1998 Tahoe Towing/Power question

[Some Guy with a GM]

Hi,

I have a 1998 Tahoe with the 5.7 that I use primarily for camping/towing. I've owned it for several years now, and it's in overall good shape, rust-free body and 190k kms (118k miles). I also try to keep up on maintenance.

The trailer I'm towing (new to us this year) is a well oversized A-Frame/folding trailer - about 18ft long, empty at 2200lbs but probably in the 2600lbs-3000lbs range in real life with stuff etc.

I just came back over the coquihalla highway, which for those not in BC is VERY steep, and they even made (still make?) a reality show about it in the winter.

My point - even though the trailer is relatively light for the truck, The Tahoe just completely ran out of steam over large chunks of the highway - like to keep up with traffic I'd have to be screaming at 4500rpm in 2nd, so I was relegated to the far right lane with the big trucks. I'd expect this with a heavy trailer, but this light?

Is this normal? I'm not really a truck guy so I don't have comparables, but other trucks (mostly much newer but with much larger loads) were blowing by me, and I nothing left. Around town it's fine, silky smooth.

I've done a recent tune-up - new plugs/wires and pretty much upkept. I know the cat is getting old; could the truck not be breathing?

Thanks!
Chris

 

[letitsnow]

Is the truck a 1/2 or 3/4 ton? What gear ratio?

Mine is a 3/4 ton with 4.11 (I think) gears. Pulling a 7000 lb camper, I scream it at 4500 rpms in 2nd gear on any sustained uphill. In Minnesota...

You being in the real hills, that isn't surprising - especially if your truck is a 1/2 ton with higher gears.

 

[shorepatrol]

Loaded trailer with my quad and all my camping gear I'm screaming at 4000 rpm in 2nd gear up hills too.

 

[Supercharged111]

Sounds normal for a stock 5.7. As long as it's not overheating you can peg it at 5k all day.

 

[Some Guy with a GM]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies - I don't know which diff I have, but it is a 1/2 ton.

Ok - so it sounds like this is normal for the truck. Fortunately, I don't live in a spot of the province with big hills, nor to I encounter much in WA State or Oregon, so there it is....

 

[Supercharged111]

Check your glove box, should be GT3 or GT4, 3.42 and 3.73 respectively.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Sounds normal to me as well. With the Marine L31 cam, milled 906 heads with 2.02/1.60 valves, 1.7:1 roller rockers, the marine intake manifold and tri-y headers I was still foot to the floor at 4,500 rpm in 2nd gear on any long hill when I had 3.73s in my Express van. It would hold 70 mph uphill though. Towing a 23' long, 8' wide, 11' tall wide box of a 6,000 lbs travel trailer behind me with the aerodynamics of a parachute. I have since added about 80 hp to the engine. I put 200cc aluminum heads, a bigger 215/224 @.050 cam, and 5.13 gears in the thing and it now pulls the same trailer uphill in 3rd at 3,500 rpm with ease.

 

[95C1500]

Check your glove box, should be GT3 or GT4, 3.42 and 3.73 respectively.

GU6 is 3.42
GT4 is 3.73

 

[shorepatrol]

Sounds normal to me as well. With the Marine L31 cam, milled 906 heads with 2.02/1.60 valves, 1.7:1 roller rockers, the marine intake manifold and tri-y headers I was still foot to the floor at 4,500 rpm in 2nd gear on any long hill when I had 3.73s in my Express van. It would hold 70 mph uphill though. Towing a 23' long, 8' wide, 11' tall wide box of a 6,000 lbs travel trailer behind me with the aerodynamics of a parachute. I have since added about 80 hp to the engine. I put 200cc aluminum heads, a bigger 215/224 @.050 cam, and 5.13 gears in the thing and it now pulls the same trailer uphill in 3rd at 3,500 rpm with ease.

My pickup would struggle to keep 55mph with a 6000lb trailer up a hill I think lol

 

[Some Guy with a GM]

Thanks - I found GT4 in the glove box code sheet, so 3.73? Considering that this truck is most needed for road trips, would it be worth looking out for a 3.43, or isn't it a big deal?

Is one more popular/common than the other, or really a 6 of 1 sort of thing.