71 K10 Towing capacity help
 

I have looked thru a bunch of threads and found a few varying things. I know different specs and ordered options can come into play as well. I am sorry if everything here has been covered but I am dense so here goes.

I have a 71 K10 longbed and need to pull a horse trailer. 2 horse trailer, it has trailer brakes, 2 axles. Weighs about 2400 pounds empty and each horse about 1400 so close to 5500 pounds with 2 horses in it. I will be pulling just the trailer sometimes, with 1 horse sometimes and sometimes with 2 horses.

The attached pics show my truck spec of heavy rear springs, posi traction RR axle, front stabilizer etc. . .
It has a 350 motor, NP204 and 3.07 gears (not 3.73)

In the charts I have seen the 3.73 gearing usually shows a heavier tow capacity. Does this mean it that mine would pull it safely just not as fast especially up grades. Speed is not that important but I do want to be safe.

Not sure what much of the difference really is besides gearing on my K10 compared to the K20's either?

Again I am pretty green and just regurgitating things I have heard so it may be off or plain wrong so any real help/input would be great!

Thanks ahead of time, great board as always!

The Green truck in the pic is mine for fun reference last week at The Desert Race in Johnson Valley CA. Not a lot of shade so we made our own.

Re: 71 K10 Towing capacity help
 

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Flip fa ya...

Re: 71 K10 Towing capacity help
 

you will be fine towing just a two horse trailer with your truck, you said the trailer has brakes,, I did it for years with my 73 shortbed stepside, it was 4x4 like yours so has leaf springs in the rear, unlike 2 wheel drive .never mind what the vin plate says, that is for the truck only, and what its maximum carrying capacity is, not for pulling a trailer, if you were to get a stock trailer or bigger horse trailer, then i would say get a 3/4 ton , but you will be fine

Re: 71 K10 Towing capacity help
 

Thanks Jim. I’ll probabl add a weight distributor set up too for when we do have the horses in it.

Re: 71 K10 Towing capacity help
 

Trailer for reference.