Towing without trailering package on SUV

I’m debating between getting a used Tahoe/Yukon or Expedition. My main question is about towing a boat or pontoon. We would be towing about 4+ hours in the summer. Not positive on the weight of the boat/trailer/fuel/gear inside but lets say 4,500 lbs to be on the safe side.

Since we’re looking at buying used, most of the vehicles out there don’t have the trailering package on them. The Tahoe can tow 6,400 lbs on the base model V8, the Expedition can tow 6,000 lbs on the base model V6. Finding either model with the trailering package has been very difficult.

Would you be concerned about either of these vehicles for towing? I don’t want to get either vehicle if it’s seems like we’re damaging the engine every time we tow the boat on a long distance. We don’t want to get a pick up truck, we need the third row seats. Thanks in advance!

I’d be more worried about the transmission without additional cooling than the engine.

You’ll be fine towing a boat with either of those models. They both have essentially the same powertrain that a 1/2 ton truck would have.
I see people on the highway regularly towing more with less.

One thing to consider, if your boat trailer has brakes, you may need to have a brake controller installed in your vehicle.

Golly, I wouldn’t hesitate!

I tow a deep v 17.5 with a GMC Yukon, wouldn’t worry about it. Most actually had trailer package in that vintage from what I know. As mentioned would worry more about the transmission. The expeditions of those years have some engine issues. The GM’s more transmission’s. If your getting a GM with the 5.3 and it has the cylinder canceling, you need to buy a cheater to go in the aldl port to make the cylinder cancel not happen or you will be in for lifter issues.

I tow a deep v 17.5 with a 2007 GMC Yukon XL with the 5.3 all day. dry weight of the boat fully loaded is right around 3k. No issues at all. Don’t think you would have any issues at 4500k either.

Hauled the same rig with my 2006 Durango V8 before this setup. Both handled it no problem. Ive seen plenty of fish houses weighing in excess of 5k being hauled by suburbans no problem. Not that you necessarily want to emulate what you see guys doing on the road. Plenty of idiots out there stretching the limits of what their truck can or should do, but i think you will be fine with either of the options you are considering.

As far as Yukons go 2007 is when they switched to using the cylinder sh!tdown technology (no that’s not a typo). I hate it. the engines before that were terrific engines. In my research it seems 07-09 had some serious problems with oil consumption and lifter issues as John mentioned. I bought my current 07 a year ago. Has 160xxx miles on it but the engine was replaced at 90k miles for this exact issue. Would not have bought it if it hadn’t been. Overall very nice truck though! Like it a lot. The power from the Hemi i had in the Durango was definitely more noticeable than whats in this rig but im not disappointed in the Yukon to date.

You can add MOST of the items that a tow package would have had. Things needed, receiver hitch, wire harness, trans cooler. Brake control if trailer has brakes. These items don’t cost much to put on. A nice thing to have is tow haul mode for the trans to hold it in gear longer and downshift earlier, this can be added but probably at more of a cost (programming and a switch).

I would worry about a transmission cooler also but this does come standard on some vehicles. With my current Chevrolet 1/2 ton Silverado the tow package consists of the trailer hitch frame and trailer wiring.

Most 1/2 ton full size trucks can tow up to 12,000 pounds. I would not hesitate to tow a boat/trailer weighing 4500 pounds with either of those SUVs. I’m pretty sure any trailer in excess of 3,000 pounds is required to have a tandem axle with brakes so you’ll need to look into that. Maybe someone can confirm that for me.

I wouldn’t even feel comfortable towing 12k in my 3/4 ton but yea there “rated” for 12k. As far as single axles going up to 3k that is not true. They make a lot of trailers rated over 3k in single axles unless boat trailers are different than all other trailers?

Is this the “Tow Package” you’re looking for?

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I have no issues hauling or stopping my skidloader with my 1/2 ton and that is around 10k, another 2k would be fine.

My UTV trailer is single axle rated for 5400 lbs., I didn’t want the additional axle and the added weight.

Coletrain27 wrote:

I wouldn’t even feel comfortable towing 12k in my 3/4 ton but yea there “rated” for 12k. As far as single axles going up to 3k that is not true. They make a lot of trailers rated over 3k in single axles unless boat trailers are different than all other trailers?

My bad, I looked it up. It’s not required to have a tandem axle. It is required to have brakes if it’s more than 3,000 pounds. Here is it, MN statutes:

No trailer or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight of 3,000 or more pounds, or a gross weight that exceeds the empty weight of the towing vehicle, may be drawn on a highway unless it is equipped with brakes that are adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold the trailer or semitrailer. A surge brake on a trailer or semitrailer meets the requirement of this paragraph for brakes adequate to stop and hold the trailer or semitrailer.

I’m surprised you are finding those vehicles without tow packages. When you look at new ones on the lot it looks like almost all of them come with the tow package from the factory.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>coletrain27 wrote:</div>
I wouldn’t even feel comfortable towing 12k in my 3/4 ton but yea there “rated” for 12k. As far as single axles going up to 3k that is not true. They make a lot of trailers rated over 3k in single axles unless boat trailers are different than all other trailers?

My bad, I looked it up. It’s not required to have a tandem axle. It is required to have brakes if it’s more than 3,000 pounds. Here is it, MN statutes:

No trailer or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight of 3,000 or more pounds, or a gross weight that exceeds the empty weight of the towing vehicle, may be drawn on a highway unless it is equipped with brakes that are adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold the trailer or semitrailer. A surge brake on a trailer or semitrailer meets the requirement of this paragraph for brakes adequate to stop and hold the trailer or semitrailer.

How do they sell trailers with #3500 axles without trailer brakes?

Coletrain27 wrote:

How do they sell trailers with #3500 axles without trailer brakes?

