2013 289RK. Tow Vehicle

[Suburbansilk]

We have a 2015 Chevy Tahoe… rated to tow 8800 pounds. The TT dry is 7200… we have an anti sway and weight distribution hitch, electric brakes and controller… towing 10000 miles next week from MN to TN…. Are we good to go… ?

[franktafl]

Originally Posted by Suburbansilk

We have a 2015 Chevy Tahoe… rated to tow 8800 pounds. The TT dry is 7200… we have an anti sway and weight distribution hitch, electric brakes and controller… towing 10000 miles next week from MN to TN…. Are we good to go… ?

what size engine? equipped for towing? where in TN?

[Suburbansilk]

Originally Posted by franktafl

what size engine? equipped for towing? where in TN?

5.3 Ltr V-8. 355 HP. 6 speed with towing package. White Oak Landing is a RV only development on the Tennessee River.. 1/2 to 1 acre lots, just a few miles up the river from historic Clifton TN.

[dsol]

I think you will be safe, but not a ton of cushion. That dry trailer weight likely doesn’t include batteries and more importantly anything you pack in the trailer such as food in the fridge and cupboards or pots and pans, dishes, etc., but the main killer will be water weight from holding tanks. If you are planning to dry camp anywhere along the way you will likely have some material fresh water on board at over 8 lbs per gallon. So 40 gallons is another 320 pounds or so.

I think your biggest challenge will be fuel mileage which might be 6 or 7 mpg with that gas V8 so plan your fuel stops accordingly!

Lastly, double check your gross combined weight rating (trailer and tow vehicle total) because you might exceed that with a full car and heavy trailer too. And of course tongue weight rating too which is probably 10% give or take of your actual trailer weight.

I wouldn’t hesitate to roll across a Cat scale when fully loaded to get an actual weight as opposed to guessing. $10-$15 for the weight will be well worth it. You can download an app and do all this without leaving your tow vehicle. It will give you front (steer) and rear (drive) axle weights plus trailer and of course combined.

Good luck and safe travels.

[Suburbansilk]

Originally Posted by dsol

I think you will be safe, but not a ton of cushion. That dry trailer weight likely doesn’t include batteries and more importantly anything you pack in the trailer such as food in the fridge and cupboards or pots and pans, dishes, etc., but the main killer will be water weight from holding tanks. If you are planning to dry camp anywhere along the way you will likely have some material fresh water on board at over 8 lbs per gallon. So 40 gallons is another 320 pounds or so.

I think your biggest challenge will be fuel mileage which might be 6 or 7 mpg with that gas V8 so plan your fuel stops accordingly!

Lastly, double check your gross combined weight rating (trailer and tow vehicle total) because you might exceed that with a full car and heavy trailer too. And of course tongue weight rating too which is probably 10% give or take of your actual trailer weight.

I wouldn’t hesitate to roll across a Cat scale when fully loaded to get an actual weight as opposed to guessing. $10-$15 for the weight will be well worth it. You can download an app and do all this without leaving your tow vehicle. It will give you front (steer) and rear (drive) axle weights plus trailer and of course combined.

Good luck and safe travels.

Thank you. Great advice. We have a 33 ft Class A Coach and sometime pull a boat/trailer. But this is our first time with a TT and a tow vehicle


Thanks. Great advice’

[aguablanco]

Tow rating tells you nothing. What is the cargo carrying capacity? That is your determining factor. As a side note, virtually no one tows a completely empty trailer. Clothes, food, beverages, tools, etc. all add up. My guess is that you will be at lease 1000# over the dry weight. The empty trailer has a tongue weight ~864#, at 8200# that tongue weight will increase to ~984#. That may not leave much for cargo which will include any passengers. The other factor with a half ton tuck is that, generally speaking, you don't want the trailer to outweigh the truck. Kind of like the tail wagging the dog.
Canyon

[capeharj]

Originally Posted by aguablanco

Tow rating tells you nothing. What is the cargo carrying capacity? That is your determining factor. As a side note, virtually no one tows a completely empty trailer. Clothes, food, beverages, tools, etc. all add up. My guess is that you will be at lease 1000# over the dry weight. The empty trailer has a tongue weight ~864#, at 8200# that tongue weight will increase to ~984#. That may not leave much for cargo which will include any passengers. The other factor with a half ton tuck is that, generally speaking, you don't want the trailer to outweigh the truck. Kind of like the tail wagging the dog.
Canyon

With a WDH truck cargo weight doesn't mean much since it distributed the weight between the truck and trailer. As far as truck outweighing the trailer, the trailer outweighed the truck before they even started, the truck weighs 6750lbs.

