My Truck Towing Upgrades - 2002 Chevy Silverado

[@Davidipac]

I am so impressed by your genuine attitude and really helpful advice

[@luisreviews6412]

USA4US Your welcome, I hope this helps you and many others.

[@charliep788b]

You did really well. I’m here in Texas and I have an 04 Silverado, you have given me several ideas now I just need a honest/dependable mechanic

[@luisreviews6412]

Charlie Boi Good luck with your truck I have really enjoyed mine and the upgrades I made were a big difference when towing.

[@CottonWoodBlues]

I went to junk yard and got a dash cluster off a tahoe and it had the transmission temperature gauge on it..that was cool..

[@jr08champ]

I have a 2006 GMC Sierra and we’re getting ready to buy a camper next month, very helpful video, I appreciate it.

[@luisreviews6412]

jr08champ Nice, we enjoy our camper and it was nice to do some cheap upgrades that made a big difference. Good luck

[@bradley57901]

Very nicely set up rig, great set up for that trailer. I will say however, I don’t typically tow much heavier than you but I wouldn’t give up the stability and confidence my 3/4 ton truck gives me for anything. Great video 👍

[@luisreviews6412]

The bigger truck and suspension is always best. My goal with this video was just to show how I got the most out of regular older truck. I have since upgraded but there a lot of older trucks that people could certainly setup to tow well with.

[@jeremeytaylor2433]

Truck is in good shape for the year. I live up north and all of these truck this year i see have fallen apart from road salt.

[@luisreviews6412]

Lots of truck buyers come here from up north, they appreciate the lack of rust here.

[@134cars1]

Can agree, Texas is dummy hot. Just bought a z71, great informative video

[@luisreviews6412]

Thanks, I appreciate it! Yes it is hot here and I can't say enough good things about the trans cooler!

[@ryanmagana5724]

Thanks for the tips. Exactly what I needed.

[@luisreviews6412]

Glad it helped.

[@casonteutsch7161]

Your videos are so good

[@luisreviews6412]

Cason Teutsch Thank you!

[@michaelbayless5691]

I have a 2000 5.3 Silverado LT with 3 hundred thousand miles on it and it still pulls my 9 thousand pond rv great so u dont need a diesel just have to know how to pull

[@luisreviews6412]

Michael Bayless It could pull it without a doubt, but if you encounter hills or mountains it will certainly struggle. The main reason I purchased a new truck was the need for a crew cab as my kiddos are getting taller and need more space. By the way it is still in my driveway and does all my dirty work from hauling and towing.

[@glutenfreebear976]

Hey Michael I have a 2000 SC SB 5.3 Z71 I'm about to hook a 4300lb travel trailer to (dry weight.) Sounds like I might be ok? Upgraded brake controller and transmission cooling

[@luisreviews6412]

GlutenFreeBear Consider adding helper springs they made a world of difference for me. They were pretty cheap too.

[@glutenfreebear976]

@@luisreviews6412 thanks! I have the sway and WD hitch at the moment will test my sag

[@tylerrobinson7322]

i just bought a 2000 with the 5.3 how does it pull mine has 230k and i need it to pull a 7,000 pound camper does it struggle?

[@pains]

u a life saver i just bought an rv and planing to upgrade

[@luisreviews6412]

Ehat r u thinking of getting?

[@christophersmithey1490]

Thanks for the video! I'm a Texan and I have a 2002 Tahoe with a 28' pull behind. I don't want a car payment so I'm looking for ways to modify the Tahoe to better equip it for towing. I'm definitely going to try some of these!

[@luisreviews6412]

Go for it, it will do it That was my situation.

[@curbsidejunkies]

Just did the brake controller on our Silverado. Going to do mirrors next I think. We are only taking short trips with our halftime and 25 footer as of now anyway. Lot of good information here man I do appreciate it. Go team Texas!

[@luisreviews6412]

Curbside Junkies I appreciate it! I would strongly consider doing the HD Trans cooler and temp guage... by far one of the best upgrades... and wasn’t expensive either. Be sure to do it in addition to the current stock trans cooler for twice the cooling. 👍

[@paullarson3417]

Helper springs are good, BUT . . . Helper springs will not increase the carrying capacity of the truck. They will help smooth things out, but you must not exceed the payload capacity of the truck. That includes the trailer tongue weight and the weight of all occupants and their gear in the truck itself. New trucks have a sticker in the door that will give you the payload capacity. This is not the towing capacity. My Dodge Ram has a 7,800 pound towing capacity but only a 1,176 payload capacity. The hitch weight of my trailer varies between 500 and 700 pounds, depending on how much stuff we have in the trailer. So, when we hook up the trailer (which is well within the limits of the towing capacity) and my wife and I get in, plus our gear, we are actually 100-300 pounds over the payload capacity. The problem with not being careful and exceeding the payload capacity of the truck is that if you have an accident, your insurance will not pay. You will be stuck with the total bill. So, keep that in mind, and remember that helper springs will not increase the payload capacity of the truck.

