Here's what I know - I would NOT want to tow anwywhere near 10,000 pounds with a 4.8 GM V8, regardless of what truck it's in. It's a fine engine - we have one in our 04 Yukon backed by 3.73 gears - but we found it barely had the juice to pull our 7,000ish pound trailer in the mountains around here at anything over about 35 mph. Pulling over to let traffic pass and then trying to get moving again going uphill was no fun whatsoever, as once we were stopped it became extremely difficult to get any kind of forward speed going.
The posters above have addressed the issue of "tow rating" having to do with a lot more than the powertrain.
I'd be curious to see what Silverado that is. My 2010 with the 6.0 and a 4.10 rear end is rated at 12,500#. With the 3.73 it drops down to 10,000#. Not too sure how they could rate a 4.8L engine in the same neighborhood as the 6.0.
In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen a 4.8L anywhere close to 10,000#, regardless of rear end.
Since they don't offer a 4.10 in the 1500 series truck anymore, it's not a current figure. If you go back to 2007, for example, the highest tow rating for a 4.8L is 8,100# with the 4.10 rear end.
That makes a 4.3% bigger engine (4.8L versus 4.6L) and a corresponding 5.1% higher tow rating (8,100# versus 7,700#).
Thanks for all the replies. It reminded me of a bunch of things that were lost in the back of my head.
BTW. I'm looking into trucks that can haul around or above 10k so that I can feel safe and it won't be so hard on the truck when I will be hauling around 6k lbs. I don't mind slowing down some on hills but don't want to stress the truck to a craw and I would like to have the cushion of being able to haul a bit more if ever needed.
Sounds like you really should be looking at 250/2500's. Not saying a half-ton can't do what you're looking for, but the heavier duty truck just opens up a lot more possibilities and gives you room to grow. We tow our trailer (GVWR of 7500) with a Dodge 2500 Diesel. No, I don't "need" that much truck to pull it, but I sure like having the stable platform, ample power, and ability to load the trailer to the max and fill the bed up with firewood, bikes, coolers, etc. without worrying about reaching any of the capacities of the truck.
If you want 'wiggle room' in tow capacity, then get the make and model truck you like with the larger engine options...
When I bought my truck, I didn't have any TT intentions in mind, but I'm soooo glad I got the truck that had the 5.4 in it! The one next to it had the 4.6, had less miles and was priced lower, but I went with my gut!
Good luck on the search and have fun!
Mitch
*Anything I post is for entertainment purposes only and what usually works for me.. Your Mileage May Vary..
wvmtb wrote: Thanks for all the replies. It reminded me of a bunch of things that were lost in the back of my head.
BTW. I'm looking into trucks that can haul around or above 10k so that I can feel safe and it won't be so hard on the truck when I will be hauling around 6k lbs. I don't mind slowing down some on hills but don't want to stress the truck to a craw and I would like to have the cushion of being able to haul a bit more if ever needed.
That is great thinking, not to many people that tow wish for less power, or less tow ratings. So many people end up trading in trucks and TT until they reach the 'perfect' setup and then trade again and again. My neighbor went through 3 trailers and 3 trucks in about 18 months. They kept getting a little big bigger trailer and then the truck needed upgraded. 26' TT, 30' fifth wheel to a 36' fifth wheel. Trucks went Explore to v10 F250 to a 6.4 Diesel F350. Seen this time and time again.
2011 Dodge Ram 3500 4*4 Black dually Laramie 4.10 gears
2011 Arctic Fox 1150 Drybath
2009 Polaris RZR w/fun parts
2011 Polaris Sportsman 550 XP EPS w/stuff
2006 Polaris Sportsman 500 w/stuff
1977 K5 Blazer 1 ton modified
2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid (her car)
I was using kbb.com to compare the trucks. After going to the different manufacturers web sites and looking at the "real" numbers I see how screwed up KBB is. Wow! Time to throw everything away and start over. I almost feel like an idiot now for using KBB.
Try edmunds.com. KBB.com is really only good for getting invoice price, and only then if you access to the sticker on the vehicle you want.
Like the others said, I believe the 10,400 towing on the chevy is with the 6.2 liter V-8 and the Max Towing package... I'm not sure that I would want that engine if I was towing that heavy... LOTS of aluminum. I'd probably opt for the 3/4 ton with the proven 6 liter.
Yea, the 10,400 is with the 6.2. KBB isn't correct on a lot of info I have found. If it wasn't for poor MPG's and high sticker prices I would no doubt look into a 2500 or 3500 size trucks with a 6.0+ liter engine. But who wouldn't?
Do you have to have a new truck? I paid much less for my 05 2500 diesel with 23.5K miles on it than I would have paid for any new truck. With the pre-dpf/def diesel, I get good mileage to boot. Even new, 250's/2500's with the right engine don't have to cost more than a half-ton. Personally, I gladly trade a few luxury gadgets and gizmos to have a truck that is more capable.
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