Realistic/safe towing capacity?

[Hyperloop]

Hey guys, I have a 2001 Yukon Denali. I'm wondering how much travel trailer I can safely and comfortably tow.

Sure, I know that on paper this truck can tow around 8,000 lbs, but instincts tell me that this would neither be a safe nor comfortable experience.

I'd much rather pick a travel trailer that's much smaller and lighter. The question is, how small/light? Curious to hear from some other owners in terms of what your experiences with various trailer weights/lengths has been.

Also, does length factor in much in terms of 'pucker factor' on the highway, or should I only be concerned with weight?

 

[Scottydoggs]

if your truck and trailer are set up right you should hardly know its back there on the hwy. you can also get air bags to help keep the ass end up too. as well as theres some fancy hitch set up ups that help a ton. ive never needed them as i tow with HD trucks so just setting up the trucks hitch so the trailer frame is level is all i need to do. always leave more then enough room to stop from the car in front of you. even when the trailer has brakes they can add to the stopping distance too.

if you dont have much towing experience you might want to start out smaller then as you get comfortable with towing trade it in for a longer model. tandem axles are easier to back up with too. further the trailer wheels are from the truck also makes it easier to back up......learning a right turn with a long trailer takes some care too. everything now takes a wide birth. eyes on the trailer wheels in the mirror too.

lucky me, ive been towing things since 86, aka when i got my lic. i tow a landscaping 18 foot trailer with a full 4 door crew cab and a 9 foot dump all day and back that sucker into a driveway daily that most would claim you cant get that in there lol the crew cab adds a whole new extra world out of wide right turns.....

as far as weight, id try to stay under the trucks gvw. check your brake lines for bad rust, replace them if need be. last thing you want is to loose the brakes. trucks got some age to it now. so make sure its up to the task.

 

[Chris2144]

Everything that was said above with special attention to air bags for the rear they make a huge difference in ride quality I know personally. Brakes up to date and what gears do you have this can be found in the glove box. Gears plus tire size will make a huge difference. I'd say for the recreational tow your describing if the Yukon is set up right you should be able to do about 7k with out to much worry.


Also make sure it is set up with either the factory trans oil cooler or an aftermarket one or you can kiss that 4l60e goodbye

 

[PG01]

Weight distributing hitch...with sway control..on top of the airbags mentioned by @Scottydoggs . I wouldn’t consider towing a tt without the wdh, the difference that piece of equipment makes is unbelievable. WDH ‘s jack up the rear, gives you more control on steering aspect and makes truck and trailer 1 unit in a way. You didn’t mention if it was a swb or lwb.... makes a big difference also....My 2 bits..

 

[Woodblocker55]

Well there is alot going on with towing .. flat land or heading to the Rockies .. Flat land 8000 lbs no problem with weight distribution hitch. Rockies stay below 6000 lbs .. But if you have weight distribution hitch and air bags. It will tow alot more then you think . Local guys are pulling 4000 lb trailer with 7000lb skid steers on trailer with 1/2 tons . Yes thats 11,000 lbs trailer and load and these rigs have 200,000 miles . Last year I pulled 8600 lb trailer 1500 miles 2002 suburban LT with towing package .. I'm in area I say it's flat land ..good brakes are a must on the trailers . Has alot to do with driver to and tranny temp gauge is a good idea . I keep it in 3rd when ever towing with towing button on . Keep rpms up for cooling . I will be towing over 9000 lbs this year I have 4:10 gears .
Like anything depends on your rear end you have.. how well all this will be accomplished. 3:73 or 4:10
Is what my experience is . And 2006 and older..[emoji106]

Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk

 

[adriver]

^ this (long steep hills make a difference, the Rockies is probably the toughest place to tow in the country). Also, depending on where you live, WIND. If you are going to be going over areas where there are valleys and through mountains, there are usually gusts that are much stronger than a given wind speed, because it gets funneled, especially over short bridges. This can cause it to swerve, and then cause you to spin our, or even a 50mph gust can flip a semi trailer on its side.


If you DIY, and don't have it, I would add that to the list: e-fans, tune, GMT900 front brake upgrade, hydroboost, better sway bars, or at least better sway bar bushings will help. Air helper bags, stiffer tires, weight distribution hitch, tow mirrors, are all things that will help in there own way.


You could always rent a flatbed from somewhere like Penske or uhaul. Pull a car/truck on it and try to get near your desired weight, and see how it does, (got gym weights or know someone who does? There's a lot of weight, thats easy to handle in a little space). Take it to the kind of area where it will really get tested (your biggest hills nearby you might drive it on), and see how comfortable you are before making a commitment. If you have a passenger with you, they can always take it off the trailer, and drive it separately if things get too bad.

 

[Larryjb]

With a travel trailer, don't forget that the weight of the trailer is a dry weight only, not including water, propane, sometimes even options like AC and awnings.

You should also consider the GCWR. This includes the weight of everything, including people. I pull a Trailmanor 2720 (really cool trailers BTW) which opens up to a 27' trailer but weighs just 3500 lbs. When we went on our first long trip, we were just under the GCVW by a couple a thousand lbs. We would have been well over that if we were pulling a standard 27' trailer. We were actually over the rear axle weight rating, another consideration.

We have since learned how to pack lighter, and with a WDH I don't even need air bags because the weight is transferred to the front.

 

[swathdiver]

With a travel trailer, don't forget that the weight of the trailer is a dry weight only, not including water, propane, sometimes even options like AC and awnings.

You should also consider the GCWR. This includes the weight of everything, including people. I pull a Trailmanor 2720 (really cool trailers BTW) which opens up to a 27' trailer but weighs just 3500 lbs. When we went on our first long trip, we were just under the GCVW by a couple a thousand lbs. We would have been well over that if we were pulling a standard 27' trailer. We were actually over the rear axle weight rating, another consideration.

We have since learned how to pack lighter, and with a WDH I don't even need air bags because the weight is transferred to the front.

Y'all need this! I've been working on it for 2 years and think it's ready but would like a couple of y'all to peer review it before "publication".

 

[adriver]

If you are in the South/Southwest, you will want to improve that oil cooler.

Streets in the North East, (the older part of the country), are as obscure as you can get. Phoenix, AZ is near 100% grid pattern with all the major streets 1 mile apart, in the easiest graph paper mapping you could come up with other than a few mountains inside the city. In the North East the length might be more of a concern, where they just followed wagon tracks that went around trees and they just stuck with it. Backing up with a longer trailer is not much of a difference and can actually make it easier because it wont turn on you as quick. Again with the wind, it creates more surface area. You can always go to a parking lot, or private area, and practice a few turns with cones, or even taped down paper so you can get a good idea of where your wheels go, and how wide you need to learn to swing out.

 

[SnowDrifter]

Y'all need this! I've been working on it for 2 years and think it's ready but would like a couple of y'all to peer review it before "publication".

View attachment 228136

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