Travel Trailer Question

[crtdavis]

I am considering buying my first camper and here is what my issues is. The camper that my wife and I like is the Coachman Catalina 293QBCK.

I drive a 2015 GMC Yukon Denali XL which states it will pull up to 7,900 lbs. This camper states the following:

UVW 6572 lbs and GVWR 9500 lbs.

Can my vehicle pull this safely or is this just a bit too much?

Looking for input aside from a salesperson if/when I go to look at them.

I have 4 boys so the space is perfect for us.

Thanks

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[Bobbo]

I have an F-150 that Ford says will tow 11,800#. Ford has, shall we say, exaggerated that number. Your trailer is heavier than I would consider towing with my truck. There is no way I would even try to haul that trailer with that truck.

This will tell you how much trailer you can tow.

1. add the weights of the driver and all passengers who will ride in the vehicle while towing.
2. if you have a tonneau cover or topper, add its weight.
3. add weight of WD hitch (100# is a good estimate).
4. add estimated weight of everything you will haul in the tow vehicle including, but not limited to, grill, generator, tables, chairs, firewood, etc.
5. now, subtract whatever total you get from the Payload Rating on the label inside the driver's door frame. That is the vehicle's payload left for tongue weight.
6. since a trailer should have 12% to 15% of its weight as tongue weight, divide the number from step 5 by 13%. Whatever number that is is the approximate max for your trailer.

For MY truck those numbers are
1. 400#
2. 200#
3. 100#
4a. 150# (portable boat we carry)
4b. 150# (misc stuff for camping)
5. subtract that 1000# from the 1895# of our Payload Rating giving 895#
6. 895#/13%=6884# (I said Ford exaggerated the tow rating.) I may, MAY, consider towing a trailer with a GVWR of 7500#, but nothing heavier than that.

The trailer we bought has a GVWR of 6000#. That gives us about a 13% cushion. (Purely for comparison, since this number is completely meaningless, the dry weight of my trailer is listed as 4806#.)

[boosTT]

Yes, you can add super springs, air bags and other devices that assist when you are maxed out on payload... but you don't want to plan to need those. They are a absolute last resort and barely help anyway. Same for the axles. There is more to a 2500 then just axles.

You might want to look at class c's?

[rbpru]

By now you should have figured out vehicles can pull more than they can a carry.

Simply put, once you weigh your family, toys and other tow vehicle goodies you cannot live without; then subtract it from the tow vehicles max cargo capacity what is left is the tongue weight you can carry.

A rough figure of tongue weight is 13% of the TTs gross weight limit. Or in everyday figures my 5000 lb. dry weight TT weighs 6200 lbs. when loaded for the road and has 750 lbs. of tongue weight.

When I add may family, I have axed out my F-150's cargo capacity.

The CAT scales do not lie.

Good Luck

[SoundGuy]

Jebby14 wrote:
if the number is positive. go to step 2 (checking frontal area limitations)

The OP's Yukon is fine as far as "frontal limitations" is concerned, he'll be no different than the rest of us towing a typical travel trailer with a 1/2 truck or full size SUV. His problem with this trailer will be the same problem everyone of us would have - pretty high gross trailer tongue weight for a trailer of this size vs limited 1/2 ton payload capacity. That by far is his greatest issue.

[Jebby14]

forget towing capacity. forget dry weights. figure out the loaded weight of the camper then use that to figure out tongue weight (roughly 13 percent) take your vehicle payload subtract weight of all passengers and gear in the car subtract the weight of your hitch and the tongue weight of your trailer. if the number is positive. go to step 2 (checking frontal area limitations)

[SoundGuy]

crtdavis wrote:
My It sounds like my vehicle can not pull the type of camper that I ultimately would like to get bc my family is too big and the size camper I would need would be too small. I know they have the ability to turn the couch into a bed and the dinette area but I dont want to have to do that.

