If I buy A 06 LBZ how much more will I have to do to it to tow my 16000 lb 5th wheel. Will it tow it stock without heating up. Do I need to get rid of the cat. Do I need better gauges. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

It will pull it stock.

Other than adding airbags or Timbrens to level the truck under load it will tow your trailer just fine stock.

I Agree With, It Will Pull It Stock. I Have A 32' Gooseneck Flat Bed Trailer That Weighs 7700 Lbs And I Just Hauled A 9000 Pound Grader 150 Miles. I Was Doing 73 Mph And It Didn't Shift Out Of 6th Gear Unless It Was A Big Hill. You Really Can't Tell It's Back There. These Trucks Pull Great!!!

Thanks For the Responses.

If I buy A 06 LBZ how much more will I have to do to it to tow my 16000 lb 5th wheel. Will it tow it stock without heating up. Do I need to get rid of the cat. Do I need better gauges. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

While there is much to learn here and you'd be wise to do some reading of posts, at the very least put in a set of guages. Pyro and boost will likely keep you out of trouble while towing grades.

If I buy A 06 LBZ how much more will I have to do to it to tow my 16000 lb 5th wheel. Will it tow it stock without heating up. Do I need to get rid of the cat. Do I need better gauges. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

You didn't mention which LBZ??? There is a lot of difference between the towing capabilites of a 2WD standard cab SB unit and a 4X4 CC LB.

However, all that stated, I have towed my 5th which probably approaches that weight with a stock 06 LLY, and had no problems whatsoever getting up and down the grades from one corner of the U.S. to the other. It should be a breeze with a stock LBZ with the added power. It was in winter with temps no higher than 90, but I have read almost no complaints of overheating in 100+ temps. The minor modifications suggested would make the truck a little more stable.

I would recommend a 3500SRW or DRW based on your preferences for a dually or not.

Mine is a hair over 16 loaded. Put it in D and it's the pedal on the right!

Thanks again for the info. Which number on the vin tells you which engine you have. Its a single 4dr.Thanks

You've got way too much weight to do that safetly with a SRW. I can help you run through the numbers if you want, but you'll never be under the axle or tire ratings without having ride trouble associated with not enough tongue weight. You have a HEAVY trailer.

As a matter of fact, you'd be a good candidate to consider more truck than a 1 ton - like an F450 or 550.

Go ahead - flame away at me.

The trailer is 12,700 lb dry weight. Right now I have a 2005 1ton lly dually that is supposed to pull 16,800 GW. You don't think the single wheel will pull it safely. Thanks

The trailer is 12,700 lb dry weight. Right now I have a 2005 1ton lly dually that is supposed to pull 16,800 GW. You don't think the single wheel will pull it safely. Thanks

No, I don't - and here's why.

Fifth wheel trailers should have 15-25% tongue weight. I'll use 20% in your figures. Further, those trailer dealers are notorious for telling numbers which are under the actual weight.

I believe your trailer will easily be 16,000 lbs loaded with food, batteries, spare tires, blankets, clothes, bikes, and so on. So, at 20%, that's 3200 lbs tongue weight, going right on the rear axle of the towing truck. That's assuming you don't have coolers, firewood, tools, back seat passengers, ect when you go. I know I do have all those things. I think realistically, you are talking about 4500 lbs in the bed of that truck, and that will almost certianly go over the tire ratings of the towing vehicle. I think most are in the 3000 lb range for SRW each. If I knew what the truck was empty, and the empty load was ont eh rear axle, I could make some more judgements. But, I don't think you can get much above 3000 lbs extra on that rear axle without being over.

Why do you want to get rid of your truck you have now? I'd imagine it's plenty capable of pulling this.

I'm with the previous post. Pull it yes, safely no!

Check your weights carefully. For instance Chevy web site says a 2500HD CC weighs like 5883 lbs and 9200 # GVWR. Which gives you a payload of 3317 which is just about what they post for that number as well.

I have had folks weigh their 2500HD's CC, 4x4. with people in it and fuel and come up to almost 7000 lbs. Now the payload is 2200 lbs. If you have 15000 lbs 5er and 25% is on the pin then you have a 3750 pound pin. OOOOPS way overloaded. If you have a 3750 pound pin then I would bet you need a dually for sure.

Check your numbers carefully. You might even be close on a 1 Ton as others have mentioned.

I think I will stay with the 1 ton. I was nervous abbout the 05 heating up. I'm a rookie and I have read to much info. Thanks for the help.

Have you ever pulled this load with the old truck? If you have and it hasn't OH yet then don't worry. Just because someone else's did doesn't mean yours will. Be happy with it if it is doing what you need it to do and don't sweat the negative posts about your particular model. I have both and I too have read all of the threads in here for the past two years, I just haven't posted much, and agree it has bothered me about the LLY OH issues, but hasn't happened, so I am over it. Enjoy your trucks.

TK

Thanks I have not pulled it yet but I will take delivery in a few weeks and we'll see how it goes. Thanks

I've done a little reading and here is what i've come up with.

3500 (crew) SRW trailor weight of 12,000 and a GCWR of 22,000
3500 (crew) DRW trailor weight of 12,000 and a GCWR of 23,500 not much dif.

of course 15%-25% 5th wheel weight at the kingpin and a max of 3500lbs.

*Gooseneck GCWR on a 3500 SRW(crew) 23,200lbs

So it doesnt look like much difference in weight betweent the SRW and the DRW except with the DRW you get more stability.

Bruins,

Your not looking at GVWR that is what comes into play most of all. Likely many of us would never hit the GCWR before we exceeded the GVWR. Adding to the specs you posted (good job!) I found :

On a 3500 the GVWR changes from 9,900 to 11,400 when going from SRW to DRW. That is a sizeable difference!

I tend to ingore Towing capacity. That is a dynamic number depending on GVWR .If you run the numbers the tow capacity usually is the GCWR minus the GVWR plus the weight of the driver. Yeah right that is useful, no family or friends and no other gear in the truck.

Oops I said the Towing capacity calculation wrong. Tow capacity is GCWR - (Curb weight + Driver weight).

Still a worthless calculation for 99% of us and therefore just a marketing #. Plain truth is it is irresponsible for the manufacturers to post it because it is so mis-leading.

True i kinda left that part out coolbreeze, but i know where you are coming from.