Towing with GMC 2500HD

[tpinck]

Hi all. I am new to this forum, although I have been reading post for some time. I and my family have been campers for over (well many years). I have towed campers from 8' to 26' but all have been TT. We are looking to retire and got fulltime after the first of the year. House goes on the market December the first. WE are currently looking for a 5er to live in.

I just got a GMC 2500HD D/A with heavy duty trailer package and snow plow package. GVWR is 9200. Took the unit to a public scale with just me in the truck and a 1/4 tank of gas. It weighed 6600 I figure that fuel weights 7.1 lb/gl the total weight with full tank would be 6738. I currently have a very nice ARE cap on the truck with a full door on the back. ARE specs this at 250 lb. So I figure that my pin weight should not exceed 2461. Although the GAW is fr 4800 and rr 6048. It also has a maximum towed vehicle weight of 15600

One of the units we are considering is a Sunnybrook 36BWKS. Looking at the specifications published by Sunnybrook the GDWR is 11833, DHW of 2090 and a GVWR of 16000. This would appear to be over my max GVWR, but if you subtract the weight of the water I will not be towing, typically I keep less than 1/2 a tank of fresh and nothing in any other tank. Keeping with this habit, carry 30gal fresh, 0 gal gray and 0gal black. This would save 1428lb of GVWR bringing the total GVWR of the 5er to 14572 well with in the rating of the TV.

I am also looking at the Pullrite Superslide and break smart break controller. I hope the hitch does not weigh more that the cap that will be removed.

Thanks in advance for all the great advice.

 

[Carl L]

One of the units we are considering is a Sunnybrook 36BWKS. Looking at the specifications published by Sunnybrook the GDWR is 11833, DHW of 2090 and a GVWR of 16000. This would appear to be over my max GVWR, but if you subtract the weight of the water I will not be towing, typically I keep less than 1/2 a tank of fresh and nothing in any other tank. Keeping with this habit, carry 30gal fresh, 0 gal gray and 0gal black. This would save 1428lb of GVWR bringing the total GVWR of the 5er to 14572 well with in the rating of the TV.

I would consider another unit, a bit smaller unit --? or a bit bigger truck.? ?I recommend towing with a trailer GVWR 10% less than the Tow Rating of the trucker -- 20% if you plan towing in the Mountain West and Pacific Coast.? [If you have an actual scale weight of the trailer as loaded for travel, that can replace the GVWR.]? ?That head room allows for increasing age of tow vehicle and loading variations.? ?The 20% figure for the West allows for altitudes of over 5000 feet and long, long, 6-8% or worse, grades over passes.

If you are tinkering with water and fluid loads you are cutting things too fine.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I agree with Carl. You are asking a bit much of this truck with a 35 footer.  The Sunnybrook is a good choice in a trailer, but I'd go down a couple feet in trailer size.

 

[tpinck]

Thanks for the advise. I will look for another rig. I just purchased the TV, so t is what it is. Thanks again

 

[edjunior]

Looks like another case of "learned the lesson backwards".  Too bad a lot of people (like me) don't find this site first, then go looking.  We've seen a few that do of course.  But now that I've found this site, the one thing that stands out most when someone new asks about purchasing a trailer, "one should always buy the trailer first, then get the proper vehicle to tow it with".  As with so many others, I kinda did it backwards, though my situation was a little different.  Anyway, life's lessons in action.

 

[Carl L]

But now that I've found this site, the one thing that stands out most when someone new asks about purchasing a trailer, "one should always buy the trailer first, then get the proper vehicle to tow it with".

Not necessarily.  You buy each with the other in mind.  For instance, I wanted a tow vehicle that was capable of off road performance.    It did not have to be berserker Rubicon hardware-bending performance,  just sufficient to tootle around desert back roads and better trails.  My trailer requirements were simple.  A married couple with a moderate sized dawg all of whom were graduating up from backpacking and then car camping tents.  That caused me to come up with a 5.0L V8 Bronco back in 1995 and a light weight 23-foot Prowler in 1996. 

Other folks, other priorities.  In any case, keep juggling trailer and tow vehicle til you have the best combo and then buy.  BTW in the order of purchasing, for obvious reasons the tow vehicle has to come first.  Dealers have a tendency ask you to haul the dang thing away right after buying it.  ;D