Couldn’t tell ya I only look up the rules. I don’t enforce em

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>coletrain27 wrote:</div>
How do they sell trailers with #3500 axles without trailer brakes?

Couldn’t tell ya I only look up the rules. I don’t enforce em

Yea I hear ya. That’s odd. I have a enclosed trailer with a single #3500 axle and had a single axle utility trailer with the same axle and neither have brakes…. I also have a twin #3500 axle trailer and that has brakes and that’s understandable

Coletrain27 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>coletrain27 wrote:</div>
How do they sell trailers with #3500 axles without trailer brakes?

Couldn’t tell ya I only look up the rules. I don’t enforce em

Yea I hear ya. That’s odd. I have a enclosed trailer with a single #3500 axle and had a single axle utility trailer with the same axle and neither have brakes…. I also have a twin #3500 axle trailer and that has brakes and that’s understandable

They normally title them as a 2999 lb. trailer to get away from having to put brakes on them. Look at the paperwork you got with it.

I just looked at my paperwork and you are right they consider it a #2990 trailer but has a #3500 axle

onestout wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>coletrain27 wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>coletrain27 wrote:</div>
How do they sell trailers with #3500 axles without trailer brakes?

Couldn’t tell ya I only look up the rules. I don’t enforce em

Yea I hear ya. That’s odd. I have a enclosed trailer with a single #3500 axle and had a single axle utility trailer with the same axle and neither have brakes…. I also have a twin #3500 axle trailer and that has brakes and that’s understandable

They normally title them as a 2999 lb. trailer to get away from having to put brakes on them. Look at the paperwork you got with it.

Kinda like years ago there were more regulations for a 10hp and up outboard. Bingo the 9.9 was invented.
16 ft. boat? Nope it is 15’11”.

Coletrain27 wrote:

I just looked at my paperwork and you are right they consider it a #2990 trailer but has a #3500 axle

I can put a 20000lb axle on my 4×8 utility trailer. Doesn’t mean the trailer should be rated for 20000. I’d rather a company install oversized parts than undersized. We see that all too often with boat trailers.

mxskeeter wrote:

I’m surprised you are finding those vehicles without tow packages. When you look at new ones on the lot it looks like almost all of them come with the tow package from the factory.

That’s what I was thinking. I bought a ’12 Tahoe maybe three years ago, and most of them I looked at at that time had towing package and even factory electronic brake controllers. I asked the salesman, and he said they order their new ones like that.

gim wrote:

Most 1/2 ton full size trucks can tow up to 12,000 pounds.

“Most” aren’t even close to that number. It’s just what the commercials show for a 2wd standard cab with 4.10 gears. Most are rated far lower.

Going over 8,000lbs with any half ton is literally “pushing it”.

B-man wrote:

Most” aren’t even close to that number. It’s just what the commercials show for a 2wd standard cab with 4.10 gears. Most are rated far lower.

Going over 8,000lbs with any half ton is literally “pushing it”.

Ya I agree, I aint towing anything close to 12,000 pounds with my F-150. I was simply stating what the listed maximum capacity was for my particular truck and looked up a couple others and they were listed similarly.

Lots of items out there are made just barely under the “cap” to avoid a specific rule or regulation like adding brakes at 3,000 pounds. A lot of kayaks are built right under 10 feet in length so they can avoid being licensed water crafts. Keeping a scooter or moped under 50cc engine allows the user to avoid getting motorcycle training too, so there are a lot of models out there that have that spec to avoid it.

I own a Tahoe with the 5.3 for a motor. This is by far the most under powered piece of crap I have ever owned. I pull a 17 foot Lund and a 16 foot fish house. The gas mileage is terrible. Forget going up any type of hill without it shifting down and revving to 4-5 thousand rpms. In my opinion I would never buy any Chevy vehicle with the 5.3. Get a truck that has a real motor in it.

Sorry to hear walldows, my old 00 yukon has the 5.3 motor before cylinder cancel and it pulls my boat just fine and hills are not a problem.

John Rasmussen wrote:

Sorry to hear walldows, my old 00 yukon has the 5.3 motor before cylinder cancel and it pulls my boat just fine and hills are not a problem.

I have 2 suburbans with 5.3 and the pull my 19ft boat and 18ft fish house with no problem. Paul I actually have a 01 suburban for sale with trailer package with 194k miles for sale works great just has a little rust

walldows wrote:

I own a Tahoe with the 5.3 for a motor. This is by far the most under powered piece of crap I have ever owned. I pull a 17 foot Lund and a 16 foot fish house. The gas mileage is terrible. Forget going up any type of hill without it shifting down and revving to 4-5 thousand rpms. In my opinion I would never buy any Chevy vehicle with the 5.3. Get a truck that has a real motor in it.

Everyone has their own opinion about what’s acceptable. You’re not going to find a gas V8 that gets good mileage towing a 16ft fish house or a 17ft boat for that matter. Down shifting and revving to 4-5k is a problem? Definitely not……
Sounds like the truck is doing exactly what it’s designed to do.
If you can’t handle it down shifting shut off the cruise and back off a bit in the big hills.
Or get a diesel and pay more at every turn.

I think you’d be fine with either vehicle. Personally I always take any vehicle or trailers listed capacity and divide by 2 to get a real life working idea of what it can handle. I’ve pulled large loads with a half ton truck and yea, we made it but not something I’d recommend on a regular basis
I look at it like tents, ever try sleeping 6 guys in a 6 man tent? Not gonna happen it’s fits 3.

My prior Yukon XL 5.3 V8 didn’t appreciate hauling a 21′ boat…. lots of shifting with or without using TowHaul feature. Switched to the 6.2 engine and am very pleased with performance.

Take it easy if pulling a boat that size without a tow package.

Pete