Towing a rv with a 2019 Tahoe Premier

[tagexpcom]

Great advice to make sure hoses are in good shape!. Prior to getting our 2021 Yukon we towed with a 2004 Cadillac SRX (NorthStar) V8 with 327HP. Power wise it was great but we had hose issues.

There's a small (3/8"?) hose from the radiator cap -> engine -> fluid reservoir. There's a plastic T that branches from radiator cap to the engine and fluid reservoir. While towing up a mountain it cracked and spewed steam everywhere! and cost a $400 tow bill. A very simple part to make sure it's up to date! We replaced it with new hose and brass T instead of plastic T because it was clear we were stressing the system.

At 18yrs old, we put in a new (refurbished) radiator and hoses and brass (instead of plastic) T and from then on it held up very well (no more break downs) except for overheating going up steep mountain passes. Using the heater as the rig begins to overheat let us operate up to 75-80F but that's not a good solution - very hot on our legs and stressful to monitor the temp gauge all the time.

Thus we transitioned to 2021 Yukon and couldn't be happier but still - it illustrates that an up to date cooling system can more safely let you get full performance out of you're rig.

 

[adventurenali92]

Thanks for the heads up and I have read and looked into all the different cooling options, if required I will upgrade as needed. My mechanic keeps my Tahoe in great condition, and I may be over doing it but I replace the tranny fluid every 25000km and diffs, Oil changes every 5-7000km, and constant coolant checks if required. I also have the heavy duty tow package. I am a very overly cautious driver and i will never run over 100km when towing, i also understand when getting to hills like every truck temps go up and down, all depends how you drive and what gear your in. I will update after our first tow in the coming months with how it went. Thanks again for the advice.

Doesn’t hurt keeping fresh fluid in it often. I have my transmission serviced once a year even though I don’t even do sever duty mileage schedules which is 30-40k a year on trans service intervals. I drive like 15-18k a year and still just service the trans because it’s cheap insurance. After your first grade and seeing 200 degree trans temps you’ll want a bigger trans oil cooler lol. Let us know how it goes!

 

[adventurenali92]

Great advice to make sure hoses are in good shape!. Prior to getting our 2021 Yukon we towed with a 2004 Cadillac SRX (NorthStar) V8 with 327HP. Power wise it was great but we had hose issues.

There's a small (3/8"?) hose from the radiator cap -> engine -> fluid reservoir. There's a plastic T that branches from radiator cap to the engine and fluid reservoir. While towing up a mountain it cracked and spewed steam everywhere! and cost a $400 tow bill. A very simple part to make sure it's up to date! We replaced it with new hose and brass T instead of plastic T because it was clear we were stressing the system.

At 18yrs old, we put in a new (refurbished) radiator and hoses and brass (instead of plastic) T and from then on it held up very well (no more break downs) except for overheating going up steep mountain passes. Using the heater as the rig begins to overheat let us operate up to 75-80F but that's not a good solution - very hot on our legs and stressful to monitor the temp gauge all the time.

Thus we transitioned to 2021 Yukon and couldn't be happier but still - it illustrates that an up to date cooling system can more safely let you get full performance out of you're rig.

Another good point! Everything from 2000 forward on the big SUVs uses plastic t shaped connections in the coolant lines that go from the water pump up to the heater core. There’s a funky angled t shaped piece at the lower end in between the hoses just after the water pump. Mine cracked last summer. And then the famous Ts up at the firewall where the hoses connect to the heater core that break as well. Good to check those before a towing trip.