My wife and I are starting to get the bug to upgrade our trailer. I have a feeling it's going to turn into one of those vicious circles: Upgrading a trailer means getting a beefier tow vehicle. And if we have a beefier tow vehicle, why not get a bigger trailer?!?Anyways, I'd like to NOT start that circle. I'd like to find something that our current 2009 Suburban (1500 with a 5.3 engine) can handle. Right now we're pulling a trailer with a GVWR of 6350 pounds, and that travels quite nicely.I'm not quite sure how to interpret the ratings in the burb's manual:If I'm reading it right the burb (long wheel base) should only pull 5400 pounds, but it does nicely with what we've got, so I think I have the HD cooling package. At least I think that's what that mysterious small, square extra radiator is, right? If so, that puts my capacity in the 7900 pound range ... correct?So, I guess the big questions are: how do I know for sure if I have the HD cooling package? And how much can (should?) I tow with this vehicle?Thanks,Dave

You are at your limits. 7900 isn't going to be realistic with a travel trailer..

davehultin wrote:My wife and I are starting to get the bug to upgrade our trailer. I have a feeling it's going to turn into one of those vicious circles: Upgrading a trailer means getting a beefier tow vehicle. And if we have a beefier tow vehicle, why not get a bigger trailer?!?Thanks,DaveDon't fall into the trap, you'll end up in a NEWMAR KING AIRE :)

You need to know the axle ratio.If you have 3.42, that is not a towing ratio. If you have 3.73, that is a beginning towing ratio. If you have 4.10, that is a towing ratio.

SoCalDesertRider wrote:You need to know the axle ratio.If you have 3.42, that is not a towing ratio. If you have 3.73, that is a beginning towing ratio. If you have 4.10, that is a towing ratio.3.73 is only on the 2500 models...

you'll run out of payload capacity WAY before you get close to towing capacity, ESPECIALLY with a SUV.what does the Burb's driver's door yellow sticker say is the payload capacity?also, you need to figure out what rear end ratio it has.

Suburban: What are my limits? | Good Sam Community

bikendan
Explorer
Aug 30, 2016
davehultin wrote:
bikendan wrote:
what does the Burb's driver's door yellow sticker say is the payload capacity?

also, you need to figure out what rear end ratio it has.

Are you talking about the sticker with the tire pressure details? (Not yellow on mine.) That says GVWR 7400 lbs. Is that the towing capacity? Gotta say I've never, ever noticed that before.

no, i'm talking about a yellow sticker on the driver's door or the frame around it.
it has the payload capacity listed. "passengers and cargo should not exceed xxxxlbs."
davehultin
Explorer III
Aug 30, 2016
Well, I guess I kinda knew even before I posted that adding more trailer to this rig just wasn't going to cut it. I just needed to talk it through with a few hundred camping friends. :-) Onwards we go, looking for our next tow vehicle. Time to go pickup shopping, I guess, so we can go trailer shopping later...

Thanks for all the excellent advice and discussion!
justaboutretire
Explorer
Aug 30, 2016
This is my take on figuring tow ratings.

2009 1500 Suburban specs:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is 7200#
Curb weight of Vehicle is 5607#
Cargo capacity is 1593# (people weight, pets, full tank of gas, any additional gear and TRAILER TONGUE WEIGHT.
So if you are close or at gross vehicle weight rating: 11500 - 7200 = 4300# tow rating W/O H/D cooling
14000 - 7200 = 6800# tow rating with HD cooling.

Your tow ratings will vary some depending on cargo weight and the tow rating is a loaded trailer (water, propane and stuff).. Don't want to exceed gross vehicle and/or combined gross vehicle weight ratings..
IdaD
Explorer
Aug 29, 2016
I'd keep what you have until you can upgrade to a heavier truck. We have three kids and a big labradoodle and we fit really well in our crew cab Ram. Actually we fit better in it than we do in my wife's 8 passenger Pilot. It's very comfortable as my daily driver too.

