Towing GMC 23 footer with Chevy express 3500
- Thread starter MarsMobile
- Start date
No but we towed ours for 5 hours with a tow strap and a GMC 1/2 ton van.....hehe
People have towed 26' with a blazer. You didn't mention if it's a single short tow or multiple tows, terrain, condition of the GMC etc,
sounds good but best would be if you remove the axles, use the snap ring to slide out the axle from the CV stub, reinstall just the CV stub and torque the wheel nut. If you move the coach at all with the axles out you will ruin the wheel bearings.
If you tow it in N with the axles still installed, it could damage the transmission. The manual says you can tow it up to 35 mph? and up to 20 miles? Check the owners manual, it's in there.
If you tow it in N with the axles still installed, it could damage the transmission. The manual says you can tow it up to 35 mph? and up to 20 miles? Check the owners manual, it's in there.
I think it was 35mph for 50 miles IIRC. Pretty limiting in any case, but sometimes enough to get you to a shop.
Let us know if you can find a tow dolly, I always thought that would be a good way to go also.
Just before towing it, I would start the engine and run the transmission through the gears to get lubrication all though the clutch packs and gear sets.
That's why I asked that he let us know if he finds one!
I always thought that would be a good way to go, if you could find one that can handle 4000 lb, if it's wide enough, and if it's low enough to keep the rear end from dragging.
One would have to be built from scratch imo.
I was just marveling at the torsion axle under my friend's military trailer last night. It's got pretty high clearance. If something like that could be flipped over it'd provide a nice, heavy-duty, low-slung platform to build a dolly on.
That's why I asked that he let us know if he finds one!
I always thought that would be a good way to go, if you could find one that can handle 4000 lb, if it's wide enough, and if it's low enough to keep the rear end from dragging.
One would have to be built from scratch imo.
I’m trying to make sure I understand this correctly, the axles have to be removed from the cv joint to disconnect the spinning wheels from the transmission?
If you wanted to use a heavy duty tow bar to flat tow the coach for longer than 50 miles, you could yes, remove the axles to protect the transmission. But you can't move it that way, you need the outer nut on the axle tightened down on the bearings. It's not too hard to do though. The CV outers come off the axle shaft with a snap ring. Then re-install the CV stubs into the hub and tighten up the 1-1/2 axle nut. If you don't have that CV stub installed it will ruin the front wheel bearings as soon as you move the coach.
The problem with this, is you are pulling something that weighs 12k lb . This should have its own brakes and it won't unless you install something that works the coach brakes while you drive. I'm not sure that's feasible at that point.
Without removing the axles you can flat tow it in N gear up to 35mph and up to 50 miles per owners manual
I did flat tow my brother in his coach up to 55-60mph 200+ miles and he is driving that same transmission today, it didn't seem to damage it. I pulled him while he steered his coach. He also ran his generator so we could run a lab vacuum pump in the coach, connected to the vacuum brake booster. So he had brakes. And jumped the boost relay so all his lights were working without the chassis battery going dead.
I have a good lead on a brake buddy and tow bar… with the engine overheated I guess we’ll have to do the vacuum pump/brake boost bit as well.
Did you shift through the gears at all to work transmission fluid through? Great that his tranny survived.
No, as I stated ours ran but the Pinion was shot. I had the engine running the whole time for power steering, brakes and tranny pump.
