2008 Tahoe Towing Capacity on this vehicle

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moviewithnotitle

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Hi all,
Is there any way to determine the towing capacity of this vehicle by just the build sheet and RPO codes I have included here?

The dealer asked the service dept and they said it's 5000LBS(based on the Hitch). I am thinking its around 7300LBS. It does NOT have a trans cooler, but it's got an 3.73 gears and Weight Dist hitch.

I have a deposit down on this vehicle, but if it can't tow 6000LBS or more, then I'm out on this deal.
Sorry for the crappy scan, scanner was giving me a lot of trouble.

Thanks in advance,
MWNT.


2008TahoeBuildSheet1.jpg
2008TahoeBuildSheet2.jpg
2008Tahoe RPO codes-Glove.jpg
 

Jason_S

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C6A says 7300#.

The door sticker on the driver's door will tell you the correct value. You should look there first. I could be mistaken, but my 07 LTZ was also 4wd and rated at 7700#.

I've pulled a K5 Blazer behind that LTZ. Curb weight on the Blazer was about 5200#, add in the trailer and you are easily over 7k. In the flat lands of Eastern Nebraska, I had no issues with starting, stopping or overheating. Also pulled about 5k of Subaru and junk through the hills of Western Virginia. Didn't have any issues and thankfully, we weren't in any real hurry. Wouldn't want to repeat that trip with more weight though.

EDIT: Maybe the 2wd is 7700#s and the 4wd is 7300#s.
 

intheburbs

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Wow, lots of bad information on here.

The 7300-pound rating is not the trailer towing rating. It's the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, meaning the maximum amount of weight you can have on the four wheels of the truck.

What drives the trailer rating is the engine and axle ratio. According to the Trailer Life 2008 Trailer Towing Guide, your truck with 4WD, the 5.3 and 3.73 gears is rated to pull up to 7200 lbs. Yes, it's just a coincidence that the trailer rating is so close to the GVWR.

With most SUVs, the limiting factor is payload, not trailer rating. A 4wd Tahoe has a typical payload of about 1700 lbs. Well, a 7000-lb trailer is going to have about 1000 lbs of tongue weight. That means the weight of all passengers, your hitch, and all your gear has to be less than 700 lbs, or you'll be over on your GVWR.

Also of concern is your rear axle weight rating (RAWR). You'll probably overload your rear axle before you even exceed your GVWR. If you're planning to tow short distances, you should probably be fine. But if you're planning long trips, a 6,000-lb trailer is going to be a handful for a Tahoe, and probably white-knuckled for you.
 

iamdub

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Also, your maximum speed when towing is determined by the posted speed limit and not your vehicle's or your own personal capabilities.


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swathdiver

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Hi all,
Is there any way to determine the towing capacity of this vehicle by just the build sheet and RPO codes I have included here?

The dealer asked the service dept and they said it's 5000LBS(based on the Hitch). I am thinking its around 7300LBS. It does NOT have a trans cooler, but it's got an 3.73 gears and Weight Dist hitch.

I have a deposit down on this vehicle, but if it can't tow 6000LBS or more, then I'm out on this deal.

So what happened?
 

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