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guskmg · 05-02-2017, 05:32 PM

You would probably be ok with the Tahoe if it has a full tow package. As recommended earlier., Buy a good trapezoid design hitch like Hensley or ProPride. Be safe not sorry! guskmg

ldireland · 05-02-2017, 08:42 PM

Ordering an $80K plus Airstream and skimping on your tow vehicle makes no sense to me. Why would you want to push it to ir's limits? Getting used to it, loading it properly, getting a $3,000 hitch will not help when you need brakes and your half ton Tahoe is just at the edge of working. Then consider your transmission as it is shifting up and down ttying to find a gear that will pull the hill. The temp goes up in the transmission, your rear end and your engine. Every one seems to feel it is OK to push the limits but it just doesn't seem right to me....

dkottum · 05-02-2017, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ldireland

Ordering an $80K plus Airstream and skimping on your tow vehicle makes no sense to me. Why would you want to push it to ir's limits? Getting used to it, loading it properly, getting a $3,000 hitch will not help when you need brakes and your half ton Tahoe is just at the edge of working. Then consider your transmission as it is shifting up and down ttying to find a gear that will pull the hill. The temp goes up in the transmission, your rear end and your engine. Every one seems to feel it is OK to push the limits but it just doesn't seem right to me....

Maybe you have something there. Second generation Airstream dealership owner and recognized towing expert Andrew Thomson found the lighter, full independent suspension, V-6 Chevy Traverse a little better Airstream tow vehicle than the Tahoe.

Nonetheless, you're description of half-ton/Airstream towing experience has no relationship to ours the last 8 years 6 months a year, traveling all over the country, mostly the West. We traded for three half-tons during the years towing our Airstream, not because we needed them but because we could afford it and we liked them.

BTW, if you haven't towed with the latest models, you no idea how capable these have become.

RivaHaven · 05-03-2017, 02:01 PM

Once upon a time I had a Tahoe to pull my FC25 on the flat terrain east coast but as soon as I got to mountains the transmission temperature went through the roof and the performance on hills was a struggle. Rear axle gear ratio may have some bearing on this but even adding additional transmission cooling did not help much. Worse still the braking on long downhill sections caused brake to overheat and start smoking. So we traded it in and got a RAM Laramie diesel 2500 and have not looked back!

SeaLevel · 05-03-2017, 02:09 PM

It would be great if everyone that comments about their once upon a time tow vehicle that struggled to tow their AS would provide the year and specifications on that vehicle. Otherwise it's kind of meaningless, since capabilities have changed over time.

RivaHaven · 05-04-2017, 12:35 PM

My woefully inadequate Tahoe was a 4WD LTZ 1500 with a V8 5.3L, automatic 6 speed and a rear axle ratio: 3.08. The most distressing aspect was the poor performance on hill climbs with the automatic changing down to 3rd gear in the six gear range.

dkottum · 05-04-2017, 12:58 PM

It always amazes me that generations of travelers towed Airstreams all over the world with much less vehicle equipment than some are calling "woefully inadequate" today, and others today are still are moving quietly about the country in their "woefully inadequate" vehicles without issues.

Maybe the inadequacy is not the vehicle.

Pat Cassity · 05-04-2017, 08:16 PM

I would suggest a different opinion. Today's, 'towing travelers' are more educated than any other since the invention to the travel trailer. At the same time today's overall
traveling public is more 'unsafe' (crazy?) than ever. In my opinion, it's rather crazy, unsafe, uneducated (name your adjective) not to take advantage of all of the advancements and technology available today to keep yourself, your family and general public as safe as possible. In my opinion (again), towing at the edge of a TV's capability is not only unsafe, but also rather, well to put mildly, not smart.

dkottum · 05-04-2017, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat Cassity

. . . In my opinion (again), towing at the edge of a TV's capability is not only unsafe, but also rather, well to put mildly, not smart.

I would put it a little differently. In my opinion (again), towing within a TV's capability is not only safe, but also rather, well to put it mildly, smart.

Alluminati · 05-04-2017, 09:15 PM

Trailers gained enormous weight in the 70s and 80s. Today's trailers weigh DOUBLE what they used to.

Two lane roads and slow speeds were normal in the 60s. I recently towed on a section of old Rt 66. I couldn't get over 45 mph due to narrow lanes, uneven pavement, limited sight lines, tight flat corners.

FCStreamer · 05-04-2017, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkottum

I would put it a little differently. In my opinion (again), towing within a TV's capability is not only safe, but also rather, well to put it mildly, smart.

Well said. I agree 100%.

Mergatroyd · 05-05-2017, 08:19 AM

I also agree. If I didn't know better I would say that the truck size debate has more to do with machismo than it does about safety.

Alluminati · 05-05-2017, 08:55 AM

The new(ish) SAE J2807 tow ratings are definitely about machismo! They're great for comparing apples to apples grunt power, but safety should not be weighed on the same scale as brute strength.

