Towing and hauling with a k5

[Avery4jc]

Long trailers like to sway on rough roads and windy weather.

Really? Because when I towed my truck on a long trailer it was really steady... yet the couple times I've towed a short trailer (in the 12'-15' range) they seem to be a little more squirrley... iono maybe I just got lucky with my long trailer but it seemed to track much straighter than shorter trailers...

 

[slyguy_22]

It depends on how you have the load loaded on the trailer. if you have a long trailer and have to much weight behind the axles then there all over the place. you'd be suprised how many people dont know how to load a trailer. Seems like second nature to most of us, but alot just load stuff up and strap it down and them complain bout how bad the trailer towed or how the truck was all over the road.

 

[Avery4jc]

Yeah thats true I just pulled forward until my back tires were up against the back side of the fenders of the trailer... squatted my tow rig a little more but it was fine and towed much better than when I had it further back...

 

[guz71]

Thats what I was going to say, a k5 with such a short base is going to be really effected on how the trailor is loaded.

 

[rjfguitar]

Really? Because when I towed my truck on a long trailer it was really steady... yet the couple times I've towed a short trailer (in the 12'-15' range) they seem to be a little more squirrley... iono maybe I just got lucky with my long trailer but it seemed to track much straighter than shorter trailers...

Well, ok, a short trailer will want to "waddle" around more than a long trailer but it's not threating usually and hardly noticeable. Long trailers do usually track straiter going down a smooth stretch of road, but they have much more violent rebounding and inertia. Just the vertical sway from the teetering of a long tandem axle trailer can toss the rig into the ditch with a short/LD truck, and I'm talking 25'+ trailers.

 

[lectric80]

I tow a small tent trailer with my Blazer, and even though it only weighs about 1500 lbs, it can still toss the Blazer around when it start fish tailing. The new trailer will be about 21' and weigh in about 3700 lbs, so I plan on a weight distributing hitch, as well as good trailer brakes. Heavier loading in the front of the trailer will help prevent the swaying, in cooperation with the anti sway hitch. It is not the most ideal way to tow, but it can be done.

 

[slyguy_22]

Just the vertical sway from the teetering of a long tandem axle trailer can toss the rig into the ditch with a short/LD truck, and I'm talking 25'+ trailers.[/quote]

If you are crazy enough to tow a trailer that big with a blazer!
Thought we were talking bout if it was safe to tow a 3-5K trailer with a blazer and now were talking bout 14k 32ft trailers for some reason, lil off topic i think.

 

[Tomspark]

With a vehicle rated to pull 3500 pounds and equipped with a Class II hitch, you will be able to tow loads such as:

small outboard boats
small to medium sailboat

Or check any professional boat hauler. Automakers are making strides in improving towing safety with modern technologies like blind spot monitoring that can take the length of the trailer into account.

 

[centexk5]

I’d hope the OP got it figured out in the past 14 years.

 

[tRustyK5]

Super dredge!!

On topic, if anyone cares, I towed with my old '81 Jimmy back in the day. 21 foot camper trailer, 5500 lbs. The Jimmy had a 4" lift, 14 bolt rear, 3.73's, 35's and a SM 465. By far the biggest improvement in towing stability was the weight distributing hitch. Zero sway, and the trailer and K5 behaved "as one" over the dips and bumps rather than the rear of the K5 being overwhelmed momentarily over the big bumps. I only put about 10,000 miles on that combo over a 5 year period, from Vancouver BC, down to San Diego CA and back as well as all through the mountains in B.C. several times.

also flat towed an '82 Blazer from Round Rock TX to Vancouver BC with that rig.

My biggest "want" was just more power on the big hills. That poor 350 would be screaming at 4000 rpm on long hills. Never had a lick of trouble with it though.

 

[imiceman44]

Super dredge!!

On topic, if anyone cares, I towed with my old '81 Jimmy back in the day. 21 foot camper trailer, 5500 lbs. The Jimmy had a 4" lift, 14 bolt rear, 3.73's, 35's and a SM 465. By far the biggest improvement in towing stability was the weight distributing hitch. Zero sway, and the trailer and K5 behaved "as one" over the dips and bumps rather than the rear of the K5 being overwhelmed momentarily over the big bumps. I only put about 10,000 miles on that combo over a 5 year period, from Vancouver BC, down to San Diego CA and back as well as all through the mountains in B.C. several times.

also flat towed an '82 Blazer from Round Rock TX to Vancouver BC with that rig.

My biggest "want" was just more power on the big hills. That poor 350 would be screaming at 4000 rpm on long hills. Never had a lick of trouble with it though.

A weight distribution hitch is the best addition to any vehicle towing with bumper style hitch, and I have towed with my k5 without one and it wasn't bad enough to worry me but after the weight distribution hitch I will never tow more than 5k lbs without one.
I towed as much as 12k lbs with my turbo diesel k5