Towing a trailer with automatic leveling system

[hailbun]

Hello, new member. I have a 2011 LTZ Tahoe with tow package. I bought this in 2020 to tow 4 wheelers and such. I have never had a trailer with brakes. Just bought a 2011 travel trailer, 22" 3900 lbs. Towed it home with just my ball hitch. I purchased a E2 load distribution system. In the instructions it says: Tow vehicle “auto-level” systems should also be disabled or turned off. If your tow vehicle is equipped with air bags, we recommend that you inflate them to the pressure you are expecting to tow with before setting up the hitch. Inflating them after hitch set up changes the relationship between tow vehicle and trailer, and can reduce the amount of weight distribution and sway control you get from your hitch.
I know the Tahoe has a compressor, I can see it and hear it on start-up. It sits so high in the rear I had to buy an extra long shank to get the ball down to the correct height.
I have questions. I'm not sure if it has air shocks or air bags. If it has air bags how do I inflate them to the pressure I am expecting to tow with as indicated in the instructions? How do I even know what the PSI in it is? Do I need to disable the ALS to use the load leveler system? If so, is it possible to just pull the fuse for that? If I do disconnect it, do I leave it disconnected the whole time I'm trailering? Do I need to reconnect it when I unhook the trailer, in case we want to go somewhere? If I disconnect it, how does the air leave the system before I can install the load leveling system? Or, do I just ignore the instructions and hook it up where the ALS has it adjusted? I want myself and everyone else on the road to be safe. Never knew it could get so complicated just to pull a trailer. I will ask Fastway Trailer, the maker of the hitch as well. I'm a Yamaha forum member so I know the type of excellent advice that can come from others. Any Tahoe owners with load leveling systems? Appreciate any and all assistance.

 

[B-train]

I don't think you have to get too overzealous. If you have a compressor, you have air lift shocks. The truck will auto level with load. Hook up the trailer with you truck running and as you put weight on the compressor will kick in to keep it the same height.

I have 2 vehicles with this system and have towed plenty of things. With the travel trailer and weight distribution hitch, you basically want the truck and trailer to be level when the tongue jack is out of the equation. It'll work fine.

Just note that if your compressor runs non-stop or very frequently, you have a leak in the system - usually the air bladders on the shocks where they fold under and mount. You need to jack up the body of the vehicle to get the axle to relax and extend the shocks. Then you can inspect. Or, use soapy water when they are pumped up and look for bubbles.

 

[swathdiver]

You are supposed to hook up the rig without the bars tensioned, let the compressor level out the truck and trailer and then tension your bars.

Look up and read page 9-55 in your PDF copy of the owner's manual.

 

[Geotrash]

Hello, new member. I have a 2011 LTZ Tahoe with tow package. I bought this in 2020 to tow 4 wheelers and such. I have never had a trailer with brakes. Just bought a 2011 travel trailer, 22" 3900 lbs. Towed it home with just my ball hitch. I purchased a E2 load distribution system. In the instructions it says: Tow vehicle “auto-level” systems should also be disabled or turned off. If your tow vehicle is equipped with air bags, we recommend that you inflate them to the pressure you are expecting to tow with before setting up the hitch. Inflating them after hitch set up changes the relationship between tow vehicle and trailer, and can reduce the amount of weight distribution and sway control you get from your hitch.
I know the Tahoe has a compressor, I can see it and hear it on start-up. It sits so high in the rear I had to buy an extra long shank to get the ball down to the correct height.
I have questions. I'm not sure if it has air shocks or air bags. If it has air bags how do I inflate them to the pressure I am expecting to tow with as indicated in the instructions? How do I even know what the PSI in it is? Do I need to disable the ALS to use the load leveler system? If so, is it possible to just pull the fuse for that? If I do disconnect it, do I leave it disconnected the whole time I'm trailering? Do I need to reconnect it when I unhook the trailer, in case we want to go somewhere? If I disconnect it, how does the air leave the system before I can install the load leveling system? Or, do I just ignore the instructions and hook it up where the ALS has it adjusted? I want myself and everyone else on the road to be safe. Never knew it could get so complicated just to pull a trailer. I will ask Fastway Trailer, the maker of the hitch as well. I'm a Yamaha forum member so I know the type of excellent advice that can come from others. Any Tahoe owners with load leveling systems? Appreciate any and all assistance.

I tow a 7500 lb camper with the Z55 rear air suspension on a Yukon XL Denali and I use a weight distributing hitch. Prior to that I had a 4000 lb (gross) single axle travel trailer that I did not use a weight distributing hitch for because I measured the tongue weight at about 450 lbs. I did the research at the time for both with and without the WDH and GM's guidance was to use the air suspension to take up the remaining squat once the hitch was setup right. That's what it was engineered for and it's fully automated.

3900 lbs for yours is empty, yes? So it's safe to say it's maybe 4500+ loaded up for camping? If so, then you probably have about 500 lbs on the tongue. That's into weight distributing hitch territory, in my opinion. Your Fastway E3 will be just fine. A Camco Recurve R3 is the hitch I use and I have a set of 600 lb bars for it for lighter trailers and a set of 1000 lb bars for the 7500 lb camper. But here's the trick: Set the hitch and weight distributing bars up so that they take as much of the squat out as they can (leaving less than an inch of squat if you can get it that close) with the ignition off, and then start the truck to take out the rest. Pulls great this way because it leaves enough tension on the bars for them to remain effective.

 

[hailbun]

I appreciate everyone's response. It won't be until next week that I can set this up, but my confidence is MUCH higher. Thanks again.

 

[petethepug]

That’s solid info. You’re gonna look smart having both the trailer and truck level with the right hitch. Anyone using a multi position hitch ball?

 

[Art Contoni]

My Wifes 2013 Tahoe and my 2017 Yukon compressors both seem to be running quite a bit, I'll have to inspect these. I too, tow with both but do not have the equalizer. Be interesting to see how these work.

 

[hailbun]

Hello, back again. Just hooked up the load distro. Went really smooth. The L brackets are at their lowest point. Probably because it's a fairly light trailer. That seems to be where the previous owner had it as well. He towed with a very similar Chevy pickup, that also had load leveling on it. Drove it around for a while. You can definitely feel the truck and trailer seem as one now. Will take it out in 2 weeks for our first trip. As always, these forums are fantastic, especially when the members are great. Much appreciation!

 

[petethepug]

Awesome. That could be in an Escalade sales brochure.

 

[RobH]

I do the same. Hitch and adjust with the ignition off. Your manual should have instructions for hitching with a weight distribution hitch. My 2016 manual says to adjust the weight distribution system to make the front fender opening height the same as when unhitched. This keeps an appropriate amount of weight on the front axle for steering control.

I suggest you monitor your transmission temperature. If you have a 6L80 transmission, the torque converter clutch can be a weak spot and is adversely affected by heat. There is a factory service bulletin to change out the thermal bypass valve (thermostat) for a 70°C (158°F) thermal bypass valve. I lost my transmission recently at 120k miles. I now have a GM reman transmission with the service bulletin valve.