Tahoe towing advice needed

[raptor727]

Hello all, recently my 2013 Ram 1500 crew cab hemi decided to drop a lifter and eat the cam so my main tow pig is down for the count until I can get a Reman engine. Trailer being towed is a 2022 Jayco Jayflight 264BH.

So now my wife's 2016 Tahoe is up next lol. It has air ride and the heavy tow package and weight distribution hitch but a obvisouly shorter wheelbase which is not a problem when towing the camper empty its straight as an arrow and comfortable but when loaded its a different story all together she wants to sway at 45 and you can hang up 55 for long. As for added load I'd say maybe 1k lbs tops if even that honestly I have a bike rack on rear bumper and hang 3 bikes on it and put two bikes up front inside camper and load evenly if not forward biased. Just seeing if anyone has any advice as what to try. I've tried tires pressures on truck from 35-45 tightening the weight distribution and shifting weight around but it's just not enough to track straight unfortunately. Thanks for any and all advice

 

[rvlifer]

Can you post the towing specs on that specific tahoe?

Advice? Get a bigger tow vehicle?

 

[raptor727]

Well the tahoe is rated for 6500lbs towing cap and hitch is rated for 1k tongue weight and 10k trailer weight. Air suspension is rated up to 1200lb capacity. I wish I could just clap my hands and have a 5.9 Cummins with a 6 speed manual but I don't need anymore debt lol

 

[SpencerPJ]

My bet if you put the bikes that are on the rear bumper in the trailer up front, it would not sway as bad, your sway is most likely from 'not enough' tongue weight. As far as if a 2016 Tahoe (likely loaded hence all the bikes) will pull a 30' trailer, no positive comment.

 

[raptor727]

I'll give that a go I didn't want to give it too much tongue weight but it's worth a shot I suppose, btw trailer empty weight is 4650 so within spec of the tahoe

 

[Derby6]

Are tires on Tahoe stock? What is their load range compared to truck?

 

[raptor727]

Good question honestly all I know is they are Yokohama not sure of model etc ill check after work. My mind never once went to ply rating

 

[raptor727]

After looking at what they most likely are all I'm seeing is single ply... so that would be my issue I believe

 

[blw2]

Well the tahoe is rated for 6500lbs towing cap

btw trailer empty weight is 4650 so within spec of the tahoe

I think to really know what's going on completely, you have to basically ignore that 6,500 capacity number. That's a brochure number and doesn't mean much.

1) You really need to weigh everything loaded as you want it to be....family and stuff in the tahoe, full tank of gas, and all the stuff in the trailer....just as it will be when setting off on a trip.... then get axle weights (better would be corner weights).
2) look in the owners manual and find the load rating charts. There's a table that lists the engine/tranny option, the differential ratio options, etc.... It'll show the weight ratings for each axle and the actual VWR and the CVWR for your tahoe as yours is optioned.
3) compare the actual weights to those actual capacities

You just might find that

• one of your axles is overloaded on the tahoe....
• or the entire gross combined weight is just over the tahooes capacity
• or the gross weight of the tahoe as loaded + the tongue weight is over the GVWR

....and I've said over the ratings here....but in my experience, the towing experience starts transitioning into white knuck territory as the actual loads start getting close to the ratings, even well before going over.


(edit: after doing that weight check, I would immediately go unhitch and pull over the scales again with the same load in the tahoe to get the steer and drive axle weights without the trailer. That way, you can determine both the tongue weight and the trailer total weight to determine if your tongue weight is high enough with those bikes hanging on the back, etc...)

 

[raptor727]

I think to really know what's going on completely, you have to basically ignore that 6,500 capacity number. That's a brochure number and doesn't mean much.

1) You really need to weigh everything loaded as you want it to be....family and stuff in the tahoe, full tank of gas, and all the stuff in the trailer....just as it will be when setting off on a trip.... then get axle weights (better would be corner weights).
2) look in the owners manual and find the load rating charts. There's a table that lists the engine/tranny option, the differential ratio options, etc.... It'll show the weight ratings for each axle and the actual VWR and the CVWR for your tahoe as yours is optioned.
3) compare the actual weights to those actual capacities

You just might find that

• one of your axles is overloaded on the tahoe....
• or the entire gross combined weight is just over the tahooes capacity
• or the gross weight of the tahoe as loaded + the tongue weight is over the GVWR

....and I've said over the ratings here....but in my experience, the towing experience starts transitioning into white knuck territory as the actual loads start getting close to the ratings, even well before going over.


(edit: after doing that weight check, I would immediately go unhitch and pull over the scales again with the same load in the tahoe to get the steer and drive axle weights without the trailer. That way, you can determine both the tongue weight and the trailer total weight to determine if your tongue weight is high enough with those bikes hanging on the back, etc...)

Great info, I found majority of my issue just not enough wheelbase it seems it will track straight at 60 on a nice day but throw in some wind gusts and it's back to white knuckle going to try a sway bar here soon and see if it helps for now

 

[Onyrlef]

Great info, I found majority of my issue just not enough wheelbase it seems it will track straight at 60 on a nice day but throw in some wind gusts and it's back to white knuckle going to try a sway bar here soon and see if it helps for now

I think you have a simple weight distribution issue. You likely need to move some weight forward and make sure there's little to no angle at the hitch, level is what you're after.