New boat older truck- thoughts please
 

Hi guys,
I need some thoughts if you don't mind, I'm stressing over the health of my truck.
Data-
I've got a 2004 Silverado 1500, Z71, 3.73 rear, 5.3L, 75k miles.
I also have a 23ft deck boat that weighs 5k that sits on a dual axle trailer w/disk surge brakes (probably around 7k lbs. total).

My typical tow is a very short 9 mile, mostly flat tow trip. I've got plans to do a couple longer/hillier trips this year (approx 400 mile trips).

Truck sags A LOT with the boat hitched. It also stresses more than I'm comfortable with while towing. I know it's near max tow capacity.

What to do? I'm thinking about some Hellwig progressive spring helpers (2500 lb, silence, pro model). I also thought about air spring helpers, but I don't want to mess with inflating/ deflating every time I hook up the boat or grab a load of firewood, etc. Any thoughts on this? Does it destroy the ride while unloaded?

I've also looked into trading up to a 2500 series, but the 6.0L doesn't have that much more capacity right? 8600 vs 10,500? I can't afford to get something new (a duramax would be sweet).

So- I 'm trying to think of the best way to solve the issue. Any thoughts? Change the tranny fluid more often? Deal with it? Run it and not worry? I guess my biggest question is if it's practical to haul around 7K with the truck. Maybe I should add that I only put about 3k mi on the truck per year since I've got a company car now and only use the truck for utility functions around the house and towing the boat.

Anything would be very appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Tim

I hear that putting an air bag suspension system with an onboard compressor seems to be a popular route in situations such as this. Otherwise, I think a transmission cooler would be beneficial as well.

I'm not really sure what else... you could think of gearing it down if you don't drive it much

Thanks Kevin, I think it already has a factory trans cooler (lines into the radiator), did you mean something additional?

Thanks again,
Tim

Kevin is right on the money - the 4l60E trans. drastically needs a big external cooler used in conjunction with the radiator cooler when towing just about anything. You already have a real decent towing gear 3.73's. 4.10's would help a little. Also using 3rd instead of O/D is a must when towing in the hills. A custom tune that is set-up for towing would help. So go get a good trans cooler and start there. As far as the sag - I am surprised that size boat puts it down so far. Maybe check with someone with some trailer knowledge and see if the boat could be slid back over the axles more. I know when I bought a new boat a few years back the boat company had the trailer set up all wrong. I fought it for a season before realizing I needed to shift the winch and boat back about a foot and it made a world of difference! Good luck!

The trailer for the boat is brand new (2010), designed by the OEM for the boat with welded rails.
I've been looking at trans coolers, thanks a bunch for that idea. Does the group have a preferred model for the silverado 1500? I haven't really seen a kit made specifically for the 2004... or is it pretty generic?

Thanks again for all the thoughts!
Tim

I'm just throwin a thought out there, but it would make sense to me that the type of cooler wouldn't matter so long as there is enough fluid to fill it...correct?

How much tongue weight is being put on the truck as is? An easy way to test this is to find a gravel pit with a scale, weigh the truck, then weigh the truck with the trailer hooked up, but with only the truck being on the scale. I'm not sure what the tongue weight to GVW percentage is, but this should tell you whether anything needs to be adjusted

My boat and trailer were brand new too. I don't know too many boat manufacturers that also make trailers. It is up to the individual shops to set the trailers up for the boats and somone might of had a bad day when they set yours up. I know mine did. I am not saying it is that, but it's worth a look. Check all the simple, free, or inexpensive culprits first.
You can pick up a trans cooler at any auto parts stores. I bought a Hayden unit at O'reilly's - they had 3 or 4 different models.

