Towing with 2021 Yukon Denali non-Max towing package

[mlitefan]

Looking at and potentially buying a 2023 Grand Design IMAGINE 2670MK. The dealer specs are as follows:

Hitch 690

UVW 6,845

GVWR 8,495

Length 32' 3"

Height 11' 2"

Here is the question - With a 2021 Yukon Denali (6.2L engine) and no max trailering package, what would I need to do to make this a safe package? Do I need to upgrade it to the max trailer package? I would not trailer more than 4 or 5 times a year less than 250 miles a trip and maybe once a year over that. Terrain would be almost exclusively flat with perhaps a trip to Gatlinburg from Richmond Va once every few years. I also will never primitive camp and we pack fairly light. Just my wife and myself with a 40 pound dog, a small lp portable grill and other fairly light items. Grocery runs would happen upon arrival to locations. Yep...glamping.

I towed a 29 foot trailer with an older Yukon XL (5.3L engine) in the past with a distribution hitch and sway bar with no problem. Of course I would have that combo now as well as an added trailer brake control module but that was 15 years ago so just looking for input on this potential combo.

 

[mlitefan]

To add, no air ride suspension but I do have the Magnetic Ride Control.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Absolutely. The Max tow package gives you a heavy duty radiator amongst other things. Your trailer is not light, beyond what I would even tow, but ya definitely at minimum get the Max tow. Better to have it and not need it vs the opposite.

 

[Geotrash]

Looking at and potentially buying a 2023 Grand Design IMAGINE 2670MK. The dealer specs are as follows:

Hitch 690

UVW 6,845

GVWR 8,495

Length 32' 3"

Height 11' 2"

Here is the question - With a 2021 Yukon Denali (6.2L engine) and no max trailering package, what would I need to do to make this a safe package? Do I need to upgrade it to the max trailer package? I would not trailer more than 4 or 5 times a year less than 250 miles a trip and maybe once a year over that. Terrain would be almost exclusively flat with perhaps a trip to Gatlinburg from Richmond Va once every few years. I also will never primitive camp and we pack fairly light. Just my wife and myself with a 40 pound dog, a small lp portable grill and other fairly light items. Grocery runs would happen upon arrival to locations. Yep...glamping.

I towed a 29 foot trailer with an older Yukon XL (5.3L engine) in the past with a distribution hitch and sway bar with no problem. Of course I would have that combo now as well as an added trailer brake control module but that was 15 years ago so just looking for input on this potential combo.

I believe the only thing the max towing adds is the 'enhanced cooling radiator' for an extra 500 lbs of towing capacity. No idea what that is, exactly, because while the radiators have different part numbers, all of their physical dimensions and specs are the same. My guess is the difference lies in the size of the external engine and transmission oil coolers but I don't know.

Both max and non max tow have the same rear axle ratio and if you have the regular trailering package you'll have the factory brake controller which is where the automatic sway control comes in.

All of that said, I agree with the others that that's about 1000 lbs more trailer than I'd like to pull with one of these. I pull a 7500 lb camper (fully loaded, 6000 lbs empty) with a modified 2012 Yukon XL Denali. Plenty of motor. Factory radiator and fluid coolers are adequate, but only just. I have modified mine accordingly.

 

[dbphillips]

Yep, too heavy. I tow a 2600RB with a 12,000# Equalizer, occasionally with 100# of water, and it's a very solid setup, in spite of an inch of sag in the rear.

If you really know what you are doing, travel light, dial your brakes in perfectly, have a very good load distribution hitch, and the eBay air shocks for our trucks work, you might get away with it, but if anything goes wrong, you are going to have a hard time explaining why it wasn't your fault. You can't do anything to the truck to affect the load capacity plate. It is what it is.

 

[Jetskier77]

I battled with this same issue for years. There is very little you can do to "legally" increase your tow rating. You can help performance by re-gearing, adding coolers, air bags and such. But none of these upgrades increases your capacity. "IF" you ever get into an accident, your tow setup is going to be scrutinized. If they find you to be over the legal tow capacity for your vehicle, the outcome is not good. ALWAYS buy more tow vehicle than what you think you are going to need.