2003 Tahoe z71 4wd with tow package. 1750 payload 7400 towing capacity. 1000 tongue wt with wdh. 2016 coachman Catalina 273bh. 4800 dry wt, 540 tongue wt. Am I ok here? Advice?

Danny,Dry weight and dry tongue weight on the trailer aren't useful. Choachmen says the GWVR on that trailer is 7,000 lbs. 15% of that would be 1,050# tongue weight. Having towed with a 2005 Tahoe, I think you would be too close to the limits for comfort. Personally, I wouldn't do it.Rob

Second Chance wrote:Danny,Dry weight and dry tongue weight on the trailer aren't useful. Choachmen says the GWVR on that trailer is 7,000 lbs. 15% of that would be 1,050# tongue weight. Having towed with a 2005 Tahoe, I think you would be too close to the limits for comfort. Personally, I wouldn't do it.RobNot sure I follow. It says the tongue is 540. Unloaded weight 4800. Max cargo capacity is 7000. If I'm not near the 7000 why would it be too close? Not discounting what you say just trying to understand.

Dry weight and tongue weight as supplied by the manufacturer are usually polite fiction - based on a TT with no options, no battery, no LP gas, etc. This is often buried in the fine print. Having said that, unless Coachmen is giving you an actual weight (and at one time they did) I agree with Rob, above. By the time you have your TT loaded for the road, it will weigh much more than the "dry weight." The only way to know is to take it to a scale. Good luck & safe travels.

dw1gator wrote:Second Chance wrote:Danny,Dry weight and dry tongue weight on the trailer aren't useful. Choachmen says the GWVR on that trailer is 7,000 lbs. 15% of that would be 1,050# tongue weight. Having towed with a 2005 Tahoe, I think you would be too close to the limits for comfort. Personally, I wouldn't do it.RobNot sure I follow. It says the tongue is 540. Unloaded weight 4800. Max cargo capacity is 7000. If I'm not near the 7000 why would it be too close? Not discounting what you say just trying to understand.Only you know how much weight you will put in the TT. Personally, I don't believe you will add 2200lb to the TT weight. If not. IF you add say 1000, or 1200lbs. You will be OK. Do remember. every pound you put in the Tahoe lowers the tow capacity by that much. so if you add 400lb of people not counting you. Your tow cap is 7000. However. With the Wheelbase of the Tahoe. You will need to get the hitch setup as close to perfect as possible. A 27' TT can turn into a 31' TT once you add in the tongue.

IMO if you did not buy the trailer yet take the tahoe to a cat scale. Get front and rear axle weights.Make sure full tank of gas and all the people you are going to tow with as well as gear...Take the axles weights on the door tag and subtract that from the scale weights.That will tell you exactly what your tahoe can tow. ( Will tell you what you actually have left for TW)If you do this post back and let us know..You may be very surprised by what the scales tell you...

Tow question for new member | Good Sam Community

dw1gator
Explorer
Sep 25, 2015
lawrosa wrote:
dw1gator wrote:
Ok I have more wts and used the calculator that was linked. I also had a Reese dual cam sway control installed and question the correctness. Prior to install I was getting some wt distribution. Now I have same WDH wiith the dual cams but seem to not get any wt distribution

Here are my wts.
With WDH engaged.
Front. 2880
Rear. 3920
Trailer. 4660
Total. 11460

With WDH not engaged
Front. 2900
Rear. 3980
Trailer. 4560
Total. 11440

Truck only
Front. 3300
Rear. 2820
Total. 6120

Your tongue weight is 760 lbs.. A bit heavvy. Your only moving 100 lbs off the truck to the trailer with the WD hitch

WDH was shifting more wt before dual cam install.

What link are you on with the chains? 8 hanging

Are the bars parellel wuth the frame of the camper?yes

Your need at least 5 chain links remaining. If you are at the 5 chain link limit and not getting the proper weight distribution the shank/ball will need to be tilted more back towards the trailer.

This will allow you to move more weight...

You need to restore your 3300 lb front truck only axle weight back as close to original as you can.. Your far off.

I can tell it too

Your at 2880 with wd.. You can get better then that IMO and get closer to the 3300 truck only weight.

You may or may not need to lift the ball up or down too..

If you take a pic we can see right away .. Take a pic of truck and trailer. we look for level. And take pic of bars WD engaged...

I will

Watch this video. about the 9 min mark it shows the chain and tilt procedure..

And shows how to measure with a ruler the wheel wells..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2&v=7731SkSgEqE..

This one too...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTQ5ML-O4B0

Also post the axle ratings in the door tag of the truck please...
.
Thanks
lawrosa
Explorer
Sep 25, 2015
dw1gator wrote:
Ok I have more wts and used the calculator that was linked. I also had a Reese dual cam sway control installed and question the correctness. Prior to install I was getting some wt distribution. Now I have same WDH wiith the dual cams but seem to not get any wt distribution

Here are my wts.
With WDH engaged.
Front. 2880
Rear. 3920
Trailer. 4660
Total. 11460

With WDH not engaged
Front. 2900
Rear. 3980
Trailer. 4560
Total. 11440

Truck only
Front. 3300
Rear. 2820
Total. 6120

Your tongue weight is 760 lbs.. A bit heavvy. Your only moving 100 lbs off the truck to the trailer with the WD hitch..

