Ok guys, I am about to tow a vehicle for the first time ever. I'll be using my Yukon to tow a trailer and a 3500 pound car for a few hours back to Austin. My question is this. What speed should I drive ? what Hitch should I buy for my truck since she doesn't have one from the factory ? Should I buy a tranny cooler when I have the hitch put on tomorrow ? any and all help you can offer is greatly appreciated.

Dan

 

-Tow in 3rd gear unless you are cruising for a long period of time.
-Take turns a lot wider, pretty much swing wide on 90 degree turns and keep an eye on the inside so you don't run over the curb.
-Class 3 hitch on my OBS Hoe.
-I do 55-65 most of the time but sometimes 75mph if the road is flat and straight and I am not going thru big city.

 

So leave it in D or what ? do I push the little tow/haul button on or off ?

I'll be driving about 200 miles or so with the trailer and car.

I'm guessing I will be having to brake a LONG time in advance since the trailer doesn't have brakes huh ?

 

You need to be very careful and leave a lot of braking distance sine it dont have trailer brakes. Tow in 3. With tow/haul on. If you can, get a hitch with the load leveling bars. Go to U-haul, they can hook you up with whatever you need. They will know what I mean by the load leveling bars.

 

Just watch the turns and dont hit any other cars lol. On 290, just leave it in D since it will be highway cruising. Your tranny should be fine since you arent towing too heavy of a load. Tow haul works good, just as long as it lets you go into overdrive when you are cruising for a while at a constant speed. Good luck!

 

So leave it in D or put it in 3 and turn tow/haul off or on ? I thought you were never supposed to put it in OD when towing.

 

Can't go wrong with a Class V hitch. Draw-tite & Reese are good brands. Don't forget about wiring/adapters for the lights.

A tranny cooler would be a good addition, (even if you never tow at all), but I wouldn't loose sleep over not having one for a short trip. Regardless, I would suggest using 3rd gear only when you tow. Towing in OD thru the Hill Country is just asking for trouble.

Speed? Whatever you feel comfortable with. Start off slow and go from there. If the trailer isn't equipped with brakes or you don't have a brake controller, be sure to give yourself plenty of room for slowing down. You may have to move the car around on the trailer so that the majority of the weight is being put on the trailer's axles. This will provide a better ride and will be safer.

Good luck.

 

Yeah a buddy of mine from High School works at Spillar Custom hitches and is going to put a class 3 draw-tite I think on there tomorrow with a ball, wiring and all that tomorrow evening for me for a good price ( I think ). I was just very confused as to what gear to drive in and whether or not to use the tow/haul and when to use it or change gears.

 

Cool.

Just leave it in Tow/Haul the whole time, it's not going to hurt anything. On flat ground or on downhill runs, OD is fine, but if it is hunting thru the gears on flat ground while you are cruising, just shift it into 3rd and leave it there.

 

So if it IS trying to change gears on me, I should switch to 3rd and leave tow/haul on or off ?

thanks a lot for the insight