Does anyone use the newer explorers to tow a 24ft jetboat

[seanmclean]

Probably a little worse than a 65MPH blowout, and a little better than an 85MPH one.

 

[Dan_NC]

I guess I should update that I never did trade to a full size truck. My Duramax Canyon actually handles the load of a 24' a lot better than I made it seem. However, I am making several upgrades to improve towing performance. I have opted for an Add-A-Leaf which gives the truck about 750lbs more payload capacity (adds 1-1.5" rear height) and replacing the front strut with a Bilstein which raises it 2". This should assist in negating any inadvertent trailer sway I experience. Not to mention the sex appeal of a slightly larger tire

I am also looking at a tune, to assist in getting the load up to highway speeds, have been jumping back and forth between Green Diesel Engineering and Duramax Tuner. @06c6z06 How much difference do you think the GDE tuner makes compared to stock for your hauls? Oh, and how do you run Distilled water in place of DEF fluid, was that built into your tune?

 

[Jgorm]

Don't ever run any tune with an egt gauge! Usually tuners don't add too much for heavy pulling because their tunes are only ok for 5 seconds of wot. My recommendation is to only run a tune when not towing. I've seen loads of totally unsafe tunes from big name companies.

 

[swatski]

Don't ever run any tune with an egt gauge! Usually tuners don't add too much for heavy pulling because their tunes are only ok for 5 seconds of wot. My recommendation is to only run a tune when not towing. I've seen loads of totally unsafe tunes from big name companies.

Well what would you recommend about tunes needed for DPF delete in the import TDIs?
Lets say, hypothetically of course, if my (Q7) DPF got stolen . What would I do?

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[veedubtek]

Well what would you recommend about tunes needed for DPF delete in the import TDIs?
Lets say, hypothetically of course, if my (Q7) DPF got stolen . What would I do?

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You have absolutely no worries my friend.

 

[Jgorm]

Bully dog got fined 0.5M for selling dpfd tunes. Shops can be fined 10k per occurrence. I wouldn't say anything to anyone.

 

[Jgorm]

Jegs was just fined 1.7M for selling smog illegal products in ca. "For off-road only" doesn't cut it anymore and still hold the mfg liable. I stopped selling tuners in ca years ago, and I live in ca!
https://theshopmag.com/news/carb-jegs-pays-largest-penalty-ever-levied-aftermarket#.Wo1yZUbz0Qk.facebook

 

[swatski]

In my state cat thieves thrive. I had cats stolen from motorcycles.

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[06c6z06]

I guess I should update that I never did trade to a full size truck. My Duramax Canyon actually handles the load of a 24' a lot better than I made it seem. However, I am making several upgrades to improve towing performance. I have opted for an Add-A-Leaf which gives the truck about 750lbs more payload capacity (adds 1-1.5" rear height) and replacing the front strut with a Bilstein which raises it 2". This should assist in negating any inadvertent trailer sway I experience. Not to mention the sex appeal of a slightly larger tire

I am also looking at a tune, to assist in getting the load up to highway speeds, have been jumping back and forth between Green Diesel Engineering and Duramax Tuner. @06c6z06 How much difference do you think the GDE tuner makes compared to stock for your hauls? Oh, and how do you run Distilled water in place of DEF fluid, was that built into your tune?

Dan, the GDE tune does more than these two things, basically they turn the EGR off which keeps the carbon out of the intake and the oil. In their tune they just meter the DEF fluid and turn the DEF fluid sensor off is what I understand. I actually called them and talked with them about it. The best thing is to call them and they can tell you what they do. I run DEF fluid in the cold times and distilled water during the summer because the DEF fluid freeze at a lower temp then of course the water. The thing that is great there is no tubo lag and with the tune will drop your 0-60 time down if you are interested. I bought because of the drive-ability. You really don't know you are not driving a diesel except the loads of torque. I have had the engine tune since three months after I got the vehicle. After talking with my jeep diesel guys, they said just buy the ecu and exchange and Jeep will never know. They can't tell if the original ecu was ever removed. I got my trans tune about 4 weeks ago, and it added another definition to the driving with both normal driving and trailer towing. These guys use to work at FCA in their powertrain division is what I hear. Hope that can help.

