Just a quick question for those who tow 5th wheels with their 1500s, what kind of pin weight does everyone haul? I am currently looking to up grade our "perfect for our truck" 1987 24 1/2 feet 5th, which is only 840 lbs on the pin and a GVWR 4400lbs, to another 5th which also 25 feet, but is about 1090lbs on the pin with a 6900lbs GVWR and is only 5750lbs dry according to it's manufacuters sticker. As you can see by my sig I have no real mods on the truck and I don't think the overall weight of the new trailer is an issue, but the pin weight seems like it maybe to much for the stock suspension and axle.

ya can always add air bags. Ed

I have the same truck and had basically the same trailer and upgraded to basically the same trailer (look at pic in my avatar).

Definitely a little more sag with the new trailer but a set of Timbrens fixed that up in a hurry. Airbags are a more expensive but more adjustable option.

You might want to think about some other cooling and performance mods especially if you're going to be pulling any extended grades.

Dave

Thanks Ed, I am think that that would be a good first step especially since i load the box up with the kids gear, extra 20lb propane tank and bikes, but i guess what I am really concerned about is I am going to overload the rear end. I do have the 3.73 rear, but being that it is only the 1500 am I just expecting to much out of my stock rear end.

I dont think there would be any issues with the axle. It's more spring sag that id worry about and im not sure it would hurt it. Just add some helper springs in the back im sure it would be fine.

Timbrens, thanks Dave, I saw you brought those up in another thread. I guess being that I haul into areas where they seem to frown down on 1/2 tons hauling 5ers I thought that 1090lbs on the pin would not only be an issue to the authorities, but also an issue as it would be too heavy for the 1/2 ton axle. The truck it self is in excellent shape and is pretty much now just pulling duty as a tralier hauler and has a special place in the garage where it stays clean and protected.

Take a look at the sticker on the LH door. It lists the maximum laden weight for each axle. My 99 Tahoe 2wd.has a 6300 GVW and lists 3448 as the max weight on the rear axle.It is a 10 bolt , 8.6 in. differential gear. Fairly sure your 1500 is the same axle capacity but may show a different weight limit for your truck.

I'm pretty sure the trucks use a different axle than the tahoes. The way I understand it, the tahoes don't have 8 lug axles. My 1500 series burb has 8 lugs and a 14 bolt axle. Correct me if i am wrong but i believe the trucks are the same but the tahoes being smaller and lighter use 6 lugs and a lighter axle.

The limiting factor will be your axle/housing. Check the specs on the weight rating to be sure, but I would think the 14-bolt could handle it, assuming it's a full floater. Semi-floater maybe not so much, but I bet it'd be fine. As for the lighter-duty half-ton axles, I can't believe they hold up as well as they do under empty Suburbans.

The limiting factor on my new truck seems to be the tires, so be sure you have enough tire as well. I'd be concerned about a load range C tire.

I just got new tires last year and noticed a difference when towing. I went from a load range C Michelin to a load range E Toyo. I aired the Toyos up nice and hard when towing and could feel the difference. I did many trips with the C tires and they held up but the Es are definitely better.

Dave

LD 1500 "S" trucks use the 14 bolt semi-float 6 Lug Axle. If you want to find out if it will hold up, take the cover off, and give it a good look. If anything looks nasty, worn, or if there are shavings, expect it to fail at some point. Mine looked nasty 30,000 miles ago, and when i took it to a shop they said it would cost jsut as much to fix it then as it would when it blew. Well it blew 500 miles ago, and 1060 dollars later I'm on the road again. Those 30,000 miles were almost always unloaded.

3750 lbs is what the sticker on my door says the back axle is good for on my truck. With the trailer in my garage hooked up and loaded my back axle is at 3850 lbs and change. Doesn't take much to overload these trucks.

99 Tahoe gas has 5 lug on 2wd & 6 lug on 4wd. Same axle with 6 lugs,non diesel. 8L on Diesel Tahoe but 9.5 ring gear ,axles riding on the bearings, non floater ,same as suburban 1500 Diesels. Suburban 8600GVW 2500 has full floater diff. with all engines. The 5.7 Suburban 2 wd 1500 5 lug has same axle as Tahoe 2wd, 8.6 ring gear. This is for the 1999 year model. I have never seen a 1992 / 1999 Dsl 1500 2WD truck with a 14 bolt 6 lug diff. A 2500 / 7200 GVW yes. That doesn't mean they didn't make them though. I operated a busy 200 repair order per month transmission shop from the mid seventies till 2000 so I have been exposed . LOL

Thanks everyone for all the input, I took the new trailer for a 1.5 hour test haul and it it towed great. I know i was towing it unloaded, but it didn't even struggle on the flats and I was able to hold it at about 110 kph with power to spare. For those of you know the hills around K-country in Alberta, it took Scott Lake hill at a steady 100 kph even at the top. Once again I know this was unloaded, but I really wasn't pushing and since I don't have EGT, trans temp or boost gauges I typically don't like to push truck much past 105kph, but that day I was out to see if the heavy trailer was beyond the limits of the truck. My only problem still is the GVWR of the K1500, who came up with 6600lbs?!? I weighted the truck with me, the hitch and a full load of fuel and I came in at 6121lbs, so if i was to get a couple of buddies at 200lbs a piece and me in the truck it would mean all we could in the back of the truck would be 100lbs of gear. I am running Hankook RF04 load range E tires, but in some provinces I guess all they do is look at your door sticker and then your done. I did go back to the same scale with the new trailer and my rear axle weight was 3500lbs and the sticker on the door says 3759lbs max and i was always under the assumption that you don't exceed your axle weights. Anyhow I guess i better stop helping friends haul stuff around.
Maybe I am confused on the whole GVWR of trucks, but it would seem that if you have a family 4, towing anything is almost out of the question if you have a K1500. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think our trucks are capable of some reasonable loads, but if you get stopped, by the letter of the law you could be over you GVWR by just having your family, full load of fuel and some gear in the back.
Here is a photo of the new trailer on the truck and apart from about a 1.5 inch drop the truck to me does not look overloaded, but I will be doing some rear suspension upgrades like shocks and Timbrens to begin with and guages will follow soon.

Trailer in photo appears high in the front. The trailer needs to set level for the trailer springs / tires to be carrying equal weight. Important for handling , ride quality & tire life. Weigh each trailer axle individually on scales & raise or lower front to equalize the axle weights. It might seem strange but trailer tires blowout on the heavier axle more frequently even when only carrying several hundreds more pounds. High trailer front loads rear trailer axle ,creates imbalance.

8L on Diesel Tahoe but 9.5 ring gear ,axles riding on the bearings, non floater

??

I owned a '95 2-door 6.5L TD Tahoe 4x4 and it had a 10-bolt rear axle with 10" drums. My girlfriend's '97 2-door 5.7L Tahoe 4x4 has the same 10-bolt rear axle. Both 6-lug.

14-bolt axles with 9.5" ring gear are semi-floating and have 11" drums.

If your buddies are are the only thing putting you over weight, have them get out when you go over scales. You can also change your pin weight by shifting weight to the rear of you trailer.