The new Bird Hauler
 

New to me anyway.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Now won't that look nice pulling this??

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Just wish I could hook 'em together right now.

Got a new white trailer so I needed a new white truck.:D

The 8.1 in that truck so kicks the chit out of my old 'Burb with the 454. Night and day!! This is the right rig for my boat. Plus, it's loaded, everything except the porno video screen.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

nice

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Where to start....................

1. Nice truck (all tow vehicles should be white)
2. Xmas is over, lets lose the chebby xmas lights in the garage. Unless of course yur waitin' for NASCAR season to fire up so ya can put 'em up on the porch. (You, I'm thinkin' Jeff Gordon fan)
3. Does the green glow in the garage have anything to do with something you may have brought home from work?
4. At the boat show bring the truck, I'll bring my tow strap and we'll pit 496 against Duramax. Axa can shoot and edit the video montage.
5. The bike has to be the little womans. :D :D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Why a new trailer?

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

told 'ya so :D :D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

'cause he got a new white truck...:p

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

definite diesel-head commentary...

sounds like you'll be going back to a gasser soon huh? :p

find yourself looking for excuses to feel boost?

get a Predator tuner...;)
430/750 and still driveable like stock just more "snappier" :D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Won't be able to see a bit of that video with your smokin', chokin', paticulate cloud spewing, rattle rig foggin' the whole fairgrounds up!!!:evilb:

Nope, no tar-burners for me. If you get any of that unrefined, half burned crude on my nice white truck,,,,,,,,,,, well,,,,,,,,,, I'll have Axa bring out some of those very compromising pictures he has of you.:p Yup, he's got bunches of 'em and they ain't pretty.:D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

And you were right.:cool:

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Shop, "Chebby light", and the Harley are my buddies stuff. I could only hope to have a shop like that. But, I do get full usage plus his expert tutorage on all projects. :cool:

He only owns two brands of motorized vehicles:

1) Chevrolet
2) Harley-Davidson

Period.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Because I wanted it!!!:D :D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

We have the same truck with the 6.0....good move with the 8.1!!!!! Yours puts out 95 lbs of TQ more than ours.
When I bought the 382 the Burb just couldn't take it. Went out shopping used F-350's and the wife insisted we buy a NEW one to pull HER new boat!!! She kept the burb as her daily driver, I'm keeping her for "buying" all the toys! :D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Look up a few of my posts on the 2500 Avalanche in the Truck/Trailers forum. I bolted on a lot of goodies to my 2500AV which is the exact same truck. I loved mine. That thing would MOVE when you trounced on it.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Hey Third, nice package! Truck, boat and trailer that is! :D
What year, 2/4WD, axle ratio?
You can barely make out mine in the pic, but it's an '01/4wd/3.73 with 155k miles so far. Gotta love the 38gal gas tank. I did a complete Denali interior swap on mine, plus the Denali projector headlights. I've got headers that I haven't put on yet.
I agree with the mods Sydwayz recommends (rear wheel spacers and 8" wheels), but so far mine pulls pretty darn well.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Class my Boy....Class....That package will look pretty nice going down the road!!

Dave

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

hard to avoid when your on the receiving end of that fat oil particulate spewing tailpipe. ;)
I think that nice white hood's gonna get dirty. :p

I've had a couple of white trucks and liked them as far as upkeep and look.


like I said in the other thread, the 8.1 does a helluva job towing for a gasser. Far beyond the old big block, fat on torque, and is pretty quick revving for a 500 cube motor. :cool:

at least the boat has some color on it :evilb:

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

It's an '04, 23k miles, 4WD, 373's. 410's would be nice but I really don't think this truck needs 'em for my boat. The old Burb was a '99, 454, 4WD, 373's and it was adequate, not great but adequate. So, this should be just about right.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Thanks Pal. Just trying to emulate the Senator.:p :D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Nice choice Bird. Don't let the oil burners get to you, it's hard to justify the added cost of the diesel package unless you are actually using it for hauling on a regular basis. True the milage is a little better, but fuel costs more, then factor in the added purchase cost and the gasser wins. I bought my new truck for what I do with it every day, year round, not for the 124 miles I move the boat each season. And when you fill up you don't have to stand in that pool of spilled, smelly diesel, that just won't evaporate and go away.

I do believe you have out done the Senator in the tow rig catagory. :cool: :D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

We have a 2500 Yukon XL with 4x4, 4.10 and the 496 (2003 black). Ours is loaded and it has been a great day to day and tow truck. My wife drives it daily and loves to be up high.

I added a Class V hitch and have towed up to 12,000 pounds with no issues. The standard hitch is junk... IMO it is well worth a few hundred dollors to get a real hitch put in place.

