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Tow question for new member

dw1gator
Explorer
Explorer
2003 Tahoe z71 4wd with tow package. 1750 payload 7400 towing capacity. 1000 tongue wt with wdh. 2016 coachman Catalina 273bh. 4800 dry wt, 540 tongue wt.
Am I ok here? Advice?
46 REPLIES 46

dw1gator
Explorer
Explorer
lawrosa wrote:
dw1gator wrote:
weight rating of the tires are 2535lbs each



GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750


When towing I would have all tires filled at max cold psi listed on the side wall.. That will keep the heat down on the tires.
thanks. I will do that.



On the rear max pressure gives you 5070lbs
Your already close to 4000 lbs on rear.

It should ride better too and be more stable with sway and the push from wind/trucks..

Next time your kooked up take a pic of truck and trailer.ok. will do.

Is it riding level? it looks level eyeballing. and I placed a level on the floor of the camper and it's showing near dead level.

Once we see the bars on how they are angled and the levelness we can guide you further.
[COLOR=]thanks. really appreciate it

lawrosa
Explorer
Explorer
dw1gator wrote:
weight rating of the tires are 2535lbs each



GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750


When towing I would have all tires filled at max cold psi listed on the side wall.. That will keep the heat down on the tires.

On the rear max pressure gives you 5070lbs
Your already close to 4000 lbs on rear.

It should ride better too and be more stable with sway and the push from wind/trucks..

Next time your kooked up take a pic of truck and trailer.

Is it riding level?

Once we see the bars on how they are angled and the levelness we can guide you further.
Mike L ... N.J.

2006 Silverado ext cab long bed. 3:42 rear. LM7 5.3 motor. 300 hp 350 ft lbs torgue @ 4000 rpms
2018 coachmen Catalina sbx 261bh

dw1gator
Explorer
Explorer
weight rating of the tires are 2535lbs each

Mickey_D
Explorer
Explorer
We have an '07 Tahoe with the 5.3 and towing package as our family "car" and I have towed with it a couple of times. It pulls and brakes at least as well as a comparable half ton Chevy truck, but with a heavy trailer it does not have as much directional stability (more tendency to sway when making sudden moves). If I was going to tow a lot with it, I would upgrade the shocks to HD ones, use LT tires instead of the smooth riding P series stock tires, and get either a Hensley or ProPride hitch. I am less worried about going slightly over with weights on a Tahoe or Suburban as the short wheelbase leading to sway.

lawrosa
Explorer
Explorer
Also you need the 3 weights to know that your ED bars are set properly. You may be too light in the front...
Mike L ... N.J.

2006 Silverado ext cab long bed. 3:42 rear. LM7 5.3 motor. 300 hp 350 ft lbs torgue @ 4000 rpms
2018 coachmen Catalina sbx 261bh

lawrosa
Explorer
Explorer
See the calculator I posted. Thats how you need to weigh....
ok I will do that on my next opportunity.
Do you have a weight distribution hitch? yes I do. Reese with the chains.

I like to understand the principles. would you explain? if I weigh just TV hooked up and then weigh not hooked up, why would that not be accurate for tongue weight?
also, what is the significant of indv axle weight not hooked up if I have those wts hooked up?

why weigh everything with WDH on and ready and then weigh everything but with WDH off? is it to see if you need adjustment to push some more wt to front axle? thanks for your help.



True Tongue Weight: In order to obtain true tongue weight, one of the three weigh-ins is required without the Weight
Distribution (WD) system activated. If towing without a WD system, then only two typical weigh-ins are required.

And on the truck alone you need individual axle weights for this purpose.



Mike L ... N.J.

2006 Silverado ext cab long bed. 3:42 rear. LM7 5.3 motor. 300 hp 350 ft lbs torgue @ 4000 rpms
2018 coachmen Catalina sbx 261bh

dw1gator
Explorer
Explorer
lawrosa wrote:
dw1gator wrote:
lawrosa wrote:
dw1gator wrote:
ok. I got all the weights. Here goes.
GCVW. 11500. max rating is 13000
GVW 6800. Max rating is 6800
GFAW. 3140. max rating is 3600
GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750
GTW. 5300. max rating for pulling is 7400.
tongue weight is 580. that's 11% of trailer weight.
this is with TV and trailer fully loaded with our gear, passengers, and full tank.