[@luisreviews6412]

Correct the helper springs do not increase capacity, or any other item does not increase. The purpose of that is mainly to help level your truck, keep the front end of your truck lower for more control and a more comfortable ride.

[@DunnMotors]

Thank you for this video. Very helpful and appreciated

[@luisreviews6412]

Glad you found it helpful

[@stangfan93]

It doesn’t matter now, but to anyone who wants a trans temp gauge, find a dash cluster from any 2500 truck. I got one from a 2500 suburban and plugged it up didn’t have to do anything.

[@luisreviews6412]

Good to know 👍

[@falconbrother2339]

I agree about the electric fans. I had them on my old motorhome and they didn't help much.

[@luisreviews6412]

falconbrother I like my current setup which is a combo of a belt driven and helper fan... helps with cold a/c for city driving.

[@1989tico]

Great video please make more like it

[@luisreviews6412]

Daniel Jose Matamoros Have some more coming your way, be sure to subscribe.

[@chrisreynolds6520]

Had the same problem with my Express van with the 350 in it towing. Had to put a duramax fan blade on it to keep it cool towing in Texas heat.

[@luisreviews6412]

106 today, that will put some stress on the cooling system.

[@chrisreynolds6520]

I added a 3,000 cfm Flexalite 16" fan behind the radiator, between the radiator and clutch fan and it is controlled by the LS P59 PCM running the 350. I built bracketd and bolted it rigidly in place to prevent it from damaging the radiator or coming loose and getting sucked into the mechanical fan. PCM turns the electric on with a/c or engine temp below 50 mph. I used a 2007 Trailblazer electric fan clutch. My first setup turned the electric fan on with Fan1 output and powered the fan clutch on Fan 2. I have since added full PWM control to the fan clutch, using the 2003-2004 LM4 5.3L Trailblazer fan settings and wiring diagram.

[@chrisreynolds6520]

@@luisreviews6412 Mine got a work out yesterday. Air going into the grille was 113°F. In really hot weather my 383 will hold 220°F even working hard. It has a 195°F thermostat and usually runs around 200-205°F. IATs sky rocket in the heat though, around town they were 194°F.

[@mayonotarapper5758]

Nice rig

[@luisreviews6412]

Thank you!

[@lukeh5668]

Phenomenal!

[@luisreviews6412]

Luke H TY I hope this video helped you out.

[@pensacola07]

I have an 04 Avalanche that I've been doing upgrades to my truck as well, one upgrade that I did was to change out the axel bump stops. I purchased them from Etrailer and they helped out a lot. The axel bump stops that came with the truck were completely gone. I bought the truck used, but it already had a brake controller installed. I'm going to put Efans on it next and a trans cooler

[@luisreviews6412]

Randall Castro Sr. Trans cooler is by far the best upgrade I did, don’t forget the trans temp gauge too. I did e fans too... I have a video on my channel if that helps.

[@chrisreynolds6520]

I put 1-ton overload leafs and Summo springs (replace the OE bump stops) on the rear of my 97 Express van that I tow a 28 ft with. Much nicer ride than the OE leafs bottoming out on the OE bump stops all the time. I also replaced the stock 350 with a 383 when it was time to replace it and built the 383 up a bit. Getting up to speed and climbing grades is no longer even a struggle. I had replaced the 4L60E with a 4L85E prior to the 383 upgrade.

[@jimcampbrill5061]

Just fyi for you....the 02 5.3 is 2nd gen, according to gm specs its a 310horse engine

[@luisreviews6412]

Jim Campbrill My understanding is it was the following year with the refresh.

[@don350x]

put a seven inch fan on the trans cooler also

[@luisreviews6412]

don350x I saw that option when I was shopping for the trans cooler. I will say even without the fan that trans doesn’t even come close to being hot... by far the most underrated improvement for towing. I will say one thing that helps is I left the stock cooler and added the aftermarket inline, so the fluid cools twice.

[@calgaryhydroseeding2337]

Hey great video! Not sure if anyone's asked but have you had any experience with a tuner on this truck? I'm on the fence about trying one

[@luisreviews6412]

I didn’t go that route mainly because I was at the tail end of ownership and wanted to keep it clean. Plus I don’t trust those things long term.

[@Nicholas-ze5vv]

I know this is an old video, but I have the same paint* problem on my 09 Silverado. I take good care of my paint* too. They must have a bad white color or something.

[@luisreviews6412]

Agreed, but I believe it was the clear coat they were using at the time.