[Pugapooh]

Bear in mind,the tow vehicle is rated for one person-150 lb driver. If it’s just you,no cargo in the Tahoe or camper,it might work. I think hills are going to be difficult. Slow going up,scary going down. Safety wise It’s not what you can pull,it’s what can you control and stop. Vehicle wise,seems like it’s going to be a strain.

[acdii]

What is the GVWR of the trailer? People ALWAYS make the mistake of looking at an arbitrary dry weight that is made up as an average based on options but not real weight. What is the GVWR of the SUV and how much does it actually weigh with the cargo and passengers you plan to have while towing?

These two items are a must have when considering what can tow what. Don't take advise like you should be OK, Get the factual numbers to know for sure.

Example, you say 7200 dry weight, but what is the tongue weight? @ the 13% TW to use as a baseline for safe towing, that TW empty is 936 pounds, add in the weight of a WDH and you are at 1036 pounds. Does the SUV have that much payload available to handle it? Keep in mind that is on an empty trailer, and an empty SUV with a full tank of gas, no driver, no passengers.

Many think a Tahoe has a truck suspension, but that is wrong to assume, it is built to ride like a car, not a truck, which is why it has a lower tow rating. It has a softer suspension, but when weighed down, you want a stiffer suspension, so have to sacrifice towing for the ride.

So to know for sure, weigh the truck, weigh the trailer if you can, don't guess at it. Then you will know if it can handle it. Just because someone you don't know said they have done it without problems just means they haven't had a problem, yet. This is where that not a problem, when it becomes one, is a MAJOR problem.

Edit: looked up the trailer. I have to say, no, you really shouldn't attempt to tow that trailer with the Tahoe. Very few 1/2 ton trucks can tow it without being over weight. It needs a minimum of 1800 payload on the truck since it has up to 1250 pounds of tongue weight when loaded. That plus the hitch and a 150 pound driver and NOTHING else in the vehicle comes out to 1500 pounds. Most pickups have just under 1600 pounds unless it is a very low trim with few options. Thats a lot of trailer for an SUV.

[aguablanco]

Originally Posted by capeharj

With a WDH truck cargo weight doesn't mean much since it distributed the weight between the truck and trailer. As far as truck outweighing the trailer, the trailer outweighed the truck before they even started, the truck weighs 6750lbs.

Weight that is distributed between the axles is still weight. It's like a ton of bricks vs a ton of feathers. It's still a ton. After some reading I believe the vehicle has a cargo rating of 1706#-1760#max. As was noted in an earlier post the loaded tongue weight could be as much as 1000#. Add in 150# for the WDH and a minimum of 300# for 2 passengers and there is only ~300# of CCC left. This will not be a comfortable towing situation for the driver, in my opinion. Another factor is the suspension. I have coil springs on my Ram, as does the Tahoe, and I got pushed around by trucks and other vehicle when being passed. I resolved this issue by installing 1000# airbags in the coils. I didn't do this to increase CCC, I did it to stop the swaying or yawing that was happening. It worked very well. I hope the OP will update us after the journey with a report on how this went. It is always frustrating when a poster asks for advice and never updates as to how things worked out. I wish the OP a safe and happy trip.
Canyon

[acdii]

Originally Posted by capeharj

With a WDH truck cargo weight doesn't mean much since it distributed the weight between the truck and trailer. As far as truck outweighing the trailer, the trailer outweighed the truck before they even started, the truck weighs 6750lbs.

Regardless of ow much is distributed, the key factor is that weight is still carried by the receiver, the only difference being leverage pushed some weight forward and rearward. Cargo is still cargo whether it rests on the rear axle or front axle, once it exceeds payload there isn't any distributing that will correct it.

