Can I tow this and how will it feel?

[crasster]

Okay here are the specs. I "think" I'm figuring this right.

2017 Chevy Express 15 passenger van. 1LT. 6.0L engine.
GCWR 16,000
GVWR 9,600
Van Weight 6,129

Passengers total weight: 920 Pounds
RV weight: 6,660 Pounds
Battery + Propane: 125 pounds

Weight Distribution Hitch: 100 pounds
1 Seat removed from van (extra space) = +80 pounds (gained)

Clothes, towels, blankets, pillows, fluff: 100 pounds
Food: 30 pounds
Extension cords, some hand tools, fix a flat, parts: 100 pounds
A few pots, pans, dishes, etc.: 50 pounds
Outdoors stuff like camp chairs, bug candles, etc: 50 pounds
Bathroom stuff, tooth brushes, etc.: 15 pounds
Misc whatever: 200 pounds

If fill 30 gals of freshwater 30 X 8 = 240 pounds

So I did the Math Subtracting everything (and adding one thing) from my GCWR.

I'd be left with:

+1361 pounds until I hit (what I understand??) to be my limit, or +1601 without a tank full of fresh water.

I also don't plan to travel much with full gray or black tanks.

So question time.


Am I missing something here?
If truly I still have 1361 Pounds left, should that be a "breeze" for my van to tow this trailer + all passengers & stuff?

What about grades? Will it struggle/white knuckle time (or will it handle it well) **note in mountains I will ABSOLUTELY not carry fresh water or gray/black water on mountains so +1601 until GCWR of 16000.


All opinions, suggestions, etc. appreciated. I just would like to know what I'm in for. Thanks!!

[LIKE2BUILD]

crasster wrote:
Next question, would I be pushing it if I bought a 7200 pound trailer....?

So this would be 821 pounds left for GCWR Max.

I think I have plenty of payload for Tongue weight.

What my main concern is will I be struggling greatly up grades/down grades? I don't mind if I feel it for sure, I just mind if I'm gonna have doubts if I can make it over a 6% grade.

Plus I have a tow button which does.... umm... what it does. 🙂

If it would struggle on mountain grades, how would it do on flats and "basic" hills?


Thanks!

I used to tow a 34', 7,600lbs TT with a 2004 Chevy 2500HD with 6.0L engine. That was basically the same drivetrain as your van accept I think you have the 6L80E tranny whereas I had the 4-speed version. I towed that trailer in the Appalachian's using a Reese Dual Cam hitch and it did just fine. Yes, I had to let it rev between 3,200RPM to 4,400RPM on the bigger hills but it was rock solid reliable and always got me there. Flat land towing was no problem at all.

So the short answer is yes, if you're within all your weights you'll be fine towing that trailer. Get a good WD hitch with sway control and you'll be just fine.

KJ

[jerem0621]

You should be good to go. Have fun, use the skinny pedal as needed and let it rev!

Still watch loading and try to keep the tongue weight at 10-15% of the total trailer weight. IMHO... a higher percentage tongue weight makes for a more stable tow as long as the van can handle the weight.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[APT]

You can hold any Interstate grade at 60mph. You may be be in 3rd gear at 3500rpm, or 2nd at 5000rpm though. You get to pick!

[crasster]

APT wrote:
If you towed the 6600 pound TT and then the 7200 pound TT, I bet you never notice the difference. May be 0.5mph slower up the same hill. Frontal area is about the same for most TT in that weight range, which is what you notice while towing at 65mph more than weight. Weight is more a factor for accelerating or up hills, not even stopping. You have plenty of suspension to handle the added tongue weight.

Thank you this helps. Yeah not looking to win races, but just don't want to be a road hazard or dangerous. 🙂 I'm content going 60 all over the USA.

What do you thing grades would be like? Let's say 5%?

[crasster]

Grit dog wrote:
Can’t say towing that trailer will “feel” as good as a few other things I can think of....(fill in the blanks, lol).
But the van will handle the trailer absolutely fine and based on your sig line with the light pedal thing, I’m pretty certain you’ll find the power acceptable too.
And try it with a full tank of water. $20 says neither you nor the van will be able to tell the difference.

Yeah my sig line is our fun little Toyota. LOL. It's really turning into more of an "afternoon tripper". Family getting "Bigger".... Well, the kids are getting taller, I'm just getting wider.

[Grit_dog]

Can’t say towing that trailer will “feel” as good as a few other things I can think of....(fill in the blanks, lol).
But the van will handle the trailer absolutely fine and based on your sig line with the light pedal thing, I’m pretty certain you’ll find the power acceptable too.
And try it with a full tank of water. $20 says neither you nor the van will be able to tell the difference.

[APT]

If you towed the 6600 pound TT and then the 7200 pound TT, I bet you never notice the difference. May be 0.5mph slower up the same hill. Frontal area is about the same for most TT in that weight range, which is what you notice while towing at 65mph more than weight. Weight is more a factor for accelerating or up hills, not even stopping. You have plenty of suspension to handle the added tongue weight.

