Need advice before I pick up my TT It's a 750 tow

On my old Escalade I just need to put the pigtail on and plug it in. Yours should be the same.

LIKE2BUILD wrote:

saboken wrote:
Hi I have a lot of experience towing cars with medium duty trucks but I am just about to hopefully go full time in a 2005 Gulf stream Conquest 30bhs my tow vehicle is a 2001 GMC YUKON XL slt it has the factory tow package with the factory Trans cooler and I will be using a prodigy P2 brake controller, I have a 10000lb Weight distribution system with anti sway,....the gulfstream weights 6622lb empty, in the math I did I have a 2392 limit I can put into the TT without going over the abilities of the Yukon....

You're probably safe with the Yukon, but approaching that 8600lbs max is getting a little too close. What is the GCWR of the Yukon and what is the scale weight of the Yukon alone? The difference between those two numbers will tell you how much you can pack in the trailer and stay within the Yukon's ratings.

I know I'm going to sound like an alarmist here but priority #1 is to remove the OEM receiver and replace it with one like this ***Link Removed***. That might sound crazy, but if you take a good look you'll see the OEM receiver is poorly engineered and has very ticky tack welds.

The main issue is the OEM receivers flex A LOT and it uses the bolted on brackets in the bumper superstructure to transfer torsion from the WD hitch to the frame. Translation: it does a really poor job of making that transfer. In fact, because of all the bolts and brackets in the food chain it mostly flexes and bends so you get very little weight transfer.

This topic was discussed frequently on this forum several years ago. There were also some users that had welds break on the OEM receiver while towing creating scary situations. Your best option is to install a receiver that bolts directly to the frame like the Draw-Tite unit. This will ensure that you are transferring the necessary torsion to the frame and you'll get your towing setup correct.

For the trailer wiring you can get something like this ***Link Removed***. The area on the bumper to the left of license plate has nothing behind it. You can use a 2" hole saw to mount the new 7-way plug on the bumper. When I replaced the receiver on my wife's Yukon XL that's what I did and it makes a very clean installation.

Oh, one more thing.....If you're towing heavy in the warmer months with this Yukon expect to eventually develop exhaust leaks. On these LS motors they tend to break the front and rear most exhaust manifold bolts on both sides when you work them hard. It's not the end of the world, but it's quite possible it will happen. The fix is to remove the inner fender wells for easy access and replace the OEM bolts with Grade 8 hardware or studs. When mine went bad I didn't have the time (or the patience) and a local shop had done a bunch of them. They charged me $350 to remove the manifolds, extract the 4 broken bolts that I had, and install the stainless steel shorty headers I purchased to replace the OEM cast manifolds. Many people keep the OEM manifolds and they will be fine, but I was looking for improved exhaust flow when I did mine.

KJ

That's good to know I am still scratching my head on the condition of my Yukon the OD says 270000 miles but there is only surface rust underneath and everything works like new all I did since owning it was a fuel pump, water pump, and knock sensors, I did replace the front hubs because the tone ring in the left front must have been cracked it was grinding the ABS sensor so I replaced both with new timkin hubs to get the abs working again, that was a weird issue. It also has the 7way already factory installed I'm hoping when I get the harness from Etrailer it will the prodigy P2 will work without any new wiring! It's supposed to plug and play? Not like the old Jeep I had to wire from. Scratch.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Only one thing to add to above statements....


Get rid of those 'P' tires

I have Firestone Destination AT's on it now it looks like the previous owner must have towed a lot because the rears are worn down to about 25% of the tread but the fronts are still like new, I was going to the exact tire new for the rear before going for the TT, they are P tires but they are the next size up it calls for 265/70-16 but has 265/75-16 on it they are a bit taller and narrower, I hope they will handle this tow they seem like very durable like they are closer to a LT tire but with a more aggressive tread, I know they will wear faster then a true LT tire, any thoughts I Googled the Tire for towing with them and it seems people are happy.

I agree with has been said. You can do it but you will be happier towing with a bigger vehicle. In the hills and wind you will be working. If you can afford to get a bigger truck. If money is tight try it out and see how it goes. Remember that was dry weight. Add in water etc and it goes up quick.

