May be a newb question but I can handle the flaming.

I have a 2012 GMC Sierra 5.3 crew. May trade in for new Escalade. Whats the biggest fountain I can pull with the 5.3 or 6.2.

normally no more than 3-4 hrs to lake. Thanks guys...

Assuming you are going to use the SUV to fill it with passengers and luggage, which subtracts from your GCWR, probably a 29' Fountain Single.

This one....

http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o53310-en.html

We've got an '03 Chevrolet 3500 Crew Cab Dually to pull our 35'. It's probably a little overkill, but gas mileage and towability are great. You can't even tell the boat is behind the truck, even when windy.

If you go to Cadis website

The escalade 6.2 can pull 8100-8200lbs the ext is is around 7200lbs. According to the website 6.2 is all you can get.

29 with twins weigh around 7k with trailer 9500-10k lbs, a single take 500lbs off of that. A 27 fever probably around 6 plus 2500lbs trailer. So with Cadis you would be technically over weight, but I am sure its done and can be done. But put 4-6 people in that truck with gear boat with full fuel your probably going 2000lbs over weight. Remember every can of coke you throw into the truck counts against you. So if your truck can tow 10k and you got 4 250lbs people you can should only tow 9,000. Then factor in your tongue weight of at least 600lbs, those cadis would be way over loaded at least in accordance with the law and manufactures specs.


What I would recommend is the new silverado or the Ford Ecoboost both with a crew cab can tow 11,200lbs with 4x4. And if luxury is what you want, an LTZ or the Ford lariat or the Platinum is just as nice as a cadi, cadi just has the badges at that point.


With that said and what the cadi can pull i wouldnt have a boat over 25foot which means your out of the Fountain game. The two options I provided I would and do tow a 29 and could probably get away with a 32.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]507094[/ATTACH] you can tow a 42 no problem

Remember it isn't always about what it will tow. You have to stop, Pull steep grades, Pull the boat up the boat ramp when the motor and transmission are cold from sitting. Brake when some butt head pulls out in front of you and being comfortable on the long hauls. Lighter trucks can be alittle squirrely and always running your truck at it limits isn't good either. Dont forget a tire that can handle the wieght+. (They don't put V-6s in Mack trucks).

I'm pulling my 29 with twins with a '06 Chevy 3500 Crew cab dually 4x4 its total overkill, but all the money in my boat and rig I like the piece of mind.

I tow a 1990 38 Fountain with my 1997 Chevy K3500 Dually 4x4. Boat and trailer weigh around 14k lbs full of fuel. This past weekend, headed south going home, with very gusty winds, couldn't even tell the boat was back there from a stability standpoint.

Keep in mind, in the 1997 Truck brochure, the max recommended trailer weight for my truck was 10k lbs. So, you tell me, based on mechanical knowledge, forget whats in commercials, or brochures, what would handle my boat better? My current dually with a big block vortec, HD cooling system, external oil cooler, big 4L80 transmission, big driveshaft and spicer 1350 u-joints, GM 14 bolt rear axle, dual rear wheels with E rated tires, beefy leaf springs, a HD Curt Class V hitch, huge rear drums with 3.5'' wide shoes, hydroboost brake system, and so on. Or, a escalade. According to the brochures you'll be just fine. According to your asss, you wont be.

Its pretty funny how in 1997 you needed a one ton dually to tow 10k lbs safely. Now, you can do it with a 1/2 ton, with BS tires, weak drivetrain, and soccer mom suspension. Your trailer should never make you white knuckled or borderline $hitting your pants when towing down the road. If it does, you need more truck, or less boat.

I dont think the OP was asking to tow a 38ft boat with a 1/2 ton escalade. If it were me and I was towing a 38ft boat it would be behing at a minumum 1 ton SRW.

But the breaks, suspension, drive train in the new 1/2 tons are not what they were in 1997 my friend. New half tons have 20-25%% more power than 1997 chevy did, weigh 1000lbs more. That 1000lbs has to go into something. Not to mention things like disc brakes on all 4 tires are standard, trans coolers are on most of them the list goes on. Heck even my half ton has a CL V hitch on it. Every truck has it place, and you should tow with whats comfortable, legal, and safe. But this fallacy of a 1/2 is good for jet skis is wrong, and those people that think that havent been behind the wheel of a newer truck. Im not saying a 1/2 tows better than a diesel, it doesnt, but better is in the eye of beholder. I've owned two diesels in the last 4 years both 3/4 tons towed great. But I now use the half ton and with what I need to tow I wouldnt look back, the maint, the diesel, the MPG, the ride quality. A gas 1/2 ride great and is a get in go, no fiddling with glow plugs, addatives, etc etc. Now if I were to go bigger in my toys you bet ya Id be in a diesel again, but for me the 1/2 market can adequately satisfy my needs . And if the manufactures books are lying then shame on them, because then we have no way to know whos right and whats better at towing and whats not.

But I understand this theory of diesel, dually, diesel, dually. I grew up in it to where anything over 5-6k needed a diesel thats the way it was, I remember the 1993 van towin the travel trailer with both windows down and heat blasting. But really these days if you look into what the new trucks are made of and what spec the parts are and actually tow with one you would be surprised. You can say that with all classes even the bigger trucks my 08 F250 had 350/650 torque could tow over 13 grand, I would take that before a dually like yours any day. One last thing is not everybody has just a tow vehicle, my truck drives me to work as well, so it has to fit multiple roles.