Towing need advice on purchase of travel trailer

[drmiles]

Looking to buy a travel trailer. The Trailer dealership says my hummer can pull anything without trouble. Book says 6,800 lbs.

Lite weights start @ 4,500 -6,800 dry weight.
Nicer trailers dry weight start @ 6,800 lbs and up.

Can I pull a 7,000 lb trailer loaded with water and food?

How much difference would there be in pulling 7,000 lbs and 9,000 lbs ?

Looking @ Thor Jazz vs R-vision Trail Cruiser,
(heavy 7,000lbs vs 4,800lbs)

Jerry

[drmiles]

Looking to buy a travel trailer. The Trailer dealership says my hummer can pull anything without trouble. Book says 6,800 lbs.

Lite weights start @ 4,500 -6,800 dry weight.
Nicer trailers dry weight start @ 6,800 lbs and up.

Can I pull a 7,000 lb trailer loaded with water and food?

How much difference would there be in pulling 7,000 lbs and 9,000 lbs ?

Looking @ Thor Jazz vs R-vision Trail Cruiser,
(heavy 7,000lbs vs 4,800lbs)

Jerry

[drmiles]

Looking to buy a travel trailer. The Trailer dealership says my hummer can pull anything without trouble. Book says 6,800 lbs.

Lite weights start @ 4,500 -6,800 dry weight.
Nicer trailers dry weight start @ 6,800 lbs and up.

Can I pull a 7,000 lb trailer loaded with water and food?

How much difference would there be in pulling 7,000 lbs and 9,000 lbs ?

Looking @ Thor Jazz vs R-vision Trail Cruiser,
(heavy 7,000lbs vs 4,800lbs)

Jerry

[PARAGON]

Jerry,

Personally, I've never pulled a travel trailer with my H2 but manufacturers go to great lengths to "balance" travel trailers so that they pull well. All of those Jazz's have a tongue weight in the 700lb range. If you have rear air suspension, this shouldn't be a problem for you. If you get some electric brakes installed and have a good controller, IMO, you can pull these w/o much problem.

Of course, the H2 is specified from GM with a maximum GCWR of 14K lbs. and this is the number that determined the trailer weight rating. The ratings from GM does not take the air suspension into account. These numbers are the safe numbers GM published and, obviously, you can pull more than 6,800lbs w/o much trouble.

I would suggest getting a good brake controller installed and then going to the dealer and test pulling a few of the trailers to see what you are comfortable with.

[drmiles]

Brake controller and Equilizer hitch are a must,and I have air suspension. But what about the Tranny, and transfer case pulling all that weight?

My transfer case had to be replaced after a trip towing a 3600 lb trailer @ 90 mph, about 400 miles. Not sure if its releated or coincedence.

[Steve 2]

I am pulling an R-vision Trail-lite 30 foot trailer. The trailer loaded weighs about 6500 lbs loaded. I have an equalizer hitch and a Prodigy brake controler, I highly recommend both especially the equalizer hitch with sway control. I have pulled the rig about 800 miles so far in Florida and southern Georgia in 90 degree temperatures. The truck pulls like a dream on flat ground. I keep my speed down to 60-65 mph. I average (believe it or not) 9.8 to 10 mpg. The only negative I noticed is the tranny temp goes up to about 200 degrees. I was told by two service reps from 2 different dealerships not to worry, the temps are normal. Good luck with the purchase maybe we will meet on the road.

[PARAGON]

The transmission is fine. It's the same heavy duty version that is used on the 2500 series trucks that have a 6.0L in them. The temp increase is normal when pulling and it has it's own cooler.

I have not read or heard anything negative about the Borg-Warner transfer case.

An equalizer hitch is not necessary if you have the air suspension. They serve the same purpose. The weight distribution design will not be utilized (no weight on the bars) because the truck will keep the rear end level. Sway control, on the other hand would be great in helping reduce the effects of wind on the trailer. You can get a simple sway control setup without having to pay for the not needed equalizer setup.

[drmiles]

Thanks, going out to test pull today..

[PARAGON]

Let us know what route you end up going.

[drmiles]

Couldn't decide on a trailer. Have decided not to try the 7500 lbs and heavier.

Now trying to keep the UVW (unloaded vehicle weight) below 6,500lbs. Sure narrows the selection. Lite weights have lite weight construction cheap feeling, but lite. Good sturdy oak is heavy. Tried going shorter, but you loose the private bedroom.

Really like the Sportsman 29', model 2903, 6,080 lbs dry weight. But no veiw out the back, oh well keep looking.

[Big Z]

Dig out your manual and read the ratings. Stay away from the 6000 pound loaded rig, and you might enjoy it a little! Don't go over the gross combined weight rating!

And search the site about towing, there's some good info.

