Would my 2004 Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 Z71 have a problem towing a 20x8 enclosed trailer with 3 or 4 quads and supplies?

 

No it will not with a few mods though. I had a 99 Chevy 1500 5.3L Z71 4x4 before I bought my duramax. I pulled my race car on an open 20ft trailer. There are few weak points on the 1500 chevys. 1st suspension, get some type of helper leafs, I used supersprings on mine due to they are not rough when unloaded and adjust to the weight. I actually still have them in my garage. I took them off before I sold the truck and have no need with the 2500 now. 2nd is the 1500 transmissions are weak, at the least install a large tranny cooler if the truck does not have a factory cooler. If you can keep the tranny cooler the better and it will save you years on it. 3rd not a necessity but helped very much on mine was a K&N FIPK cold air induction kit and dual exhaust. Also do both and not one, just the K&N alone doesnt do much but with dual flowmasters it works very well. After that you will be in great shape and shouldnt have to worry. And I am a mechanic so this is not all BS stuff and my good friend owns one of the most respected trans shops in the area. The supersprings were around $300, tranny cooler will set you back about $100 parts and $50-100 labor. K&N $300, Flowmaster $50 for muffler on ebay, then $180 for pipe work, and I spent $200 on exhaust tips. At minimum you need suspension and tranny cooler in order to not overwork the truck and damage it. If your looking for springs I might let mine go.

 

My truck has the towing package.Will this help?

 

Mine also had a tow pakage, some do have external trans coolers and some do not. Just something to check. But you will most likely need more suspension in the rear. 20ft enclosed trailor unloaded is heavy itself and I would imagine the rear of the truck will sag quite a bit. They have way too soft of suspension under them from the factory. And also I have drove a new 1500 and noticed that the ride was better than my 99 Z71 which means you might need more suspension than I did. Usually the better the ride = soft springs which means not good for heavy loads. Supersprings I think are the best out of any helper springs out there. Air bags you have to worry about compressor, lines and all that to maintain over the years. Adding leafs makes the ride very rough all the time but lasts forever. Supersprings adjust to the weight of the load so you have the best of both worlds because they are adjustable like air, but are a steel leaf spring that has rollers on the ends so there is nothing to maintain like additional leafs.

 

Add a weight equalizing hitch (about $500 w/ anti-sway bar) and your stock 1/2 ton suspension should be able to handle the load. Even better with the WE hitch and the overload springs. Double check you tow package, some are limited to just reciever hitch and wiring harnesses while other packages include stiffer springs, oil and tranny coolers.

Jaybee

 

It looks like I'm either going to get a smaller trailer or a different truck...................lol

 

My brother has an 01 Z71 with 5.3 and 3.73 gears. A few weeks ago he towed my cousins 22ft enclosed featherlight aluminum trailer with 4 quads in it. The trailer weighs 3500lbs dry. Other than quite a bit of sag in the rear which can be fixed (airbags, helper springs, or WD hitch) it towed it just fine.

 

Depends how far you want to tow it. If it's just to the local ride areas I think you'll be fine, if your going to cross state lines then you'll need some preparation on your truck.. air bags and you'll be fine

 

I appreciate all the help.I went down to my dealer and traded my 04' Silverado for an 05' 2500 HD Crew Cab.I should be good to go now.The only question I have now is whether I should go 7ft. or 8ft. wide on the trailer?

 

how wide are your quads?