Definetly get an external trany cooler. There is also and aftermarket trany pane that you can get that increases your capacity and has built in cooling tubes. Helper springs are nice, but the air bags arae a better way to go. The extra capacity is there when you need it, and gone when you don't.
Definetly look at your boat and trailer set up though. Most dealerships have a standard trailer they use for many size boats, and don't realy take the time to custome fit each boat to each trailer.
Had the same problem with my boat being towed by my buddies 1/2 ton. I have a 1 ton and never noticed it, but his 1/2 ton looked like he was towing a 10k trailer. Fortunatly the trailer was big enough to move the boat back about 8 to 10 inches. Made all the difference, his truck still sagged, but no where near what it was before.
Amazing what 8 inches can do.

Yeah brand of coolers dont matter. What you wanna look at is the BTU's. Like this one... transmissioncoolers.us: Tru-Cool MAX transmission cooler with external thermal bypass

Tim, your truck is fine. I have a 5.3, 3.73 gears 2wd. and I regularly pull a 27 ft. travel trailer that weighs 6650lbs, all over the place.

My truck currently has 90+k miles so your truck is not old.

When pulling you want your vehicle to sit level, for the safest tow. If the trailer is setting the rear of your truck down hard, and I mean more than an inch or two and you plan on long trips I would advise, as you mentioned so Helwig air bags.

I have an easy-lift hitch and bars that I was using when pulling my trailer, and then added Hellwig air bag sysltem with inboard controls to a firestone compressor. The easy-lift system worked fine, however may main reason for trying this was to try and ease the bounse of the truck on CA. concreate freeways.

It helps on the freeways and I no longer use the easy-lift bars when towing, however I do use and recomend the use of a sway bar, especially with travel trailers that catch the wind.

I bought my from Truck Spring
Hellwig Air Bags, Hellwig Air Springs, Hellwig PowerLift - TruckSpring.com

you can check out their website above, I have also bought Bilstein shocks from them and pleased with their service.

good luck and catch a lot of fish or have a just have a good time
jvp

Air Bags are a good idea, they will help the sagging problem you have, (with any truck), they can hold up to 5000lbs capacity, if thats is still not enough then you can go with a timbren kit that can handle up to 8000lbs, i personally went with a timbren kit cause when I wasn't towing or hauling anything I did not lose my factory ride or have to worry about the bags ripping or worry about filling the bags every time I wanted to tow something, i have the same truck as you different year tho, this was the kit i got i put it in and forgot about it!!!!! which was the best part.
GMRCK25S Timbren Kit 1999-2010 Silverado 2500HD Rear Timbren Springs | $199.63

I would go with the timbren kit as well if you were to keep your current truck. But if you were to go with your other option with the 2500Hd, you would be set with just the 6.0. My 2010 pulls great, i pull a 24ft vnose enclosed trailer for work and it pulls quiet nice. Its got the power that you need and will handle the weight nicely.

I tow with a '04 Silverado 5.3/3.73 setup most every day. I tow a 4K work trailer and a 7+K dump/trash trailer. No problem with either. The truck has a "redneck" ram air setup, Flowmaster cat-back, Hellwig air bag setup (worth every penny) and most importantly, a Blackbear Performance scan tune. Truck tows anything I've hooked to it, obviously within reason but 6-7K is no problem at all. 9K starts to feel heavy and I don't go much over that.

These trucks have long leaf springs. Long springs can still have good load carrying capacity but they also have a long range of travel and so they sag more that you would expect. The Hellwig setup fixes that completely.

I've checked trans temp a few times after towing hard with an IR thermometer and the trans was never that hot so I did not bother with a trans cooler. I did go to Amsoil synthetic fluid.

I think your truck is perfect for what you need with some easy upgrades. If you towed every day then I would say maybe the 3/4ton would make you more comfortable. But for weekends, etc. what you have is fine. Just upgrade some bits and you're good to go.

Regarding adding air to the Hellwig setup, its not a big deal. I have a mini compressor that is always around. Get a nice digital tire gauge too. Air up before you tow/haul. Air down when not. Once a week is no big deal, I adjust mine 2-3 times a week, it takes just a minute or two.

RT