Yes you need a new truck!!
Tell your wife it’s decided and head to the lot. JK- is the towing capacity different on the long bed?

 

Good question. I don't the answer.

 

My CCLB tows great, however I have no experience with the CCSB to be able to compare. Not sure if anyone here has towed with both, hopefully if someone has they'll see this thread and speak up.

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Come on fellahs, Chevy puts out nifty spec sheets for these trucks that are very easy to find. Towing capacity is the same between CCSB and CCLB. Only difference is about 50# gained from the extra foot of truck.

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@29er would any suspension mods resolve issues you are trying to overcome? Perhaps a rear swaybar, better leaf springs, better shocks, more tire pressure, etc? Or maybe better weight distribution in the trailer? Too much or too little tongue weight? Sure a longer tow truck will be more stable, but what is the root cause of the issue?

 

Good point. I'm sure these things could be looked into to improve the stability of my tow. But I'm also wanting the extra bed space to allow more room for hauling my mountain bikes when I'm not towing, so that is also a reason. My bad for not mentioning that.

 

I am surprised at your 14 mpg on the Duramax, that’s what I get on my V6 towing the same size trailer.

 

Just a theory, but I would imagine a longer wheelbase would provide a greater mechanical advantage. The rear axle being the fulcrum, and most of the truck weight extending further in front of that fulcrum == more leverage. But that wouldn’t necessarily apply if you used a weight distributing hitch; all four tires should receive equal weight. One thing a longer wheelbase will absolutely do...the longer wheelbase will give the towing vehicle a larger footprint on the pavement. That larger footprint makes a big difference in how it handles stability in crosswinds. It provides a greater mechanical advantage on the horizontal plane (the (vertical) center of the rear axle being the pivot point). A longer wheelbase will leave the driver less fatigued after a long day of driving.

 

All else being equal, a longer WB will always be a little more stabile when towing. It also provides a slightly smoother ride.

Last week I towed a car on a tow dolly from upstate NY to the coast of NC. Running around 70mph, I averaged 20mpg.

Then I towed a 5x8' U-haul trailer from NC to CO. It wasn't heavy, but it's a big square box. I averaged about 20mpg until OK. Then I ran in to a heavy wind off the port bow, and mileage dropped to about 14.

 

Some years ago I towed with a Chevrolet Tahoe (4000 lb trailer, no weight distribution, and 500 lb tongue weight) one time. It was terrible as far as sway from side winds, and always convinced it was because of the relatively short WB. My current setup with weight distribution and ~5000 lb trailer is rock solid. All that said longer wheelbase should be better on paper.

 

A longer wheelbase is desirable for trailers that will be impacted by winds. Small jerks of the rear to the side disrupt steering angle less.

 

Wouldn't the short wheelbase help distribute the tongue load to all four wheels better than the long wheelbase?

 

Nope, but it helps take more weight off the front axle if you're not using a WDH! If you're using a WDH then it's all about WDH adjustment to get the weight properly distributed.

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