Can I tow this?
I am in the market for a travel trailer and have my eye on a 29 foot used Hi-Lo Classic. I have a 2007 Chevy Avalanche to tow it with, but I have the feeling it's not man enough for the job.
I have done tons of homework, but need the teacher to grade it. So here goes...
2007 Chevy Avalanche 5.3L V8 Axle Ration 3.73. Manufacturer specs are...
UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) = 5750
Max Loaded Trailer Weight = 7250 (GCWR - UVW)
GCWR (Total Allowable Weight of Loaded Tower & Trailer) = 13000
GVWR (Total Allowable Weight of the Tow Vehicle) = 7000
The private party seller took his truck and the trailer to a CAT scale. The Hi-Lo company specs the trailer weight is 5750 dry and without optional accessories (Rough guesses - 50 for an A/C unit and 100 for an awning = 5900), that puts 4700 of that CAT scale weight on the trailer axles, and leaves 1200 of it loaded onto the hitch/rear axle of his vehicle. That's 20.34% of the trailer weight pushing on the rear of the vehicle at the hitch, which appears to be the norm. (However, this doesn't account for the weight distribution hitch that will be included which adds more weight...not sure how much though.)
My truck can only allow 7000 on both of it's axles. If I put 4 passengers in my truck (500), have a full tank of gas (186) and add some of the gear I need (50)...that puts my total truck load at 6526 before you add a trailer to it.
Put the 1200 from the trailer on my hitch, now I am up to 7726 on my truck...which is 726 over my GVWR of 7000. The sad part is, that means I can only accommodate 474 pounds of hitch weight...ever. At 20% of trailer weight, my maximum total trailer weight is 2370. Not sure what I can trailer with that?
Now from a different perspective...towable weight. My max is around 7250
Take 5900 for the trailer, then I add 80 for 2 full propane tanks, and 200 for gear, that's 6180 without water in the tank. 6180 is under my max of 7250, but as many people online suggest, you should stay within 80%, which puts my max at 5800. Now I am 380 over my max. If I fudge it a little bit and say 85%, then I am dead on.
And finally, my GCWR (Total Allowable Weight of Loaded Tower & Trailer) is 13000.
If I take my loaded truck weight of 6526 and subtract that from my GCWR of 13000, that gives me 6474 for my trailer. The trailer with all the options and loaded with everything I need for a trip puts me at 6180. So I am 294 under, which is good, but again, if I allow a 20% buffer (max now at 5179), I am now 1000 over.
Am I doing this right? If so, it looks like my truck can't handle this thing. We expect to do some driving up into the northern Arizona mountains, which will put strain on my truck?
So go...or no go?
I have done tons of homework, but need the teacher to grade it. So here goes...
2007 Chevy Avalanche 5.3L V8 Axle Ration 3.73. Manufacturer specs are...
UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) = 5750
Max Loaded Trailer Weight = 7250 (GCWR - UVW)
GCWR (Total Allowable Weight of Loaded Tower & Trailer) = 13000
GVWR (Total Allowable Weight of the Tow Vehicle) = 7000
The private party seller took his truck and the trailer to a CAT scale. The Hi-Lo company specs the trailer weight is 5750 dry and without optional accessories (Rough guesses - 50 for an A/C unit and 100 for an awning = 5900), that puts 4700 of that CAT scale weight on the trailer axles, and leaves 1200 of it loaded onto the hitch/rear axle of his vehicle. That's 20.34% of the trailer weight pushing on the rear of the vehicle at the hitch, which appears to be the norm. (However, this doesn't account for the weight distribution hitch that will be included which adds more weight...not sure how much though.)
My truck can only allow 7000 on both of it's axles. If I put 4 passengers in my truck (500), have a full tank of gas (186) and add some of the gear I need (50)...that puts my total truck load at 6526 before you add a trailer to it.
Put the 1200 from the trailer on my hitch, now I am up to 7726 on my truck...which is 726 over my GVWR of 7000. The sad part is, that means I can only accommodate 474 pounds of hitch weight...ever. At 20% of trailer weight, my maximum total trailer weight is 2370. Not sure what I can trailer with that?
Now from a different perspective...towable weight. My max is around 7250
Take 5900 for the trailer, then I add 80 for 2 full propane tanks, and 200 for gear, that's 6180 without water in the tank. 6180 is under my max of 7250, but as many people online suggest, you should stay within 80%, which puts my max at 5800. Now I am 380 over my max. If I fudge it a little bit and say 85%, then I am dead on.
And finally, my GCWR (Total Allowable Weight of Loaded Tower & Trailer) is 13000.
If I take my loaded truck weight of 6526 and subtract that from my GCWR of 13000, that gives me 6474 for my trailer. The trailer with all the options and loaded with everything I need for a trip puts me at 6180. So I am 294 under, which is good, but again, if I allow a 20% buffer (max now at 5179), I am now 1000 over.
Am I doing this right? If so, it looks like my truck can't handle this thing. We expect to do some driving up into the northern Arizona mountains, which will put strain on my truck?
So go...or no go?
