Towing question

Just a follow up to this thread, we have finally got the unit weighed on a scale and we can have peace of mind that we are within our capacities. Weight of unit fully loaded = 6415 lbs. The tongue weight weighed is 793 lbs.

Thanks all for your replies and help.

Thanks RavensFan24 for your experiences with the Tahoe :) Sounds a lot like what we have been experiencing with ours, but we don't do much highway so don't get many passing trucks.

Huntindog, how do I know I will not carry that much stuff? I don't, but we are not new to camping, we have the same gear we had with our Jayco X213 (which we had for 5 years) and that was well below 1000lbs so highly doubt we will be adding another 1000lbs of stuff in. We do weekend camping in a less than 2hr drive from home, not going to Florida for 6 months. Adding more gear as the trailer gets bigger truly depends on each person's mindset. We have always kept gear as light as possible and been very strict on that, even if we were well under capacity. As you said, it is just too easy to add things here and there so we simply avoid doing that.

Thanks for all the input!

I've towed with a Tahoe for years. No major issues. A little sway with high winds or passing trucks, but that can be remedied with a better WDH system. Otherwise, we've put at least 15,000 miles on two Tahoes towing over the last 7 years with two diff't trailers.

The main issue to watch out for is overloading your payload capacity depending on how much stuff you put in your truck. I just put people and dogs in the truck and the rest of the stuff in the trailer to keep the payload down. We pretty much tow at capacity, but thats what it's made to do.

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, this is what we concluded, we will actually go and get everything weighed.

What is the industry standard for a dry weight figure ? Is there one ?

To really establish a real number , each unit has to be weighed as it leaves the factory to you. That's a dry weight and it will include the options that you wanted. Every unit of the same model is going to be a little different, weight wise.

In order to test things out and prep it for you, the dealer adds some water, propane and a battery, ( usually a grp 24 @ 46 lbs. ) .
When you show up to pick it up , you really add things up when you add your personal stuff and your hitch, bars and sway control.
A portion of it all gets transferred to the TV. It's at that point, when you are all loaded up for a trip is when you get shocked at the scales.

*******The only way to know a weight is to weigh it.********** don't read brochures and websites for weights and absorbing those numbers as facts.

Check your owners manual. It does say:

Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is very important because it is also part of the vehicle weight. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo carried in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle as well as trailer tongue weight. Vehicle options, equipment, passengers and cargo in the vehicle reduce the amount of tongue weight the vehicle can carry, which will also reduce the trailer weight the vehicle can tow. See Vehicle Load Limits on page 9?23 for more information about the vehicle's maximum load capacity.

Do not exceed the maximum allowable tongue weight for the vehicle. Choose the shortest hitch extension that will position the hitch ball closest to the vehicle. This will help reduce the effect of trailer tongue weight on the rear axle. Trailering may be limited by the vehicle's ability to carry tongue weight. Tongue or kingpin weight cannot cause the vehicle to exceed the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) or the RGAWR (Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating). See “Total Weight on the Vehicle's Tires” later in this section for more information.

Your vehicle has several limits, some of which are typically exceeded well under the official tow ratings for traveling trailer towing. Even the 1100 pound TW limit as quoted by the manual exceeds the receiver on the vehicle:



Check your as equipped payload by locating this sticker on the driver's door or door jam. Note what it lists where mine says 2051:



Subtract an estimated 850 pounds for loaded TW. The rest is reasonable estimate for people and cargo inside the Tahoe before exceeding its GVWR.

silverfz's RV seems to be an exception. Many TTs that I have seen have higher as equipped weights than the manufacturer's brochure or web site dry listings. Mine is 320 pounds higher than brochure spec. Why? Options as well as "mandatory" option packages. Like this for mine:

Lightweight Strength Package
• Laminated Crowned Roof System
• Block Foam Brick Insulation
• Aluminum Construction
(front, back and side walls, floor,
roof)
• Enclosed and Heated Underbelly
• Radius Double Entry Step
• Tinted Safety Glass Windows
• 2” Thick (R-7) Sidewall Construction
• 4 Stabilizer Jacks with Sand Pads
(T.T.)
• WIDE-TRAX Axle Placement (T.T.)
• HD Leaf Spring Suspension
• Dual 20 lb. LP Tanks (T.T.)


How does a manufacturer weigh some of that?

What's the payload on the Tahoe, and how many people are you carrying?
Add it all up and I'll wager you'll be over your GVW rating.

All resources indicated my TT has dry weight at 6800 lb or so, the sticker is applied as the unit is leaving the factory floor with all the factory installed option ie. propane ,awing and electric jack ordered from the factory as an option. is different. My dealer indicates that he orders all his campers with awing , power jack options. the sticker shows 6333 lbs. when it was weighed now with the clothes and our pots and pans is came in at 6550. Dry tonque weight on mine was 780 lb but it is lower as I obviously have some option missing.. As with time we have ballooned to 7000 lbs now

My GVWR is 9333 lb. so do I really have 2333 lbs of **** to carry ?.

The online advertised dry weight is likely a stripped down no options model. Sticker is as delivered by manufacturer to dealer, which is usually less battery(s) and propane tanks. Add perhaps 100lbs to the tongue weight for these, anyone's guess for the 500lbs of options. My wild guess would be an unloaded tongue weight of 800-825lbs, and yes, tongue weight comes straight off the vehicle payload.