What can I tow with my Suburban

[rudderman]

Hello all,

Very new here to both travel trailers/ towing, and online forums, so please forgive any missteps in advance. I’ve got a 2014 Chevy Suburban LT, 5.3L V8, 4x4, 3.08 axle ratio. Was very disappointed to learn the max trailer weight rating is only 5000 lbs. How big of a TT can I safely tow? I’ve basically committed to buying a preowned hard-side, UVW 4200 lbs, 24 ft long. Chevy dealer (and of course the RV dealers) both said it could handle the load fine. Now reading some of these forums I’m not so sure.

Thanks for any help you can give!

[Jeeperinmoab]

I currently have an 07 with the 3.73 gearing (4 speed). My trailer dry is 6000 lbs and loaded with a full tank of water is a hair over 7000. I am in Southern Utah and spend most of my time dry camping in the mountains (usually in the 8-10000 foot elevation) between Utah and the Colorado Rockies. It does fine. I’m not the fastest one on the roads going up the mountains but I also don’t try to be. On the freeways I can hold 65-70. I am below all of my ratings (rear end, tounge weight, payload, etc). While I would like a bit more power it works for me. I will purchase another suburban when I need a new tv. The only thing I added was an additional tranny cooler.

[parker_rowe]

EnzoColorado wrote:
Im in similar shoes. I have a 2010 Suburban with the exact same spec as yours. My TT GCWR is 5000 lbs. I live in Colorado so a lot of high elevation hills.

I added a transmission cooler and a brake controller. After a season of towing, I upgraded the 3.08 to 4.10 and was so much happier with towing and also driving in general. I think if you did what I did to the Suburban, you would be fine with the trailer mentioned in the original post.

Yep, gears make a huge difference. Especially when you are starting with 3.08's. I would love to try out a 6 speed (4.17 first gear), or the new 10 speed(4.69 first gear), with a 4.10 rear!

I bet they really get that load moving from a stop, plus they have better/multiple overdrive gears than my old 4 speed(3.06 first gear)...

The highest rated tow package(RPO Code K5L) for the OP's Suburban only lists a transmission and oil cooler, and 3.42 gears. Rated at 8300lbs. Same axles, springs, radiator, engine...all the expensive important stuff.

Another thing to check is tires. A lot of times the nice soft riding LT tires limit your tow rating.

[Ralph_Cramden]

lawrosa wrote:
Best bang for your buck would be to find a used jayco x213. Your get a lot in a small trailer without the tent ends.

Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 4315
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 405
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 5500
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 1185




https://www.jayco.com/products/travel-trailers/2018-jay-feather/x213/



Video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbA6IEOGstY

I'd buy a new one or at least give the used one a thorough inspection. Those rear slides are prone to structural issues both related to and not related to water damage. I have been intimately familiar with 4, all of different model years, and all 4 had issues with that rear slide. Two were so bad the owners scrapped them. IRRC mid 00's model years on the scrapped ones, the other two were 11 and 12. It's a bad design as the slide extends too far to support itself. Even worse is if the owners were of great bulk, chances are that slide is just hanging on from the weight it was subjected to. Forest River used to make rear slide models in the Rockwoods and they had their problems too. Maybe they have developed some type of manufacturing design engineering miracle as of late, but I would be skeptical based on what I have seen in the past of rear bed slides.

[EnzoColorado]

Im in similar shoes. I have a 2010 Suburban with the exact same spec as yours. My TT GCWR is 5000 lbs. I live in Colorado so a lot of high elevation hills.

I added a transmission cooler and a brake controller. After a season of towing, I upgraded the 3.08 to 4.10 and was so much happier with towing and also driving in general. I think if you did what I did to the Suburban, you would be fine with the trailer mentioned in the original post.

[lawrosa]

Best bang for your buck would be to find a used jayco x213. Your get a lot in a small trailer without the tent ends.

Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 4315
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 405
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 5500
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 1185




https://www.jayco.com/products/travel-trailers/2018-jay-feather/x213/



Video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbA6IEOGstY

[BenK]

Your half ton Suburban “can” tow any of those trailers...but...not rated for, nor safely (all things designed are not for the good days...but for the bad days...where you will need every ounce to manhandle the situation), nor as safely as the next higher class Suburban

Minimum for your half ton...make sure it has the tow option (if not, then install the components that make up that tow option), upgrade to the next higher class tire...”LT” class (stock are “P” class...passenger class...vs “llight truck” class and change out the two diff gear sets (your 75% hills comment)

Can forgo the diff ratios with a few trips with those 3.08s and know you will realize the why of lower diff ratio (higher numeric)folks have been r3commended. Plus a lower diff ratio will have greater grade ******. Suggest a min of a 3.73. There is no difference in cost between 3.73 vs 4.11

[rudderman]

Continue to appreciate all the great feedback. Leaning towards either a hybrid now, or just a lighter-weight brand. Found a 2015 KZ Escape weighing in at 3750 UVW that looks promising. Has a slide, sofa, queen bed and double bunks— plenty of room for all 5 of us. Seems like a lot for 3700 lbs, which has me wondering what the quality/ workmanship is like? Perhaps info for another thread, I’ll look around.

At any rate, I think we are all for making a few “minor” modifications to hep our Suburban along as we get close to the top of its weight limit— like probably a tranny cooler. Not sure we are up for switching out axles (esp since it’s a 4x4), at that point would probably rather just get a lighter trailer. I would say 75% of our travel would be through mountains, and relatively long distance (300-500 miles or so).

