I had an 2009 without the tow package and pulled a 12 foot TT 2400 pounds and it dropped the Traverse rear end and sucked fuel like crazy. I just used it within a 50 mile range twice a year. I later had a 2012 with tow package and bought a Jayco Hawk 22 ft TT at about 3800 to 4000 lb. I pulled it home about 150 miles and it did ok but I wouldn't have wanted to put anything in it and pull it. I mean I could have put 500 or so more pounds in it and maybe stayed within a 100 miles but that was also with an empty Traverse.
I then took a very painful reaming and traded it in on a Silverado 1500 5.3 ext cab 4x4 short box. The Jayco Hawk loaded was 5,000 and I had the bed full of items to take to Florida for someone so it was just over the payload at 1,750 lb. That set up worked good. It wasn't a pain to drive and would get up and go.
The 2012 pulling 4,000 wasn't dangerous feeling but it just seems to be at the max limit to me. I wouldn't want to try 5,000. I may have pulled 5,000 from Royal Oak to Flint but that would be about it. Moving to a 1/2 ton made a huge difference with 9,700 tow rating. If I had to guess I would probably like the 2012 Traverse with 3,000 max behind it which is a little over 1/2 it's rating. The 1/2 t silverado also felt good at just a little over 1/2 it's tow rating. People would say the silverado could pull 7,000 easy and it could but I dont think I would have liked the feel of it. Maybe 6,000 but I would do it local not all over the country. To me, most pulling of the majority of stuff will do best with a 1/2 ton. In general if you are moving up in TT or adding slides etc then a 3/4 ton is nice.
OH but wait, there was another trade when we decided we liked to travel and retired but it wasn't really painful and the Silverado held it's value well when I traded it for a 2014 CTD CC 3500 srw pulling a 12,000 FW. I would rather drive that rig than the Silverado and the 5,000 Jayco. Enjoy Michigan, it's been a great season up here so far.
