TT on 2010 GMC Acadia

[CRS001]

I have a 2010 FWD GMC Acadia w/ factory installed towing package rated for 5200#. A dealer has got me considering buying a 24ft Passport Ultra Lite wi a factory weight 4100#. He is saying that 1000# buffer for loading is common and normally not reached. He says the TV shouldn't have any issues towing in any conditions. If I buy this my first trip is Chicago to Seattle. Any feedback on either the TT and TV match or the trip?

[PAThwacker]

i have been towing trailers for over 20 years: boats,flat bed, utility, 14,000lb concession, campers, dual wave runner trailers. I never used an improper tool or marginal tool for each application.

scariest was towing the 14,000lb trailer up a snowy hill and losing traction. 26,000lbs of pucker facter sliding backwards down a hill.

[xteacher]

Glad you decided not to buy the TT - too much trailer for your vehicle. I just bought a Starcraft AR-ONE 14RB (16.5 ft., 2506 dry weight, 7 ft. wide) to tow behind my 2010 Pathfinder (6000 lb. tow limit, V6 4L engine), and it tows fine, but I wouldn't want to tow much more with it. A TT is like driving a sail into the wind. You have to take account the frontal area creating drag, not just the weight and length of the trailer.

[hddecker]

CRS001 wrote:
Thanks for the help and saving me from making a big mistake. I appreciate it.

Your welcome, we all would love to see you in a camper, but we also want you to be safe and enjoy the lifestyle.

[Bagger97]

IMHO there are much better quality trailers than Keystones out there. Keep looking

[CRS001]

Thanks for the help and saving me from making a big mistake. I appreciate it.

[MitchF150]

Just remember that the "tow rating" is based on a vehicle that has no additional passengers or stuff loaded in it and also assumes you won't exceed the vehicles other weight limits either.. I imagine you will be taking a passenger and some stuff along..

So, you can't load the vehicle to the gills and still expect to tow something even close to it's "tow rating"... 😉

My 22' trailer had a 'dry weight' of around #3400.. It now weighs every bit of it's #5000 GVWR and then some..

My guess is the trailer you have in mind probably has a GVWR of over #6000 and while it's true you might not ever get it to that weight, but let me know how the wife feels about having a ton of storage space and NOT being able to use it.... 😉

Ever take a look at your home closet if you share it with your wife.... 😉 After 12 years with the same trailer, every nook and cranny is stuffed with something! 🙂 (I'm just as guilty of stuffing it with stuff too, so it's not all the wife.. 🙂 )

Good luck!

Mitch

[big_murph_279]

My Dad has a 2010 Traverse with the factory tow package. It is also a FWD only model. He bought a KZ 16' TT with a dry weight of 3000lb. It did better than I thought it would but the FWD was a problem on hills or uneven pavement(last 20' before stop light where the road has all the ripples in it). It would spin if you took off like normal. It did well when in tow haul and seemed to drive well at speed. They took it to the mountains without any problems.

[dadmomh]

That salesman would be thrilled to see you drive out with that 24' trailer. But, you're not equipped to handle it for several reasons. FWD is not great for a tow vehicle. Is the 4100# the total weight as it sits on the lot - the weight posted after manufacture and put on by the factory? Probably not. Most likely it's the dry weight and that doesn't include much of anything but a naked trailer. And don't forget the drag from the barn door effect of a full size trailer. Somewhere in your manual, there may be info on towing. A boat and a TT weighing the same amount are two totally different creatures to tow. True on the 1000# wiggle room being a good number.

Please take the advice of those who've tried this....before you get out of Chi, you'll be shopping for a beefier tow vehicle. If you feel strongly that you'd like an RV of some sort to get started, suggest you look at a Pop Up or one of the great little chalet-type trailers that fold down and reduce the amount of drag.

[martinto]

Towed in Texas a 26 ft 3700lb dry weight with a Buick Enclave V6, rated at 4500lbs for towing. Did fine on flats and in the hill country using tow/haul mode, but she worked a bit on steeper grades. I was probably pushing the vehicle limits. Knowing I was retiring near the Smokies, I moved up to a GMC Yukon...made all the difference in the world. The mountains would have cooked the Enclave!

[gtkato]

Rule of thumb is stay about 75% or less of the max tow capacity which would put you at 4000lb gross trailer weight. Use your gross vehicle weight rating and max tongue capacity to match.
Generally, but not every time in every case....rear wheel drive tows better than front wheel drive, part time 4wd tows better than AWD, frame on ladder tows better than unibody frame, and V-8 tows better than V-6 and gets about the same mileage towing, longer wheel base tows better than short wheel based vehicles, and ALWAYS double check your tire rating ("D" vs "C"), or better yet "E" rated tires.
There are many trailers (16-18ft) that would match your vehicle fine, but you will pushing your limits with the trailer mentioned, and will not be a pleasant driving experience.

[ChooChooMan74]

I think you should start looking a tad lighter. My so called tow rating is 5000lbs. My camper, ready to camp, is about 4600lbs. Even with the diesel, I am at my limits.

[x5rdman]

I just towed a 17c Jayco with ny 2012 Acadia, tow pacage and all. Trailer weights in loaded at about 3500, it towed well, I had the WD hotch setup to the instructions and kept the front end whereit should be. It towed well and made it up a 15 mile 5000 foot climb, but it was pushing it big time up the mountain, of cousre it was 105 degrees out when we started the climb! I will most likekly get my normal TV back up and running smoothly and not use the Acadia to tow with much. Did it work yes, for long distance, I wouldnt do it, and not with a trailer as big as you are talking about.

[rexlion]

IMO it would be a mistake and you would regret it. 4100 lb dry weight means very close to 5000 once you add water, battery, propane, and camping gear (cookware, clothing, food, towels, etc). And I'd be willing to bet that the hitch weight will wind up between 600 and 700 lb. This is the killer, because your hitch is probably rated for 500 lb max. And you still need to add a weight distribution device, which will weigh another 75 to 100 lb. You don't want to ruin your suspension or, worse yet, have the hitch receiver rip off and send your new trailer careening across traffic.

You're better off looking at something with dry weight under 3200-3300 lb, with dry hitch weight of no more than 350 lb. And even then you will need to be careful and weigh your trailer tongue to make sure you aren't loading the front too heavy.

Been there and done that; I towed a 3200 lb. Rockwood 2304s for a couple of seasons, and I bent a rear spring on my Mercury Mountaineer (600 lb hitch wt rating), so what does that tell you about how heavy those trailer tongues can get? My latest rig has been a Toyota Highlander (5000/500 rating) and 16' KZ Escape 14RB (2200 lb dry) but the real-life hitch weight varied from 360 to 400 lb depending on the fresh water tank contents.

[kknowlton]

Not the same vehicle, and RWD to boot, but we had a V6 SUV with which we towed a shorter, lighter HTT than the trailer you're considering. It struggled bigtime in 20 mph headwinds across the plains; we didn't dare take it over mountains. Ended up buying a much more capable tow vehicle. Sorry, I agree with the others here so far - too much trailer for your TV.