No pics, but the black truck should look nice towing the new boat with black flagship graphics.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

that is gospel! Lots of horror stories with that stock hitch. I wouldn't trust it over 7-8K. Big badazz hitch is the first thing I do.

Putnam XDR
Reese Titan

both about $200

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

uh oh. :eek:

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

I wasn't informed of ANY competition nor do I wish to participate in one!

:cool:


Dave

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

good thinking. Getting those little old lady clients in and out of a HD truck could be ugly in more than one sense. :eek:

plenty of walker stowage though!

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Alright Rip, between you and Brian (Sydwayz), I'm seriously looking at a new hitch. Got any pics installed, and how is the installation?
I have to go through all the crap I'm getting from SEMA, but I remember talking with one outfit that had aluminum, adjustable, double locking ball mounts, plus stainless balls, rated at 14k lbs. I just need to get off my arse and make the call.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Although I did notice that the hitch doesn't appear to be the stoutest one I've seen, it must be rated to carry and tow what the truck is rated for (12000 lbs). Otherwise, there would be disclaimers all over the place for GM's protection against lawsuits.

Now Rip, I agree that a heftier hitch would be a nice insurance policy but, a necessity????

Plus, the factory hitch is somewhat integrated to the bumper. Would an aftermarket hitch look the same and connect the same?

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

3rd, ya really need to aim higher on the hero worship thing. It appears between you and Axa, you have one good looking rig. His '84 Sanford and Son Dually is a better fit for your '69 311. His '99 behind your new ride would be respectable. Seems an even trade both ways to me.... can someone photoshop this up. Being yur in 'swego county 3rd you get the '84, although your new ride would be prone to getting jacked in Axa's neighborhood. Sure it'd show up a month later with 24s and spinners, but..............

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

The factory hitch is only rated to tow that kind of weight with FULL WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION setup.

The only way to get the right hitch is to have the Class-V Putnam or Reese hitch. This will increase your Weight Carrying hitch capacity to 12,000 lbs. (Although I think a 3.73 rear end only means you are rated to tow 10,800 lbs. The 4.10 takes it to 12,000 lbs.)

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

The Putnam sticks out maybe 1 extra inch past the factory hitch. Its not overly noticeable. The Reese Titan-V is a 2.5 box hitch, and is definitely ominous looking.

I am on my 2nd Putnam, and I have many friend that are running them.

The factory hitch is affectionately referred to as the "flexi-flyer" on some of the Sub and Avalanche forums. It bolts to the bumper, and you can watch the bumper flex down with weight on the hitch. Its not pretty.

See my post I just put up on the thread in Truck and Trailers.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

I put on the Reese Titan Class V hitch (2.5") and it fits just fine. If you want to doll it up a bit, you can add a nice spinning prop to the receiver when not towing :)

Really, the factory tube hitch is not very stout and could be a problem for you. I have my old hitch sitting in the garage and everytime I look at it, I think how frail it looks.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Thats important when attempting to suck up their life savings and part of the deal includes transport to and from bingo nite. :D :D :D

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

No way, he's buying up the neighborhood and cleaning out the less than desireable folks. :blaster:
It's that Boss Hogg approach.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

that's why the Suburban love...

a place to keep the banjos dry! :eek:

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Bird,

Check the "Cocktail" thread. Let us know what you think about a Saturday deal instead of Friday. Saturday works way better for us.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Sydwayz, you're right about that published capacity. The 373 set up is only rated 10800 or so. However, the differing capacities based on azle ratios is really an efficiency rating. The truck is identical in all other regards to the 4.10, 12000 lb rated rig. It's not a safety concern.

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

You best go get a boat before you go on spewing like that. Boatless heckler.:p

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

Right you are! There are no changes in terms of springs, shocks, etc. Even the hitch stays the same as far as I know. The change in rating is based on the vehicles ability to perform in a normal manner, accelerate and merge in trafic and so on with the rated weight in tow. Driving in a prudent manner has as much, and maybe more, to do with safe towing than the tow vehicle. In reality the trailer is more important. If boat fits well and is well balanced on the trailer it will tow like a dream. Your new Eagle should make a big difference for you. My 35 Fountain/Eagle combo goes down the road fine behind a 1/2 ton 4X4 Ext cab, wouldn't try for 75 mph or thousand mile trips, but at modest speeds it works. Haven't towed with the new truck yet, but used a friends last fall for the 62 mile trip home and it worked fine. Drove 55, anticipated stops a little sooner and set the old adjusto hitch up so the trailer sat right, all was fine. You have a nice set up there Bird, even if it is "only a gasser". ;)

Re: The new Bird Hauler
 

5PM,
You take your time there. You can't possibly beat the Senator's "never was boatless" record now anyway. Hopefully you'll take longer than I did and take the monkey off my back side.:eek: :D