[@fredericktaylor2891]

Every GM vehicle painted white will sooner or later have paint peeling issues. The last white one I had would lose paint in sheets going down the road. Adhesion between the paint and primer is weak and the paint tends to develop cracks that allow water penetration causing the paint to flake off. The only fix is to strip the vehicle and repaint with a quality compatible product. This has been a problem for years and GM refuses to address the issue.

[@Long-nd8bq]

Towing anything with 3.42 gears is like shooting yourself in the foot. I have 4.10 in my Z71 but if I had 3.42 or even 3.73 I would swap to 4.56 gears. The other upgrades you did are good. Do you have a weight distribution hitch and anti-swap bars for your camper? My friend tows a 30 ft with his Sierra 2WD 1/2 ton. He's putting in a cam, long tube headers, a tune, and switching from 3.73 to 4.56 gears. He has the same Tekonsha brake controller you have and I am going to put that in my Z71.

[@luisreviews6412]

Scott Long 3.42 isn’t ideal, 4.10 wow must be nice, what kind of mileage do you get? I got a 2018 Tundra with a 4.30 rear end you can really feel the difference gears in stop in go mainly. I use a Husky Centerline TS and have been very impressed. The P3 brake controller has been flawless you will like it.

[@myleshartman7530]

Have you ever thought about 2500 leaf springs on your 1500. I was told they would fit

[@luisreviews6412]

@@myleshartman7530 I didn’t think of that honestly. The truck was at the end of it’s time with me so I didn’t want to do or spend too much.

[@myleshartman7530]

@@luisreviews6412 I'm thinking about living in a camper full time and I have a 2000 Chevy 1500 so hopefully it'll do the job

[@steverugerguy9606]

Do you use a towing motor oil also?Like valvoline vr1 racing oil in 10w30 .or a diesel oil in 10w30?....or even 15w40 or 50.Mobil 1 15w50 synthetic is also a good choice for towing in Texas heat.Still flows good in cold weather too.....great video btw.

[@luisreviews6412]

steve rugerguy When I got the RV is when I made the switch to Mobil 1 for those reasons... the Texas heat and added demand.

[@pensacola07]

I highly, highly recommended to change out your trailer tires to a better and safer tires for your camper

[@luisreviews6412]

Randall Castro Sr. 3 Years with them and they have performed well. Replacing them next month before a long trip. No complaints.

[@AllAboutCars1999]

I might make some suggestions, don't do the electric fan, I would just upgrade your fan clutch and fan to a performance version, you also do not need to buy and set up a whole new temp gauge, if you want it to look more uniform buy a used cluster with the temp gauge on it from a 2500 and its simple to wire up, do not have two trans coolers installed it just creates a longer point a to b for the fluid, just install the heavy-duty one and throw the old one out, helper springs are nice but cheap and they crack and bend easy over time, getting rear airbag suspension is a better option for the warranty and it also allows you to choose your ride height, this video is helpful but as a long time mechanic I just wanted to add my tweaks.

[@luisreviews6412]

Appreciate the input, the upgrades were all done in the last 2-3 years of ownership and were great. I knew the end was near so the upgrades were a bang for the buck solution because there were certainly other ideas. With that said the big one I would have spent money if I was starting out was the performance radiator and fan route... thd rest were perfect.

[@AllAboutCars1999]

@@luisreviews6412 your video is very helpful, i just wanted to give some input on different options if people are willing to spend a little more, love the video tho

[@luisreviews6412]

@@AllAboutCars1999 My main thought behind the video was to show what I did to get the most out of my truck with a few inexpensive upgrades. Too many automatically get rid of what they have and get a new diesel 18 wheeler to pull their pop up when what they have is capable.

[@edgarvaldivia4657]

Amazing video love your truck ,I have a problem with my Silverado 2002 every time I turn on the car the read lights and the break light stays on all time , I thought was the break light switch I change it and still the same I check all the fuses and still on , any idea what it’s happening, appreciate your time

[@luisreviews6412]

Hmmmm, that is a good question. I don’t know.

[@l.d.b.r5141]

If you had all of these upgrades do you think You would be able to handle a goose neck. But let it be aluminum or a light goose neck?

[@luisreviews6412]

As long as it was all within specs. Biggest issue is payload and suspension.

[@ChuckHanna]

Great video man, really informative. I do have a question though...where did you install the transmission cooler and the accessory LoBoy fan? One in front of the radiator and one behind? Both on the same side? Thanks...

[@luisreviews6412]

The trans in front, the loboy goes behind.

[@TrillmaticEnt]

Who did you get to instal your temperature gauge ? I just ordered the one you have on eBay is there anything else I should order to be able to install it on my 5.3 sierra 1500 05’

[@luisreviews6412]

TrillmaticEnt I had a shop install it. I was having other work done and went ahead and had them install the guage as well as the cooler itself as well. I don’t believe you need anything else for the guage as far as parts.

[@zachariahmagallan5738]

I have a 2002 chevy silverado 2500hd 6.0 gas will that fan and the transmission oil cooler and the left springs and the brake controller work for me and how did you install it.

