Would you tow it?

[sarg]

I am debating on using my 06 Denali 4x4 to tow my 3000 lb mustang race car cross country. I am really on the fence. 2200 miles in the car solo towing anything won't be a lot of fun. I realise all fluids need to be up to date an an aux cooler needs to be installed, but I was planning that regardless. I figured I would get your input as most have much more experience with these trucks.

 

[KNBlazer]

I am debating on using my 06 Denali 4x4 to tow my 3000 lb mustang race car cross country. I am really on the fence. 2200 miles in the car solo towing anything won't be a lot of fun. I realise all fluids need to be up to date an an aux cooler needs to be installed, but I was planning that regardless. I figured I would get your input as most have much more experience with these trucks.

I'd rent a truck with better gas mileage and maybe offset your costs...

 

[djthumper]

I would tow it with a transmission cooler added on.

 

[sarg]

Renting a truck would not solve having to get both vehicles cross country. the other option would be taking it later and pulling behind a u haul. The bad part about that would be not having it with me for several months to continue working on it.

 

[KNBlazer]

Renting a truck would not solve having to get both vehicles cross country. the other option would be taking it later and pulling behind a u haul. The bad part about that would be not having it with me for several months to continue working on it.

That part about both cars needing to get moved was not disclosed ... calculate crappy gas mileage, and then compare to rates from vehicle transportation companies....you might get a better deal for 2 versus the money you'll need to spend on fuel....

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Vehicle transport companies suck imho.

I would pull it with mine. Even with big tires. I definitely would not hesitate with yours and a trans cooler.

 

[sarg]

Looking at about $400 in extra fuel and $300 for the trailer vs $1200 minimum for transport and being worried the whole time, lol. My main concern is if it will pull it ok. It just has a 2.5 lift and 265/60/18 all terrain tires with a 3.42 gear.

 

[KNBlazer]

Looking at about $400 in extra fuel and $300 for the trailer vs $1200 minimum for transport and being worried the whole time, lol. My main concern is if it will pull it ok. It just has a 2.5 lift and 265/60/18 all terrain tires with a 3.42 gear.

2200/ 8 mpg * 3.80

what kind of mileage do you get?

 

[sarg]

Towing my buddies heavier truck around town was 12 mpg. I figure using 87 octane average cost of 3.50-360. Is about $600-700 total vs $440 as my regular mpg.

 

[KNBlazer]

Towing my buddies heavier truck around town was 12 mpg. I figure using 87 octane average cost of 3.50-360. Is about $600-700 total vs $440 as my regular mcg.

12mpg's is decent... I forgot East of the border of California, lol, gas is cheaper...$3.93 is the average as of a few seconds ago... I pump at Costco, which is $3.73 right now... good luck with the tow...keep an eye on inclines, you might witness the needle drop a few ticks...

 

[sarg]

Yeah national average is like 3.57 right now. Cali they like to rape people to "save the environment." But back to the thread. Looking for people that have made this kind of trip towing something of similar size and weight.

 

[Ghoster]

Are you flat towing it? Dolly towing or trailer towing it?

 

[sarg]

U haul car hauler (not the dolly). I have way too much into this car and with the spool in the rear diff and the drag tires, I would probably have to replace the tires by the time I got there, lol. They are a DOT drag radial, but still a very soft compound.

 

[Ghoster]

So you are really towing 5000 lbs. I would be checking on the brakes as well. U-hauls are NOT great equipment. I have towed across the country 3 times and never had a uhaul make the whole trip. The brakes on the trailer are crap. Your truck will be trying to stop a lot of weight. A serious brake inspection should be done before departure.

I suspect we are missing more to this story. Are you moving? Will the truck be loaded down with personal property? You may be approaching or surpassing the maximum tow limits of the platform if you are.

 

[Gutless]

Yes you can. Our family has pulled 14K lb livestock trailers since the 60's with 2500-3500 pickups. Only recently did we get a diesel, only because GM stopped offering manuals, so we ended up with a Ford. A 77 Gm pickup had less HP, worse brakes, and about the only thing it has is weight. Will you be pulling it at 80 up a 6% grade? No. But you didnt do that until the 7.3 powerstroke or 24V cummins came out. Is there a difference between a 70's 2500 and a late model mid sized SUV? Yeah, the late model SUV isnt a POS, haha. People are WAY over exaggerated when it comes to towing. Back in the 70's people pulled combines from MN to TX with nothing more than a 345 2bbl IH gas grain truck. Those had probably 170 HP and 300 ft lbs on a good day. Thats in a 25K lb truck pulling 40k lb trailers. With sketchy drum brakes. Why people decided they needed 800ftlbs to pull around their skiff is beyond me.

I bought my Rainier to pull my cars around and have no worries. Havnt towed anything yet since I just got it but its MORE than capable. Brakes are the same size as the same era GM pickup (if not better, rear disks), same trans, same engine (if you have the 5.3), even if its a I6 it still has 270HP. More than any 1500 pickup until mid-late 90's. Drive a little slower if you need to. What did somebody in 1994 do if they had a 1500 pickup and needed to haul a car? They just did it. An 06 denali is more of a vehicle than a early 90's pickup.

 

[sarg]

So you are really towing 5000 lbs. I would be checking on the brakes as well. U-hauls are NOT great equipment. I have towed across the country 3 times and never had a uhaul make the whole trip. The brakes on the trailer are crap. Your truck will be trying to stop a lot of weight. A serious brake inspection should be done before departure.

