yukon xl & jayco 304

I have serched the internet for hours without an answer. I have a 2003 yukon xl, a 1998 30' jayco (5200lbs & 800lb tounge wt) curt 1000lb weight dist. hitch. Can I tow with this setup? Even with the weight dist. my truck still squats about 2''. Anyone out there towing with simular vehicles?

I believe your best reference is your owners manual and the rule of thumb a lot of the veterans on this post have -- allow yourself a 15 - 20% buffer from what the owners manual says is the maximum weight for your vehicle (to the guys who post here -- correct me if I'm wrong on that). 

I tow a 33' Puma 30DBSS TT (800# TW and about 6900 lbs dry) with my '07 1500 4dr. crew cab Sierra with the 6.0 Liter Vortec Max.  I've weighed everything at a truck stop (when loaded with gear and a full tank of gas), checked the owners manual and have consulted with several of the guys in this forum.  I'm not over on weight limit, but much closer than I'd like to be.  The 6.0 Liter pulls it fine, but the wheelbase of the truck is a little short to be pulling a TT that long. The problem I run into is even with a weight distribution hitch and the bars, the sway is significant especially when an 18 wheeler comes by.  We only tow locally and I never run over 55mph, so it's not to much of a problem -- but it does make me nervous.  Considering you've got the longer XL your 30' should be okay on sway but something you're still going to want to watch.

Regarding the 2" squat -- some squat is normal, but you want to make sure the front end isn't raised significantly.  Your weight distribution hitch should have some adjustment that will help lower the front.  I played around with mine for about an hour and got it to the point where the front end was level with the rear when loaded.  Consult the hitch owners manual or website for instructions.  Here's a link to a brief overview from the company that makes my hitch setup ---- http://www.equalizerhitch.com/productinfo/weight_distribution.php  I hope this is of some help.

Where did you get the trailer weight numbers? Are these actual measured weights or something from a brochure? If from a spec or brochure, are they "dry" weights or GVWR (max weight).  Without knowing what the trailer really weighs, we would have to use the GVWR and an estimated tongue weight.  5200 lbs would be light for a 30 footer, so I think there is a strong likelihood your trailer's actual weight is more than 5200 lbs and the tongue weight may be above 800 lbs.

Next comes the question of your Yukon's towing capacity. Does your Yukon have the 6.0L engine or the 8.1L?  @WD or 4WD? 3.73 axle or 4.10?  With that information we can get the tow rating. Or find it yourself in the 2003 Trailer Life Towing Guide.  Yukon XL's range all the way from 7100 lbs to 12,000, depending on configuration, so this information is critical to getting a proper answer.

My truck is a Yukon XL 5.3 , 4x4 autoride.  I will be pulling the trailer 160 miles , 3 times a year max.  It will be parked at a campground.  It will be unloaded when I make the trip, no propane, battery, supplies etc.  My truck tow rating is 7200lbs & 1200lb tongue weight with weight bars.  I have a set of Curt 1000lb weight dist. bars. The concern I have is the squat.  I have read that the front & back of the truck should level equally, that is not what is happening.  my rear is about 1 - 1 1/2'' lower than the front.  I pulled it about 15 miles and it seemed to be fine.

If the Yukon is normally level before hitching the trailer, I suspect the Autoride is interfering with the leveling via the weight distribution system. Can you turn off the Autoride and use the spring bars to level first? Then turn the Autoride back on? I don't know if there is a switch for Autoride, but I'll bet there is a fuse for the air compressor.

Normally I would not be too concerned with a small sag (1.5") but in this case I wonder if the Autoride is defeating the weight distribution altogether and simply jacking up the rear as much as it can. That would be stressing the rear suspension more than is desirable.

I made the trip thi spast Saturday, all went fine.  The only thing I did notice was when I would go down a hill I had a loose steering type of feel.  Truck had plenty of power , used tow mode & got about 12 mpg @ 55 mph average.

A loose feel in the steering may indicate the weight is being lifted off the rear front wheels, as would happen when the trailer tongue pushes down on the rear.  That's part of what the weight distributing hitch is supposed to prevent, by transferring load to the front wheels.  I am thinking that your Autoride air leveling is trying to take the load at the back, rather than letting the WD hitch do the work.

Were you able to level out the rig with the Autoride turned off and using the spring bars only?

[edit]fixed my mistake - should have been FRONT wheels[/edit]

A loose feel in the steering may indicate the weight is being lifted off the rear wheels, as would happen when the trailer tongue pushes down on the rear.

Click to expand...

That would be "weight is being lifted off the front wheels"  ???

Believe you are correct Tom too much weight on the hitch will cause less weight on the front wheels and bed steering.

Thanks for catching my goof, Tom. I fixed the original too

We're towing a Heartland 31QBS(6900# GVWR) with a 2008 Yukon Denali (116" wheelbase) and had some similar problems working with the Autoride system.  We ended up going with a Hensley Arrow hitch, which eliminated our problems. We hitch up and adjust WD bars with the vehicle (and Autoride) off.  However, we dialed-in the WD system by weighing each axle of a fully loaded rig.  Now we just adjust the WD bars to the same tension (as determined by weighing) and let the Autoride system take care of itself.  Also, if it is of any help,  I do know of someone towing the same trailer we have with a 2005 Yukon XL using a Reece Dual-Cam hitch, who reports no problems.  If you''d like, I can put you in touch with them.  Good luck 

We're towing a 28' Thor Vortex Toy Hauler, weighing in at a hefty 7,950 dry, with our 2004 Yukon XL 2500. It does have the 8.1L and 4.10 gears.  It has the Autoride, but with our Equalizer hitch, the truck squats perfectly level, the trailer's perfectly level and boy does this thing tow like a dream.  The Yukon XL is the hidden gem of the towing world.  It puts our old 2004 F-250 V10 to shame.  No comparisons...

Good luck.