What can my Suburban safely tow?

[RVhavingfun_]

We were all set to purchase a Jayco Jay Flight 28BH today until I started reading threads on here and getting nervous about our Suburban's ability to tow it safely.
We have a 2008 Suburban with a 6L engine and it has the tow package. Our truck did not come with a owners manual, so I've been trying to figure out all the numbers via the internet. Best I can tell it has a towing capacity of 8100lbs, a GVWR of 7400lbs, and GAWR of 4200. I couldn't find the GCVWR.
Since the max loaded weight of the trailer is 7500 we were thinking we were in the clear, but after putting lots of numbers into lots of calculators and getting more confused each time I do it, I'm not so convinced now.
Help!

[mkirsch]

RVhavingfun? wrote:
So using the 1400 payload that means we can only tow a 4,000 trailer? Even though our GCVWR is 16,000lbs?

Depends on how you came up with that 4000lbs number.

If you subtracted the weight of you, your husband, your kids, and your dogs from that 1400lbs and only had about 600lbs of payload left, then YES, you can only tow a 4000lb trailer.

If you travel by yourself, you could dedicate nearly all of the truck's available payload to the tongue weight of the trailer, and tow the "rated" 8100lbs. It would require approximately 1200lbs of the truck's 1400lb payload capacity to support the tongue of that 8100lb trailer.

As a rule of thumb, you can tow approximately 7 times as much as you can haul.

[APT]

Consider ability to sleep while turtled, access to things while traveling, and closing those tent ends when wet/raining.

[RVhavingfun_]

APT wrote:
Only get a hybrid if you want to sleep under canvas. There are compromises for sure, but under 5000 pounds dry there are full hard sided TTs available that should work well with your Suburban. How many people do you need to sleep?

We are a family of 5 people and 2 goofy Golden Retrievers. The kids are 13, 10, and 5.
I was worried about sleeping under the canvas at first too, but the truth is I grew up camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains with my family in just tents, and while there were some adventures and some nights I was certain I would freeze in my bed, we mostly made it out unscathed. I imagine the hybrid would still feel like an upgrade.

[APT]

Only get a hybrid if you want to sleep under canvas. There are compromises for sure, but under 5000 pounds dry there are full hard sided TTs available that should work well with your Suburban. How many people do you need to sleep?

[RVhavingfun_]

ktosv wrote:

RVhavingfun? wrote:
Anyway, I think we are going to concentrate on hybrids. That will give us the space we need without putting us at or over our limit. I'm a bit concerned about the tent ends given that we are moving to Northern Michigan, but I doubt we'll be headed out when the weather is extreme.

As you have figured out, the payload of your Suburban is the issue. Your truck has plenty of power to tow a 7000-8000# trailer. The ride would be compromised pretty good at that weight.

In regards to using a hybrid in Michigan, it can be done. We used to own one. That was back before spring and fall soccer, so we actually would camp in early April and as late as November. An extra blanket while sleeping and a sweatshirt if just hanging out in the trailer was about all you needed.

Your truck will tow a nice sized hybrid with ease and the driving should be nice and relaxing.

It's great to hear that you had success camping as far out as November in a Hybrid! We looked at a few really nice ones yesterday, and are getting really excited about the idea of owning one. 🙂

[RVhavingfun_]

handye9 wrote:

RVhavingfun? wrote:
The dealer is telling us that we'd be fine because we have the 4.10 axle and will be using a WDH, and when I asked him about the calculators I found online, or the formula posted here which uses available payload, he claimed he'd never heard of that. He said that 4,000lbs is way too low of a limit for our Suburban and looked at me like I was clueless.

The dealer knows, when you come to pick it up, neither the tow vehicle. or the trailer will be loaded up for camping. At that time the combination would probably be within specs. Once you get the trailer off the lot and onto a public road, it's not the dealers problem.

Check out this link. Notice this salesman never mentions payload, never mentions how passengers, cargo, or aftermarket accessories affect tow capacity, and actually says a trailer with 5900 GVWR, would be a good match for a family of four, in a vehicle that only has 5000 lb tow capacity. In reality, once that family of four gets into the vehicle, it no longer has 5000 lb tow capacity.

Yup! That's pretty much exactly how it went at the dealership when we were looking at the Jayco. It has a dry weight of 6,000 and something lbs and a GVWR of 7,500, and he told us "Oh this is a great trailer for you, even fully loaded you're 600lbs under your tow rating!'
We were going there to buy it when I jumped on here because it just looked too big to me. I'm glad I did!
When I mentioned payload and what we had remaining for tongue weight, he acted like that was the first time he'd ever heard those words.

[ktosv]

RVhavingfun? wrote:
Anyway, I think we are going to concentrate on hybrids. That will give us the space we need without putting us at or over our limit. I'm a bit concerned about the tent ends given that we are moving to Northern Michigan, but I doubt we'll be headed out when the weather is extreme.

As you have figured out, the payload of your Suburban is the issue. Your truck has plenty of power to tow a 7000-8000# trailer. The ride would be compromised pretty good at that weight.

