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vlntwarrior's avatar
vlntwarrior
Explorer
Aug 17, 2014

TV/TT Tongue weight Calculation check

The Following is a copy of a follow up post I made yesterday to a different topic i had created. rather than bump than bump that post that is no longer on topic, I have created a new post asking the following:



Main goals I have in purchasing an RV is

1. Be towable by 2004 GMC Yukon XL Denali (stupid #$!%#@#$^ air suspension I didn't know about)
2. Sleep 2 adults + 4 Children
2. Have a Flushable Toilet
3. Not be a Pop Up Camper

So since you guys have pointed me in the direction of the FAQ, i've already hit Roadblock #1 (I know it only took that long right?)

Tongue Weight

So I've looked through this posting:
http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14369340.cfm

and my head is swimming to calculate what a workable tongue weight is since my 04 Yukon is (apparently) limited in cargo cap. See numbers below:

2004 GMC Yukon XL Denali w/air suspension :/

Base Curb Weight: 5735#
Occupants + Fuel + Gear in Truck: 950#
Total Vehicle Weight: 6685#

GVW: 7200#

Available remaining Payload Cap for TW: 515# (wow, really?)

2002 Terry Dakota 725H TW: 355# (dry TW)

Post said that roughly 10-15% of trailer GVW would end up as TW once loaded. OKay, so lets math Trailer loaded weight:

Dry Weight: 3625#
Water: likely average of 45gals = 375#
Gear in Trailer: est 400#

est likly wet weight: 4400#

est likely TW: 440 - 660#

err, thats out of an estimated 515# available payload capacity. WTF batman, this is on an ultralight trailer too. Frak....

So are my estimates off? Or do I have a horrible ride to try and pull something like this?

I would have to lose 100# personally, ditch the canoe, and tell the kids no drinks in the truck LOL

Granted this math is without a WD Equalizer hitch which I plan on getting but have no idea how to math/account for.
  • nomad297's avatar
    nomad297
    Explorer
    Aug 17, 2014
    vlntwarrior wrote:
    Granted this math is without a WD Equalizer hitch which I plan on getting but have no idea how to math/account for.


    Go ahead and take away another 100 pounds of available payload to account for that weight distribution and anti-sway setup. Sorry.

    Bruce
  • intheburbs's avatar
    intheburbs
    Explorer
    Aug 17, 2014
    Nope, your calculations seem to be spot on. You've discovered that a big bad Yukon XL/Suburban is really just a kitten in the world of tow vehicles.

    Of course, when you go to an RV dealer, you'll likely hear, "Oh, you have a Yukon XL/Burb. Go ahead and pick anything on the lot. You can tow it."

    This is why I upgraded from an 01 half ton to my 08 3/4 ton. Of course, all I gained was about 500 lbs of payload. But the kids are larger now (our family of 5 now weighs ~835 lbs, compared to ~600 when we started RVing), so that by itself necessitated more payload.

    Plan to stow all your gear in/on the trailer, leaving nothing but fuel and family as the added weight. Here's my first rig (29' trail cruiser), and the weigh slip:



  • anaro's avatar
    anaro
    Explorer
    Aug 17, 2014
    Yup you have learned your weakness as many of us did the hard way. Working the math backward from the 515 lbs of available payload looks like a max trailer gvwr of 3400 lbs. If you can try upgrading your tv to a used more capable tv then you can get a larger trailer. Not sure how many are in your family. A 3/4 ton crew cab pickup will get you a whole lot of tt and can readily be found used. If you need more seating then you are limited to looking for a 3/4 ton suv (still not a lot of payload) or look for a large can ie ford E350. An suv that is well loved but very hard to find is the 3/4 ton ford excursion. They quit making these in 2005. Good luck. I feel for You, from a former limited payload Suv owner.
  • rbpru's avatar
    rbpru
    Explorer II
    Aug 18, 2014
    The fact remains that there are a lot of Suburbans towing a lot of TTs; and yes they are probably over their design limit.

    If your tongue weight is limited to 500 lbs. then you need to look for a loaded trailer in that range. You will gain some tongue weight with a WD hitch because some of the weight is shifted to the front axle and back to the trailer. Even so, you will most likely exceed the vehicles max cargo capacity. As stated, this is the bane of Suburban and half ton owners and the reason many opt of a three quarter ton TV.

    But, looking around the RV parks there are a number of Suburbans and half tonners which means the owners do not know they are over the design limits or they are willing to live with the over load rather than buy a big behemoth to tow a couple of weeks a year.

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