CAN 5.3 TOW 6000 LB TRAVEL TRAILER?

[L31MaxExpress]

I use a 2011 Suburban with 5.3/6L80 and this is exactly my experience with it. It does it fine, but it is gutless and sucks gas. It got better when I rebuilt the diffs and regeared to 4.10's, but it is still rough. We tow a 6k lb travel trailer with it and it will cruise at 70mph in 5th gear no problem. Pulling hills in the Cascades or coastal mountains it will drop to 55mph and 3rd gear usually. Part of that is that it is an AFM engine and has 230,000 miles on it. It is definitely hurt. I just recently got a donor 6.2 for it and am in the process of cleaning it up and rebuilding it with a decent towing cam to replace the 5.3, that should make it a much better tow vehicle.

The Express vans had a non-DOD setup but it was still struggling at low rpm. My guess is GM knew the weight/aerodynamic drag was too much on the vans for them to benifit from DOD.

 

[LVJJJ]

Thanks all. Sounds like I don't want a 327 for towing. 6.0 or 6.2

 

[Supercharged111]

Thanks all. Sounds like I don't want a 327 for towing. 6.0 or 6.2

327 hasn't been made in ages. 5.3 is a 323. Zero similarities.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Thanks all. Sounds like I don't want a 327 for towing. 6.0 or 6.2

The '06 Yukon XL Denali we used to drive, hauled a loaded single or double axle trailer, loaded, on the highway, no problem, many times. 6.0 and 4L65E, 3.73 AWD. The truck hardly knew the trailer was there, till you stopped. Even then, not too terrible with 4 wheel disc brakes. And it was very quick around town, or unloaded. A 5.3 will do the job,but a 6.0/6.2 will do it better. Basically like difference between 350 and 454.....