Towing. Totally confused. Help please.

[Badmunky]

Ok so we bout an 07 Yukon 5.3 with 3:73 gears to use as a tow rig.
Before I bout it my dad who has an 07 Tahoe told me it could tow 11,200lb. I know that is wrong. So I asked the dealer and was told it had the HD tow option and was good for 7,300lb. Seeing as my trailer has a gross ratting of 7,200lb that was perfect.
Then I looked at the hitch. It shows 5,000lb and 10,000lb with weight distributing hitch.
Then my buddy tells my I can't town over 5,000lb no mater what.

So I sent a PM to GM on here and she sent me this back.
"With the VIN you provided, I see that you have a GVW rating or 7,300 pounds which means that 7,300 pounds is the maximum weight you can tow including the weight of the vehicle. Your gross vehicle weight is 3,314 pounds, leaving you with 3,986 pounds you can additionally tow."

Now I'm even more confused.
I bout this thing because I was told it was rated for 7,300lb. If I can not pull my trailer it's usless to me.

I tried searching the net and every site has a different listing for what the vehicle can pull.

Can some one link me to a reputable site that lists the tow rating of my truck please.

Thank you.

 

[Bossy70]

The GM person is wrong, GVWR does not include trailer weight.

GCWR = Curb Weight + Passenger + Cargo + Total Trailer Weight

GVWR = Curb Weight + Passenger + Cargo + Tongue/Hitch Weight

It does sound like your hitch rating is 5,000 lbs though.

Below are estimates

I think your GCWR should be around 12,500lb (check your owner's manual), so while your curb weight should be around 5,500 lb you should be around:

Max Trailer Weight = 12,500 - 5,500 - Passengers - Cargo

Therefore,
Max Trailer Weight [lb] = 7,000 [lb] - Passengers & Cargo [lb]

I think my 2010 Tahoe w/ 5.3 and 3.08 gears:
GCVW = 11,000 lb
Curb Weight = 5,600 lb
Max Trailer Weight = 5,400 lb - Passengers & Cargo

 

[Badmunky]

Thanks man!
I found it in the manual.

GVWR is 7,300lb
GCVWR is 13,000lb
Max trailer wight is 6,700lb
Max tungue weight is 600lb or 1,000lb with weight distributing hitch.
If I change from the 3:73 gears to the 4:10 gears I gain 1,000lb of trailer weight, and my GCVWR goes to 14,000lb.

So I will be changing to the 4:10 gears as soon as I can.

Hope this helps some one ells.

 

[FaSSt9602]

Thanks man!

If I change from the 3:73 gears to the 4:10 gears I gain 1,000lb of trailer weight, and my GCVWR goes to 14,000lb.

Says who?

Your truck is stickered for what it is. Changing anything on your own doesn't change the sticker. The trucks that came from the factory with 4.10's have that extra GCVWR and GVWR, not yours.

I can't change the leaf springs in my F250 to the F350 springs and have my trucks tow ratings go up to the F350. Obviously my truck will to WAY more than it is stickered for, but legally, the cop that pulls you over for being overweight is going to look at the vehicle sticker and doesn't care that you put 4.10's in there.

Not picking a fight, just warning you that gear changes, helper bags, etc might make towing easier/safer, but legally your truck can only tow what the factory said it could in the trim that it left...

 

[Badmunky]

The sticker that goes in side the door of my truck is gone.
The title has no weight ratting on it.
My registration shows nothing on what it can tow.
And the only thing on the truck with any thing tow related is the hitch. And it lists 10,000lb.
Add to that that the only way I'm going got get pulled over and weighed would be if it looked unsafe and I should be just fine.

I tow a trailer for a living. (Semi driver)
And would not tow more then I know my vehicle can handle.
For now I will not go over 6,700lb.
The only thing that's different on a truck rated for 7,700lb is the final drive gears.
I have no idea what all would be different on your F250.

Right now my trailer tops out at just under 6,000lb loaded. But at some point I may need to go up to the 7,200lb GVW of the trailer.
By then I may even have bout a truck. No idea.

I will keep what you said in mind. But I will likely never have a problem.

I will also be adding a few things to help it deal with what I tow right now as well.

Rear air helper bags.
40k trans cooler kit.
Larger aluminum trans pan.
New rear shocks.
Weight distributing hitch with sway control.
And a brake controller.

I will also watch how much I put in the truck when towing as well as weighing the rig to see where I am at to be sure it's safe.

I have not yet towed any thing with this truck.
But I have to pull a tow dolly with 4k SUV on it about 165 miles at the end of the month.

I'll have all but the brake controller and weight distributing hitch installed by then.
Seeing as the tow dolly has no brakes the brake controller would not help me any way. And the hitch shows I only need the weight distributing hitch if I go over 5,000lb, and I should be just under that.

Thanks.

 

[FaSSt9602]

Sounds like you have it all worked out...

Not sure where you are from, but out west the highway patrol is tough! When we head to the dunes, I have seen people pulled over and some patrol cars actually carry a set of scales and they will have you drive the rear tires up on the scales. If the trucks rear axle weight is over sticker, you have a HEFTY fine, and you have to drop your trailer and pick it up with something capable, or have it towed.

But, like you said, if it doesn't look obvious that you are overweight, you probably won't ever have a problem...

I love my Tahoe, but I couldn't imagine towing much of anything with it...I've been spoiled with a diesel truck!

 

[Gzes]

Down here there's not really a problem with cops caring for overweight trailers. In my 2dr I'm usually at about 12000 give or take loaded and I've never been pulled over and scaled. I get scaled at the yards when I scrap cars so that's roughly my loaded weight with my dovetail and scrap cars and I'm starting to haul Junkers regularly from town to the next

 

[Badmunky]

I to have been spoiled by diesel trucks.
But right now I can not afford one.
We looked for a clean Ram 3500 and there just so over priced we gave up. No way in hell I'm paying close to 30k for a 7 year old truck pushing 150k on the clock.

Seeing as our towing needs are limited to a 24' two axle flat bed car trailer with our 2000 Cherokee sport and gear on it, (trailer rated for 7,200lb) and a small boat that comes in at just under 3k the Yukon can handle this with no problems.

So we saved over 10k, got a vehicle with 50k less miles, and the wife actually likes driving it. (She hates trucks.)

I may buy a truck again later. But right now I need a house more then a truck.

I'm from Michigan. And here as long as you are not speeding, (I almost never speed. And will usually be doing 5 to 10 under on the highway when towing) and your rig does not look to be over loaded or unsafe in any way they tend to leave you alone.

Now if I tried to pull a 40' three axle enclosed trailer with the back of the a Yukon looking like it was about to drag on the ground, they would stop me as soon as they see me.

But I see people pulling trailers all the time that are larger then mine with smaller SUVs. I saw a guy the other day pulling a 30' camper trailer with a Jeep Liberty!!!!!!

Now that guy scared me. I was not going got get any where near that guy. I'm 100% sure that Liberty is not rated to pull that large of a trailer.

One time I saw a Geo Metro pulling a two axle Uhaul trailer! You know the big one they rent. You could not even see the car pulling it until you got right up next him. And he was all over the road.
Thing that scared me most, he had Florida plates. He was west bound in Arizona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FaSSt9602]

Uhaul is at fault for that one...they need to keep track of what is towing their trailers...

Horribly loaded, overweight trailers combined with novice drivers who panic and slam on the brakes when the trailer starts to sway are very dangerous...

http://youtu.be/rCfFbQpmqWk