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Would a fairly stock K5 pull this.......

badmix

badmix

1/2 ton status
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
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Location
West Virginia


84 K5, 33s, 4:10 gears, 305cid (155k), 700r , Holley 4barrel carb and headers/true duals.

Lets say it was loaded with a typical small house/apt worth of stuff.

Just curious. thinking when and if I move, just buying something like this and then ill always have it and can use for storage or sell. Cross country Uhaul is over a grand.
 
I've towed 10 tons with a 3/4 ton, but I'd be reluctant to take that challenge.
 
I'm guessing that trailer empty weighs around 3000 pounds, fully loaded up with all your stuff, your probably looking at around 7 thousand, maybe 8 depending on what you've got. If the trailer has working electronic brakes or some sort of good trailer breaks then I'd say it can be done. K5 has the same running gear as a half ton pickup which can handle 8-10,000 pounds, only thing holding you back is the short wheelbase of the blazer. If it were me I would do it. Just take it easy and be careful and keep in mind that your probably not gonna get but maybe 5 mpg which will get expensive if your going cross country. Consider all your options and see what is the cheapest, if it comes down to towing your load with the k5 I would say it can be done ONLY with a trailer with good brakes.
 
You would be better off buying a 3/4 ton truck to tow the trailer and reselling it after the move. You would kill the rear axle quickly with that much weight. Not to mention the trailer would push the K5 all over the road and not be safe to drive.
 
No.....

The suspension, brakes, and short wheel base can not in any way shape or form handle that trailer. Gusts of wind will push enclosed trailers around more than you might think, and that short wheel base will have you in the ditch in no time. Going cross country is a huge journey, with weather and road changes that will be constantly changing.
 
rjfguitar said:
No.....

The suspension, brakes, and short wheel base can not in any way shape or form handle that trailer. Gusts of wind will push enclosed trailers around more than you might think, and that short wheel base will have you in the ditch in no time. Going cross country is a huge journey, with weather and road changes that will be constantly changing.
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Agreed. Across town? No prolem. Across the country? No, thanks.
 
I towed a 12 foot dual axle enclosed U-haul with my 72 K5 when I moved 70 miles away...wasn't the greatest idea..it pulled it fine...short wheelbase sucked though--it swayed and weaved constantly,like it had no "straight ahead" position like it did unloaded...top speed was limited to 50 mph ,maybe 55,after that it just felt too squirrely to handle without great pucker factor..
The trailer had no brakes,and I had maybe 1 ton of furniture and other stuff in each load..

It made 2 trips back and forth OK,but I don't think I'd want to do it again with a K5...a Suburban or 3/4 ,1 ton long wheelbase would have been a lot better..(or I could have just rented a C-60 box truck for about the same money,and hauled everything in one trip!)..

One reason I sold a minty '78 Rockwood camper I had,based on a 1 ton G-30 chassis,was the fact it had a 110" wheelbase..why they didn't use the 125" "long van" wheelbase I couldn't understand..the thing only had 58K on it,I drove it to Nashville TN and back,and it too,felt like it just wanted to go right or left,not straight ahead,most of the time--after you got used to it being so "touchy" you could get it up to 70+ mph,but if you had to make a sudden manuver or stop,you'd be in trouble....it also rode like a dump truck,very harsh springs and bouncy...I would have been scared to try towing anything with it...
 
This is the exact reason i am looking for a 1 ton square body truck. I pull my 20 foot long deck trailer with 3k pounds on it frequently. It will do it, but the short wheel base sucks. Getting a weight distribution hitch with anti sway would help. But that is just a band-aid.

So, no I would not tow that loaded.
 
ktmoutfront said:
This is the exact reason i am looking for a 1 ton square body truck. I pull my 20 foot long deck trailer with 3k pounds on it frequently. It will do it, but the short wheel base sucks. Getting a weight distribution hitch with anti sway would help. But that is just a band-aid.



So, no I would not tow that loaded.
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There is a 2wd six pack down the road from me. Rust free from Colorado :) Hubcaps and all. I'll stop by and see what price he wants.
 
Heh...thats pretty much what I figured, but just thought id toss it out there. My other idea is just to get a uhaul and trailer my Blazer. Which is what ill end up doing.
 
Just an idea if you have the second driver, would a 3/4 ton Suburban be a good idea for this? The TBI ones are fairly reasonably priced around here.
 
A tbi 3/4 ton burb will get the job done. It will be slow on big hills, but it will get you there just as fast as the u haul.
 
I fragged the clutch with my K5 with a 454 and sm465 towing far less than that. If I had a more stout clutch I may try it.
 
I have towed a 16 foot enclosed trailer with really no issues at all,also I tow a 21 ft boat quite often during the summer with no issues
 
towing long distance

I just towed a uhaul tandem wheeled 6 x 12 trailer from NJ to Las Vegas. It was heavy since it contained all my tools and compressor etc. I thought it being heavy would help keep it from swaying as trailers tend to do.

Let me tell you I needed a week to un-clench my sphincter after that trip.

Since I could not drive faster than 60 mph each and every tractor/trailer that passed me nearly blew me onto the shoulder.

It was a constant battle keeping it on the road. And then the topper was going down a 7% grade in Arizona being pushed by that heavy trailer and still being blown to the side by those big rigs.

I will NEVER NEVER do that again.

Just thought I would share!!!
 
kennyw said:
A tbi 3/4 ton burb will get the job done. It will be slow on big hills, but it will get you there just as fast as the u haul.
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I would disagree. He could take a comfy, late model U haul that will cruise down the road as happy as can be with the A/C on, or an old Suburban he just picked up off craigslist with who knows how many miles, that is nearly 25 years old. My moneys on the Uhaul in getting there first, trouble free.

I'm a big fan of square body GM's too, but lets be honest here.... picking up a 20-25 year old vehicle and then heading out across the country does not sound like a great idea to me. Maybe if he had a chance to own it for a while first and get to know the condition of the engine/trans/cooling system, etc first and make some repairs here and there....but to just go pick up something and head out,:doah:
 
No.

I would only consider moving the trailer a mile or less, empty, to park it or fetch it. I would not tow with a short wheel base. Towing (your trailer) with a 1/2 ton standard length truck is bad enough and the K5 is one step under classed from that.

FYI: One ton crew cab is the tow king in light duty trucks.

I have a 24' enclosed like yours and my 91 V2500 burb tows it 'ok' but really sucks. It lacks power (stock tbi 350) and it doesnt handle the weight well.

My 05 k3500 crew silverado doesnt even know the 24 footer is there.

Dont tow with the K5 unless its something you'd put on the back of a full size sedan.
 
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