Pat Cassity · 05-06-2017, 09:39 PM

In 2014 I was just entering i40 in Amarillo Tx on the way to ABQ. Towing my 3 month old 2014 27FB with my brand new 2014 Yukon Denali. I felt a small jolt and within seconds I was in a full 'sway' situation. Within another few seconds, I looked to my left to see a car careening off the guard rail headed straight for my driver door. I was broadsided and the impact sent us in a 360 degree spin off the side of the highway, flipping and totaling both my Yukon and Airstream. To this day, I am thoroughly convinced that if I would have had a more robust TV, I would have had more control when the texting driver hit me in the left rear of the TT. After insurance finally paid off, I purchased another Yukon Denali. I used it as a TV for about 6 months and it's never felt safe. I purchased a 2015 Sierra 1500 with full tow package. Since then, I have never felt safer! And, I have to tell you it has nothing to do with anything slightly resembling 'machismo'. In my mind, it's all about safety. For me to get back into the TT, TV life, safety had to be the number 1 issue.

FCStreamer · 05-07-2017, 10:17 AM

I'm not discounting your experience, but there is nothing "unsafe" about your Denali. I know it "felt" less safe to you, but it wasn't. Not unless you exceeded weight ratings or had defective equipment. But I'm glad you found one that "feels" safer to you. Whatever floats your boat.

But as to the original post that started this thread, YES, you can tow a 28 with a Chevy Tahoe. SAFELY. Just do not exceed your weight ratings and make sure your equipment is in good working condition.

DC Bruce · 05-21-2017, 06:46 AM

The 8-speed tranny fitted to current GM Tahoes and Silverados is very capable. The 5.3 liter V-8 will do the job but is certainly down on power and torque compared to the Ford 3.5 Ecoboost or GM's 6.2 liter V-8 which is in my 2015 Sierra 1500. So, serious mountain climbing may be a little work. A really good w/d hitch is mandatory and with the shorter wheelbase of the Tahoe, I would spring for a ProPride hitch. My experience with that hitch is that it's absolutely stable. Just went through a microburst in a thunderstorm the other day with 50 mph crosswinds and me going about 40 on I-95 with no drama. You will not want to be loading up your Tahoe to the gills with people and stuff. Use the tow haul mode on the tranny and let the "brain" figure out the right gear. It's smarter than you are. The grade logic will provide some gearing down with "hill descent control." But the most aggressive downhill speed control is available if you engage cruise control. It will downshift aggressively to maintain the set speed. If you need to apply the service brakes to keep your speed down, the cruise control will disengage but the transmission will not up shift until you apply the throttle.

DPRoberts · 05-21-2017, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat Cassity

In 2014 I was just entering i40 in Amarillo Tx on the way to ABQ. Towing my 3 month old 2014 27FB with my brand new 2014 Yukon Denali. I felt a small jolt and within seconds I was in a full 'sway' situation. Within another few seconds, I looked to my left to see a car careening off the guard rail headed straight for my driver door. I was broadsided and the impact sent us in a 360 degree spin off the side of the highway, flipping and totaling both my Yukon and Airstream. To this day, I am thoroughly convinced that if I would have had a more robust TV, I would have had more control when the texting driver hit me in the left rear of the TT. After insurance finally paid off, I purchased another Yukon Denali. I used it as a TV for about 6 months and it's never felt safe. I purchased a 2015 Sierra 1500 with full tow package. Since then, I have never felt safer! And, I have to tell you it has nothing to do with anything slightly resembling 'machismo'. In my mind, it's all about safety. For me to get back into the TT, TV life, safety had to be the number 1 issue.

I'm not sure I understand your experiences. What is it that makes you feel that the Sierra 1500 is safer than the Yukon? AFAIK, they're basically the same vehicle (frame, engine, transmission, brakes, etc.). The full tow package (except for towing mirrors) is available in the Yukon as well. It seems like they should "behave" about the same when it comes to towing.

m.hony · 05-21-2017, 04:15 PM

One thing:
The pickup has a longer wheelbase.
Maybe the Suburban can be directly compared to a pickup.

dkottum · 05-21-2017, 04:39 PM

Some 25 years after the Hensley/ProPride style hitch was introduced we're still talking about wheelbase as a stability solution.

rostam · 05-21-2017, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPRoberts

I'm not sure I understand your experiences. What is it that makes you feel that the Sierra 1500 is safer than the Yukon? AFAIK, they're basically the same vehicle (frame, engine, transmission, brakes, etc.). The full tow package (except for towing mirrors) is available in the Yukon as well. It seems like they should "behave" about the same when it comes to towing.

The are not the "same" vehicle. Sierra is rated to tow at least 2000# more. Sierra short bed has a 143" wheelbase. Yukon's wheelbase is 116". Sierra (trucks in general) has beefier cooling system, critical in towing applications. Usually, the axle ratios in trucks is more favorable for towing. I would not be surprised a bit if a Sierra outperforms a Yukon.