 

[swatski]

I got my trans tune about 4 weeks ago

It that just a fluid change/flush or re-programming, or both?

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[06c6z06]

Programming. GC only has 25K. On the ZF 8-speed you have to replace the pan because the filter is in the pan itself. I will change at 60K.

 

[Dan_NC]

@06c6z06 thank you for the advice on GDE tuning. I tuned my truck with GDE and it handles the trailer load A LOT better to say the least. Highly recommend to anyone with a smaller diesel.

 

[PeterB]

@Dan_NC I also have a GMC Canyon Diesel pulling a 242 Ltd s
It is stock (the truck) other than air bags in the rear which make it tow level and very stable. I do notice the engine speed hunts a little at certain speeds and incline. Did you ever notice that, and if so has the gde tune improved it?

 

[Dan_NC]

@PeterB nice truck! I went a slightly different route than using air bags, although I heavily considered them. I wanted a slightly higher look and decided to add-a-leaf and swap out my shocks/struts for Bilstein 5100 series resulting in a 2" front 1.5" rear lift. I can say that I previously had A LOT of body roll before making the suspension upgrades, so I am really very happy with that and highly recommend bilsteins if you ever replace the factory struts. I went with a larger tire, the Cooper Discoverer AT/3 in a 265/70R18. I also highly recommend the Cooper AT/3 tires as they were a major improvement over my stock goodyear highway tire.

Now to what you actually care about. I added the Green Diesel Engineering tune within a week or two of making the other upgrades which improved performance for obvious reasons. I truly loved my truck as built from manufacturer but I always felt like she was under powered and required a ton of throttle when accelerating from dead stop to keep up with traffic. Not anymore. Since adding the GDE with transmission tune, I feel like she accelerates just like a gasoline engine when not towing. Although, the GDE tune is not going to give you mind blowing power, like I guess I expected. I really do like it more and more as I drive and tow with it. The transmission tune is the most beneficial IMHO and I do not believe the engine tune alone will give you the same results. My Canyon, like yours, felt indecisive when I hit the throttle. Towing made this problem even worse and, on numerous occasions, she could not decide what gear was appropriate. I truly believe the GDE tune, specifically the trans tune, has turned this truck into what she should have been from manufacturer. I seriously looked at GDE's competition and although their tune will produce higher power values, they specifically say not for towing. The GDE tune had the highest power increases that were still safe for towing and their knowledge/experience among many brands is pretty vast. I think GDE gives you exactly what they promise, improved torque converter hook up, more power, and better fuel economy. Even with my bigger tires, I have seen 32 MPG when driving (unloaded) long distance on back road 2 lane highways. The only thing that I am not completely satisfied with is the downshift I get while driving at 42-45 MPH. It is a completely normal downshift and nothing out of the ordinary however, it is just annoying when I am driving in a 45 MPH zone. Now that I am accustomed to it, it bothers me a lot less. Overall, I would say the GDE as the best performance upgrade I have made to my truck. I would be dumb-founded if you were not satisfied with the results during unloaded and towing scenarios.

On another note, while talking Canyons, have you ordered the Clearview towing mirrors? If not, you really need to check them out. It takes a little getting used to; 2 weeks or so. Once you tow with them, you will be shocked at how well you can see around the trailer. It is another upgrade that I could not do without while towing the 242.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any additional questions or if something is not explained.

 

[PeterB]

Thanks! It's a great truck with the mix of 30 mpg highway, but able to tow the 242. Some better acceleration would be nice though, and the turbo lag is very noticeable.

Those mirrors look good! I currently use strap on mirrors, but I also mounted a camera on one of the trailer guides. I view it via wifi on my phone, which I rubberband to the rear view mirror while towing. This gives me a great view of what is behind me. You still need mirrors though, and the strapon's slip. Just not sure if the oversized mirrors would be annoying when not towing. We towed about 5000 miles last year, so I may go that route. Would the mirrors be hard to swap if I used them in summer, but went back to stock mirrors through the winter? My guess is as you said, a few weeks, and you get used to them though.

Last summer the air lift did get a leak while I was 700 miles from home with the 242. Towing without the airlift was terrible. The steering felt way off. I was able to recharge the bags periodically, but as the pressure dropped it was dramatically different. I now have an onboard automatic compressor for the system, and carry spare air fittings!

