New Tow Ratings for 2013 (SAE J2807)

[Ron Nielson]

Looks like there is an 'Official' test now to determine 2013 tow ratings:

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/0912_sae_tow_ratings_finally_pas s_sniff_test/index.html

This is a good read. Looks like the tests attempt to use real world towing situations as a basis.

Anyone know if Chevrolet/GM has participated? Any published results?

[Joey D]

I think so far only Toyota has participated in the testing and changed the tow ratings

[Canadian Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Ron Nielson

Looks like there is an 'Official' test now to determine 2013 tow ratings:

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/0912_sae_tow_ratings_finally_pas s_sniff_test/index.html

This is a good read. Looks like the tests attempt to use real world towing situations as a basis.

Anyone know if Chevrolet/GM has participated? Any published results?

Your link is invaild.
http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...uirements.html

CC

[MTU alum]

A GM engineer lead the SAE group. Finally a level playing field for everyone.

[MTU alum]

GM has been working to this standard for about a year and half. It took a while for SAE to publish it but, the testing standards within it have been unchanged for a while.

This is the reason GM does not need to change its ratings. Toyota and Ford can't cheat anymore.

[Gunrok 02 LB7]

Originally Posted by MTU alum

GM has been working to this standard for about a year and half. It took a while for SAE to publish it but, the testing standards within it have been unchanged for a while.

This is the reason GM does not need to change its ratings. Toyota and Ford can't cheat anymore.

Speaking of Toyota cheating, I was at Bass Pro Shops about a year ago when they had a demo for their tundra pulling their special made(read: not an everyday realistic) 10,500lb trailer. They gave me a $5 BPS gift card to take it around the block with one of their reps and tell them what I thought. This tundra never did figure out what gear it wanted to be in pulling that weight. It felt unstable and unsafe at best. The rep, the whole time around the block, was telling me and my dad how the only time that trailer is disconnected is when the truck is in for an oil change. Everywhere they take the truck for a demo it pulls the trailer there and back. After we exited the truck we told the rep that the next time they disconnect that trailer they need to leave it disconnected before someone gets hurt. With the new test standards it would seem they have taken 1900+ pounds off of their tow rating. I wish I could talk to that rep again to ask him how he feels about that.

[Diesel Wanna Be]

Let me tell you about the 2008 Tundra I had before I bought the D-max last year.

The 08 was supposed to be rated to 10,200 lbs... I drove from St. Louis down to SE Georgia to pick up a 28' enclosed trailer, 7' ceiling, v-nose, for my race car.

Going down, the Tundra got a best of 17.5 MPG at 70 MPH, and that's with their 6-speed transmission. It was a 10 hour drive one way.

Coming back, with the EMPTY 28' trailer (3500 lbs), the truck would barely ever shift into 5th, and stayed in 4th the majority of the trip back with 4.10 gears. I got a BEST of 7.2 MPG with the trailer in tow and was stopping every 90 minutes for fuel.

It wasn't long after picking the trailer up I started looking for a diesel.