Towing questions

[mishalah]

I took my 2004 Yukon XL Denali (6.0, 3:73 gears AWD) over to pick up an enclosed 24' car hauler I bought a few weeks ago. Got it hooked up and headed back across the Las Vegas Valley. Two major things that surprised me: 1- the Yuk wallows around like a whale with any shifting in the trailer or road. 2- the Yuk towed like it was pulling a sled full of rocks.

I mean, it labored all the way down into the valley and back up the slight grade on the other side. I could barely keep it at 60, and only once got to 65 for a moment. The trailer was EMPTY. What the heck am I gonna do when I have to pull up Baker Grade, Halloran Pass, or the Tehachapi grade??? With a car onboard?

This is the Yuk I bought to replace my 2005 Suburban with the 5.3 and 3:42 gears because I thought the Yuk would be much better to tow with. This sure didn't show me anything I like.

Do your trucks feel like this???

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by mishalah

I took my 2004 Yukon XL Denali (6.0, 3:73 gears AWD) over to pick up an enclosed 24' car hauler I bought a few weeks ago. Got it hooked up and headed back across the Las Vegas Valley. Two major things that surprised me: 1- the Yuk wallows around like a whale with any shifting in the trailer or road. 2- the Yuk towed like it was pulling a sled full of rocks.

I mean, it labored all the way down into the valley and back up the slight grade on the other side. I could barely keep it at 60, and only once got to 65 for a moment. The trailer was EMPTY. What the heck am I gonna do when I have to pull up Baker Grade, Halloran Pass, or the Tehachapi grade??? With a car onboard?

This is the Yuk I bought to replace my 2005 Suburban with the 5.3 and 3:42 gears because I thought the Yuk would be much better to tow with. This sure didn't show me anything I like.

Do your trucks feel like this???

the fuel pressure should be checked. could also be exhaust restrictions.

tow in 3rd gear only.

[MagicRat]

Going slowly is not as alarming as the wallowing around.

All I can suggest is the obvious - use a weight distributing hitch, use maximum tire pressure. Add a leaf to the rear spring pack if the back end sags.

Your trailer does have good electric brakes on all 4 wheels, right? Have you checked them out? Any dragging/Binding?

[mishalah]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

Going slowly is not as alarming as the wallowing around.

All I can suggest is the obvious - use a weight distributing hitch, use maximum tire pressure. Add a leaf to the rear spring pack if the back end sags.

Your trailer does have good electric brakes on all 4 wheels, right? Have you checked them out? Any dragging/Binding?

I'm checking the brake controller to see if it was set properly, but I am also concerned with that wallowing motion. These Air systems are supposed to be set up to handle towing up to 8000+ pounds. The trailer didn't seem to be swaying, though I could add anti-sway bars and the rest of the setup for that (it's all sitting at the other end of where I need to go).

I also had a devil of a time getting the hitch ball to release from the tongue. It's brand new...aluminum and adjustable height. I had to pull the pin from the receiver and take the whole setup out so I could get the ball to drop from the tongue. I haven't checked inside the tongue part yet.

I recently bought an old ('94) F350 Uhaul box truck for the move. If I can get a proper height receiver hitch installed I might just slug it out for 600 miles and back with that one. It's a bomb, but it's well-built and made to tow (460 V8, 4:10 dualies).

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by mishalah

I'm checking the brake controller to see if it was set properly, but I am also concerned with that wallowing motion. These Air systems are supposed to be set up to handle towing up to 8000+ pounds. The trailer didn't seem to be swaying, though I could add anti-sway bars and the rest of the setup for that (it's all sitting at the other end of where I need to go).

how many miles on the shocks ? If they are worn out you will get the vehicle to move around to much. the unloaded trailer may have had too little wt on the hitch. this causes the vehicle to move around too much .

the loss of power need be checked out. towing a trailer unloaded with those issues something is wrong.

[mishalah]

Originally Posted by j cAT

how many miles on the shocks ? If they are worn out you will get the vehicle to move around to much. the unloaded trailer may have had too little wt on the hitch. this causes the vehicle to move around too much .

the loss of power need be checked out. towing a trailer unloaded with those issues something is wrong.

The Autoride system is original, with only about 75000 miles and no towing before this. You may be right about the position of the trailer, though. After hooking it up, my son and I could not get the yoke free of the ball to adjust the height, which meant the front of the trailer was tilted up about 1.5 to 2" higher in the front than in the rear. That might put the balance toward the rear and not much weight on th ehitch. I have corrected that, but have not towed again with it.

I did, however, drive the Yuk to the hitch business and back (about 10 mi. each way). The Yuk seems sluggish and has to be "pushed" along with more throttle than it should need. It feels like it doesn't want to shift down or has no power unless I put it to the floor. In a couple of cases it didn't shift down and speed up like I expected...just pulled itself to speed, but no passing gear "kick".

I'm taking it for a code scan in a few minutes.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by mishalah

The Autoride system is original, with only about 75000 miles and no towing before this. You may be right about the position of the trailer, though. After hooking it up, my son and I could not get the yoke free of the ball to adjust the height, which meant the front of the trailer was tilted up about 1.5 to 2" higher in the front than in the rear. That might put the balance toward the rear and not much weight on th ehitch. I have corrected that, but have not towed again with it.

I did, however, drive the Yuk to the hitch business and back (about 10 mi. each way). The Yuk seems sluggish and has to be "pushed" along with more throttle than it should need. It feels like it doesn't want to shift down or has no power unless I put it to the floor. In a couple of cases it didn't shift down and speed up like I expected...just pulled itself to speed, but no passing gear "kick".

I'm taking it for a code scan in a few minutes.

not downshifting under load as you would expect could very well be the exhaust. I would still check the fuel pressures though.

when you haul / tow fuel demand increases.

[Cusser]

Mrs. Cusser has had a 2005 Yukon Denali XL 6.0 engine AWD half-ton 1500 for 2 years now. She tows a horse trailer with up to 3 horses, and used that same trailer with the previous 1995 2WD Suburban with 5.7 engine and a 1988 Suburban with 5.7 engine.

She says the 2005 Yukon Denali has tons more power when she tows, and is a way better vehicle for towing than those others were, more stable. I drive that Yukon maybe once every two or three months, but I don't tow.