Silverado 1500/Towing Question

Hi!

I think that I have seen people doing that on the highway. Someone who has done this can doubtlessly provide much more information.

The hole is already there, probably under a piece of protective trim that may say "remove for trailer ball" in a spot. I thought my dad's truck looked silly without it, so when I put a trailer ball on mine, I drilled the hole out of the plastic.

Greetings,

I've towed pop-ups for years with Chevy half-ton pick-up's. Depending on the gross weight of the trailer, you should have no problem whatsoever towing with nothing more than a ball on the bumper. Intermediate sized pop-ups run from around 2000lbs to 3000lbs, and the heavyweight units can go up to 4500lbs or more loaded. A word of caution - the total wieght listed on the label of many pop-ups is the the "dry" or stripped weight with no options like AC, frig, batteries, LP gas, etc. Add all that plus a few hundred pounds of gear, food and water and the weight of your camper climbs quickly without you ever realizing it.

If you get much above the 3000lb mark, my personal preference would be to have a class C hitch receiver mounted underneath the rear bumper. This receiver is bolted directly to the frame and does not rely on the strength of the mounting hardware for the bumper for security. Remember, many rear bumpers are designed to fold or collapse in an impact so I don't really trust them as much as others might. You can get your new truck with a factory installed class C hitch if you want it, otherwise you will end up spending around $75.00-125.00 for the hitch and draw bar, plus about half that much for installation (very quick, usually 4-6 bolts and no drilling).

Another note, while the 4.3L V-6 is capable of moving the truck and camper you describe, you will feel much better with a small V-8 or better. The MPG difference between the V-6 and the small V-8 is minor, but the extra power is noticable. We towed a 2000lbs pop-up plus gear with a Blazer with the

Cheers - Jonathan

Hello Dan,

Just to answer to the last part of your first question:

-- after installing a Class C hitch receiver as recommended, drive to a level surface and measure the height of the hitch receiver (2" square hole into which you install the hitch-ball mount) off the ground

-- measure the height of your (prospective) popup camper's coupler (fits over the hitch ball) off the ground

-- the difference will determine the "rise" or "drop" of the hitch-ball mount with the hitch-ball installed (in most cases, flipping the hitch-ball mount will convert it from a "rise" to a "drop" and vice versa)

Note: if you are planning on using your bumper to mount the tow ball, and the difference in height off the ground of the camper's coupler is significant, you will have to install the hitch receiver.

Good luck, Franko

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I think the tow package on my 04 was $250 or $300, money well spent.

Decide on how heavy a trailer you really want to buy and what the trailer weight (loaded) and tongue weight will be. Then look at the towing ratings for the pickup you want to buy. You may decide you want more engine. The towing package is definitely worth it. Less hassle on the warranty. The transmission cooler helps and not only is the wireing all there for the rear plug but if you have electric brakes on the trailer (highly likely), the wiring under the dash for the controller is there also.