Ill start off by apologizing ahead of time, Im sure this has been asked and answered many times.TV: 2002 GMC Envoy Book says max tow weight of 5300# Installed tow package with round plug 2-4 adults and a dog will be the normal travelers TT: Im looking into buying a 2013 Palomino Solaire 209BH Manufacturer's - dry weight 3851# - dry hitch 550# Seller says weight is 4600# I am wondering if I would be able to pull this TT with my TV and if there are any suggestions or tips you can give me so that I don't tear up my TV or TT. I am very confused by the weights and what WD anti sway hitches actually do. We like to travel throughout the country including some time in the mountains of NC, TN, up the Atlantic Coast, the SW and up to MI. Weekend trips as well as extended trips. I would like to keep my TV for awhile but hopefully the TT longer. This is a floorplan we think we can live with and grow with. I have grown up towing boats and horse trailers with all kinds of TV's but have never considered weights before. So this is all new to me. Please Help! Im sure Im forgetting some info that will be needed to answer my questions, please let me know what it is.Thank you DJB

welcome.First things first. Subtract all the weight you have in the Envoy above 150 pound driver from your towing capacity.Second, terms like dry or shipping weight are meaningless except to sell you more than you can handle. Now, take the trailers GVWR and if you are under 4500 pounds you probably will be OK. The big problem towing is the large frontal area of the trailer will suck power in a hurry. Had a new style Trailblazer and attempted to tow a 19 foot TT. Two trips was all I could take. Traded for a Tahoe and that towed fine. Personally I would look at tent trailers to keep weight and frontal area down to reasonable numbers.

I tow a 21 foot hybrid with my small SUV. I know it is back there. I usually tow with 3 adults, 1 child, and a 3.8lb dog. A trip to the CAT scales revealed that I about at my front axle weight rating (Slightly over with no trailer, go figure?), got room to spare on my rear axle, and 100 pounds over my GVW. That is 110% ready to camp, since I was full of Fresh water (Hardly travel full, usually 1/3), propane, food, etc etc.Biggest issue, as stated, is aerodynamic resistance. I have to pull down hill on the interstates. Luckily, my diesel purrs and doesn't mind the extra work. I tow at a safe 60MPH max.My recommendations, first, if you are dead set on a TT, see if you can find a place that rents one similar to what you want. I rented an Amerilite 24BH, and it proved that I can tow it, but needed a few adjustments (luckily, Green Diesel Engineering also does transmission reprogramming). If you feel that it tows OK for you, then purchase, and don't cheap out on the hitchwork. If that doesn't work out, there are a number of high wall popups that are pretty nice for starter campers. The hard shell is about a foot higher, giving you more room for cabinets and stuff like that.Good luck and happy camping.

There are 2 camps when it comes to weights - 1) you should be within all of a truck's limits; 2) exceeding truck's limits is acceptable within reason. Full disclosure, I'm in camp #1 but see the reasoning and logic behind camp #2. (In fact, ChooChoo above was one of the people that swayed me.)That said, I think everyone should be educated - especially newbies who are just getting into this. It's one thing for someone with 20 years of towing experience to decide to overload vs. someone who has little to no experience.What you really need to do is load up your truck like you were camping and go get weighed. From there, the math is pretty simple:What Can I Tow?

I towed a 3800# (empty) hybrid TT and 2 adults with an '04 Envoy. It was doable but not pleasant. On a moderate grade I was pulling 4000 RPM in 2nd gear. And at 10MPG the range was 150-180 miles between gas stops. Even with an added transmission cooler the transmission went out at 60,000 miles.Boats and horse trailers are a bit more aerodynamic than a travel trailer. If you want to tow with the Envoy stick with a pop-up or high wall. YMMV.

ependydad wrote:There are 2 camps when it comes to weights - 1) you should be within all of a truck's limits; 2) exceeding truck's limits is acceptable within reason. Full disclosure, I'm in camp #1 but see the reasoning and logic behind camp #2. (In fact, ChooChoo above was one of the people that swayed me.)That said, I think everyone should be educated - especially newbies who are just getting into this. It's one thing for someone with 20 years of towing experience to decide to overload vs. someone who has little to no experience.What you really need to do is load up your truck like you were camping and go get weighed. From there, the math is pretty simple:What Can I Tow? You forgot the 3rd camp. The I am uneducated and don't give a hoot camp that will tow anything just because they think they can....

Confused Newbie TT TV weights | Good Sam Community

mbopp
Explorer
Jun 25, 2013
I towed a 3800# (empty) hybrid TT and 2 adults with an '04 Envoy. It was doable but not pleasant. On a moderate grade I was pulling 4000 RPM in 2nd gear. And at 10MPG the range was 150-180 miles between gas stops. Even with an added transmission cooler the transmission went out at 60,000 miles.
Boats and horse trailers are a bit more aerodynamic than a travel trailer. If you want to tow with the Envoy stick with a pop-up or high wall. YMMV.
ependydad
Explorer
Jun 25, 2013
There are 2 camps when it comes to weights - 1) you should be within all of a truck's limits; 2) exceeding truck's limits is acceptable within reason. Full disclosure, I'm in camp #1 but see the reasoning and logic behind camp #2. (In fact, ChooChoo above was one of the people that swayed me.)

That said, I think everyone should be educated - especially newbies who are just getting into this. It's one thing for someone with 20 years of towing experience to decide to overload vs. someone who has little to no experience.

What you really need to do is load up your truck like you were camping and go get weighed. From there, the math is pretty simple:
What Can I Tow?
ChooChooMan74
Explorer
Jun 25, 2013
I tow a 21 foot hybrid with my small SUV. I know it is back there. I usually tow with 3 adults, 1 child, and a 3.8lb dog. A trip to the CAT scales revealed that I about at my front axle weight rating (Slightly over with no trailer, go figure?), got room to spare on my rear axle, and 100 pounds over my GVW. That is 110% ready to camp, since I was full of Fresh water (Hardly travel full, usually 1/3), propane, food, etc etc.

Biggest issue, as stated, is aerodynamic resistance. I have to pull down hill on the interstates. Luckily, my diesel purrs and doesn't mind the extra work. I tow at a safe 60MPH max.

My recommendations, first, if you are dead set on a TT, see if you can find a place that rents one similar to what you want. I rented an Amerilite 24BH, and it proved that I can tow it, but needed a few adjustments (luckily, Green Diesel Engineering also does transmission reprogramming). If you feel that it tows OK for you, then purchase, and don't cheap out on the hitchwork.

If that doesn't work out, there are a number of high wall popups that are pretty nice for starter campers. The hard shell is about a foot higher, giving you more room for cabinets and stuff like that.

Good luck and happy camping.
donn0128
Explorer II
Jun 25, 2013
welcome.
First things first. Subtract all the weight you have in the Envoy above 150 pound driver from your towing capacity.
Second, terms like dry or shipping weight are meaningless except to sell you more than you can handle. Now, take the trailers GVWR and if you are under 4500 pounds you probably will be OK. The big problem towing is the large frontal area of the trailer will suck power in a hurry. Had a new style Trailblazer and attempted to tow a 19 foot TT. Two trips was all I could take. Traded for a Tahoe and that towed fine. Personally I would look at tent trailers to keep weight and frontal area down to reasonable numbers.

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