[Steve 2]

We will be taking a few trips from Florida. first up to North Carolina, around July. The big one will be from Palm Beach county accross the south to New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and who knows where else. In the interim we will be traveling around Florida, west coast and the keys primarily. Being retired I can go anywhere for as long as I like. By the way my truck does not have an air compressor so the equalizer hitch was needed.

[JMV1210]

Attached is a picture of the info on my box trailer, based on all I have read on the forum, I assume GVWR (7000 lb) means it’s over weight for the Hummer? What I don’t understand is how this trailer weighs almost as much as the H2…. That is if I am reading the label right….

[Big Z]

If your going to tow, whatever, be informed! here's some good info!

http://rvtowingtips.com/story.htm

http://www.rvtowingtips.com/

[Dug]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JMV1210: What I don’t understand is how this trailer weighs almost as much as the H2…. That is if I am reading the label right…. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

JV- That tag says what the trailer is capable of hauling "7000" lbs. , not how much it ways . Its saying each axle can haul 3500lbs. , so the trailers total capacity is "7000"lbs. minus the suspended weight which is everything above the axles. Trailers own weight above the axles is probably around 1000lbs. . So you can approxiamatly hual 6000lbs on the trailer deck and your total gross weight will be 7000 lbs. which is all it is recommended for. Doug

[Superman]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PARAGON:


An equalizer hitch is not necessary if you have the air suspension. They serve the same purpose. The weight distribution design will not be utilized (no weight on the bars) because the truck will keep the rear end level. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I disagree wholeheartedly. Towing a heavy trailer will eat through a limited slip as fast as anything you can do. The weight distributing hitch takes the weight off the axle where as the air suspension just compensates with stiffness. I would use the weight dist setup every time if you ever plan to wheel that thing.

[Superman]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dug3x3:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JMV1210: What I don’t understand is how this trailer weighs almost as much as the H2…. That is if I am reading the label right…. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

JV- That tag says what the trailer is capable of hauling "7000" lbs. , not how much it ways . Its saying each axle can haul 3500lbs. , so the trailers total capacity is "7000"lbs. minus the suspended weight which is everything above the axles. Trailers own weight above the axles is probably around 1000lbs. . So you can approxiamatly hual 6000lbs on the trailer deck and your total gross weight will be 7000 lbs. which is all it is recommended for. Doug <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

GVWR means gross vehicle weight rating. It is a function of adding the two axle ratings together (manufacturers fudge this for registration purposes) and it represents the vertical load that the axles are capable of carrying. It has nothing to do with a trailer, it is payload only.

The trailer weight that you can pull is your GCWR: gross combined weight rating. It should be listed in your owners manual.

edit: I see, I was looking at that like it was the vehicle tag. You still need to look at what you have available to you. Do not evceed your GCWR in your owners manual (if you get in a wreck, your ins co. may shut you down) and pay attention to the hitch rating (on the frame). I would be surprised if your frame hitch is rated that high without w/d. most are not.

[Superman]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dug3x3:
Trailers own weight above the axles is probably around 1000lbs. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you ever get weighed (which I have been, but on a commercial basis, it will probably never happen to you) they throw the scales on the ground so figure an addtl 500 lbs at least for the axles.

[Dug]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Superman:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dug3x3:
Trailers own weight above the axles is probably around 1000lbs. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you ever get weighed (which I have been, but on a commercial basis, it will probably never happen to you) they throw the scales on the ground so figure an addtl 500 lbs at least for the axles. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Superman - Yes, i should have told him to add the axle weight into the equation in case he gets weighed. I was just giving him a low down on what the trailer tag meant. Doug

[PARAGON]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Superman:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PARAGON:


An equalizer hitch is not necessary if you have the air suspension. They serve the same purpose. The weight distribution design will not be utilized (no weight on the bars) because the truck will keep the rear end level. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I disagree wholeheartedly. Towing a heavy trailer will eat through a limited slip as fast as anything you can do. The weight distributing hitch takes the weight off the axle where as the air suspension just compensates with stiffness. I would use the weight dist setup every time if you ever plan to wheel that thing. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Well, I would have gladly left this inane post alone had you not shown more of your ignorance in other threads. I have towed trailers with my 4WDs for 20 years and have never heard of the stupid comment that "Towing a heavy trailer will eat through a limited slip as fast as anything you can do." With air suspensions, the tow vehicle has no sag, so you would have to load up the weight distributing hitch bars above flat, which would cause a very unstable ride. WDhitches utilize the rear-end sag of the vehicle to accomplish their goal, with the air, there is no sag.

And yes, I have personal experience with this. In the years that these hitches have been out, I have personally not encountered a situation where these hitches were beneficial with exception to the ones with sway control. I make sure that I have a tow vehicle that can handle the load well enough for the distance and conditions in which I am towing.