It can't be this complicated...!!??

[howie29]

I'm sure this has been addressed, so I apologize for the question, but I have not found it here.  Every single website/worksheet I check gives me a different answer!  I am looking for a travel trailer that we can pull legally and safely, but I cannot figure out how big it can be.  Please help!

Tow Vehicle: 2015 GMC Yukon Denali 6.2 liter, GVWR=7300, GCWR=14000, advertised towing capacity is 8100lbs, max tongue weight rating is 1000 lbs, RGAWR=4200, Curb Weight of TV=5780

I am looking at a Grand Design 2400BH which is 5595 dry and has a GVWR of 7495, but we will not load it with much or at least can travel as light as we need to.

We are a total of 4 people and a dog which together weigh roughly 750lbs.

Given this info, can I pull said trailer and if so how much stuff can i put in it?  (I call dry weight not including batteries and propane, of course no water or stuff).

Thanks in advance...I just don't want to hurt anyone and / or be liable for it.

[Kirk W]

Welcome to the Escapee forums! There is a lot of experience here so help is on the way.

Looking at the specs as you have listed them there should be no problem towing this travel trailer with your Yukon. Adding your estimated weight to the curb weight totals 6,530#. If we add that to the GVWR if the trailer you get 14,025# so if we assume that you stay well under the maximum for the trailer and if you put little more than the 750# you stated into the Yukon you should be below the maximum. But there is a catch. No tow vehicle is intended to tow at its maximum rated weight all of the time, as that is the upper limit. That means that while it can be done it will probably not be a relaxing trip doing so and handling will probably be somewhat compromised. It is often suggested that you should limit your normal towing weight to about 80% of the GCWR and in my experience, that is a pretty sound rule. Consider also that if you tow at the maximum your Yukon is rated for a great deal then you should also expect to have much greater wear on your engine, transmission, and brake systems. In my opinion, you could do this safely by driving very carefully but it won't be a lot of fun doing so and you will probably find maintenance costs and fuel costs for the Yukon to be at the upper estimates.

[howie29]

Is it safe to say another way of looking at it is to use the 6530+UVW(5595)+potential cargo in rig, say 1000=13125-which is under the 14k GCWR?  

I understand the logic of using the GVWR of trailer 7495 and I agree it is a sound practice, but a more practical and real world number would be the dry weight + cargo = 6595 in my example....THANK YOU....!!

 

[Kirk W]

1 minute ago, howie29 said:

but a more practical and real world number would be the dry weight + cargo = 6595

That would only be true if you actually weigh everything that you place in the trailer.  The water tank alone will add 430#. Groceries will probably add at least 50# and for 4 people I'd expect more. That means you have about 125# per person for all of their belongings. It may be possible but I doubt you can stay under your 1000# estimate. 

[trailertraveler]

Welcome to the Escapees Forum!!

Using what numbers you have given: GCWR 14000# - Tow Vehicle GVWR 7300# = Max Trailer weight 6700#.  Trailer weight 6700# - Dry weight 5595# = 1105#. Tow vehicle GVWR 7300# - Curb weight 5780# - passengers 750# - tongue weight of dry trailer 560# = 210#. As the weight of the trailer goes up the tongue weight will/should go up. Tongue weight is usually recommended to be 10-15% of the trailer weight. In my example I used 10%. 15% of the dry weight would be 840# which would put you 70# over the Tow Vehicles GVWR without any additional cargo. One battery and propane will likely be 100#+. You will also need a weight distribution and sway control hitch which will add weight to the tongue and vehicle weights.

This calculator may help in evaluating different tow vehicle/trailer combinations.

Again, Welcome to the Escapees Forum.

[howie29]

Thank you both so much...I have used that changing gears site and it is the most restrictive I have found, which is fine with me...I am rather conservative.

[jblo]

I would also double-check the dry weight of the selected trailer--have yet to come across any RV that weighs at advertised dry weight or less...

[theeyres]

You will probably be fine but you are going to be towing near or over the max. Say you want to go dry camping. Add the 400# water, a couple propane tanks topped off, all the kids toys and stuff, extra food... plus the fact that most dry weights are way more than the published weights (look at the sticker on an actual trailer). Many people think the easiest way to figure is to make sure you don't go over approx. 70% of max to be on the safe side. If you use that figure you are way over. Nobody but you can decide how close to limits you want to be for safeties sake.

[Kirk W]

12 hours ago, jblo said:

I would also double-check the dry weight of the selected trailer--have yet to come across any RV that weighs at advertised dry weight or less...

The reason for this is that most RV manufacturers use what they call "design weights" and do not weigh the RVs as they leave the factory. A design weight is the total of the weights of the various parts used (chassis, tires, siding materials, appliances, etc.) from the suppliers' spec sheets, all added together. A few of them actually build a prototype with only the standard items in them and weight that. There are a couple of motorhome builders who actually weigh each coach as it leaves the assembly line and they include that scale ticket with the papers when delivered, but if there is a trailer builder who does that, I'm not aware of it. 

[trailertraveler]

13 minutes ago, Kirk Wood said:

...There are a couple of motorhome builders who actually weigh each coach as it leaves the assembly line and they include that scale ticket with the papers when delivered, but if there is a trailer builder who does that, I'm not aware of it... 

When we bought our 2013 Aspen Trail, each individual trailer had a sticker by the door that said "Accu Weight" with a hand written number and a statement that the weight was for that trailer only. The weight on our trailer's sticker was a couple hundred pounds more than the published dry weight for that model. Since the batteries were added at the dealer, I am sure that at least that weight was not included in the weight on the sticker.  Each trailer we looked at had a different weight although I will say that the dealer did not have more than one of any one model. I do not know if other Thor/Keystone brands or models do this. Also not sure whether this was done at the factory or by this individual dealer.

[Kirk W]

32 minutes ago, trailertraveler said:

When we bought our 2013 Aspen Trail, each individual trailer had a sticker by the door that said "Accu Weight" with a hand written number and a statement that the weight was for that trailer only.

That would be a good thing if all manufacturers did so. Even then you really need individual wheel weights but total would be a huge step forward for the industry. When we got our last class A, it did come with a scale ticket but the weight was done by the dealer. What I later discovered was that even though the weight I had was accurate, the extra carrying capacity was more on the front axle than rear while storage was more to the rear and the driver's side was about 500# heavier than the passenger side. That complicated loading it to get even weight and handling but we did eventually manage to get things within safe ranges. It was trying to balance our load that taught me the importance of both axel weights and wheel weights.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Our 2006 Travel Supreme trailer was weighed as it left the plant.  Our add-ons had added almost 3000 lbs to the base weight.  Not only did we have an accurate weighing, we also had the tire capacity for the GVWR,

[sandsys]

I only have experience with motorhomes but we made driving over a scale part of the test drive requirement so we would know the actual weight of that rig. When I had a 4-wheel weigh done of my van I discovered that not having a passenger made things challenging. I had to store tools and canned goods in the passenger area to balance my weights. There's nothing like having real weighing done to know how to pack a rig.

Linda Sand

[Ray,IN]

Wish I had a dollar for every time someone said "I'll never have that much weight in my RV to reach its GVWR". Shoot, I've said that myself. Kinda like putting a camper shell on a pickup  then saying I'll never load things in the bed to increase weight.😉

Howie you've received great advice from some of the most knowledgeable RVing folks in the world, please heed their writings.