Towing capability

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shovelbill

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It will pull it, and have enough brakes for the combination, if they are in good working order. You need a trailer brake controller installed to operate the trailer brakes.

I would suggest a weight distributing hitch at the minimum. Pressure washing out the radiator and AC condenser if equipped, will help keep temperatures down.

What gear ratio and transmission do you have? If you have larger than stock tires and high gears, you will not be able to pull it well. 30" tire with 3.73's is a nice combo.

Mike here has given you good advice......i'll add my $.03 as well.

an over-sized transmission cooler will help that "new" transmission live longer. i'd be very careful about using overdrive.....personally, i would tow in 3rd only, unless it's dead flat land. i'd also want to make sure my tires are in good shape and load rated for the task, proper inflation is a must..........

one of the most often overlooked concerns is the tongue weight of said trailer. you ideally want between 10%-15% of the loaded trailer weight on the hitch.....too much, you can't steer and braking is severely diminished, as is steering.....too light and the tail will wag the dog....especially on a short wheel based tow rig.......stopping distance is greatly increased.

as was stated a trailer brake control is a must have. a GOOD one is very important as is the state of repair of the brakes themselves..

the truck will have less than ideal power to pull it due to the gearing, but stopping is more important than how fast you can go.....you'll soon learn that accelerating to merge, pass and possibly avoid problems will be compromised, but i trust you'll find that out fast enough and tow responsibly......that is a big dang sail you'll have following you about. wind is not your friend.

i can qualify what i've said by being in the heavy duty towing/recovery field for 13 years.....i've seen some bad **** and plenty of dead people because of irresponsibility coupled with bad choices and decisions.

keep reading and asking questions.......

be safe, be well
 

shovelbill

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Supercharged111

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Get a gauge, you may be surprised how capable factory cooling is. My stock cooling keeps the trans 165-180 when towing with the converter locked.
 

Supercharged111

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My 98 manual only rates the 3.73 truck to 6500. At home I saved a link to Chevy's legit pamphlets which breaks down tow rating much more accurately.
 
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