 

[06c6z06]

Thanks Dan about comment on the GDE tune. You can’t go wrong. Peter B you will like the tune. You guys that have the GDE tune in your GM products need to call GDE and ask about running distilled water in the summer instead of DEF. We can on the 3 l. FCA diesel.

 

[Dan_NC]

@PeterB I need to make some additional upgrades to my boat before I jump back to my tow vehicle, but the camera is on my list. I agree with you and do a ton (relatively) of towing in the summer but it is really nice having a vehicle with good fuel economy for the bulk of my driving. Especially with the 28,000 miles I put on my truck last year alone. I manage to get about 14-16 MPGs while towing and that is better than my buddy's F-150 ecoboost with no load on it. Although, I will likely upgrade to the GMC AT-4 with the new 3L Diesel being released for 2019. I wont be making the jump until atleast 2020 though.

I also agree with the turbo lag on the truck sucking. With the tune, I do not notice any turbo spooling but she certainly has not had a bit of turbo lag ever since. It made me wonder if the turbo lag problem was a combination Engine and Transmission tune. I think the slow torque converter lockup really contributed to turbo lag.

I really wanted airbags myself, especially since @06c6z06 's Jeep comes with them stock. It was my very first choice until I found out how much the automatic compressors cost and that steered me into the add-a-lead/ helper spring market. Well that and my local dealer had no idea how to answer any of my questions about a 2" lift and leveling with airbags.

Back to the Clearview Mirrors, they really will grow on you. At first I thought they looked a little obnoxious and not as appealing as the stock ones. Once I got them adjusted right, I could never go back to stock. These mirrors eliminated my blind spot. I do not even have to look over my shoulder changing lanes anymore. Plus, when I extend them for towing, I do not have to make any adjustments to the mirrors, they angle back when extended giving them the same look as when shortened. I also think it helps me with the wider boat because the mirrors extended make the truck almost just as wide. Lets face it, I may have run tires up on the median a time or two previously. Not to mention tight spaces make me nervous because the truck may fit fine but not the boat ha. In all seriousness, I can see around the boat, my blind spot, and the tandem axle tires all in one mirror. Which made me very happy and much more confident.

The mirror install took me about 30-45 minutes. I did the passenger side first and took the entire door panel off which was easy (with a panel kit) except for the screws and brackets hiding behind you arm rest/ wood panel. Youtube made it seem easy but I swore I was going to break it and did (luckily I was able to bend the clip back into a working manner). On the drivers side, I decided I did not want to take the wood panel off and only popped all of the other fittings on the door panel (very easy with youtube). I was able to pull the plastic triangle off and undo the 3 bolts holding on the mirror. Had my lady hold the new mirror on and bolted it right back down. Reaching the heat and power mirror plug was more difficult this way, but not impossible. I think I had the second mirror on in 10 mins or less. The door panel tools are plastic and a really cheap kit. I tried with a large taped up screw driver at first, DO NOT TRY THIS. It left the only scratches I have on the inside of my truck. I added some pictures for you to see the finished product that is professional from the manufacturer. The last image has the mirrors extended. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Speedling]

I have those extendable mirrors on my 3500 gmc stake bed and they stay extended all the time!

Also as far s original discussion and tow vehicles, my 2004 f150 xlt with the 5.4 3v tows anything just fine. Don't even know what the nada on it is, but i bet i could buy a whole lotta gas for what the upgrade cost would be for something better on gas but able to tow.

 

[PeterB]

@Dan_NC great info thanks! We even have the same color Canyon, so now I know exactly what those mirrors will look like.
@06c6z06 thanks for the heads up on the def. I would be hesitant to mess with it though, as the gmc def system is very sensitive, and I have had the system diagnostics think there was a problem, and started the count down to limiting speed. I also had the def pump fail, but it was under warranty

 

[Dan_NC]

@PeterB One more picture from when I was moving the boat today. Kinda gives you an idea of what you will be able to see.

GDE offers an off-road tune; which I purchased. I assumed I could just shut off the DEF and re-gen all together but to use the tune I will have to swap to an actual straight pipe and remove the DEF components. Just FYI