Pulling a trailer with a Yukon XL, 5.3 liter, no premium towing package. Will this work?

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mr.muggs

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Hello,
I'm totally new to this, and just purchased my first trailer. I have a 2018 Yukon XL, 5.3 liter, 6000lb towing capacity. It does have the tow/haul mode available, but it does not have the premium towing package (external transmission cooler, load leveling, etc). The trailer I purchased is a 2022 Rockwood Roo 19, which has a GVRW of 5600lbs. Ok, I never see anyone pulling a trailer with a Yukon XL in any of the forums, so I started wondering, is this setup going to be a nightmare or is it going to work. I really don't like unpleasant surprises, like brake, transmission, engine failures, so I thought I'd ask this group. Anybody out there who is doing this, and if not, what's the reason for not using this setup? Thanks, for your help.
 
Welcome to the forums! Lots of friendly and knowledgeable folks here! Towing and weight limitations are not part of my experience, but I’ve read here long enough that I’m pretty sure you’re going to be told your Yukon is going to come up short. Folks a LOT more knowledgeable and experienced than me will be along shortly.
(I’ve heard it said, “Too much truck is almost enough.”)
 
Hello,
I'm totally new to this, and just purchased my first trailer. I have a 2018 Yukon XL, 5.3 liter, 6000lb towing capacity. It does have the tow/haul mode available, but it does not have the premium towing package (external transmission cooler, load leveling, etc). The trailer I purchased is a 2022 Rockwood Roo 19, which has a GVRW of 5600lbs. Ok, I never see anyone pulling a trailer with a Yukon XL in any of the forums, so I started wondering, is this setup going to be a nightmare or is it going to work. I really don't like unpleasant surprises, like brake, transmission, engine failures, so I thought I'd ask this group. Anybody out there who is doing this, and if not, what's the reason for not using this setup? Thanks, for your help.
It would appear that you are approaching your limit. I have a 2018 Sierra with the 5.3 and I towed a trailer that had a 5800 lb dry weight but mine has a towing capacity of 8100 lbs. It did it fairly well but your vehicle would be heavier and probably geared differently. I would not want to be that close to max but others might say it is fine.
 
Hello,
I'm totally new to this, and just purchased my first trailer. I have a 2018 Yukon XL, 5.3 liter, 6000lb towing capacity. It does have the tow/haul mode available, but it does not have the premium towing package (external transmission cooler, load leveling, etc). The trailer I purchased is a 2022 Rockwood Roo 19, which has a GVRW of 5600lbs. Ok, I never see anyone pulling a trailer with a Yukon XL in any of the forums, so I started wondering, is this setup going to be a nightmare or is it going to work. I really don't like unpleasant surprises, like brake, transmission, engine failures, so I thought I'd ask this group. Anybody out there who is doing this, and if not, what's the reason for not using this setup? Thanks, for your help.
People are going to split hairs on this but at 5600# GVWR you will be totally fine.

Caveat - You will have 560-600# on the ball. You need to allow for this when loading the Yukon, especially combined weight rating and rear axle rating.

You may want to add a trans cooler or antisway hitch setup but the antisway hitch setup will take away rear axle capacity and Yukon load capacity.

I wouldn't think twice about it. I'd do it. If I found out later I didn't like it, I'd worry about it then.
 
Pushing the limits, I'd say, but probably not a disaster either. The wheels don't fall off when you exceed some rating boundary, so it's more a value judgment than a Go/NoGo thing. You may find yourself wishing you had a more capable tow vehicle, but I don't think you will need to lose sleep at night.

Your Yukon has some ratings that are intended to warn you when you are trying to do too much. GVWR is one of them - the total weight the Yukon can carry, including the passengers, their gear, the trailer hitch, and the trailer tongue weight that rests on the hitch. You know the trailer GVWR so we can estimate the trailer tongue weight at 10% of that (thus 560 lbs), but you haven't stated the Yukon's cargo capacity or the Yukon's GVWR. You also haven't stated the amount of passengers and gear to be carried in the Yukon. That 6000 lbs tow rating is based on a driver plus one passenger each weighing about 154 lbs. More than that will reduce the tow capacity proportionally.

You will need a good Weight-Distributing hitch, preferably with sway control built in, and you may want to add an auxiliary transmission cooler if towing in mountain terrain or extremely hot climates.
 
5600 lbs is light for a Surburban, even without a tow package. Open the glove box door and see if there is a sticker on the inside of the door that gives you the axle ratio. That is a good thing to know. Ex-Calif did not explain, but the reason that the antisway hitch takes away from payload and axle capacity is the weight of the hitch itself. However there are some fairly light hitches should you feel sway or need weight distribution, which you almost for certain will need. I would argue that you need 700 lbs on the tongue if the trailer is fully loaded, however, odds are, you won't be loaded to gross weight.

Charles
 
5600 lbs is light for a Surburban, even without a tow package. Open the glove box door and see if there is a sticker on the inside of the door that gives you the axle ratio. That is a good thing to know. Ex-Calif did not explain, but the reason that the antisway hitch takes away from payload and axle capacity is the weight of the hitch itself. However there are some fairly light hitches should you feel sway or need weight distribution. I would argue that you need 700 lbs on the tongue if the trailer is fully loaded, however, odds are, you won't be loaded to gross weight.

Charles
I am pretty sure a Suburban is 8 lug and has much higher weight ratings than a Tahoe
 
A YukonXL (the OP's vehicle) is nothing but the GMC version of a Chevy Suburban. There are 5 lug 'burbs (1500 series), and there are 2500 and (rare) 3500 'burbs, which are 8 lug. Depending on year, those 2500/3500 models were generally equipped with 8.1L engines or 6.0L after the bigger motor was dropped at the end of '05.

From Wiki....
Where Chevrolet kept the Tahoe/Suburban branding, GMC renamed their GMT800 products Yukon and Yukon XL, a change that continues to the present day. The shorter 116" wheelbase became the Yukon and the full-length 130" wheelbase became the Yukon XL. Yukons were delivered in SLE, SLT and Denali finish packages.
 
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A YukonXL (the OP's vehicle) is nothing but the GMC version of a Chevy Suburban. There are 5 lug 'burbs (1500 series), and there are 2500 and (rare) 3500 'burbs, which are 8 lug. Depending on year, those 2500/3500 models were generally equipped with 8.1L engines or 6.0L after the bigger motor was dropped at the end of '05.

From Wiki....
Where Chevrolet kept the Tahoe/Suburban branding, GMC renamed their GMT800 products Yukon and Yukon XL, a change that continues to the present day. The shorter 116" wheelbase became the Yukon and the full-length 130" wheelbase became the Yukon XL. Yukons were delivered in SLE, SLT and Denali finish packages.
I stand corrected. I did not realize some of the newer Suburbans were only rated as 1/2 ton just like the Tahoes are. Not sure why they did that.
 
Thanks everyone for the great feedback. Just to note, I did buy the E4 1000/10000lbs Equalizer hitch with the trailer. I chose that because it would (supposedly) provide me with greater sway control and weight distribution. The dealer had recommended the smaller one, but, again, I'm the guy who would rather go over rather than under equipping. As for the tongue rating on the Yukon XL it is 600 lbs, but 1000lbs if it is a weight distributing hitch, which I think mine is. The axle ratio is 3.08. The tongue weight for the Roo is 434 lbs and the dry weight is 4298 lbs, with the CCC 1416. I haven't taken delivery on the trailer yet, which is why I'm asking this question to begin with. Thanks again for the feedback.
 
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