OK,
I'm married with children. The wife does NOT want to take the kids camping packed into my dodge pulling our new trailer.

I have an ultra-lite trailer (3300 pounds) with good brakes, etc., Apparently we are going to be using the yukon to take this trailer camping with the kids.

I have some reservations.

Am I going to burn out my tranny ?
(yukon is a 5.7l., automatic tranny , 4wd, half ton,year is 1999, have 75k on it for mileage).
What steps would I need to take (other than using one of my dodges) in order to not worry about ruining something towing it?
I don't think there is an O.D. defeat botton anywhere. There is a low gear range,..but it's awfully low,..not sure I should use that.

Ok,
Anybody got any ideas let me know. I know this is a dodge forum.....but I've gotten better input on this forum over the years than any other place...so this is where I'm asking for help. I imagine if I found a chevy forum they would all be telling me how perfect the Yukon is for towing,...etc.,,and not to worry about a thing. I'd like to know what I should worry about and what problems may arise.
Thank you in advance for your input.

 

In my opinion, for 3300 lbs I wouldn't think twice about taking the chevy. I think it will handle it just fine. 3300 lbs is pretty light. Most decent size enclosed trailers approach that weight empty. I'm sure the tranny will get a little hot, but again...its only 3300 lbs and I see no issue.

 

Simply watch your speed, weight is the least of your concerns when pulling a TT, the biggest concern is wind resistance, followed by length vs tow vehicle length.

The windage on a TT account for much greater load than the weight is, for example I can pull a 15K lb dump trailer on flat ground with the same effort as my 5K lb TT.

Braking is where the length vs tow vehicle length comes into play. The TT will be able to overpower a shorter 1/2 ton much easier than a longer 3/4 ton, so set your brakes up on the TT a little stronger than you may use on the truck so the TT pulls the Yukon to a stop, but no so tight they lock.

Otherwise if your Yukon is like the other GM 5.7's I have driven then the shifter says D,3,2,1. 3 is your OD lockout and D is OD engaged. If its "hunting" lock it out, when on hills that require 2nd gear lock the shifter in 2nd so the converter will lock.

An aux tranny cooler is probably a must, GM trans cooling is barely adequate on 3/4 rigs, let along 1/2 ton soccer mom-mobiles.

 

My last truck was a Chev K2500. After getting the trans hot enough to barf out some fluid a couple of times during road construction, I put in a trans temp gauge. I was pretty surprised how hot that transmission got pulling my 4500 LB fifth wheel. Through the city it would keep building heat, and was up over 220 degrees in the pan, by the time I got to the highway. And I never used overdrive with the trailer on. So, the gauge wasn't a bad thing to have.

 

It's nice to know that just by downshifting it will lock up in the lower gear.

My brake controller is the one that came with the yukon (one of my dodges has that type on it also), so it's a piece of crap compared to the prodigy. I just went around the block a few times,...and it either wants to lock up...or not be quite enough. I can't find that sweet spot. I hope I don't find myself caving in and buying another prodigy.

 

The prodigy is designed to be real easy to swap between vehicles. It would be simple to get another holster mount and a vehicle-specific plug-in harness, and just put it in whichever vehicle you are towing with.

 

did another test drive.

Unless I am towing on FLAT (I mean real flat) or going downhill...it downshifts quite a bit at the slightest hint of going uphill.

So,If I am on a slight grade....I guess I'll put it in 3rd,..and if I am on a real grade,..I'll have to run 2nd.

I suppose I should forget about the idea of using the cruise control.

 

Maybe I should just run in 3rd inless it's going downhill?

 

I would keep it in 3rd except on downhill, and CC isn't horrible. once it shifts into 2nd then put the lever there yourself.

 

you're towing 3300 lbs.... barely noticeable.. don't worry about it man...

 

Have you read any of this thread? Ever towed a 5K lb flat bed vs a 5K lb TT? Judging by your answer I doubt it..

A bard door is much harder to pull than a screen door.. Weight is only a portion of the picture, its the total resistance that matters.

 

I towed a 32' TT weighing in at 6000lbs with my 2003 Yukon XL. It towed fine AS LONG as you are smart about it! Meaning I kept my speed around 60mph and didn't floor it everywhere I went. I knew the trailer was back there,but I never felt overwhelmed by it. I think if you pat attention to everything you will be fine. I agree that a tranny cooler/gauge might be a nice addition as well as a weight distribution hitch being a must!