Help me tow a stacker with an Avalanche

[Roadpilot]

Mods, move this as needed.

I just bought a new stacker. Empty it'll weigh close to 10,000 pounds. I have no trouble towing it with our MH, but our lot is small and I'll have to pull it into the lot with our Avalanche. I know there is a product that goes between the truck and the trailer that carries the tongue weight but I can't remember enough to even google it. It will only be used while putting into storage or taking out of storage our empty stacker. I don't want to overload the Avalanche and I can't use the MH due to space constraints.

[Thunder_Mountai]

I've got to agree with some of you. If you are just moving it around in a storage lot, I would put it in low range and do it. If this is something done just a few times a year, there is no harm. I do a similar thing with my Rubicon rated to tow 3500 pounds. I use it to move my 250RS Outback in and out of the garage. Tongue weight is probably twice what the Ruby is rated. I put it in low range. She squats a lot but does the job for 50' or so.

[dave17352]

I have to be honest, this is driving me nuts. Is there a engineer around here that can explain how much more force is put on the ball when driving highway speeds and hitting expansion joints. People use garden tractors with ball hitches on them to move 4 thousand pound boats around. Maybe I am crazy and maybe your avalanche will suffer damage moving the trailer in your yard, but I think you are way over thinking this. Instead of thinking you have a problem, you should be thinking, well I sure am glad I have my Avalanche to move my trailer around with.
JMHO

[Roadpilot]

Double post

[Roadpilot]

This is the OP. Sorry, I should have provided more info as to what a stacker was. The picture is pretty accurate. I'm ordering a Sherline scale to get empty tongue weight, but don't have it yet. The stacker is 8500 pounds empty and will probably weigh 9000 pounds with stuff in it when I get the car, motorcycle and trike out of it.

Good suggestion of leave a trike in the back to reduce tongue weight. I'll investigate getting better trailer hitch put on it - also a good idea. My concern with the existing hitch is causing latent damage to it that doesn't show up until I have the boat in the back on the highway.

This is similar to what I had in mind originally:

tow dolly

It isn't beefy enough to pull the stacker and I don't like the fact the ball is directly over the axle. Ideally I'd want something similar, but beefier and with the ball 6" ahead of the axle.

I'm leaning towards buying a trailer kit"

trailer kit

Then going to a welding shop and having a square tube to connect the coupler to the axle welded on as well as a 2 5/16" ball. That would cost less then $400.

Any other ideas??

[DSDP_Don]

I guess some people are willing to thrash their stuff and are a little UNREALISTIC what 1500-1800 pounds does at the HITCH....not in the BED....it's called leverage!

[v10superduty]

lawnspecialties wrote:

DSDP Don wrote:

lawnspecialties wrote:
As I said. Just get a beefier hitch for the Avalanche. Putting a support wheel for the tongue seems expensive and a headache in backing situations.

So you think an Avalanche can handle a 1500-1800 pound tongue weight without issue?????

To move the thing around the yard? Absolutely.

No problem to just move it in a storage lot.
Could even temporarily load the toys to the rear to have almost no tongue weight.

Ok OP, have you been convinced yet?? :h

[lawnspecialties]

DSDP Don wrote:

lawnspecialties wrote:
As I said. Just get a beefier hitch for the Avalanche. Putting a support wheel for the tongue seems expensive and a headache in backing situations.

So you think an Avalanche can handle a 1500-1800 pound tongue weight without issue?????

To move the thing around the yard? Absolutely.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

SoundGuy wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
You guys have probably seen stacker trailers in campgrounds.

Nope, never. Had no idea what a "stacker" is ... thanks for the pic.

More likely to see stackers at various types of auto races.

OP - for the intended use you indicated - you should be good to go.


BTW - Weigh the *actual* tongue weight of the *empty* trailer and see if your figures are accurate. Might be lighter than you think.


~

[msmith1_wa]

I agree with the above. At the low speeds I wouldn't worry about the weight ratings.

[dave17352]

DSDP Don wrote:

lawnspecialties wrote:
As I said. Just get a beefier hitch for the Avalanche. Putting a support wheel for the tongue seems expensive and a headache in backing situations.

So you think an Avalanche can handle a 1500-1800 pound tongue weight without issue?????

I do. Like was pointed out earlier it is simply moving the trailer around the yard. I would do it in a heartbeat and not think anything of it. Tongue weight going 3 miles an hour is nothing like tongue weight going 70 miles an hour bouncing down the expansion joints. My dump trailer weighs 10 thousand pounds loaded. When I first got it I used it scrapping drywall jobs with a 2001 Chevy 1500. Now I fully intended to get a bigger truck which I did. But I still today wouldn't hesitate to use that same truck that my son has now to move my dump trailer around the yard. JMHO

[DSDP_Don]

lawnspecialties wrote:
As I said. Just get a beefier hitch for the Avalanche. Putting a support wheel for the tongue seems expensive and a headache in backing situations.

So you think an Avalanche can handle a 1500-1800 pound tongue weight without issue?????

[Murphsmom]

PUCampin wrote:
HA! When I read stacker, I was thinking small forklift, which is called a "stacker"! 🙂 and yes, a 6k electric stacker with 3 section mast can weigh 10klbs (mostly the counter weight)

I thought it was something to stack hay!!!

[Jebby14]

make sure the hitch on the avalanche is up to it. don't go far or fast. id do it in low range. no problem. if your going to add a hitch id look at a front receiver hitch so you can use it for other toys and push the heavy load in 1st rather than in reverse.

[lawnspecialties]

DSDP Don wrote:
Some of you need to read the OP's post more thoroughly. He's not talking about driving around with a 10K trailer on the back of an Avalanche. He also does not need a weight distributing hitch. He's talking about arriving HOME at his lot and storing the empty stacker in a spot where he can't use the motor home to back it in. He just needs something to support the tongue weight while moving the stacker around in his yard. He could probably move it with an ATV if he had a large wheel supporting the tongue.

As I said. Just get a beefier hitch for the Avalanche. Putting a support wheel for the tongue seems expensive and a headache in backing situations.