[crasster]

mkirsch wrote:
Is that 7200lbs loaded or "dry weight?" The difference is about 1500lbs in overall trailer weight once you're loaded and ready to camp.

Tow vehicles are inanimate objects. They don't struggle. Not even figuratively. They either go or they don't.

You probably won't be the first to the top of the hill, and you definitely don't want to be the first one to the bottom, but as long as you don't mind the engine revving about 2000RPM, and aren't in the biggest hurry to get anywhere, you will be just fine.

I love this description. 🙂
Thanks.
7200 dry.

[mkirsch]

Is that 7200lbs loaded or "dry weight?" The difference is about 1500lbs in overall trailer weight once you're loaded and ready to camp.

Tow vehicles are inanimate objects. They don't struggle. Not even figuratively. They either go or they don't.

You probably won't be the first to the top of the hill, and you definitely don't want to be the first one to the bottom, but as long as you don't mind the engine revving about 2000RPM, and aren't in the biggest hurry to get anywhere, you will be just fine.

[aftermath]

Hopefully agwill will chime in and let you know how his van performs.

When towing it is generally best to disengage the overdrive unless you are on the flats. Towing in "select" is better. When in drive most TVs will "search" for the proper gear. This changing up and down isn't the best for most transmissions. The tow haul option in my Tundra simply changes the shift points. You will hold in a lower gear longer before it shifts. When accelerating it helps you get up to speed faster. More importantly, as far as I am concerned, when you are going down hill it will hold in the lower gear before it up shifts which helps braking a bit. It is a nice feature but not a panacea by any means. I also believe that it cuts down your mileage a tad as well. I use mine in the mountains and that is about the only place I engage it.

When things get a bit steep I use the select option and hold the Tundra's transmission in 4th, or 3rd and even sometimes in 2nd. I watch the tac and tap the brakes now and then to keep things manageable.

[crasster]

Next question, would I be pushing it if I bought a 7200 pound trailer rather than the 6660 pound one as I mentioned earlier?

So this would be 821 pounds left for GCWR Max.

I think I have plenty of payload for Tongue weight.

What my main concern is will I be struggling greatly up grades/down grades? I don't mind if I feel it for sure, I just mind if I'm gonna have doubts if I can make it over a 6% grade.

I do have the M5 / M4 option on my van to keep it out of high gear.

Plus I have a tow button which does.... umm... what it does. 🙂

If it would struggle on mountain grades, how would it do on flats and "basic" hills?


Thanks!

[deltabravo]

100 pounds of fluff seems low for 920 lbs worth of people.

[crasster]

aftermath wrote:
I think your numbers are correct IF you want to stay below your GCWR of 16,000. But, that is not the first number you should focus on.
Your stated GVWR is 9600 while your van only weighs 6129. Subracting these leaves you with 3471 which is a very healthy payload capacity. Payload capacity is where most of us get into trouble. Large trailers connected to half ton trucks usually violate the payload numbers before they violate the GCWR.

Ok, with 3471 to play with start subracting things that will go in the van, not things that go in the trailer. 920 for the family, 100 lbs for the hitch itself and you are down to 2451 which is still a large number. You can add back the 80 pounds for taking out the seat and now you have 2531. What you failed to account for is the hitch weight of the trailer. Think about that. Drop the hitch on the ball and you are adding weight to the van. Even if you had a HW of 1200 lbs you would still be good to go. So, as someone earlier posted, you should not have any trouble with your set up.

One last thing. With today's TVs, engines have improved vastly. Some think that as long as you can go fast and make it over the hills you are good to go. When and if you go over your payload capacities, you are pushing the GVRW numbers. These are there based on the ability of the axles to carry the weight safely and the ability of the TV to stop safely. Stay within the ratings and you will minimize the wear and tear of the components on your TV.

Thanks a bunch for this informative answer!! 🙂

[aftermath]

I think your numbers are correct IF you want to stay below your GCWR of 16,000. But, that is not the first number you should focus on.
Your stated GVWR is 9600 while your van only weighs 6129. Subracting these leaves you with 3471 which is a very healthy payload capacity. Payload capacity is where most of us get into trouble. Large trailers connected to half ton trucks usually violate the payload numbers before they violate the GCWR.

Ok, with 3471 to play with start subracting things that will go in the van, not things that go in the trailer. 920 for the family, 100 lbs for the hitch itself and you are down to 2451 which is still a large number. You can add back the 80 pounds for taking out the seat and now you have 2531. What you failed to account for is the hitch weight of the trailer. Think about that. Drop the hitch on the ball and you are adding weight to the van. Even if you had a HW of 1200 lbs you would still be good to go. So, as someone earlier posted, you should not have any trouble with your set up.

One last thing. With today's TVs, engines have improved vastly. Some think that as long as you can go fast and make it over the hills you are good to go. When and if you go over your payload capacities, you are pushing the GVRW numbers. These are there based on the ability of the axles to carry the weight safely and the ability of the TV to stop safely. Stay within the ratings and you will minimize the wear and tear of the components on your TV.