Don't feel bad, it's the same sad song many, many before you have sung. 😞 The solution is simple, as I already mentioned - either upgrade to a 3/4 ton OR adjust your expectations to a lighter trailer that weighs no more than ~ 6000 lbs loaded & ready to camp, with an average gross tongue weight of no more than ~ 900 lbs. Even at that your current vehicle, with your family in it, will be at it's limit. :E

[crtdavis]

APT Thanks for your comments. My It sounds like my vehicle can not pull the type of camper that I ultimately would like to get bc my family is too big and the size camper I would need would be too small. I know they have the ability to turn the couch into a bed and the dinette area but I dont want to have to do that.

So I either need to get a 3/4 ton truck to pull what I want or go with a smaller camper.

Wonder if I can put 3/4 ton axles on my Yukon and then pull a bigger camper??

[APT]

You will be very close to that 7900 pound tow rating, and over the GCWR with a family onboard. Maybe over GVWR and receiver limits.

Targeting under 6k dry is better, but with a larger family, you will likely be limited by payload even lower. That has to include passengers and cargo inside the vehicle and trailer tongue weight. Let's say you have 1500 pounds available which is typical for that generation Yukon. Take off 700 pounds for people leaving 800 for loaded TW, which is about 6k loaded and 5k dry.

[2112]

Ignore UVW. For that vehicle you should be looking at trailers with no more than 6500lbs GVWR unless you pack light and travel alone.

[SoundGuy]

crtdavis wrote:
Sadly I am sure there is nothing I can do to my Yukon to make it pull better like upgrading the rear suspension or anything like that? There is not a vehicle I could own that would fit us comfortably and get a camper like this is what is is looking like. 😞

Sure there is - a 3/4 ton with significantly greater payload capacity. It's either that OR a lighter trailer. 😉

[SoundGuy]

crtdavis wrote:
I am considering buying my first camper and here is what my issues is. The camper that my wife and I like is the Coachman Catalina 293QBCK.

I drive a 2015 GMC Yukon Denali XL which states it will pull up to 7,900 lbs. This camper states the following:

UVW 6572 lbs and GVWR 9500 lbs.

Can my vehicle pull this safely or is this just a bit too much?

Not a bit too much, WAY too much. 😞 I've been towing with 3 different GM trucks, all with the ubiquitous 5.3L engine, all driving a 3.42 axle. Personally I wouldn't want to tow any full height trailer with a factory advertised UVW of more than ~ 5000 lbs, knowing that it's actual stickered UVW as it arrives at the dealer will be several hundred pounds more. Loaded & ready to camp I'd prefer to keep the trailer's GVW no more than ~ 6000 lbs, 'though I'd agree some may be comfortable with a bit more, perhaps up to 7000 lbs loaded. That would be the max though as 13% gross tongue weight would be over 900 lbs which will chew significantly into any 1/2 ton's payload capacity, leaving not a whole lot for people and cargo.

[1492]

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[crtdavis]

Thanks. this is why I am asking these questions as your input is very helpful. I am not taking into account the weight of all of us in my vehicle or anything else. I was only looking at this based on the weight of the trailer and what is inside as I pull it.

Sadly I am sure there is nothing I can do to my Yukon to make it pull better like upgrading the rear suspension or anything like that? There is not a vehicle I could own that would fit us comfortably and get a camper like this is what is is looking like. 😞

[2edgesword]

The 6,572 dry weight of the camper will be increase significantly after you add battery, propane, weight distribution hitch and all the stuff you’ll need for a family of four in the camper. You also need to pay attention to the maximum payload for the truck because in a lot of case that becomes the limiting factor. If you end up with a real trailer weight of 7,500 lbs 10% to 15% of that weight will be carried by the truck so you may be looking at 1,000 lbs (tongue weight) plus the weight of four individuals and whatever else you carry in the truck as your final payload number.

If you can add all of those things together and not exceed the maximum tow or maximum payload numbers the truck will manage the pull but performance (acceleration, climbing steep grades while maintaining speed and stopping) will be marginal.