A WDH is more for balance and control than moving weight around.

[Sharpeink]

I'm not new to towing but too Size & weight yes, Add in my experience from a month ago,
1993 Classic 26fl 7000lbs Dutchmen
1998 C2500 Cheyenne (Reg Cab 8' bed) 5.7Ltr 5 speed manual.
No issues I moved up on my truck size as the 1500 series wasn't going to cut it even with the tow package.
Yes Some do tow empty TT's mine was a retirement gift and was bone dry. But it wont be for long, all the items you have are what I have except the frame of the vehicle and suspension with a little more gas eating.
The 5.3 is a good engine it will tow just fine, your Tahoe is set up with a tow package which you stated. (charts read 8400 on GM site)
I was a Silverado 1999 owner, @5500lbs of towing and it was a rough ride and yes down hill was scary. NC to Florida on regular trips. Gas mileage won't matter because you already tow so you know! Good luck go slow then move up to a 25 or 35 series.

[Craigmkd]

Originally Posted by Suburbansilk

We have a 2015 Chevy Tahoe… rated to tow 8800 pounds. The TT dry is 7200… we have an anti sway and weight distribution hitch, electric brakes and controller… towing 10000 miles next week from MN to TN…. Are we good to go… ?

You can do it but you are maxed out. LIke other posters have stated Dry weight doesn't include anything in the trailer - batteries, propane or the weight distribution hich itself. !0% to 15% weight on the tongue (to avoid sway) will put you near the tongue weight of your vehicle which according to your manual is 1000# with weight distribution. Now you enter into the age old arguement of tongue capacity vs tongue weight which has been raging for ever and still we can't get a straight answer. One camp says everything behind the rear axel should be considered as tongue weight while the other camp says just rearward of the reciever should be considered. I'm in the first camp for safety reasons. Personally I prefer the extra head room when towing, around 20%, so I am not walking this fine line with capacities. Here is where you are at:
7,200 dry (7,700 loaded) 88% of capacity. This is obviously approximation.
10% to 15% on the tounge =962# or 96% of your tongue weight rating
5.3 L engine is not large so you may be in the truck lane when going up hills.
Any way you can do it but you'll know your towing something. Don't forget the 10% to 15% rule that is one of the most important. Have a safe and fun trip1

[acdii]

Originally Posted by Craigmkd

You can do it but you are maxed out. LIke other posters have stated Dry weight doesn't include anything in the trailer - batteries, propane or the weight distribution hich itself. !0% to 15% weight on the tongue (to avoid sway) will put you near the tongue weight of your vehicle which according to your manual is 1000# with weight distribution. Now you enter into the age old arguement of tongue capacity vs tongue weight which has been raging for ever and still we can't get a straight answer. One camp says everything behind the rear axel should be considered as tongue weight while the other camp says just rearward of the reciever should be considered. I'm in the first camp for safety reasons. Personally I prefer the extra head room when towing, around 20%, so I am not walking this fine line with capacities. Here is where you are at:
7,200 dry (7,700 loaded) 88% of capacity. This is obviously approximation.
10% to 15% on the tounge =962# or 96% of your tongue weight rating
5.3 L engine is not large so you may be in the truck lane when going up hills.
Any way you can do it but you'll know your towing something. Don't forget the 10% to 15% rule that is one of the most important. Have a safe and fun trip1

While true that tongue weight could be everything rearward of the axle, the main reason for tongue "weight" and towing "capacity" is that one presses DOWN, while the other Pulls. A receiver rated at 1000 pounds generally means thats the limit to the twist it can support, with margin of error, with the weight pressing down on the ball it exerts a twist to the mounting brackets. The capacity is the amount of weight the frame from the receiver to the front can pull, and the brakes can stop.

The reason for some ratings to have split numbers, 500 weight carrying and say 1350 weight distribution, thats one that been argued forever. I believe that 500 is the weight before the vehicle can become unstable, and has zero to do with how much weight carrying the receiver supports.

The weight behind the axle thing is more along the lines of the actual setting up of the WDH since anything past the axle is therefore carried forward, and rearward by the WDH.