First Time Travel Trailer Purchaser

SoundGuy wrote:

aplan wrote:
Looking to purchase first travel trailer and hit the roads this spring. Seeking advice on travel trailer purchase. Two people only; wife and me. Pull vehicle: 2017 GMC Denali 1500 Crew Cab, short box, 6.2L 420 HP, 3.23 axle ratio, 9,100 tow capacity, trailering eqpt. package. Travel Trailers being considered: Keystone Premier Ultralite Bullet 26'PBPR or 29'RKPR, and Winnebago Minnie Plus 26'RBSS or 27'RBDS. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

No magic, it's the same story for everyone. Forget that silly "tow rating" of 9100 lbs as you'll never tow any trailer that heavy with this truck because you'll run out of payload capacity long before you get anywhere near this heavy a trailer. Instead, weigh you truck with a full tank of gas, allow ~ 100 lbs for the hitch equipment, and if you're in the truck at the time subtract your weight from the scale reading so you know just what your particular truck weighs as it sits there ready to be hitched to a trailer. Subtract that number from it's GVWR which is listed on the driver side door jamb and you'll have it's real world payload capacity, that which you will use to account for the weight of all people and all additional cargo in the truck - whatever is left is what you'll use to account for any trailer tongue weight transferred to the truck once it's hitched. That's the Achilles Heel for most truck owners - lack of sufficient payload capacity. The fact your truck has a larger, more powerful engine certainly helps but likewise the fact it has a non-tow friendly 3.23 axle does not. Start by weighing the truck.