[@luisreviews6412]

I wouldn’t do those specific fans for a heavy duty, honestly I would keep the stock fan. Yes on getting a better transmission cooler. There should be specific helper springs for your truck. I did the springs myself, just bolt on. The cooler a mechanic installed along with a trans temp guage.

[@zachariahmagallan5738]

Well I didn't want to put the double fans but that one single fan

[@CrackVID]

Hi, i’m towing a 5,500travel trailer with silverado 1500 (2009). Has tow package and engine is overheating (5.3L), but if i stop and rest for 5 min it goes back to normal. Any idea what i need to upgrade?

[@luisreviews6412]

Water pump, fan clutch, radiator fluid,

[@Namedeeznuts]

Transmission cooler lol, oil change

[@Razorman70]

How much cooler did the truck run with the extra fan when you towed?

[@luisreviews6412]

So with the normal stock fan plus the small E-Fan, little to no difference. If anything I think having it may have caused turbulence when towing at high speeds but none the less it was fine. The E-Fan helped when I was at idle or in stop and go traffic , Essentially picking up the slack for the main fan. My favorite part about adding Ethan was being able to keep the truck temps down at idle or parking and having cold air conditioning.

[@encalmaconclaudia1664]

Is towing 4,800 pounds a lot for this truck?

[@luisreviews6412]

I towed around 6k, it was fine. These motors rev a bit but is no problem. The rear axle however is setup for the highway, and not as much for in the city. You will be fine.

[@robez.]

!!

[@l.d.b.r5141]

Which upgrade will you recommend to do 1st

[@luisreviews6412]

That’s a difficult question. I think if you have a trailer that requires electric trailer brakes then a brake controller would be first. I think these will squat so those helper springs next. Towing mirrrors would be nice and then adding a trans cooler and temp gauge at the same time so you can keep an eye on the transmission.

[@l.d.b.r5141]

@@luisreviews6412 thank you

[@luisreviews6412]

@@l.d.b.r5141 Did you get a trailer or just getting it ready?

[@l.d.b.r5141]

@@luisreviews6412 oh I'm getting ready, I have the tow mirrors, The break controls came with a truck. I'm just saving up for the helper Springs. And the transmission deal.

[@l.d.b.r5141]

Did you still have that truck because I haven't seen a video of it on the road Towing the RV?

[@pains]

btw whats better level spring or air bag ?

[@luisreviews6412]

The tow police will tell you air bags, my experience are with Helwig Helper Springs and Super Springs. Springs are better fir what I need, more cost effective and no maintenance.

[@jeremywilson1299]

Springs are too stiff, when not towing. Like riding in a 3/4 or ton truck. Aiir bags have better ride when and when your not towing. Little more maintenance? so worth it. For instance only maintenance I’ve done in two years of airbags is if, I go to tow gotta check the air and make sure it’s right, and has air. I run 10 lb empty and 50lbs loaded I’ve had 2 ton in bed of truck with 40 lbs of air and it was sitting level n I have a 3 inch leveling kit in the front. Rode well little front light but that’s actually 1600 lbs over rated payload capacity. N it’s a z71 truck. In other words mine already has the extra spring he installed

[@jaymoneyv2514]

@@jeremywilson1299 if you shift the help spring more to the front vs the back of the truck it wouldn’t be so stiff or u can the type of spring he has are adjusting

[@xyzebruh1083]

Wanting to get a used 5.3 Silverado similar to yours to tow a 2,000lb trailer with a 3,600lb car on it. Would you recommend a Silverado or a different truck? My goal is a reliable truck that will feel safe towing on the interstate and not feel nervous about the trailer weight pulling the truck around the road. Thanks

[@luisreviews6412]

XY Zebruh Depends on your budget. Can this truck do it? Yes. Safely? Yes. Winning drag races? No. But for this year truck I tgink it would be a good choice... easy to work on, decent power, reliable... I have the 3:42 ratio... it isn’t to good in stop n go but on the highway it shines. However I might look at a 3:73 or 4:10 ratio ( not sure they d we even make these) but it would have better towing but worse gas mileage.

[@Shallowballow]

How much was ranch and

[@luisreviews6412]

It was on it when I bought it… then I got in an accident where insurance replaced it. I don’t recall the exact price but I thought it was rather inexpensive.

[@pensacola07]

Is that a coachman 248RBS?

[@luisreviews6412]

Randall Castro Sr. 257BHS

[@deepriver6155]

You bought more trailer than the truck can handle safely.

[@luisreviews6412]

Deep River Disagree but thank you for the comment.

[@terryfrye4552]

completely not true. a 1500 2wd can tow just fine it you have the right equipment and know what your doing

[@luisreviews6412]

Terry Frye I agree, it can tow safely never felt concerned.