Re-Checking Numbers

if the ride is tolerable and the truck is handling the mountains, you are within the limits. I don't see any issues. Eventually if you make enough trips into the mountains you will want a bigger truck but for now run what ya got and just take it slow and easy. Careful on the up and downhills, that's what got me in my old TV.

Sounds good. A 29' rig does seem like an awful lot for a Tahoe, at least length wise (tail wagging the dog), but if it's stable and you have the hitch set up right you should be OK. You've already confirmed your within all weight limits.

It doesn't sound like you are towing it all that much so for me, personally I'd roll with what you have for now and in a few years if you need/want another truck, make your move then.

As an aside, I miss having a pickup truck as I've always towed wtih pickup's of one make or another. In lieu of having to maintain, register and insure 4 vehicles, I bought the Expy a few years back and I'm glad I did.

I initially had a Bellmont 5x8 Utility trailer with 1' high side rail that I enclosed with steel sheet metal (welded). Bellmont makes a good utility trailer, it's not the cheap Tractor Supply or Home Depot type trailers, they have a 3500# axle and 15" tires.

The Bellmont got a bit small for me so this year I pulled the trigger on a new NNT utility trailer, with 2' high mesh sides, but this one is 6'4"x 12', so substantially larger. I have a large barn I keep it parked in and out of the weather.

So, when I need to haul something I just hook up the utility trailer, get what I need and then park it back in the barn. It's not as convienant as a pickup by any means, but it gets the job done.

Mabye that's something you could consider if your in need of a pickup for the time being? My trailer, new out the door at the Tool Shed of America in PA was $1,399 and it's A LOT of trailer for that price (well made/heavy materials).

I have had it since mid june, took it to the beach for a week, took it to the mountains for a week and left it there, visited for a long weekend and we are going up there for another week and bringing it home. It is cheaper for us to leave it in the mountains for a few months than to go back and forth a few times. It is a 2011 Summerland 29' bumper to bumper. We have no payments on our sub, what I really wanted to do was get a king cab truck that I can fit all six of us, in a few years because I really need a truck again. But like you I like no payments, although we have one for the TT. It is still cheaper than renting cabins for two weeks.

You said it yourself, you stay witin 300 miles of home (300 miles would be an EXCURSION for me, LOL), and you do mostly local trips.

Just curious, but how many times per year does the rig leave your property? For me, I figure I MAY get out with it 5-6 times per year, at most. This is why I purchased an older TT so I don't have a payment on it and have all that money sitting there doing nothing, but to each their own of course.

My 00' Expy EB has a max tow rating of 6900 I think, my trailer's GVW is 6K with a 3500 "unladen" weight, so I figure fully loaded (I don't run with anything in any tanks) I'll be between 4500-5K. According to my owner's manual my GCWR is 12,500. I don't know what my Expy weighs but I'd suspect somewhere around 5500-6K, it's HEAVY, LOL.

At any rate, it does work hard on the hills/grades, but my point in all this is that for 5-6 times per year I'm not worried about it. A 2500 series truck with 4.10's would pull it a lot better and I will buy one when I'm ready for another TV, but for the time being I'm happy with the performance and having NO payments. For 6 times per year it can work hard, it does have the factory ford heavy duty tow package. If it breaks, I'll fix it and move on, if it's a major component failure, I may make the move at that time, but it's still pretty stout for it's age and 108K miles.

How much better will you feel about things with a 2500 series truck if you have a payment on it, or a larger payment than you do now? Is it worth it? Only you can answer that question, it's all personal preference as long as your within the limits/ratings of your TV.

My rig is 23' ball to bumper and it's older so it's heavy for it's size and I would not want to tow much more with my 00' Expy. The Layton pretty much has it at it's limits as far as I'm concerned.

YMMV,
Greg

Yea, it is a 03 Yukon xl. I had checked the codes a long time ago and it has 3.73 gears. The increase to a 4:10 gear is what had got me looking again at the numbers, I was hoping that possibly going to 4:10 gears and LT tires it would raise the GVWR so I could get a few more years of use out of the TV. Instead of buying a new one. But it doesn't look like that can happen.

The 8400 lb rating is with 4.10 gears. The 7400 lb rating is with 3.42 gears. I studied the numbers enough to recognize them from my old '05 silverado. I would check the RPO code in the glove box to see which tow rating you have, that way you know for sure. The 4.1 gears give you a higher tow rating and a higher GCWR, but it doesn't help the payload. Sounds like you're good either way though.

Thanks, I really don't understand where camping world got it from, they ran the vin number and everything, printed out a whole sheet of specs and capacities.

BTW, what kind of fuel mileage does your 2500 sub get?

NCMODELA wrote:
Like I said, it surprised me camping world was wrong....

LOL still waiting for them to be right about something...

Yes you are close to the limits. Like most 1/2 ton trucks you are right at GVWR but still have room in the "tow rating".

Drive accordingly, be sure the hitch is set up correctly and you won;t win any races but you'll be fine.

If you do not exceed any of the ratings it is by definition safe to do. Your only concern will be performance of the vehicle at capacity.