How much can a 97 Bravada tow?

Like the title says anybody know how a stock 1997 Bravada can tow. My concern is what can the drive train handle without hurting the tranny.

Heat is the number killer of transmissions. Transmissions can be overheated and ruined without towing. If you plan on towing, check your owners manual, or check with a GM dealer on weight limitations. Then install a transmission cooler with enough capacity to handle what you will be towing. There is no such thing as "too big of a cooler".

if it has the factory tow package just look for the towing limits stamped into the hitch frame.

The owners manual usually has that info.
But a good rule if you do not have the tow haul package or tow button.
Is to not pull a big load in overdrive.
MT

One good rule of thumb on this transmission is that when towing, do NOT drive in the O-drive position. Keep the Transmission in Drive or 3. It goes back to heat, and it has been found that while in OD, the trans does not circulate fluid as quickly to dissipate heat, which can lead to failure. It is a reliable trans for most practical towing purposes. One guys opinion.

Make sure you have a transmission cooler. My '95 was sold to me new as having the towing package. However, after I blew the transmission towing my camper I discovered it didn't have a transmission cooler. Go figure?

These trucks, depending on gearing, can tow anywhere from 4500lbs, to 5500lbs. A 4x4, 4.3L with the 3.42 rear can tow 5000lbs. You can find this in your manual. A towing package for these trucks doesn't mean too much. It added a tranny oil cooler and a engine oil cooler, along with the trailering lights being wired for you. If you are doind any moderadte towing with these trucks, and external tranny oil cooler is a must, and it wouldn't hurt to throw in a 180 degrees thermostat in it too.

How much are you wanting to tow. I would recommend a transmission cooler no matter what the weight is. Your thermostat won't make much difference and some computers don't like not running at 195 because of emissions systems that activate when at operating temperature.

The stock answer for my '93 with tow package is 5250lbs.

I don't go over 3500lbs. I don't know how familiar you are with towing, so here's a crash course:

The rating of 5250 is total weight. Let's say I go out, buy a travel trailer weighing in at 5000lbs, and hook up. Good, right?

Nope. First off, that's the trailer's dry weight - meaning, the weight as it comes off the assembly line at the factory. You load up the trailer with gear, well, you likely have 250lbs of gear. Then you add water, food in the fridge, not to mention passengers. You're now well over 6000lbs.

I personally would not tow anything heavier than 3500lbs if you're equipped with a full tow package, meaning oil and tranny coolers. The tranny temp should stay below 170*.

If you do not have a specified factory tow package, do not pull over 2000lbs wet weight or you will start killing things. That's not a "maybe." You will begin losing major parts.

Also keep in mind that you should likely limit yourself to 2000lbs if you have a manual tranny. Clutches like to burn up under load.

As for my personal 3500lb dry limit, I have the following to tow this weight:

3.73 gearing, factory posilockers
200hp motor
tranny cooler + aux tranny cooler
oil cooler
tranny temp gauge
45/65 AWD split ('93)
oil and tranny service every 1000 miles

Though I tow 3500lbs, usually I tow my fishing boat. It weighs in, fully loaded, at about 1000lbs. I have towed my parents' travel trailer before - it's about 5000lbs + wet weight and 25ft - but never further than 15 miles to Salamonie Reservoire. I can't tell the boat's on there and the 3500lb trailer is very manageable. I tow the 5000 pounder weight though, and she starts to struggle.

Dad had a 2001 S-10 4x4 pickup with the tow package, and he couldn't tow the 25 footer with it. The I6 TrailBlazer could barely do it. Both are now gone in favor of a Cobalt for daily driving, and a 2003 Silverado equipped with a 323 and a towing package. The travel trailer and Silverado are a match made in Heaven.

I won't say take all the above as gospel, but Dad is an engineer at the GM truck plant in Roanoke IN. It's his job to know the specs and such, and the only reason my Bravada is set up like it is, is because he helped modify the tow package. As well, the H2 and H3 would not exist if not for his team. Those are some pullers there, and he had a huge hand in getting them on track.

Anyway, I would not look at anything heavier than 3500lbs dry weight if you have a tow package with tranny cooler, and nothing over 2000lbs if you're set up with anything less than that.

Good luck, and I'll monitor this thread best I can. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. I don't pretend to be an authority, but I am in school for maintenence tech right now, only so I can get a high paying job to go to engineering school, so that I can design travel trailers :screwy: I've already taught myself quite a bit.

If I may make a suggestion, you might look at the A frame trailers, and Hi-Lo type if you wish to camp with it. Reducing wind drag will go a long way toward improving "towability."

Don't forget your sway control and trailer brakes for anything 2k+.

Josh <><

Thanks for the great replies everyone. I thought it was around 5000 pounds max. The reason I was asking is because I currently also have a motor home and was considering in the future getting a travel trailor instead of having a motor home. I think that a travel trailor would be to heavy so I don't think I will go that route. Not at least using the Bravada anyways.