Greetings RV'ers, name is Michael, and making my 1st post on this forum. I've spent the past few days scouring this site's search feature, and was hoping to get some general guidance on an upcoming trailer purchase. My TV is a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0t AWD, with a towing capacity of 3501 pounds, and hitch weight of 351. We just got a Curt C13195 hitch, and the matching TEKONSHA 4-way pole adapter for the factory wiring harness, model #118784. I'll be looking for the dealer to install the hitch, along with a matching brake controller and 4-7 pole converter (may be incorporated in the brake controller). The TT I'm looking at is the Apex Nano 185BH, dry weight of 2850 and hitch weight of 350. After doing TONS of research this is the lightest weight BH that will allow mom and dad a dedicated queen bed, dining table for four, and separate bunks for the two teenagers in the family. I'd love to get the 193BH, but that will put me at 3495 dry weight and 360 on the hitch weight. What I'd like to ask the rv.net community is what you would think of getting the 185BH on our Santa Fe. We are also considering trading in the Santa Fe for the new Palisade when it comes out later this year to get us up to 5,000 towing capacity. I figured I can get the hitch and brake controller installed on the Santa Fe now to enjoy the summer, and have 1-2 years to upgrade to the Palisade for the increased towing capacity. This forum is great, and I greatly appreciate any and all feedback you can provide! Thanks

The advertised hitch weight on the manufacturers website/brochure typically is with no propane tanks, propane, battery, and with nothing in any tanks or in the trailer for supplies. You will be overloaded from minute one. Some folks do this for a while till they get a bigger tow vehicle, but understand that you have surpassed the tongue limit immediately, also your tow vehicle will likely be past its payload capacity with four people (2 adults and 2 teenagers) in the vehicle, the tongue weight from the trailer, and whatever supplies you carry in the vehicle with you. You really should look at something smaller/lighter than a travel trailer, maybe a pop up until you change trucks.Edit add,,,I just looked out of curiosity and Hyundai says the payload cap on the new Santa Fe can be anywhere from 500 to 1138 lbs. High end units are usually at the low end of that scale since the accessories add weight to the vehicle. Check your door pillar for the yellow sticker, that will tell you what your vehicles limits are. Payload includes passengers other than the driver, tongue weight of the trailer, weight of the hitch, all extras and stuff carried in the vehicle.

That 350 pounds dry hitch weight will be almost 450 pounds once the battery is installed and propane tank is filled by the dealer. So this means even this lightweight trailer would overload your hitch, even before you start packing the front storage compartment.

Forgot to mention the cargo capacity and scenario, we would be taking two cars, most of the cargo and passengers would be in separate car, TV would be for driver + one passenger. But I do realize now that the hitch weight would be heavier with propane and battery. Is this something I can have the dealer weigh for me before purchase to see the weight I’m looking at?

mikeg112 wrote:Forgot to mention the cargo capacity and scenario, we would be taking two cars, most of the cargo and passengers would be in separate car, TV would be for driver + one passenger. But I do realize now that the hitch weight would be heavier with propane and battery. Is this something I can have the dealer weigh for me before purchase to see the weight I’m looking at?As was said, your car will be overloaded before anything is loaded in.You're using fictional dry weight numbers, that are based on a stripped-down model, NOT Real World amounts.Your car is pretty much only capable to tow a folding trailer.In addition to being to heavy from the git-go, the frontal area of the TT, will exceed the car's maximum limit.If you want to pull a TT, you'll need a better tow vehicle.

As Dan said ‘In addition to being to heavy from the git-go, the frontal area of the TT, will exceed the car's maximum limit’. The frontal area of that trailer is about 71 square feet. Many smaller vehicles ( it Expeditions, 150 trucks etc) have a trailer frontal limit from 48 -63 square ft. Pulling a flat surface that size, even within weight limits, becomes a nightmare. We did it once, never again. That was with a Windstar van pulling a small hybrid trailer. Gas mileage dropped to 4 mpg and couldn’t maintain speed limit on flat highways. We were with the weight limits, but over on the frontal area. Ken

Towing TT using a 2019 Santa Fe | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

bikendan
Explorer
Feb 02, 2019
mikeg112 wrote:
Forgot to mention the cargo capacity and scenario, we would be taking two cars, most of the cargo and passengers would be in separate car, TV would be for driver + one passenger. But I do realize now that the hitch weight would be heavier with propane and battery. Is this something I can have the dealer weigh for me before purchase to see the weight I’m looking at?

As was said, your car will be overloaded before anything is loaded in.
You're using fictional dry weight numbers, that are based on a stripped-down model, NOT Real World amounts.
Your car is pretty much only capable to tow a folding trailer.

In addition to being to heavy from the git-go, the frontal area of the TT, will exceed the car's maximum limit.

If you want to pull a TT, you'll need a better tow vehicle.
mikeg112
Explorer
Feb 02, 2019
Forgot to mention the cargo capacity and scenario, we would be taking two cars, most of the cargo and passengers would be in separate car, TV would be for driver + one passenger. But I do realize now that the hitch weight would be heavier with propane and battery. Is this something I can have the dealer weigh for me before purchase to see the weight I’m looking at?
carringb
Explorer
Feb 02, 2019
That 350 pounds dry hitch weight will be almost 450 pounds once the battery is installed and propane tank is filled by the dealer. So this means even this lightweight trailer would overload your hitch, even before you start packing the front storage compartment.
wanderingaimles
Explorer
Feb 02, 2019
The advertised hitch weight on the manufacturers website/brochure typically is with no propane tanks, propane, battery, and with nothing in any tanks or in the trailer for supplies.
You will be overloaded from minute one.
Some folks do this for a while till they get a bigger tow vehicle, but understand that you have surpassed the tongue limit immediately, also your tow vehicle will likely be past its payload capacity with four people (2 adults and 2 teenagers) in the vehicle, the tongue weight from the trailer, and whatever supplies you carry in the vehicle with you.

You really should look at something smaller/lighter than a travel trailer, maybe a pop up until you change trucks.

Edit add,,,
I just looked out of curiosity and Hyundai says the payload cap on the new Santa Fe can be anywhere from 500 to 1138 lbs.
High end units are usually at the low end of that scale since the accessories add weight to the vehicle.
Check your door pillar for the yellow sticker, that will tell you what your vehicles limits are.
Payload includes passengers other than the driver, tongue weight of the trailer, weight of the hitch, all extras and stuff carried in the vehicle.

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Towing TT using a 2019 Santa Fe

24 Replies

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