Towing Question

[Augnmike]

Hi guys, I know this has been discussed a million times here but frankly I never paid much attention since I never towed anything big before. I am considering buying a toy hauler for three atv's and dirt bike. Total weight for these is 1300 lbs. The sales guys are giving me crap about having an H2 saying there isn't much I can tow with it. Seems like total weight for everything I have looked at comes in around 6800-7400 lbs. Those are loaded weights. Can you guys advise me on what I can and can't do safely?

[Racer-X]

I'm not positive but I think that well over the tow rating for an H2. Even if it wasn't, I've had trouble towing my 3500 lb boat. It handles it fine but I've had mech issues with the drivetrain.

[GeorgeSSSS]

1,300 pounds is nothing. I towed about 1,000 lbs of trailer and equipment from Utah to Los Angeles at speeds exceeding 75 mph without a problem. The best measure is the transmission temperature gauge. It ran about 5 degrees warmer than normal -- -- which makes sense.

I split the driving with a friend who is a traffic engineer. He said, "Georgie this thing isn't a truck. It's a locomotive with tires."

Ignore the salesmen and have fun.

[MSeeb]

I tow around a 20' enclosed car hauler with a car where the total weight is somewhere around 8500-9000 lbs and it's about all that I would care to load it up with. I'm even running a supercharger which I'm sure helps out quite a bit. I can't even imagine towing this without the SC.

[Racer-X]

1,300 pounds is nothing.

Read the post again - it is a bit confusing.

6800-7400lbs

[PARAGON]

I would go back and re-check things. First, why are you towing a 4,000lb trailer (that's giving you plenty of room to add accessories, fuel, etc.)

Second, the H2 can drag 7,000lbs all day long. Who knows where you are, so hills will be an issue, even with 1500lbs behind you, but the H2 with a properly set up brake contoller and e-brakes tows just fine.

IT IS NOT A MAIN TOW VEHICLE though. If you are going to tow often, then figure something else out. If it's once a month then you are set.

I am running 37" MT/Rs with no S/C and quite often tow 10K lbs and I tow a 20 ft enclosed with various weight as well. Hills/mountains are the only issue. I have the Warn winch bumper and Warn light bar with 4 lights on it and my tranny temp never gets too high.

Of course, I consider having rear air a must on the H2 for towing any serious weight also.

[Augnmike]

OK my post was a bit confusing, sorry. The total weight I would be towing with all gear and water would be between 6800-7400 lbs. I am in So Cal area no big mountains but a few tough grades. I am currently towing a box trailer with a total weight of about 3500 and I don't hardly notice it. I would essentially be doubling that weight with the toy hauler.

[raptor2ride]

Hello, I have lots of experience in this catagory. For 3 years now I have towed toy haulers down to Hatfield McCoy trails in W.V.
Along with other locations here in OH.
The first trailer I had was a Work n Play 20' toy hauler. It weighed 5000lb empty and I hauled 3 500lb quads with all our gear.I ran 70-80 mph every trip.
I now have the 27' Work n Play that weighs 6500lb empty. I dont fill the fresh water and whatch the weight.
I talked to the dealer and I run in tow haul with the trainy in 3. I also added an after market trany cooler. My fluid stays just at or below 200 Degrees. Also I have the Air Lift bags in my rear coil springs to lift the rear end where I want it. The weight dist. setup helps with the tounge weight also.
This is the most weight I would want to run. I like the Raptor toy hauler that my budie has but its just too much for me. Hope this helps!

[Racer-X]

The question is not rather the H2 will do it or not.

A 6 liter vortec will pull the ass out of a cat. As for braking? 4 wheel disk under 6000lb H2 will stop a freight train. Not to mention your trailer will have it's own brakes.

The issue is doing it on a regular basis. The tranny in the H2 is undersized. It's essentially a beefed up version of what my buddy has in his compact chevy blazer.

Would a aftermarket tranny cooler help? Of course. But from what I've read you can expect a 20 degree drop in temp. Is that enough to eliminate the problem? I doubt it.

[PARAGON]

some H2s have tranny cooling problems, pulling a trailer or not. Average ones do not.

I've seen my temp above 200 for a few minutes when it was working real hard a couple of times.

There is nothing wrong with the transmission in the H2. "Beefed up" is all that is done to bullet proof transmissions whose housings are the same.

Do a find on here and read about ALL OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILURES.

[Kevin B]

Paragon, when towing 10k what kind of tounge weight are you dealing with?