Whats the weight of the truck alone? 6220

You need individual axle weights. 6220 means nothing. I will get those. I got the ways to weigh from trailer life. I did the individual axles loaded.

Whats the max pressure and weight rating of the tires. haven't done those yet.

Let us know what the sidewall says. ok

Your #'s would seem your heavy in the back.. How did you determine your TW? And that its 580 lbs? weighed truck connected. weighed truck disconnected. subtracted one from the other.

Thats not telling you what your proper weights are..like stated above, that's how trailer life stated to determine tongue wt

Did you weigh with the WD bars engaged and not engaged?
not sure what you are asking here. weighed with WDH hooked up and ready. then weighed TV without any of it on TV.

See the calculator I posted. Thats how you need to weigh....
ok I will do that on my next opportunity.
Do you have a weight distribution hitch? yes I do. Reese with the chains.

I like to understand the principles. would you explain? if I weigh just TV hooked up and then weigh not hooked up, why would that not be accurate for tongue weight?
also, what is the significant of indv axle weight not hooked up if I have those wts hooked up?

why weigh everything with WDH on and ready and then weigh everything but with WDH off? is it to see if you need adjustment to push some more wt to front axle? thanks for your help.


lawrosa
Explorer
Explorer
dw1gator wrote:
lawrosa wrote:
dw1gator wrote:
ok. I got all the weights. Here goes.
GCVW. 11500. max rating is 13000
GVW 6800. Max rating is 6800
GFAW. 3140. max rating is 3600
GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750
GTW. 5300. max rating for pulling is 7400.
tongue weight is 580. that's 11% of trailer weight.
this is with TV and trailer fully loaded with our gear, passengers, and full tank.


Whats the weight of the truck alone? 6220

You need individual axle weights. 6220 means nothing.

Whats the max pressure and weight rating of the tires. haven't done those yet.

Let us know what the sidewall says.

Your #'s would seem your heavy in the back.. How did you determine your TW? And that its 580 lbs? weighed truck connected. weighed truck disconnected. subtracted one from the other.

Thats not telling you what your proper weights are..

Did you weigh with the WD bars engaged and not engaged?
not sure what you are asking here. weighed with WDH hooked up and ready. then weighed TV without any of it on TV.

See the calculator I posted. Thats how you need to weigh....

Do you have a weight distribution hitch?


Mike L ... N.J.

2006 Silverado ext cab long bed. 3:42 rear. LM7 5.3 motor. 300 hp 350 ft lbs torgue @ 4000 rpms
2018 coachmen Catalina sbx 261bh

dw1gator
Explorer
Explorer
lawrosa wrote:
dw1gator wrote:
ok. I got all the weights. Here goes.
GCVW. 11500. max rating is 13000
GVW 6800. Max rating is 6800
GFAW. 3140. max rating is 3600
GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750
GTW. 5300. max rating for pulling is 7400.
tongue weight is 580. that's 11% of trailer weight.
this is with TV and trailer fully loaded with our gear, passengers, and full tank.


Whats the weight of the truck alone? 6220

Whats the max pressure and weight rating of the tires. haven't done those yet.

Your #'s would seem your heavy in the back.. How did you determine your TW? And that its 580 lbs? weighed truck connected. weighed truck disconnected. subtracted one from the other.

Did you weigh with the WD bars engaged and not engaged?
not sure what you are asking here. weighed with WDH hooked up and ready. then weighed TV without any of it on TV.

lawrosa
Explorer
Explorer
You need to put all those #'s in this calculator..

http://towingplanner.com/ActualWeights/TravelTrailerCatScales
Mike L ... N.J.

