as it is now with my Dmax. We have been over the scales at 21600 with about 3/4s of a tank of fuel and are regular road load.
In my opinion the gearing is going to be wild card here. I just think its to high especially for being stock and limited without mods.
It just isn't safe. I forgot to mention that my 6.5 was a one ton duelly as in my Dmax.
Denny

[OzzieGM]

I have a toyota Landcruiser down here in Australia that I have installed a 6.5 non turbo in it (Soon to be turbo) and it's happy pulling any where up to 6 to 7 ton. Gross ute and trailer combination. Not very legal down here consdiering. The ute has 4.11 gears with a manual 5 speed in it and you can poke along at 90 to 100 kmph all day. Never use 5th gear as they are as weak as in Landcruiser's. Not sure what fuel milage I get but it doesn't seem to bad.

[cshade]

Wow those are some impressive mods. I thought I was a bada-- when I bolted a K&N filter to my turbo :eek: The extra hp wasn't what I expected, but the revs do climb and drop faster. Personally I appreciate the swoosh!

Anyone care to elaborate on their wild/mild mods for towing?

[scoobysmak]

Humm, well I have towed around 13k with mine, its pretty much stock except for just yesterday I put a PMD cooler on it (I am suprised how much heat that little sucker puts off, my heat sink was warm to the touch. I mounted it just in front of the driver; beside the break booster and behind the windshield washer fluid. I am beginning to think people mounting it in the bumper may not be a bad choice but would hate to have a minor oops and crush the sucker). Back to the point, I don't really like to tow with over 9K (trailer weight only). The main reason is I called chevy and gave them the VIN, that is my max towing weight (towing above this is an insurance nightmare, AKA you are not covered and could have a major lawsuit and jail time if the situation goes really bad). I should have ran across the scales to know for sure but I figure I have been loaded up to 13K and even small hills needed a "run up", but on flat land (AKA Florida) it worked fine unless I needed to pass. I figure this year I will tow about 5 or 6 times at around 10K (each trip less than 400 miles each way), I don't drive over 65 with the trailer and usually run about 62 (well at least I do not have to pass many people). I need a few upgrades such as EGT, TRANS TEMP, OIL TEMP, gauges to monitor the damage. Then I need a new radiator, oil cooler, add an intercooler, bigger exhaust, K&N intake, and the 97 cooling upgrade. Due to the fact its the only gauge I have, I went up Mount Eagle pass in TN and when I got to the top my engine temp was almost 220, normally I run just over 180. I don't remember what gear I ended up in but I could only maintain about 45 MPH (I figure I was towing about 11K). My question is about auto transmissions. What do people mean by leaving the TQ converter locked up. I assume this requires a kit which I do not have (sorry for the question but I have only driven standard transmission vehicles and this is my first auto, and yes I have a hole in the floorboard looking for the clutch pedal). What should I do when I hit a hill, keep my foot on the pedal and let the engine temp climb (I am assuming EGT's will skyrocket as well but until I gather a brain to install the gauge I won't know). Will letting off the gas cause the transmission to "unlock" and destroy my tranny. This turns in to a towing question (besides my recent towing experience I have none) what should someone do to keep from having a "catastrophic event" due to driver error.

The trailer I am towing is a 36ft goose neck enclosed car hauler (the trailer alone weighs 6250 LBS). My wind resistance is a big factor and think I only get about 10 MPG while towing this trailer loaded.

[More Power]

Bear in mind that the 1996 GM C/K truck brochure (I don't have one for 1995) indicates that 8500# is the max trailer weight rating for a C3500 dually, equipped with 4.10 gears, 4L80-E and the 6.5TD.

Jim

[jharden1]

If your pin weight is close to 3400lbs you should check your GVWR. Example: 2007 New body 2500HD C/C Z71 4x4 D/A with 47Gal fuel, 1 dog and me scales at 7580. GVWR for truck is 9200. Pin wt available is 1620 lbs.