JMGNole wrote:
We have a 2007 Tahoe, 5.3L, 2D. Max Trailer WT of 6,500lbs per Chevy VIN site, 6,600 on my door sticker.
We bought a lightly used 2014 Rockwood 2604WS, dry weight of 5,828lbs, per the sticker.
From reading, I'm not sure that we should be pulling this trailer with this vehicle.
Not sure what to do next. Can I get some feedback?
IMO what you have is too much trailer / too little tow vehicle with coil rear suspension and too short a wheelbase, and possibly an improperly adjusted weight distribution hitch. :( What to do next? - you already know the trailer's dry sticker weight (5828 lbs) so next you need to know just how much your particular Tahoe weighs as it sits there with a full tank of gas ready to be hitched to a trailer. Fill the tank, mount the WD head and throw the spring bars in the back of the truck, and go weigh it. If you're in it at the time subtract your weight from the scale reading and the result will be your particular truck's real world base weight. Subtract that from it's GVWR which is listed on the driver's side door jamb sticker and the result will be your truck's actual payload capacity - that which you will use to account for the weight of all people and all cargo carried in the truck when you're towing PLUS and tongue weight transferred from the trailer to the truck. Exceed that number and you're most likely to exceed the truck's GRAWR (Gross Rear Axle Weight Rating).
With this trailer having a sticker dry weight of 5828 lbs you can bet that loaded and ready to camp it's GVW will be at least 7000 lbs. Since gross tongue weight should average 13% to 14% of the trailer's GVW that means it's gross tongue weight should land somewhere around 950 lbs. Now you have your numbers - add 'em up and if the result is greater than your available payload capacity (and I'd suspect it will) then you have a problem.
Regarding tow vehicle wheelbase I'm in the camp that believes strongly that it does matter - 116" is just way too short for towing a trailer of this length. JMO, but I'd consider a 1/2 ton truck wheelbase which typically would average ~ 140" and greater to be more appropriate.
FWIW I'm in the process of replacing our Chevy Avalanche with a Silverado and to that end have revised my custom Towing Capacity Worksheet ... if you'd like a copy you can modify for your own combination of vehicle and trailer just PM me with an email addy that will accept attachments and I'll send it off to you. :)