[raptor2ride]

I would highly recommend getting the trany cooler. Before I installed it I checked with the dealer to see if they sold one. They didnt so I went to Jegs. I informed the Hummer mechanic that I my trany fluid was running at 225 when I was towing and he replied that was still OK.

[PARAGON]

Originally posted by Kevin B:
Paragon, when towing 10k what kind of tounge weight are you dealing with?

I don't know for sure. It's a tractor and equipment and it's loaded fairly well balanced.

If I were to hazard a guess, it would probably be in the 800lb ball park.

[Big Z]

OK, here's the short:

10K=Don't do it except for short moves, (nothing else to use, not afraid of breakage, or prosecution if in an accident!) otherwise,--And Strongly Advised!--STAY WITHIN RECOMMENDED RATINGS!--Check The Manual!.

Fill-up and load your rig--run to a scale--NOTE weight of Front Axle--Then Note Gross Weight--Then Note the REAR Axle Weight, (ADD Weight of Passengers Or other things, as required, if not on board!) this is Part 1. Loaded H2 Weight! (8600# MAX)

Part 2 is simple, Fully loaded Towed, Weighs LESS THAN 7000#--AND!--WITHIN The Gross Combined Rating. (14,000#--MAX!!)

Towed=Anything you want to, As long as you-- DON'T EXCEED 7000#, OR YOUR GROSS COMBINED TOW RATING

Tongue Weight cannot exceed 670# period!

Section 4-53 through 4-67 pretty much ecplains it all!

Except it's as POS for a TOW Rig!

[Alan06SUT]

I towed a 18 ft dual 3500 lbs. axle trailer loaded with a 1975 K5 blazer (full size) from atlanta to Tellico without any problems. The total weight of the trailer/K5 was about 7900 lbs.

If you tow, Dont forget to push the tow haul button evey time you stop, because when you turn the H2 off, it doesnt stay in tow haul. Personally, I wouldnt tow over 5000 lbs without trailer brakes. Mine has brakes.

It was a very mountainous drive with some extreme grades, but it did just fine. No, its not an F250 but really, I have towed with much worse.

That being said, I don't think I would tow much more than maybe 8500 lbs., unless it was local.

[Alan06SUT]

[MarineHawk]

Originally posted by Alec W:
I’m not an expert on towing and don't tow much these days but I think my Suburban had a higher towing capacity than the H2. Assuming that’s correct, is the weight of the H2 the reason or is something maybe undersized?

I believe that the reason that the H2 (with the same engine, rear gears, and tranny) tows about 2K lbs less than the Tahoe/Yukon is tire size. 35" tires on the H2 provides essentially a roughly 20% higher gear ratio than on the 30" tires that come stock on the Tahoe. Thus, the H2 can tow about 20% less. That's why those big Sierras and Silverados some with ridiculous 245s - they are rated to tow a lot more with iddy biddy Class-E tires - it helps the towing specs. If you put 30" tires on an H2 (or lower rear-end gears), you could tow 10K lbs with no problem.

[PARAGON]

Originally posted by Big Z:
OK, here's the short:

10K=Don't do it except for short moves, (nothing else to use, not afraid of breakage, or prosecution if in an accident!) otherwise,--And Strongly Advised!--STAY WITHIN RECOMMENDED RATINGS!--Check The Manual!.

Fill-up and load your rig--run to a scale--NOTE weight of Front Axle--Then Note Gross Weight--Then Note the REAR Axle Weight, (ADD Weight of Passengers Or other things, as required, if not on board!) this is Part 1. Loaded H2 Weight! (8600# MAX)

Part 2 is simple, Fully loaded Towed, Weighs LESS THAN 7000#--AND!--WITHIN The Gross Combined Rating. (14,000#--MAX!!)

Towed=Anything you want to, As long as you-- DON'T EXCEED 7000#, OR YOUR GROSS COMBINED TOW RATING

Tongue Weight cannot exceed 670# period!

Section 4-53 through 4-67 pretty much ecplains it all!

Except it's as POS for a TOW Rig!

We've been through this time and time before.

If you want to follow what your manual states is the reccomendation, then fine, read it. I am to assume if you are asking questions here, you want to know real world experiences and realize that the manufacturer is going to err on the side of caution.

To say that the tongue weight cannot exceed 670lbs period, is ridiculous. Why didn't you use the 15% number? The thing that restricts the H2s trailer weight rating is it's own gross vehicle weight rating. The combined rating has to be 14K or less to stay in it's class, so politics has more to do with those numbers in the manual than real world ability.

We agree the H2 is not a good tow rig and that you don't tow 10K lbs except for short distances. But stressing over whether or not you fall into the recommended numbers is a little too much if you ask me.