Weight Capacity HELP. GVWR??? 2008 GMC Yukon Denali XL 2WD

x2 on what Gdetrailer just said.

Might want to take a look at the Jayco Jay Flight 23MB. Unloaded Vehicle Weight is 4200 lbs. Nice starter unit.

kfballer22 wrote:
Got it. We will stay around or below 5000lbs based on your feedback. When we are due for a TV upgrade in 2-4 years, we will move to a larger TV so we can tow a bigger trailer. Thanks for the input and just think, you all may have just saved 4 lives by chiming in...because the dealership was telling us we could purchase a 6600lb dry weight TT and would be fine. Um, no we won't!

:C

It is easy to get caught up in the upsize madness, many have gone down that path and shortly after ended up buying a more capable tow vehicle or trading the trailer for one that is better suited for their vehicle.

Gets to be a very expensive mistake..

Got it. We will stay around or below 5000lbs based on your feedback. When we are due for a TV upgrade in 2-4 years, we will move to a larger TV so we can tow a bigger trailer. Thanks for the input and just think, you all may have just saved 4 lives by chiming in...because the dealership was telling us we could purchase a 6600lb dry weight TT and would be fine. Um, no we won't!

therink wrote:

kfballer22 wrote:
The combined weight of passengers and cargo in my Yukon should not exceed 1412lbs. Tow capacity is 8000lbs.

If you stick with a TT with a loaded tounge under 750 or so, you should be OK as far as payload goes.

Correct.

OP needs to give up on the 8000 lb tow "rating".

8000 lbs is simply not happening unless you are not planning to have any passengers or gear AND your trailer would have to be at no more than 800 lbs (IE 10%)..

Op needs to work with the 1412 lbs cargo rating.

Basically put you work backwards.. Add up your passenger, personal gear and fuel weight.. then subtract that from 1412 lbs..

For instance say you have driver, one passenger for a weight of 350 lbs.. Subtract 350 from 1412 and you now have 1062 lbs left..

30 gallons of fuel is going to weigh say 240 lbs.. you now have 822 lbs left..

WD weight of 100 lbs.. you now have 722 lbs of cargo left.

722 lbs means your max trailer weight at 10% tongue weight is 7220lbs..

But wait.. you don't want to have 10% tongue weight.. you want at least 13% up to 15%..

That means at 13% tongue weight your trailer should not weight more than 5554 lbs LOADED.

That means at 15% tongue weight your trailer should not weigh more than 4813 lbs LOADED.

As you can tell by my examples you will never be able to tow a 8,000 lb loaded trailer and be within your max cargo weight with more than 10% tongue weight if you planning to have passengers and a full fuel tank..

Don't fixate on that "tow rating" number.. It's not realistic for a tongue heavy travel trailer that will eat up the majority of that #1400 payload pretty quick..

Heck, my truck has a "tow rating" of #11,300!

My #5000 TT puts it within #400 of it's rear axle rating and #600 of it's GVWR. It's only about #600 of tongue weight too.

I do pack heavy, and that includes stuff in the bed of the truck, but it's only 2 of us.

You might be able to get close to that "tow rating" if you don't load anything at all in the truck, including passengers.. ;)

Mitch

kfballer22 wrote:
The combined weight of passengers and cargo in my Yukon should not exceed 1412lbs. Tow capacity is 8000lbs.

Don't get stuck on that 8000 lbs tow capacity. That number was calculated with only a driver, who weighs 150 lbs. No cargo or passengers. As you load up the vehicle with people, cargo, and hitch weight, your max tow capacity is going down, along with your available payload. 1400 lbs of people and cargo would cut your tow capacity to 6600.

Your move toward a 5000 lb trailer, would be a much better fit.

Read through this thread.

kfballer22 wrote:
The combined weight of passengers and cargo in my Yukon should not exceed 1412lbs. Tow capacity is 8000lbs.

If you stick with a TT with a loaded tounge under 750 or so, you should be OK as far as payload goes.

The combined weight of passengers and cargo in my Yukon should not exceed 1412lbs. Tow capacity is 8000lbs.

Great information. We have shifted our scope to TT that are 5000 or less. We are more concerned with getting to our destinations safely than being there will a few more feet and space to lounge in while we are there.

Question now is, which TT would you recommend at this weight? We would like a TT with gas/electric option for the water heater, double bunk beds is a must, and preferably a slide with the kitchen on the opposite side of the slide. Any recommendations?

Open driver's door and locate this sticker. Note what you have where mine says 2051:



That is as equipped payload and includes all the options your exact vehicle has, but no people or driver. Take that number, subtract an estimated weight for your family and a few things to entertain them en route, and the rest can be used for trailer tongue weight. So, let's say you have 1500 pounds. Family is 600 pounds. That leaves 900 left for TW which is about a 7000 pound loaded TT. I bet you need to stay under about 6000 pounds dry.

The good news: Your 6.2L/6-spd trans will pull it very well.