I am buying a 5th wheel camper this week and i plan to haul it with my S10 sonoma 4.3L.The camper ony weighs around 4500lbs..anyone know if I am going to have trouble...I dont plan on going too far,longest run maybe 200 miles.
Thanks Rodney http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

I know a couple of guys pulling fifth wheels with 6 cyls and they do ok, they have the 4x4`s with heavier springs in the rear though.

rodmax,
*check the sticker on the inside of the door that gives you the build date of the truck and other information like the gcw capability of the truck. gcw is short for gross combined weight meaning the truck and trailer with everything including passengers. the real big problem is the braking to watch out for.

Not to pick on the GM S/T trucks, but the brakes really suck on them. If I had a 4500# 5th whl trlr. it would be towed with a 3/4 ton.

well to answer your question will it do it... yes it would *but like mxz7 said.. the brakes suck i would go with the 3/4 ton to be on the safe side of things and still allow your self lots of stopping space trailers tend to *push alot if you do use *your s10 *have it checked out for brakes and make sure they are in good shape and *take your time when stoping or you will burn them up

Your not going to be happy with the power of the 4.3L.Also going to need some rear spring work done.Brakes shouldn't be a big problem as the trailer will have its own.4500lbs is lite for a fifth wheel but a 1/2 ton would handle it better.I hauled mine (4500lb) with a 5.0L gm 1/2 and wasn't happy.....now use a 5.7L gm 1/2.

http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif *Thanks for the responce, I am borrowing a friends 1/2 ton 5L to go and get the 5th wheel. Because it is a 400 mile run, once I get back home I shouldn't have too much trouble because the Islands that I live on are only 65 miles from one end to the other with very few hills, really none.
And I did do some spring work , I added two leafs to each side on the rear. http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

A note about S trucks to you folks out there. I had an '88 with the TBI 4.3 & for hauling any loads I wouldn't recommend it. I hauled a yard of pea gravel home about 6 miles & you had to push your foot thru the floor to stop. That was the only time I ever had the truck loaded that much. Since I went back to full size pickups, I've really had a lot of loads in them with no problems.

Everynow and then I go on a sled trip with my buddy. *I drove his S-10 with 4.3 with the off road package. *It also got a 5 speed. *With 2 sleds on a trailer and one arctic cat jag from the 80s that i can pick up my self in the back this truck could bearly go 100km. *Yes it did it but it was strugling.

IMO your s10 would blow up trying to pull a fifthwheel. *Unless they are made much smaller then i think. *All i know is i wouldnt want to be driving one with that kind of load.

My sister calls those 'baby trucks'.

A friend of mine calls them Barbie trucks *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

revrnd,
*a yard of gravel shouldn't even be in a 3/4 ton truck, that is a pile of weight like 1.9 tonnes.

*you lead an exciting life. *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/devil.gif

It may not have been a yard in the S 15. I've had a yard in my K2500 & with the Haul mode & ABS brakes, I didn't struggle. I'm not doing it on a regular basis.

In '02, GM dropped the 8600# GVW 4WD 2500. You can only get the 4WD with a 9200# GVW.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (performancex @ July 29, 2002, 5:01pm)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">My sister calls those &#39;baby trucks&#39;.[/b][/quote]
My neighour, friend, and co-worker, who is famale, calls &#39;em girl trucks. *She owns an S-10 as well.