Kodiak 219 RESL

[toes in the water]

Picking it up on Saturday. Can't wait. A little concerned that my Silverado 1500 will not be able to pull it.
Will do the smart things like not overloading it with "stuff" and water.


Got so excited that I called it a 219.. sorry it is a 291 RESL

 

[hddecker]

Welcome to the forum, Toes.

 

[wildwest450]

Picking it up on Saturday. Can't wait. A little concerned that my Silverado 1500 will not be able to pull it.

Hopefully you did your homework before purchasing. I would make sure you have a transmission cooler before towing .

 

[toes in the water]

I did ask that question and was told by the dealer that I didn't need one. I guess I need to redirect my resources. Thanks

 

[Handyman-DUTCH]

Your TV will be fine if you don't go crazy with 'stuff' keep your storage tanks near empty.

 

[lcv800]

Some dealers will tell you that you can tow with a bicycle just to make a sale. Just be careful and good luck.
Rusty

 

[hddecker]

I did ask that question and was told by the dealer that I didn't need one. I guess I need to redirect my resources. Thanks

If you have a factory tow package you should have a transmission cooler, but that doesn't mean that you can't burn up your transmission.

Heat is the biggest factor in transmission failures, once you start heading north of 200F your transmission life is reduced dramatically.

First thing I do to my tow vehicles and the least expensive mod is add a transmission temperature gauge, to monitor the trans temps.

I like to keep my transmission temps as low as I can get them when towing, so I add a second cooler. Here is a link to the cooler I use, it's not cheap, but compared to a new transmission, its not bad insurance.
BD Power - Product: Xtrude Trans Oil Cooler

There are less expensive add on coolers available, but the BD does what I want it too.

 

[wildwest450]

I did ask that question and was told by the dealer that I didn't need one. I guess I need to redirect my resources. Thanks

A lot of RV salesmen make used car guys seem like honest people. I just passed a half ton pulling some giant 30 ft trailer sitting on the side of the road with a smoked transmission. Also a lot of trucks with "towing packages" just have a hitch and a 7 pin connector. A little due diligence on your part may save a lot of bad times later. Good luck.

 

[toes in the water]

Thanks to all for the great advice. I will get it done...

 

[Adair1965]

A weight distribution hitch will definitely help. I have the same trailer and I pull it with a 2007 Ford F150, with tow package (with the transmission cooler) and I've never had an issue.

Enjoy you new trailer.

 

[toes in the water]

Adair
That is very reassuring. I called Checrolet and they said since I have the 5.3 V8 engine, it includes the transmission cooler installed but they couldn't provide me with any documentation. Huuuummm

 

[wildwest450]

Adair
That is very reassuring. I called Checrolet and they said since I have the 5.3 V8 engine, it includes the transmission cooler installed but they couldn't provide me with any documentation. Huuuummm

You gotta stop trusting dealerships, I can tell you for a fact, i've put a transmission cooler on the 5.3- they don't all have them. The best way to tell is to go and look for yourself.

 

[Adair1965]

I found out mine had one when I asked why I had two rads. lol

 

[wildwest450]

I found out mine had one when I asked why I had two rads. lol

Some vehicles have a power steering cooler which looks like a small radiator/trans cooler. The op needs to follow the lines coming out of the transmission and see if they go to one.

 

[hddecker]

I found out mine had one when I asked why I had two rads. lol

Every vehicle with an automatic transmission has a transmission cooler, but not every vehicle has a seperate transmission dedicated to cooling the trans fluid.

Even having a seperate cooler for the transmission doesn't guarantee that heat is not destroying your transmission. This is why I add a trans temperature gauge, I like to see what is happening.

I have my truck setup to defuel when temps hit a trigger point, the transmission temperature is set to 200F, exhaust temp 1300F, coolant temp 220F. I found that my transmission was hitting the trigger point to often In the mountains, so I added the BD cooler. Now the I rarely see temps getting over 175F.

Here is a link to a Transmission Temperature chart. As you will see heat kills automatic transmissions.

Transmission Temperature Failure Chart

 

[toes in the water]

I took my truck in to the transmission shop. They said I did have a cooler but to check my gauge to see it doesn't go over 200 F but if it does I am going to ask them to install the BD Power - Product: Xtrude Trans Oil Cooler as suggested by hddecker... Thanks for all the great help. This forum may have saved me a lot of grief and money.

 

[hddecker]

I took my truck in to the transmission shop. They said I did have a cooler

Toes,

If you don't have a build sheet for your truck, you can ask your dealer to print one for you. It will give you the exact list of what equipment was installed on the build. It's a handy document to have when you are buying parts or scheduling service.