Only one thing to add to above statements....


Get rid of those 'P' tires

saboken wrote:
Hi I have a lot of experience towing cars with medium duty trucks but I am just about to hopefully go full time in a 2005 Gulf stream Conquest 30bhs my tow vehicle is a 2001 GMC YUKON XL slt it has the factory tow package with the factory Trans cooler and I will be using a prodigy P2 brake controller, I have a 10000lb Weight distribution system with anti sway,....the gulfstream weights 6622lb empty, in the math I did I have a 2392 limit I can put into the TT without going over the abilities of the Yukon....

You're probably safe with the Yukon, but approaching that 8600lbs max is getting a little too close. What is the GCWR of the Yukon and what is the scale weight of the Yukon alone? The difference between those two numbers will tell you how much you can pack in the trailer and stay within the Yukon's ratings.

I know I'm going to sound like an alarmist here but priority #1 is to remove the OEM receiver and replace it with one like this Draw-Tite Class IV Receiver. That might sound crazy, but if you take a good look you'll see the OEM receiver is poorly engineered and has very ticky tack welds.

The main issue is the OEM receivers flex A LOT and it uses the bolted on brackets in the bumper superstructure to transfer torsion from the WD hitch to the frame. Translation: it does a really poor job of making that transfer. In fact, because of all the bolts and brackets in the food chain it mostly flexes and bends so you get very little weight transfer.

This topic was discussed frequently on this forum several years ago. There were also some users that had welds break on the OEM receiver while towing creating scary situations. Your best option is to install a receiver that bolts directly to the frame like the Draw-Tite unit. This will ensure that you are transferring the necessary torsion to the frame and you'll get your towing setup correct.

For the trailer wiring you can get something like this Hopkins 7-way plug with Flat-4 accessory pins. The area on the bumper to the left of license plate has nothing behind it. You can use a 2" hole saw to mount the new 7-way plug on the bumper. When I replaced the receiver on my wife's Yukon XL that's what I did and it makes a very clean installation.

Oh, one more thing.....If you're towing heavy in the warmer months with this Yukon expect to eventually develop exhaust leaks. On these LS motors they tend to break the front and rear most exhaust manifold bolts on both sides when you work them hard. It's not the end of the world, but it's quite possible it will happen. The fix is to remove the inner fender wells for easy access and replace the OEM bolts with Grade 8 hardware or studs. When mine went bad I didn't have the time (or the patience) and a local shop had done a bunch of them. They charged me $350 to remove the manifolds, extract the 4 broken bolts that I had, and install the stainless steel shorty headers I purchased to replace the OEM cast manifolds. Many people keep the OEM manifolds and they will be fine, but I was looking for improved exhaust flow when I did mine.

KJ

A good practice with a new RV is to first take it to a big empty parking lot and practice with it.... straight line towing, quick lane change, panic stops, parking in a tight spot, maneuver through tight turns, backing up...etc to get a fell for it before you hit the road. Then take it easy for the first 50 miles to see how it handles in traffic, when a semi passes and on downhill grades.

For most of us novices pulling this rig would be ok, ignorance is bliss. But for you a 'professional' you'll probably hate it, too much sway and under powered.

By the way my definition of a 'professional' is a person that gets paid to do a job, but not necessarily an expert! Ha ha.

The maximum trailer hitch weight capacity is less than the rating on the hitch receiver. The manual states 1200lbs max tongue weight most likely due to the P tires, coil springs and drive train limitations. The TT will most likely be at or over 8000lbs with a tongue weight of 1100 to 1300lbs. You're in 3/4 ton territory. That 5.3L is going to hate you for longer trips. I'm not saying you can't do this. I'm saying it'll be a struggle. I wouldn't try the cross country trip with this combo thru mountains.
Link to manual. page 4-53
The manual also states:
8800lb towing for the 4.10 axle ratio
7800lb for 3.73
6900lb for 3.42.
These are all things I considered and researched before buying my 3/4 ton Suburban.
By the way, the GM hitches of that generation truck are junk. Replace it with a Curt class V for a couple hundred bucks. Mine bolted on in under 20 minutes.

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