Possible Silverado purchase - HELP!!!
 

Okay, I need an expert opinion from you guys. I am a suburban mom (wanna be cowgirl) who is about to purchase a 2008 Silverado 1500 5.3 with 4700 miles on it. We will use it as a daily drive for our family(husband, wife (me) and 3 girls) and then, the real reason we are wanting it is to two our two horses around to shows and trails etc.... They said we'd at least need the 5.3 liter engine for a 2 horse trailer. We found this slighly used one with the low miles and it already has all the stuff I wanted (HD tow package, step bars so we can get in and out and a hard bed cover). I am about to go plunk down the $$ but wondered if I should look at something else? We were going to buy a new one but this one already has all the stuff plus a break off the new prices! Other options would be new Silverados or Sierras with the same engine or something from the Ford lineup. I am getting rid of my Nissan Armada and really want to unload my foreign car owner guilt with it and buy American so I'm really not interested in foreign anymore. So, would you buy used or new and then would you suggest I even go to the Ford lot? Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

The 5.3 will probably struggle a little pulling that load. What do you guess the trailer with the 2 horses weigh? I would at least get a 6.0 liter truck in the HD line. A 2500HD would be my suggestion. Especially if you live somewhere where there are alot of hills or mountains. I just got rid of a 5.3 liter suburban that we were using to pull a 3500 pound boat around b/c it would really bog going up hills. A couple times I was concerned if it was even going to make it. Now it was a very high mileage truck so the motor may have been a bit tired, but there is hardly a worse feeling then going up a hill and having your foot to the floor and the truck is still slowing down. Also I think the newer 5.3's have a few more horsepower than the 2000 model I was driving. You also want to look in the glove box and see what rear end ratio it has. I will include a chart at the end of this message so you will know what the codes mean. They are in alphabetical order in the glove box so skip to the G's and see which one it has. Hopefully a GT-4 or 3.73 rear ratio. I don't think they put the 4.10 in the 1/2 tons but I may be wrong. Another reason I would opt for a 2500HD truck with the 4.10 rear end. Just my opinion. The major factor is how heavy is that trailer loaded.

Rear Axle Ratio
GQ1 -- AXLE REAR, STD RATIO
GT4 -- AXLE REAR, 3.73 RATIO
GT5 -- AXLE REAR, 4.10 RATIO
GU4 -- AXLE REAR, 3.08 RATIO
GU5 -- AXLE REAR, 3.23 RATIO
GU6 -- AXLE REAR, 3.42 RATIO
G80 -- AXLE REAR, LIMITED SLIP (POSITRACTION)
HC4 -- AXLE REAR, 4.56 RATIO

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT GO TO FORD! i have grown up driving nothing but Chevy's and towing Ford's home. i have never had a problem with a Chevy that ever made me want to switch. the 2008 Silverado w/ that low of miles on it is well suited for what you plan to use it for, plus its less expensive than driving it off the lot brand new. quick question, is it the Z71? I see no problem with that truck doing what you need it to do.

I have to disagree Mr. Shamrock,

We pulled a solid steel 3 horse trailer with a 2003 GMC Z71 5.3 3:73's and never had a problem. It would bog down going up a hill but never enough to worry me. Fully loaded that trailer weighed just over 10,000. It would be nice to have the larger 6 liter, but i think that for the occasional towing it will do just fine. As the guys already said, the weight of the trailer and the gear ratio are what really matters.

Quick question, is it a crew cab??

A 5.3 pulling 10,000 pounds up a hill would be VERY scarey!!!! I don't know what kind of towing you have done, but there is no way a 1/2 ton truck with a 5.3 should even attempt that at all much less up a hill. I am not saying it couldn't do it, but can it do it safely. Then don't even get me started on a 1/2 ton truck trying to stop 10,000 pounds coming back down that hill. Maybe it's just me but I would rather have more truck than I need pulling a load.

ok, settle down folks, this wasn't started to be a pissing match. The family just wants to know if it is a good purchase for them for their needs. Personally, I saw keep hunting for a bigger truck or buy miniature horses. As for braking on a hill, I have seen little trucks with big loads brake better than big trucks. Just depends what for brakes and rotors you use. But a bigger engine (motors are electric, engines are gas), does mean more power and torque for more pulling. I would keep huntin, but if it is what the family agrees on and likes, buy it.

Absolutely, the trailer weight is what matters and if they have small horses or a super lite trailer than that truck might work for them. I just love it though when people throw numbers around. I don't think Zu Zu will come close to approaching the 10,000 pound mark. If she is in the 5-6K range she should be fine. Just one guys opinion.

Think about what the load will be, a horse doesn't weigh more than 2,000lbs. So a two horse trailer weighs about 4,000lbs. So, at a max, we are looking at an 8,000lbs load! That 1500 should pull that up a hill (6% grade is a hill) just fine.(It may not pull at 60mph all the way up, but it will get you to the top without trouble) If it doesn't then it has an issue.

As for the way down, well if you are relying on the truck for the brakes. Then you are having a bad day! You need to have trailer brakes, not just truck brakes. The truck will stop a loaded trailer, but not down a hill or for a long period.

Now as far as getting this truck for your needs? Well that is up to you. Don't leave it up to us. I have given you the weights and it should be just fine for your needs. There is write-ups on the common problems and fixes of the 5.3L motors and the trucks that wrap them.

OOPS!!

Forgot to mention... WE ALWAYS HAVE TRAILER BRAKES!!!!!!!!!!!! A quarter horse weighs approximately 1100lbs if in shape. I didn't mean to start an arguement either but I also wasn't focusing on the stopping aspect. I am so used to stopping with the trailer brakes it doesn't even cross my mind.

I borrowed my moms Duramax today and towed a 6 yard dump trailer loaded down with 7 tons of gravel today. It was heavy! I am not used to the trailer I was using so it turned out that the brake controller wasn't adjusted enough and I didn't figure it out til I tried to stop and turn for the first time. Needless to say I sailed right by! I then adjusted her up and it stopped like a normal 20000lb convoy :D

Once again my apologies for the confusion as I was looking at the acceleration aspect. Not the stopping

We aren't arguing we are just having a discussion. I still don't see a 5.3 pulling a 10,000 pound trailer comfortably whether it has trailer brakes or not. Anyway, I have been accused on more than one occassion of being guilty of overkill. I guess from my days of driving a big Peterbilt...I want all my trucks to have power and brakes to spare. Don't get me wrong I pulled a caprice clissic on a heavy car trailer (that was a repo I just happened to come across) from Tallahassee to Miami with a 4.3 Silverado and lived to tell about it. It was on a bumper ball to boot. I experienced brake fade a number of times and it was basically in passing gear for 1/2 the trip, but I made it. Does that qualify a 6 cylinder Silverado as a car hauler?