My friend is looking for a Toy Hauler. He's looking at the Raptors and All American Sports. He has a 2004 2500 with the 6.0 liter. Of course the salesman tells him, he can pull them(34~36ft). I need real world opinions. Please let me know what you have done.
I say he needs a 1 ton to pull that big of a trailer and a diesel.

It will pull it. The big question is will it handle a grade or a stiff headwind? Will it get over 5 mpg? My last truck was a 2500HD ext cab 4x4 with a 6.0l in it. Pulling a 14' enclosed trailer, empty (about 2500 #), due to the trailers height my truck worked its a$$ off to hold 70-73 mph on the highway and got around 7-8 mpg doing it while constantly shifting up and down. A good headwind would downshift the truck. The same trailer in similar conditions with my dmax (before the Banks 6 gun) would hold 75mph all day and got 14 mpg doing it. For a trailer of any size, more power = more better, just my .02 .

more power = :grd:

If he's going downhill with a tailwind, he should be OK. I pulled a 8000 lb travel trailer loaded from Washington to Montana and it struggled on every hill. At one point I was going downhill with a VERY strong headwind and I almost pushed the gas pedal through the floor trying to maintain 55 mph.

It may pull it, but he probably won't be happy.

I'm pulling 39' and it does just fine. . . would I like more power. . . duh. . . but, it does just fine.

Here is a file with trailering specs form GM website for the Silverado/Sierra trucks.

Max trailer weight for 2500HD 4x4 Extended Cab / Short Bed with 6.0L gas engine is 10,100 pounds.

Enjoy!

Thanks!!!!

I could pull my 12K# toy hauler with my 6.0l, I wasn't the fastest truck on the road but did fine. As a record, I did pull 14k of sheetrock for 100 miles and had no problems. 6.0l is a good engine, just not the fastest.

you see by my sig, I've got both. My gasser to TN with 6000lbs bumper pull, had to stop at 1/4 tank because I didn't want be in the middle of nowhere having to fill. that was about 180 miles. of course that was traveling at 75+. no problems with the weight at all. but having said that, my diesel pulls my GN with total weight of 12k easier than my gasser with the bumper pull.

What rear end does he have? I had an '01 HD with the 6 liter, it was a fourwheel drive and had a 4:11 rear end and it was rated to tow a fifthwheel at 9,900 lbs max. It towed our fifthwheel ok, but could tell it was a strain, plus I only got 6.8 mpg. The only thing I miss about that truck is the color, it sure was a pretty truck.

The reason I got my diesel was so that I would not have to ask these questions later down the road.
Loads like that may shorten the life of the gas engine and your pocket book if he travels alot.

My Jayco is 9500lbs, and with family and fuel the combo weighed 17250. I thought it pulled with good power, and the engine would run high rpms to keep it in the power band. I just sold it not because of the motor, but because I feared replacing the transmission if I kept towing that much weight. Towing mileage was 8.5-9mpg. Mike Z

He bought a 36' Raptor and an 06 Chevy Dually with a Duramax.

Sounds like he's doing it right, the 6.0L would have been overmatched with that trailer. Mike Z

Sounds like he's doing it right, the 6.0L would have been overmatched with that trailer. Mike Z
yup:exactly: