Travel Trailer Towing Recommendations

valhalla360 wrote:
A 1/2 ton truck CAN be suitable but it depends wildly on how it's spec'd out.

There is the official tow rating but there is also the payload to consider.

You want around 12-15% on the hitch (more is better but often not practical).

So with a 7500lb GVWR, figure around 1000lb on the hitch which counts against the payload.

1/2ton truck payload: I've seen payloads as low as 950lb but also near 2500lb. At the upper end, you can probably pull at the full tow rating. At the lower end, a well fed American family of 4 can use up the entire payload before even hooking up the trailer.

SUVs are generally far less well suited to towing larger trailers. They are mostly designed for passenger transport and comfort take precedence over capability.

PS: Without actual scale weights fully loaded for travel, your use of GVWR is a good assumption. Use that with 15% hitch weight and you are probably good for selecting an appropriate truck. Be careful of sales men (and certain posters on this forum) who are happy to tell you to exceed the ratings. It's not fun when the rig handles like a pig.

You called?
It's fun to see the "you can't haul 4 fat people without exceeding the payload" comments which are (and I use this word cautiously) NEVER backed up by actual reasons why it's a bad idea. Just general supposition.
Just "because that's what the sticker says". Do you ever wonder how the rest of the world survives every day doing work with their half ton trucks? Or is your view so myopic that you literally have trouble even seeing your rear view mirrors?

Hopefully the OP returns with more details.

A 1/2 ton truck CAN be suitable but it depends wildly on how it's spec'd out.

There is the official tow rating but there is also the payload to consider.

You want around 12-15% on the hitch (more is better but often not practical).

So with a 7500lb GVWR, figure around 1000lb on the hitch which counts against the payload.

1/2ton truck payload: I've seen payloads as low as 950lb but also near 2500lb. At the upper end, you can probably pull at the full tow rating. At the lower end, a well fed American family of 4 can use up the entire payload before even hooking up the trailer.

SUVs are generally far less well suited to towing larger trailers. They are mostly designed for passenger transport and comfort take precedence over capability.

PS: Without actual scale weights fully loaded for travel, your use of GVWR is a good assumption. Use that with 15% hitch weight and you are probably good for selecting an appropriate truck. Be careful of sales men (and certain posters on this forum) who are happy to tell you to exceed the ratings. It's not fun when the rig handles like a pig.

Retired Enjoy Life wrote:
We were thinking of a Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon or Toyota Sequoia, rather than a truck. Thoughts on that for towing?

Is there some reason you don't want a truck? Size? Those SUVs are almost as big as a pickup truck.

Comfort? Pickup trucks these days are basically luxury mobiles.

Have you looked at 4 door or extended cab pickups? Almost always come with higher payload and towing capabilities, you have plenty of room in the cab for stuff or people, and having a pickup bed to carry stuff is great. If you want to really do it up get a cap for the bed of the pickup and you have a big SUV.

At least you know what you have to tow, which is better than getting the tow vehicle first and then buying a camper too big for it!

3 Assumptions:
1) you have possession of your new TT
2) you will buy a TV which is set up for towing and has a factory hitch
3) you will want/need a weight distribution hitch

Suggest that you rent the vehicle of your choice for a day, hook up your new TT, set up the WDH, and take it for a spin to check things out. A trip to a CAT scale along the way might help with your decision.

If you have a buddy that likes a beer or two, and he knows how to set up the hitch, that would be a bonus. Maybe rent for two days. Lol

So as soon as someone posts a camper UVW weight and tries to estimate how much "stuff" they'll have, everyone jumps on them and says "use the GVWR."
Now someone posts using the GVWR and someone is doubting if THAT is the right weight....

You guys are just too funny!

So TRUE!

I'm surprised no one has said to "get the 3500 Diesel truck and then you won't have to worry about anything" post... ha, ha... :)

Granted, if the OP is only looking for "SUV" type of vehicles, I know I would not want to tow my #7000 GVWR TT with one..

But, that's just me, and that's the main thing here... We are all different, and pretty much all of us that have posted have "been there and done that" kind of thing, which it sounds like the OP has not had that kind of experience before??

Like was said, way too little info to know for sure, but my final answer is "it depends"... :)

Good luck! Mitch

Thermoguy wrote:

Retired Enjoy Life wrote:
We just purchased our first travel trailer. We are looking at purchasing a new tow vehicle. Would like recommendations on what tow vehicle is best what to avoid. We will be towing a bunkhouse GVWR is 7,500 lbs.
TIA for your recommendations.

Where did you get this weight from? The dealer or a brochure? Or did you have it weighed ready for camp full of water?

That might help you decide on the actual tongue weight.

So as soon as someone posts a camper UVW weight and tries to estimate how much "stuff" they'll have, everyone jumps on them and says "use the GVWR."
Now someone posts using the GVWR and someone is doubting if THAT is the right weight....

You guys are just too funny!

Thermoguy wrote:

Retired Enjoy Life wrote:
We just purchased our first travel trailer. We are looking at purchasing a new tow vehicle. Would like recommendations on what tow vehicle is best what to avoid. We will be towing a bunkhouse GVWR is 7,500 lbs.
TIA for your recommendations.

Where did you get this weight from? The dealer or a brochure? Or did you have it weighed ready for camp full of water?

That might help you decide on the actual tongue weight.

I'm assuming since OP quoted a gvwr of 7500 lbs, that is max wieght per manufacture specs.

BUT HOW it's gvwr is figured, is another story. It might be 2 3500 lb axles, plus 500 lbs of HW. Or like my old TT, 2 3500 lb axles, but a gvwr of 6500 for some unknown reason.... It could have 2 4000 lb axles....

Too little info to give proper answers

Retired Enjoy Life wrote:
We just purchased our first travel trailer. We are looking at purchasing a new tow vehicle. Would like recommendations on what tow vehicle is best what to avoid. We will be towing a bunkhouse GVWR is 7,500 lbs.
TIA for your recommendations.

Where did you get this weight from? The dealer or a brochure? Or did you have it weighed ready for camp full of water?

That might help you decide on the actual tongue weight.

By the way, back in the day, my family of 6 with 4 adult sized teens, a canoe and rack on truck, generator, bikes for kids, along with a 6500-7000 lb total weight trailer, I had a SW 3500, and ran down the road with 3000-3500 lbs of wieght in the truck. A 1500 might handle 2000-2500 at best.

Fare to say again, too many unknowns.

SUV wise, the longer WB GM/Ford options would be my choice I'd one does not want a pickup