Towing Advice
I am new to trailer camping and towing. I have a 2008 Suburban with a 5.3l. It is rated to pull up to 8100lbs. The camper i am buying weighs 7300lbs. The suburban has the towing factory package wi...
Forum Discussion
falc wrote:
if towing on mostly flat level land going under the speed limit, should i be safe?
Safe is a relative term. It's not yes or no question.
I think there are a few things confusing you. There are about a half dozen numbers that factor into the tow rating.
- HP on modern trucks is rarely the limiting factor...particularly on level ground. You can chip it to get more power but if you aren't careful, you risk significantly shortening the life of the engine.
- Brakes are another factor. While it's nice to say the trailer brakes stop the trailer and the truck brakes stop the truck, reality is the truck brakes typically do more of the work and your 3/4 and 1 ton trucks typically have bigger brakes because that is what they are intended for.
- The hitch weight and rear axle weight ratings (closely related) need to be considered.
- Then you have the gross combined vehicle weight rating which is the truck, trailer and everything in it.
- One of the key items you seem to be missing is the dry weight vs the loaded weight. As someone else pointed out adding 1000-2000lbs to the dry weight is incredibly easy and why most people think you will be overweight.
I suggest posting the exact make and model of both the truck and the trailer. I'm sure someone here will pull up the numbers and lay it out for you.
I can't say with certainty that you will be overweight because you haven't given us enough info...but based on what you have provided, I'll give you 5-1 odds that you are over the manufacturers limits.
