Can we pull a TT with our ‘20 Suburban
We recently bought a 2020 Z71 Chevy Suburban. We know that the towing capacity for our car is 8000lbs, but we don’t want to meet that capacity because we don’t want something like... the transmission ...
Forum Discussion
Hujouguhnk wrote:
Another showed us one a TT that he knew we’d love (floorplan and decor wise) and said he “thought” it came in a smaller size—it didn’t, and then he tried to convince us to upgrade the towing capacity however we could.
I'll bet that was a 33 ft trailer he showed you. Yes it's probably all my perception. But it seems that any time a new person comes to the forum and says they found the trailer they love, it's about 31 to 33 ft long. And of course they love it, that is a big trailer with lots of room. Sometimes you have to lower your expectations in order to get a trailer that you can tow. Because while the manufacturer might say you can tow say 10,000 lbs. It's not going to be fun trying to tow that much down the road.
You should have a list of requirements with you before you shop.
You already know you want a bunk house.
Do you want a walkaround bed or are you okay with a bed in the corner (harder to make in the morning)?
What kind of camping do you envision doing? If you're going to do any camping without hookups (most forest service and BLM campgrounds) you'll want to make sure the waste tanks are big enough. I have 40 gallon fresh, 35 gallon gray and a 35 gallon black tank. With 4 young boys we would fill the tanks by the end of a weekend. And that's with me constantly reminding them to conserve water. Just be aware because some light trailers have only a 12 gallon black tank.
When looking at a trailer find the Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC). If less than 1,000 lbs it's probably not a great choice. Most people seem to pack around 1,200 lbs when they camp.
Now look at the exterior label on the front left (drivers side) of the trailer for the GVWR number. That is the max weight the trailer is designed to carry.
Take that GVWR and add 75 to 100 lbs to account for the weight of the hitch. Now multiply it by .12 (ie. 6,000 + 100 x .12 = 732) That would be the projected hitch or tongue weight of the loaded trailer. Can your hitch support that number with weight distribution?