[intheburbs]

Son of Norway wrote:
I have a half-ton Suburban, and I would not tow a trailer of any significant size with it. You need a bigger truck.

ScottG wrote:
Even UVW of 4200 is too much in my opinion. That's because you will load it up with at least #600 of stuff and water, then there's the #120 hitch, your passengers and any gear in the vehicle.
YOU WILL HATE having an under sized TV.

Sorry for the downer,
Scott

We used to have a half-ton 2001 Suburban. Not sure I agree with these two posts....

Our first trailer (28', 4500 lbs)


Then we had this (28', 5600 lbs)...


Then this (26', 7000 lbs)...


All three of these trailers were dragged around the country - Florida, Virginia, Colorado, Wyoming, etc...

Of all of them, only the last one, the 7,000 lbs trailer was, IMHO, too much. And that's when we upgraded to the 3/4 ton Burb. But none of the trailers had us overweight on payload, GCWR or RAWR. We weighed on a scale every trip.

To the OP, I think a 5000-lb trailer will be fine with your Suburban. As said on other posts, it also depends on what your plans are. Cross-country towing or local runs?

[Ralph_Cramden]

Grit dog wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Yes they do. Even 20 years ago trucks were rated at what today’s 1/2 tons are. Yet it was OK then!

Bingo! It's all about experience and expectations.
Like my kids expect their cell phones will provide entertainment, direction and social interaction...all at the same time.
Could do the same thing with less back in the day, so why not now.

So why not now? You sort of answered your own question by mentioning your kids phone. Because of the coming of the RV themed internet board. The same reason you need to go to a CAT scale to setup a weight distribution hitch, despite manufacturers of same not mentioning a scale anywhere in their instructions and telling you to set it up based on measurements.

The RV forum, complicating the uncomplicated since the mid 1990s.

[Grit_dog]

dodge guy wrote:
Yes they do. Even 20 years ago trucks were rated at what today’s 1/2 tons are. Yet it was OK then!

Bingo! It's all about experience and expectations.
Like my kids expect their cell phones will provide entertainment, direction and social interaction...all at the same time.
Could do the same thing with less back in the day, so why not now.
Btw, I d@mn near stomped my 11 year old's phone into the ground today!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having enough snort to hook to a semi trailer if I had to. The wife's pickup ain't exactly stock.....
BUT if I had a 1/2 ton 6 banger, I'd still use it to pull trailers n stuff...

[dodge_guy]

Yes they do. Even 20 years ago trucks were rated at what today’s 1/2 tons are. Yet it was OK then!

[Ralph_Cramden]

Lynnmor wrote:


Yes, I remember the good ole days. Driving over Wolf Creek Pass and seeing the roadside littered with steaming junk is a very pleasant memory.

I remember them also. I remember a 7 week trip in 1972 with dad pulling a 70 Terry, pretty sure it was a 24 footer, from PA out to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, and Utah with a 67 Falcon Station wagon. Mom and dad, my sister and I, and two cousins. I don't remember seeing any steaming junk along the road. We certainly didn't break down. Dad had never been to a scale nor did he care to, and he never looked at a payload sticker if they even had those back then. These towing threads always provide a good laugh.

[parker_rowe]

My 96 Suburban in rated to tow 6K.

My camper has a dry weight of 5200lbs. Gross weight of 6500lbs. 28ft camper closed up.

Never had it over the scales for a true weight.

I have added some load leveler springs to the rear, and it has the tow package required for the 6K rating. 3.73 gears and factory external trans cooler.

I have towed this setup on multiple long trips with 6 people in the truck, loaded for a week long stay. With a grill in the back and 10 gallons of water in the tank for pit stops.

I tow in 3rd(direct) with the 4 speed auto my truck has.

The ONLY thing I wish it had was a little more power (255hp/335tq). I'm not pulling the rockies out west, but the hills in PA slowed it down a bit...about 45mph unless I let it downshift to 2nd. Trans temps never went over 200F and temp never went over 210F. On flat ground it will cruise all day at 60mph. No sway issues, very calm tow.

If I had your truck, I would be willing to try a 4200lb camper to see how it felt. A external trans cooler would be a good addition either way if you are pulling a camper with any weight to it. More gear would help a lot as well, but is a bit more expensive.

There are lots of GM trucks rated to tow much more with the same axles you have, but more rear gear and cooling. My FIL's 04 tahoe is rated for 7000! Your suburban has a better transmission, more power, and a longer wheelbase than the Tahoe. I'm surprised at the 5k tow rating myself.

Moderator edit to re-size image to forum recommended limit of 640px maximum width.

[Lynnmor]

Ralph Cramden wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

the phenomenon that is sweeping rvnet with the advent of all these monster HD trucks with 900+ ft lbs of torque is amazing. Now it seems that a vehicle that is completely more capable in every sense than a HD truck of years past cannot tow a moderate size trailer.

Remember a lot of folks replying here are now "professional" OTR Heavy duty RVers or what's more commonly referred to as retirees. They're looking at a very conservative approach where the occasional weekend warrior will have no trouble, because the weekender is not putting on major windshield time with the camper in tow like the Pros are.

That's a good one! I don't know how pops got away with towing 24'and 28' travel trailers back in the day with a Falcon station wagon, a 4 door 6 cylinder Maverick, a Jeep Wagoneer with the 258, and a mid 70s Caprice that had way less than 200HP.

Yes, I remember the good ole days. Driving over Wolf Creek Pass and seeing the roadside littered with steaming junk is a very pleasant memory.