In regards to using a hybrid in Michigan, it can be done. We used to own one. That was back before spring and fall soccer, so we actually would camp in early April and as late as November. An extra blanket while sleeping and a sweatshirt if just hanging out in the trailer was about all you needed.

Your truck will tow a nice sized hybrid with ease and the driving should be nice and relaxing.

[handye9]

RVhavingfun? wrote:
The dealer is telling us that we'd be fine because we have the 4.10 axle and will be using a WDH, and when I asked him about the calculators I found online, or the formula posted here which uses available payload, he claimed he'd never heard of that. He said that 4,000lbs is way too low of a limit for our Suburban and looked at me like I was clueless.

The dealer knows, when you come to pick it up, neither the tow vehicle. or the trailer will be loaded up for camping. At that time the combination would probably be within specs. Once you get the trailer off the lot and onto a public road, it's not the dealers problem.

Check out this link. Notice this salesman never mentions payload, never mentions how passengers, cargo, or aftermarket accessories affect tow capacity, and actually says a trailer with 5900 GVWR, would be a good match for a family of four, in a vehicle that only has 5000 lb tow capacity. In reality, once that family of four gets into the vehicle, it no longer has 5000 lb tow capacity.

[atwowheelguy]

RVhavingfun? wrote:
Thank you everyone for your replies! I'm still trying to make sense of everything, and I'll admit that it's a little confusing for someone who knows nothing about cars.

The dealer is telling us that we'd be fine because we have the 4.10 axle and will be using a WDH, and when I asked him about the calculators I found online, or the formula posted here which uses available payload, he claimed he'd never heard of that. He said that 4,000lbs is way too low of a limit for our Suburban and looked at me like I was clueless. (which, obviously, I am! lol!)

Anyway, I think we are going to concentrate on hybrids. That will give us the space we need without putting us at or over our limit. I'm a bit concerned about the tent ends given that we are moving to Northern Michigan, but I doubt we'll be headed out when the weather is extreme. 😉

Thanks again for all the help! This newbie appreciates the advice from experienced towers who aren't trying to sell me something! Even if I don't completely understand it.

Either the RV salesman is clueless, or he is lying. You have to decide which. Either way, don't believe this salesman any more. Do your own research, just like you have been doing here. The best information you can have in hand is to load up your 'Burban with family and coolers and snacks and a full fuel tank and go the scales. That way you will KNOW how much additional weight you can carry on each axle. You can tell the RV salesman to just keep quiet and show you the weight sticker on the camper. It usually only costs about $12 to go across the scales.

http://www.publicscaleslocator.com

[BenK]

If you go back to that dealer...heck any dealer who says "sure you can"...tell them
to put that in writing on the bill of sales as a their guarantee...that they will
pay for any damages/issues/etc from their claims..."sure you can"..."you will be fine"...

[RVhavingfun_]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I'm still trying to make sense of everything, and I'll admit that it's a little confusing for someone who knows nothing about cars.

The dealer is telling us that we'd be fine because we have the 4.10 axle and will be using a WDH, and when I asked him about the calculators I found online, or the formula posted here which uses available payload, he claimed he'd never heard of that. He said that 4,000lbs is way too low of a limit for our Suburban and looked at me like I was clueless. (which, obviously, I am! lol!)

Anyway, I think we are going to concentrate on hybrids. That will give us the space we need without putting us at or over our limit. I'm a bit concerned about the tent ends given that we are moving to Northern Michigan, but I doubt we'll be headed out when the weather is extreme. 😉

Thanks again for all the help! This newbie appreciates the advice from experienced towers who aren't trying to sell me something! Even if I don't completely understand it.

[atwowheelguy]

Your vehicle has several limits. Individual axle weights (GAWR), total vehicle weight (GVWR), and combined weight of vehicle and trailer (GCVWR). The limit is whichever one is reached FIRST, not LAST.

On my truck with trailer, the weight limit I am closest to is the rear axle weight limit (GAWR). You will exceed the GAWR or GVWR long before your combined total ever gets close to the GCVWR.

[RVhavingfun_]

APT wrote:
The receiver on 2007+ GM SUVs is limited to 1000 pounds of TW when using a WDH.



Payload is likely the practical limit with 1400 pounds of payload and a family.

I have heard of some rare LTZ model half tons with the optional 6.0L. GCWR is only 14000 pounds with tow rating near 8000 pounds.

The dealer has a book that lists our trucks tow limit at 8,000lbs, and he swears he sells people trailers using that weight all the time, but I think we are going to look at hybrids instead.

[APT]

The receiver on 2007+ GM SUVs is limited to 1000 pounds of TW when using a WDH.



Payload is likely the practical limit with 1400 pounds of payload and a family.

I have heard of some rare LTZ model half tons with the optional 6.0L. GCWR is only 14000 pounds with tow rating near 8000 pounds.

[RVhavingfun_]

So using the 1400 payload that means we can only tow a 4,000 trailer? Even though our GCVWR is 16,000lbs?