Need some suggestions on what size of trailer I can tow with my suburban. Here is what I have:2008 Z71 Suburban5.3L 3.73 rear endGVWR 7200lbJust need an idea of what weight of trailer I need to be looking for, a starting place really. I will not be taking a lot of cross country trips over mountain passes, just local places, mostly weekend trips.I understand that trailer "dry" weights by manufacture will not be what I am pulling, but if I can start with that number in mind, I will be able to quickly rule out trailers that are too much.Thanks in advance.

Too many variables... Basically it boils down to what you feel YOU can tow... Sure there are all the weight ratings and such.. But, I've been towing for some time and feel very comfortable towing at the limits of a tow vehicle.. Early on in my towing experience, it was overloaded, so I know what that's like too..On the other hand, I much prefer towing at a bit less than it's max ratings, so there you go..Where do you fall in all of that? No idea.. :)In general, if you keep your rig within it's payload specs, you'll be okay even if you've never towed anything before..Where folks get into trouble is thinking they can tow at their max ratings the same as driving to the local store..It does not matter if you go 50 miles or 500 miles.. If you can't handle the load, it's gonna suck..I'd stick with something that has a GVWR of no more than #7000 with that rig.. Might still be overloaded if you put the "Brady Bunch" in the Burb, but there you go!Good luck!Mitch

Your vehicle has a tow rating. It's in the manual. What is it?How much will be in the Suburban? Just you and nothing else or a family of 8 plus pets and all the gear?It's entirely possible that you could put enough weight in the Sub that there is zero payload capacity left for any tongue weight.The payload capacity will be the limiting factor. Payload should be listed on your door sticker.Having said all that, how much can you tow? Probably a lot less than you think/wish.

Find out what towing capacity you have--it should be in your owner's manual. You need to know if it is equipped with a transmission cooler. If not, you need one. You will also need a brake controller.You will be limited by either the tow capacity or the cargo capacity of your vehicle.You will likely add 1000 lb or so to the dry weight of a trailer. That total should be around 80 percent of your tow rating for a comfortable tow. You might get by with more for short trips. Then find out the curb weight of your vehicle. Subtract it from the GVWR you just gave. That is the cargo capacity. Your trailer tongue weight is part of the cargo. The trailer tongue weight needs to be 10-15 percent of the loaded trailer weight for a good tow. The tongue weight, people, and stuff in the vehicle should not exceed the cargo capacity.So if you have a 5000 lb loaded trailer, the tongue weight should be 500-750 lb, most likely about in the middle of that range. See how much cargo capacity that leaves you.

I pulled my puma 25FBC with my 04 z71 surburban with similar equipment as yours. It struggled maintaining speed on any incline, often shifting down to second. I figured at some point the flywheel would depart through the hood. To be fair it pulled it good in side wind or around trucks. No weaving or tail wagging, but it was very underpowered. I went to a diesel truck and it is a lot more relaxed tow. I plan on a test pull with my son n law 16 Chevy 1/2 ton truck just for fun to see how much they have improved the power in the 5.3 since 03.

What will limit you is trailer tongue weight long before you reach the tow rating. Your Burb will have a GVWR on the door. Subtract the vehicle and passenger/cargo from that, what's left is what you have available for tongue weight.

towing with a suburban | Good Sam Community

MitchF150
Explorer III
Jun 05, 2017
Too many variables... Basically it boils down to what you feel YOU can tow... Sure there are all the weight ratings and such.. But, I've been towing for some time and feel very comfortable towing at the limits of a tow vehicle.. Early on in my towing experience, it was overloaded, so I know what that's like too..

On the other hand, I much prefer towing at a bit less than it's max ratings, so there you go..

Where do you fall in all of that? No idea.. :)

In general, if you keep your rig within it's payload specs, you'll be okay even if you've never towed anything before..

Where folks get into trouble is thinking they can tow at their max ratings the same as driving to the local store..

It does not matter if you go 50 miles or 500 miles.. If you can't handle the load, it's gonna suck..

I'd stick with something that has a GVWR of no more than #7000 with that rig.. Might still be overloaded if you put the "Brady Bunch" in the Burb, but there you go!

Good luck!

Mitch

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