2006 Silverado ext cab long bed. 3:42 rear. LM7 5.3 motor. 300 hp 350 ft lbs torgue @ 4000 rpms
2018 coachmen Catalina sbx 261bh

lawrosa
Explorer
Explorer
dw1gator wrote:
ok. I got all the weights. Here goes.
GCVW. 11500. max rating is 13000
GVW 6800. Max rating is 6800
GFAW. 3140. max rating is 3600
GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750
GTW. 5300. max rating for pulling is 7400.
tongue weight is 580. that's 11% of trailer weight.
this is with TV and trailer fully loaded with our gear, passengers, and full tank.


Whats the weight of the truck alone?

Whats the max pressure and weight rating of the tires.

Your #'s would seem your heavy in the back.. How did you determine your TW? And that its 580 lbs?

Did you weigh with the WD bars engaged and not engaged?
Mike L ... N.J.

2006 Silverado ext cab long bed. 3:42 rear. LM7 5.3 motor. 300 hp 350 ft lbs torgue @ 4000 rpms
2018 coachmen Catalina sbx 261bh

dw1gator
Explorer
Explorer
ok. I got all the weights. Here goes.
GCVW. 11500. max rating is 13000
GVW 6800. Max rating is 6800
GFAW. 3140. max rating is 3600
GRAW 3660. max rating is 3750
GTW. 5300. max rating for pulling is 7400.
tongue weight is 580. that's 11% of trailer weight.
this is with TV and trailer fully loaded with our gear, passengers, and full tank.

RavensFan24
Explorer
Explorer
I've had an 02 Tahoe and now a '10 Tahoe. You'll be fine. My old trailer was 26' and 6300 dry. New one is 30' and 6500 dry. I was at payload and GCWR capacity when loaded up with the wife and 3 dogs, but we didn't go over (confirmed by scales on the way out) on our 3 week trip to Maryland.

Prior to really having much knowledge about towing capacities, payload etc I was towing the old trailer with my 02 Tahoe all over the country with most of our trip being on the west coast and through the mountains. It was a great trip and we had no issues with the Tahoe not being able to handle it. Honestly, I was probably way over the weight ratings on that trip because I had move out of an apartment and whatever we didn't sell went in the trailer. I Guess ignorance was bliss, but 10,000 miles later we were fine. We ran that trailer/truck set up for 8 years and the worst thing that happened was a couple tire blowouts, but that kinda comes with the territory.

The only issue you may have is if you load up the trailer with a ton of stuff AND load up the tahoe with a ton of stuff and people. That'll put you over payload or axle weight rating.

Sure more truck would be great, but SUV options are limited when it comes to towing. The only other choice really is a Suburban 2500. If you don't need an SUV for transporting people/animals, I'd move to a 2500 pickup. My problem is I have 3 large dogs and there is no way they are fitting in a crew cab pick up and I won't put them in the bed of a pick up, even in cages.
2010 Chevy Tahoe & 2015 Keystone Bullet Premier 30'

lawrosa
Explorer
Explorer
also after you weigh and know what you are dealing with then you can go shopping.

Also dealers have the ability to pull out the scale and weight the TW of the trailer your looking at.

Whatever that weight is add 50lbs per battery roughly, and 50lbs per propane tank roughly. Basically add 200 lbs to it.

Also add the weight of the WD system although you can probably move 100 or more lbs off the TW to the trailer axles with your WD set properly.

Someone will correct me if im off on those #'s
Mike L ... N.J.

2006 Silverado ext cab long bed. 3:42 rear. LM7 5.3 motor. 300 hp 350 ft lbs torgue @ 4000 rpms
2018 coachmen Catalina sbx 261bh

rbpru
Explorer II
Explorer II
Another advantage of the CAT scale is you get, or should get, the weight on each axle. It allows you to see how balanced and close to the max you are.

Our Pilot station charges $10.00 for first weigh in and $2.00 for the second with in 24 hrs.

We load up and get ready the day before, so I weigh the TV and then the TV and TT combination.

I have weighed my rig twice, once when loaded with the normal camping stuff and again when I piled on my canoe and fishing gear.

The numbers do not lie.
Twenty six foot 2010 Dutchmen Lite pulled with a 2011 EcoBoost F-150 4x4.

Just right for Grandpa, Grandma and the dog.