Tow capacity help (07’ Yukon 2500)

intheburbs said:

You might want to double-check your payload on the door sticker. I doubt it's 2500. Probably closer to 2000 or 2100. Payload of my 2008 is 2088 lbs.

Yes, you will be fine with that trailer. Frankly, GM underrates the 2500 trucks, so even if you're close to the limits, you still have a safety margin.

What you definitely will want to do is check your weights on a truck scale once you're loaded and ready for your first trip. Good confirmation to make sure you're properly loaded and balanced, and not overloading anything.

Airbags are not necessary. The leaf springs are plenty stout. You will likely want to upgrade your shocks. If you have the stock suspension, Bilstein 4600s will make a HUGE difference when towing.

I've towed my 8600-lb trailer all over the country, including some Rocky Mountain passes and the Eisenhower Tunnel. She does just fine. I'm never a menace causing slowdowns behind me, and I'm always faster than the big rigs. The 6.0 loves to rev - let it eat!

Our rig parked at Wall Drug. Notice no WD on the hitch, yet she still sits perfectly level. 1120-lb tongue weight.

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How Long it this trailer? We are having sway issues with our 32rbfq puma trailer and 07 gmc yukon xl 2500. I have reese weight distribution kit and friction sway control bars as well along with air shocks on the truck and are not able to get past 45mph without swaying really bad. We are full time living on the road and are being told the vehicle is too small for this camper listed above or the camper is too long.

TheWho196489 said:

How Long it this trailer? We are having sway issues with our 32rbfq puma trailer and 07 gmc yukon xl 2500. I have reese weight distribution kit and friction sway control bars as well along with air shocks on the truck and are not able to get past 45mph without swaying really bad. We are full time living on the road and are being told the vehicle is too small for this camper listed above or the camper is too long.

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I believe the towing capacity of your Yukon is 9700 lbs. The dry weight on that camper is 9000 lbs with a GVWR of 10500 lbs., making it a little too much trailer for that rig. That said, the kind of sway you're describing shouldn't be happening anyway. A few things can contribute to sway:

1/ The tongue weight of the trailer is too light. You want 10-15% of trailer weight on the tongue, which in your case would be between 900 and 1500 lbs, depending on how it's loaded. Take it to a CAT scale at a local truckstop and see what you got.

2/ Your weight distributing hitch is either not effective, or set up wrong, or both.

3/ There is something mechanically wrong with the trailer, such as one or both axles slightly askew.

Geotrash said:

I believe the towing capacity of your Yukon is 9700 lbs. The dry weight on that camper is 9000 lbs with a GVWR of 10500 lbs., making it a little too much trailer for that rig. That said, the kind of sway you're describing shouldn't be happening anyway. A few things can contribute to sway:

1/ The tongue weight of the trailer is too light. You want 10-15% of trailer weight on the tongue, which in your case would be between 900 and 1500 lbs, depending on how it's loaded. Take it to a CAT scale at a local truckstop and see what you got.

2/ Your weight distributing hitch is either not effective, or set up wrong, or both.

3/ There is something mechanically wrong with the trailer, such as one or both axles slightly askew.

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@TheWho196489

My trailer is 35' long.

Good advice here. I'd focus on number 1 - tongue weight. More tongue weight = more stability.

If you haven't weighed your rig, start there. Download the CAT scales app, find your closest scale, and weigh. Re-weighs are like $3.50, so weigh twice - both with and without the trailer. You'll get numbers like these:


It's common with WD hitches to have the bars cranked too much, which causes instability and sway. I'd say 13%-15% is the ideal number for tongue weight.

Doing the math on mine:
1) Tongue weight is (weight of tow vehicle while hitched) - (weight of tow vehicle unhitched)....(3220+5620)-(3740+3980) = 1120 lbs tongue weight
2) Trailer weight is (total rig weight hitched) - (vehicle weight unhitched)....16340-7720 = 8620 lbs trailer weight
3) Tongue weight percentage = tongue weight/trailer weight = 1120/8620 = 12.99% tongue weight on tow vehicle. And my rig is dead-nuts stable, even in high crosswinds. What a coincidence!

Only caveat here is your rear axle weight. Don't exceed your rear axle weight rating on the sticker in your driver's door jam. I think the 2007 has the semifloater 9.25" rear, not the beastly 10.5" freefloater. I have the beastly axle, and even though the rating on my sticker is 5500 lbs for the rear axle, I know the axle itself is rated to 8600 lbs by the manufacturer, and the limiting factor is actually the tires, which can handle over 6,000 lbs, so I'm not worried.

Saw this thread and after @intheburbs weighed in on my 3500 thread (pun intended) I knew he was going to be the guru to bring into the conversation. Glad he was able to impart his knowledge and safe travels!