Chevy Traverse and Rockwood Roo 23ss

[ike1450]

We just sold our pop up and bought a nice 2009 Rockwood Roo 23SS. Our Chevy Traverse has a tow package, distribution hitch and a brake control. We were hoping that this may be enough to pull our hybrid on flat ground for local camping, but have not tried it yet. From what I'm reading here, we may need to consider something bigger(Tahoe...).
Any other suggestions, advice? Thanks.

[bikendan]

that Yukon will have the 6 speed trans, enabling it to have a 3.42 rear end ratio that will easily pull the 23SS.
yes, make sure it has the HD trailering package.

[2003_coleman]

ike1450 wrote:
I think we have found our "new" tow vehicle--2011 Yukon SLT 15004WD. That should take care of the weight problem.

make sure you check which package it has. If it has the 3.08 it may not be rated much higher then the traverse. If it has the 3.42 then you have about 8K in capacity. I only know this due to the fact that my neighbour thought that because he had a Yukon he could tow 8K, but found out that he did not have the towing package and lower rated axle ratio and was limited to about 5K.

[mythree]

Full size 3/4 ton van. I personally love them. Great payload, tons of room, and fantastic visibility.

[ike1450]

I think we have found our "new" tow vehicle--2011 Yukon SLT 15004WD. That should take care of the weight problem.

[ike1450]

Thanks bikendan and all others for your help. Looks like we will be selling or trading in our Chevy Traverse for a truck or something big enough to pull our Roo. Glad to hear that you like your Roo, as we are looking forward to getting on the road.

[bikendan]

ike1450 wrote:
The GVRW says 4808#.Is that still too much? We would not have much inside the camper except clothes, etc for 2-3 days.

not sure what you're reading but the GVWR for the 2009 23SS is 5879lbs.
if you don't believe me, here's the 2009 brochure:

http://www.uvsconsole.com/manager/admin/cp-brochures/126400711336060.pdf

as i said on your other posts, that's too much trailer for your Traverse's 5200lbs. towing capacity.
any 23SS owner will tell you that it will weigh at least 5000lbs. loaded for camping.
mine is and that's just for the two of us. that's why we didn't buy a Honda Ridgeline, since it had a max towing of 5000lbs.
we loved the 23SS and bought something that could tow it easily without having to worry about every ounce.
an Avalanche with a tow capacity of 7200lbs.

[Lowsuv]

for those who have no experience in this regard ..........
it is really nice using a 2002 duramax / allison pickup with 520 foot pounds of torque , towing a 21 foot TT that has about 1000 pounds of tongue weight and about 5300 pounds on the trailer axles .
that is my current setup purchased new a decade ago . No reason to change .
it is relatively quiet in the pickup while towing because there is no struggle , ever.
it is especially nice out here in Oregon when traversing the mighty cascade mountain range which is where the best camping is ..
a 9200 # gvw pickup towing a 7200# gvw trailer is way more fun than towing a 9200# gvw trailer with a 7200# gvw tow vehicle .
we frequently carry 4 ( sometimes 6 )in our pickup with everybody's personal gear under the lockable snug top canopy. Nobody has to leave anything at home .
we travel with the 50 gallon fresh water and 6 gallon water heater full every time also . we stop for lunch at a view point and take a rest break wherever we choose .

[ike1450]

Thanks for all your input. So it looks like we may be looking for a bigger tow vehicle (and we knew that may happen}. I prefer not to purchase a truck, as we need more seating for kids/grandkids when not camping. Could you give me some options that are feasible that would give us more towing capacity, rides well...? The previous owners used a Suburban to tow. We will probably look for a good used vehicle or trade in our Traverse--which I hate to do because we don't have a lot of miles on it. As of now, we will probably only camp 6-10 times per year. Any suggestions are appreciated, as this is all new for us--going from a pop up to a hybrid. Thanks again.

[kaydeejay]

To the OP - don't ignore the fact that any weight in the Tow Vehicle over a 150# driver has to be subtracted from that max tow rating number.
Your NET (Actual) tow rating is probably going to be LESS that the trailer empty weight.
That is the trailer weight with battery, propane and accessories before you add any of your "stuff". It will be more than that advertised "Dry" weight, which includes nothing!
It should be on a sticker inside one of your cupboards.
Not a good match I'm afraid.
As my daily driver I have the sister vehicle to your Traverse, a GMC Acadia. I sure wouldn't want to tow 5000# with that gutless motor that has no torque under 3000rpms. It will be working hard and your mileage is going to be awful.

[2003_coleman]

Here are the specs I found on that trailer:

Dry Weight 4108lbs
GVWR 5979lbs
Cargo Capacity 1833lbs
Hitch Weight 509lbs
Axle Weight 3599lbs
Exterior Height 9.33'
Exterior Length 24.50'
Exterior Width 8.00'
Interior Height 6.50'
Fresh Water
Black Water
Gray Water 37gal
30gal
30gal
Awning Size 17'


You will likely be over on tongue weight after and your towing capacity. Adding propane, batteries and options will put you over tongue weight for sure, and even adding clothes, some food, drinks and cooking and eating supplies will put you around 5K.

I pulled a smaller trailer with a 2011 Ford Explorer and it was not fun, just upgraded to a 2013 F150 and it is a breeze. You will be straining the engine and transmission on longer trips, especially if their are hills and also if you have any serious stop and go traffic. You may actually be over the allowed GWVR of truck and trailer with that combo and could be susceptible to serious transmission and axle problems.

That is a big trailer to tow behind a mid sized unibody SUV.

You will likely find yourself upgrading the tow vehicle after a couple trips.

Just my two cents for what it is worth.

[skipnchar]

How do the DOT safety plate numbers for the two vehicles (trailer and tow vehicle) match up? That would determine is you're SAFE towing with that van. How satisfied you are with performance is a personal matter and can be determined by simply hitching up and taking it for a drive.

For safety concerns just make sure your payload numbers match up well with the load you carry in the van and the fully loaded tongue weight of the new trailer (weigh it or for extimate purposes, use 15% of GVWR). Then check the axle ratings on the van to be sure you're not over THOSE ratings (again from the DOT safety plate).

Good luck / Skip

[ike1450]

We will not fill up water until we get to the campground. Our WD hitch is Elite Weight Distribution Hitch kit for RV by Camco 48058--1000 lb capacity--highly rated by rv people on Amazon.

[rexlion]

What is the tongue weight once you get it loaded with water and all? Don't exceed the rated hitch weight, probably 500 lbs. Definitely use sway control with that rig. What kind of WD hitch did you get?

[mcsurveyor]

That's a nice trailer, we looked at those a few times. I believe the weight on the sticker is the empty weight, not the GVWR, but I may be wrong on that. Even if it is, you'll be fine towing it with the Traverse. Vehicles don't automatically burst into flames when you exceed the posted limit by 100 lbs.

For flat-land, local camping it will work great. If you find yourself on longer trips on the interstate, or in the mountains, you'll probably want to upgrade.

[6dot6]

Fast Mopar wrote:


But, everyone here will preach otherwise and say that it will be unsafe and will tell you that you are too close to the max tow rating of the Traverse. So, if you want to listen to the majority here, plan to buy a 3/4 ton diesel truck with 800 lb ft of torque and a Ranch Hand brush guard.

hahahahaha i laughed good at that one. i agree man.