What link are you on with the chains?

Are the bars parellel wuth the frame of the camper?

Your need at least 5 chain links remaining. If you are at the 5 chain link limit and not getting the proper weight distribution the shank/ball will need to be tilted more back towards the trailer.

This will allow you to move more weight...

You need to restore your 3300 lb front truck only axle weight back as close to original as you can.. Your far off.

Your at 2880 with wd.. You can get better then that IMO and get closer to the 3300 truck only weight.

You may or may not need to lift the ball up or down too..

If you take a pic we can see right away .. Take a pic of truck and trailer. we look for level. And take pic of bars WD engaged...

Watch this video. about the 9 min mark it shows the chain and tilt procedure..

And shows how to measure with a ruler the wheel wells..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2&v=7731SkSgEqE..

This one too...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTQ5ML-O4B0

Also post the axle ratings in the door tag of the truck please...
dw1gator
Explorer
Sep 25, 2015
Ok I have more wts and used the calculator that was linked. I also had a Reese dual cam sway control installed and question the correctness. Prior to install I was getting some wt distribution. Now I have same WDH wiith the dual cams but seem to not get any wt distribution

Here are my wts.
With WDH engaged.
Front. 2880
Rear. 3920
Trailer. 4660
Total. 11460

With WDH not engaged
Front. 2900
Rear. 3980
Trailer. 4560
Total. 11440

Truck only
Front. 3300
Rear. 2820
Total. 6120
MitchF150
Explorer III
Sep 13, 2015
Seems you already have the truck and the trailer and have it hitched up and towed with it?? Did you feel "okay" with how it towed? It sounds like you didn't end up in a flaming ball of fire, so you must have survived?? ;)

I've been towing things for a long time and regardless of knowing the exact 'weights' of everything, once you get out on the road, you will KNOW if it's right or not... I've towed overloaded and I've towed within specs and you KNOW when you are overloaded.. :)

Good luck and safe travels..

Mitch
dw1gator
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
lawrosa wrote:
dw1gator wrote:
weight rating of the tires are 2535lbs each

GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750

When towing I would have all tires filled at max cold psi listed on the side wall.. That will keep the heat down on the tires.
thanks. I will do that.

On the rear max pressure gives you 5070lbs
Your already close to 4000 lbs on rear.

It should ride better too and be more stable with sway and the push from wind/trucks..

Next time your kooked up take a pic of truck and trailer.ok. will do.

Is it riding level? it looks level eyeballing. and I placed a level on the floor of the camper and it's showing near dead level.

Once we see the bars on how they are angled and the levelness we can guide you further.
[COLOR=]thanks. really appreciate it
lawrosa
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
dw1gator wrote:
weight rating of the tires are 2535lbs each

GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750

When towing I would have all tires filled at max cold psi listed on the side wall.. That will keep the heat down on the tires.

On the rear max pressure gives you 5070lbs
Your already close to 4000 lbs on rear.

It should ride better too and be more stable with sway and the push from wind/trucks..

Next time your kooked up take a pic of truck and trailer.

Is it riding level?

Once we see the bars on how they are angled and the levelness we can guide you further.
dw1gator
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
weight rating of the tires are 2535lbs each
Mickey_D
Explorer
Sep 13, 2015
We have an '07 Tahoe with the 5.3 and towing package as our family "car" and I have towed with it a couple of times. It pulls and brakes at least as well as a comparable half ton Chevy truck, but with a heavy trailer it does not have as much directional stability (more tendency to sway when making sudden moves). If I was going to tow a lot with it, I would upgrade the shocks to HD ones, use LT tires instead of the smooth riding P series stock tires, and get either a Hensley or ProPride hitch. I am less worried about going slightly over with weights on a Tahoe or Suburban as the short wheelbase leading to sway.
lawrosa
Explorer
Sep 12, 2015
Also you need the 3 weights to know that your ED bars are set properly. You may be too light in the front...
lawrosa
Explorer
Sep 12, 2015
See the calculator I posted. Thats how you need to weigh....
ok I will do that on my next opportunity.
Do you have a weight distribution hitch? yes I do. Reese with the chains.

I like to understand the principles. would you explain? if I weigh just TV hooked up and then weigh not hooked up, why would that not be accurate for tongue weight?
also, what is the significant of indv axle weight not hooked up if I have those wts hooked up?

why weigh everything with WDH on and ready and then weigh everything but with WDH off? is it to see if you need adjustment to push some more wt to front axle? thanks for your help.

True Tongue Weight: In order to obtain true tongue weight, one of the three weigh-ins is required without the Weight
Distribution (WD) system activated. If towing without a WD system, then only two typical weigh-ins are required.

And on the truck alone you need individual axle weights for this purpose.

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