Once you step up to a heavy duty truck you'll find that your options open way up in terms of what you can tow and how comfortably you can do it. I drove from LA to Boise in a day this summer with a full load of family and our fifth wheel without stressing myself out.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Aug 29, 2016
The mysterious small square radiator is your power steering cooler.

In my experience 7000lbs is about the maximum you want to tow with any 1500 series vehicle. The tongue weight of the average 7000lb trailer is right around the 1000lb mark, which is about all the payload capacity the typical 1500 series vehicle has with passengers on board.

It starts to get uncomfortable driving once you pass that threshold. Not unsafe necessarily, but you won't enjoy the trip as much; you'll be more tired and stressed at the end of a day of travel.

Your current trailer has a GVWR of 6950, right? Odds are it doesn't weigh that much fully loaded. Trailers in that size range tend to have a bit more cargo capacity than the typical camping family will utilize.

You should be able to upgrade to a marginally larger trailer and still keep the total loaded weight under 7000lbs. Look at trailers with GVWRs of 7500lbs or less and see what you like.
BenK
Explorer
Aug 29, 2016
Assume that is the correct manual for the OP's vehicle and is all
inclusive (there are no other sheets or modifier fine print)

So, 5.3L did NOT come from the factory with anything other than a 3.42
diff ratio(s)...unless it is used and the previous owner(s) changed
the diff ratio(s)...

Since this page lists GCWR, all the OP needs to do is load up as if
going camping (everything...people, pets, cargo, food, etc) in/on the TV

2009Sub 2009Suburban 2009SubGCWR 2009SuburbanGCWR

Then go out and weigh it, axle by axle preferred

Then do the simple math:
GCWR >= TV + trailer + stuff loaded
This includes the WD Hitch assembly

Since 5.3L, a half ton and regular half ton Sub's are in the mid 7K GVWRs

That would leave just under 7K for the trailer actual weight...not dry

For those who constantly argue not so...just take the GCWR listed and
subtract the listed 'curb' and it will be within the MTWR (there is a
+/- and that is for the hitch assembly/etc)
n0arp
Explorer
Aug 29, 2016
Regardless of RPO codes, you are at your realistic limits with a 1500 series. It's not even worth looking, the answer is the same.
Campfire_Time
Explorer
Aug 29, 2016
krobbe wrote:
Look at the RPO sticker in the glove box. The RPO codes are what options your vehicle has. GM RPO code link
GU6 - 3.42
K5L - HD cooling pkg.
KC4 - ext. engine oil cooler

2 questions.
1. What does the "Cargo not to exceed" sticker on the tire pressure sticker on the drivers door say?
2. What does the hitch receiver max weight(with WDH) sticker say?

Both of these "limits" will negate the max trailer weight you see in the manual.

This is the correct answer. Personally I would not tow anything heavier than you are towing now. But you need to know if that truck has the cooling capacity to handle it.
krobbe
Explorer
Aug 29, 2016
Look at the RPO sticker in the glove box. The RPO codes are what options your vehicle has. GM RPO code link
GU6 - 3.42
K5L - HD cooling pkg.
KC4 - ext. engine oil cooler

2 questions.
1. What does the "Cargo not to exceed" sticker on the tire pressure sticker on the drivers door say?
2. What does the hitch receiver max weight(with WDH) sticker say?

Both of these "limits" will negate the max trailer weight you see in the manual.
davehultin
Explorer III
Aug 29, 2016
bikendan wrote:
what does the Burb's driver's door yellow sticker say is the payload capacity?

also, you need to figure out what rear end ratio it has.

Are you talking about the sticker with the tire pressure details? (Not yellow on mine.) That says GVWR 7400 lbs. Is that the towing capacity? Gotta say I've never, ever noticed that before.

And how do I figure our the rear end ratio?

That's what drives me nuts. I get the page in the manual with all kinds of different possibilities. How do you narrow it down? I can figure out it's a 1500. It's pretty obvious it's a long wheel base. I know it's a 5.3 engine, but how in the world do I find out about the K5L HD Cooling Pkg? I'm assuming that's reflected by the extra radiator, but I don't see K5L in the three-digit codes in the glove box.