I suspect we are missing more to this story. Are you moving? Will the truck be loaded down with personal property? You may be approaching or surpassing the maximum tow limits of the platform if you are.

It is a potential move. But I would not think the trailer to be over 2000 lbs. The car is only about 2800 wet. The truck will have clothes and a dog in it and maybe a couple guns. This is not a full on move with everything I own.

The brakes are all in excellent condition. I just did drilled and slotted rotors on all 4 corners with nice ceramic pads (same brand of both that the race car uses actually).

 

[Ghoster]

It is a potential move. But I would not think the trailer to be over 2000 lbs. The car is only about 2800 wet. The truck will have clothes and a dog in it and maybe a couple guns. This is not a full on move with everything I own.

The brakes are all in excellent condition. I just did drilled and slotted rotors on all 4 corners with nice ceramic pads (same brand of both that the race car uses actually).

The uhaul car haulers are said to be 2000 lbs, I can't actually confirm that, but thats the number they use to calculate the weight.

Things to look for.... twice on long tows with a uhaul I have had wheel bearings (on the trailer) fail. I don't know what the hell they are doing to the wheel bearings, but keep an eye on them. The third failure was electrical. I had driven about 500 miles of an 1100 mile trip and the lights totally failed. uhaul of course tried to blame my truck. They eventually swapped the trailer and the lights worked fine. A big part of the problem I have with them is I had to deal with idiots every time the trailers failed.

With that weight you are going to have to tow carefully. Watch the wieght. KNOW, don't guess, how much weight you are carrying. Most people seem to underestimate the crap they load in the truck. I would do a trans cooler. Plan to go slow. It will be easier on the truck.

 

[sarg]

From what I have read, going easy on it and adding a nice trans cooler it should be doable. I would just hate to leave to drag car here. It would just sit, probably not ever be started and rot. After flushing the transmission I will be up to date on all fluids for the car. Everything fresh and synthetic. I was reading that "what do you tow" thread and it seems a lot of people do significantly larger tows, but is that for 20 miles or 200 or 2000 through the mountains? I am not sure if folks are doing any serious hauls. Heck I pulled a 6500 lb boat with my old 4 runner but it was only for 5 miles to the lake, haha.

 

[AV8ER]

Please excuse me if ive missed something but what engine is in your denali? If its the 5.3 thats a no brainer. If you have the 4.2 i wouldn't think about much over 60mph towing in 3rd gear. My findings is that on flat ground air resistance has more to play than weight does. Weight is the killer in hills and braking. You will want good trailer brakes with that kind of weight for sure. Other than short distance the most ive pulled is 3500lb with the car full of camping gear and 3 people. I would do it again but would add an aux trans cooler. (3.73 gears)

 

[sarg]

The Denali trucks are all 5.3 motors.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I vote you try and get the race car to do a burnout all the way across the country

 

[sarg]

Haha, that would be expensive! Trying to do this as economically as possible.

 

[sarg]

The drag car in all its glory before getting put back together. It is off for paint now. It actually has about the same long block as the Denali, just minus the DOD crap.

 

[Mounce]

Oooh a little turbo action

 

[loondog33]

I used to work at a u-haul back in 1999-2000ish, and I remember that we had a book to check what each vehicle could safely tow. In order to rent one of the car trailers I believe you needed a sturdy 2" hitch, a v8 and I think a full ton truck. I'd call u-haul and ask what your truck is rated for in their system.

I, believe back then people would call with the v8 explorer/Blazers or the smaller v8 sierra/f150's and we would have to break the bad news: car dolly only, no trailer. I can't remember if the suburbans were capable or not. You had to have a something more like a f-250 or f-350 in order to rent the auto trailer.

I'd say if uhaul will let you rent the trailer and, I stress this, allow you to get insurance on the trailer, do it. I'd really suggest you take the insurance, because the trailers are a toss up. Our store was a busy location so we typically had newer trailer, but the ones that come in off the road were awful. Take that walk around inspection serious.

If your truck isn't listed as being able to tow the auto trailer and mustang, they'll let you know. Just don't lie about weight, because they'll try to screw you if you need to make a claim in case of an accident, ie. if you're over weight or pulling it with a different vehicle then what you told them. Cheers.

 

[Mounce]

They still use that book system. Idk if it's actually a book now or not, but they have requirements for their stuff.

5 or more years ago we rented a car trailer to tow my brothers Jeep after it broke down about 300 miles from home and towed it with an extended cab '03 Silverado and they were fine with that vehicle combination. This year my brother was gonna tow his friends truck home and they wouldn't let him do it because they had the same truck. They're pretty strict about it.

 

[sarg]

Uhaul seems fine with it.

 

[sarg]

Well the Tru-Cool 4589 Trans cooler went on today in preparation regardless of what I might tow in the future. It was a breeze of an install. It just required my $15 HF mini air saw, the e-trailer.com radiator insert and a little time. Went great honestly. I took the truck out and beat on it a little and it never went above 170* in 93* ambient temps.

 

[sarg]

Took it for a short 80 mile round trip haul yesterday to the local drag strip. The truck pulled it very well and averaged about 11 mpg doing 65ish on the highway. I forgot my laptop though so I was not able to verify temps.

 

[Chris JW]

guess I would go for it.