I understand that just asking this question really shines a light on how much of an idiot I am. That being said, I'm going to ask anyways. I started shopping for my first travel trailer a few months ago and have been told by dealer after dealer that towing a sub 5000lb GVWR trailer would be no problem with my 2011 Chevy suburban. Well, I went ahead and ordered a new 2016 starcraft ar-one maxx 19bhle through camping worldI put a down payment on it since there were non around and it should be here in about 8 weeks.So, I've been reading up on the different hitches and am getting concerned about a lot of forums that go over so many different TT and TV weights. I thought that I had plenty of towing capacity but now I'm just not sure. I know there are a lot of posts up there that talk about this, but I'm hoping that some of you with years of experience can chime in on my exact setup.Here are the weights on the trailer:WeightsUnloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 3,373 Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 400 Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 4,400 Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 987 Fresh water capacity is 42Gal.My tow vehicle is a 2011 chevy suburban 1500 LT 4WD.Here are the specs I pulled off the door:GVWR = 7400lbsGAWR FRT = 3600lbsGAWR RR = 4200lbsAccording the manual, I have the following towing specs:Max trailer weight = either 5000lbs or 5500lbs(not sure if my model is LC9 or not)GCWR = either 11000lbs or 11500lbs (again, not sure if I have LC9 model of suburban)max tongue weight is 1100lbsI don't know what the curb weight or dry weight is of my Suburban.I don't even think that I can get my deposit back if it is too heavy but maybe I can put it towards something smaller if not:(Any help is very appreciated.Thank you,Don

That sticker on the door should say something like "the weight of the cargo and all occupants shall not exceed _________". That's what you need to know to figure this out.

That's a fairly light trailer and off the top of my head I don't think you'll have any issues to be concerned about. You should have an axle code on your TV door pillar. If it's a 3.5 or higher all the better. If you don't have an HD package, add a transmission cooler and just be conscious about how much weight you add to the TV and loaded TT.

Your only worry might be remaining payload for hitch weight around 650 lbs when loaded. Otherwise the trailer is relatively light. You need to get actual weight of vehicle and then can compare it to your ratings.

My gut tells me you should be fine. I would weigh the truck with full fuel and passengers and then subtract that number from the GVWR and see how much you have left for tongue weight. Your tongue weight will probably range about 600lbs +/-. You can also subtract that number from the GCWR of either 11000lbs or 11500lbs to see approximately how heavy of a trailer you can tow. I really don't think that trailer will be too much for your vehicle.Barney

I pulled a similar weight trailer, Jayco X17C hybrid, with a 4.0L V6 Nissan Frontier with no problems. It was a little slow on the hills and a head wind slowed me down but never felt overmatched. I think you'll be fine.

HELP! Did I buy a trailer that I can't pull????

39 Replies

mkirsch
Nomad II
Mar 15, 2016
My new daily driver is a Silverado 1500 with the 5.3L, 6-speed, and 3.08 gears. It's a whole different animal from a 3.08-geared truck of 10 years ago.

I occasionally tow a 4000lb+ tandem-axle enclosed utility trailer about the same size as your new travel trailer, and this truck tows that trailer down the highway in 5th gear with the tow-haul mode activated, and rarely downshifts.

Tow-haul on the 6-speed appears to lock out 6th gear.

You are not going to have any trouble at all, but be aware that if you decide you like this camping thing, you will get the itch to "upgrade." You do not have any wiggle room to upgrade with your current tow vehicle. It is capable of holding the tongue of a bigger heavier trailer up off the ground, but you will not be happy with the performance, and your truck's transmission will not be happy pulling it.
bikendan
Explorer
Mar 14, 2016
Crambo wrote:
I had a Chevy 5.3 with a 3.08 and it towed my wife's ski boat decent and it was pretty big and heavy.

boats don't have the air resistance that a travel trailer does.

but i do agree that the OP should be fine with the trailer that he's looking at.
Crambo
Explorer
Mar 14, 2016
The 5.3 with the 3.08 is not a towing beast but I think you will be fine. Just take your time and enjoy the trips you take. Personally, I think manufacturers rate the capabilities of their vehicles on the low side just to protect themselves. I had a Chevy 5.3 with a 3.08 and it towed my wife's ski boat decent and it was pretty big and heavy.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Mar 13, 2016
And remeber, today's 3.08 and 6 speed is different from yesterday's 3.08 and 4 speed!
bikendan
Explorer
Mar 13, 2016
boshog wrote:
GU4 equates to a 3:08 rear axle ratio.

that's why your towing capacity is lower.
boshog
Explorer
Mar 13, 2016
GU4 equates to a 3:08 rear axle ratio.
camper_don
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
rrev wrote:
The LC9 is the engine code. You need to find the rear end gearing code to know what your towing capacity is. Look for GU4 or GU6. That's the only you'll know.

Ok - There is a GU4 among all the codes on that sticker and no GU6.
ktosv
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
blt2ski wrote:
Based on that info, I would swag the 3.42 ratio with the HD cooling. IE the actual number for that rig is the first one, with overall options later.

No, I think he really needs to look at the RPO codes in his glove box. I ran my truck, and if you use the first "answer" that was given I have a 7 passenger with a 1 speed transfer case. I have an 8 passenger with the 2 speed transfer case (because that is all that came with the 3.42 axle and K5L cooling package). I also know that my vehicle wasn't modified as I obtained the original GM build sheet and it matches my vehicle.

camper don wrote:
Sorry, guess I didn't connect those dots from earlier. I have this model:
5.3L V8 (LC9)= axle ratio of 3.08 with max tt weight of 5000 and GCWR of 11,000 lbs. Not the K5L package.

Does this mean that you checked your glove box and verified you have the 3.08 axle?
rrev
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
The LC9 is the engine code. You need to find the rear end gearing code to know what your towing capacity is. Look for GU4 or GU6. That's the only you'll know.
camper_don
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
Sorry, guess I didn't connect those dots from earlier. I have this model:
5.3L V8 (LC9)= axle ratio of 3.08 with max tt weight of 5000 and GCWR of 11,000 lbs. Not the K5L package.