Will a 19' C with a Chev 350 be able to tow a toad ?

[PLB]

We have a 19' 1984 Class C Frontier with a Chev 350 engine and a 30 series one ton chassis (GVW 8600) that we use for 3 months a year to "snowbird".

It has a good hitch, a 4.11 rear end, and I would add an auxiliary trans cooler.

We would like to try towing a car south, probable choice being a Geo Metro at about 1800 lbs. 
People I have talked to about this have given me conflicting information, some say OK, most say no !

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has either had sucess or failure towing a toad with an older Chev 350 class C

Thanks

PLB

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

We have a 19' 1984 Class C Frontier with a Chev 350 engine and a 30 series one ton chassis (GVW 8600) that we use for 3 months a year to "snowbird".

It has a good hitch, a 4.11 rear end, and I would add an auxiliary trans cooler.

We would like to try towing a car south, probable choice being a Geo Metro at about 1800 lbs. 
People I have talked to about this have given me conflicting information, some say OK, most say no !

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has either had sucess or failure towing a toad with an older Chev 350 class C

Thanks

PLB

PLB,

The first thing I would do is check your owners manual and see if the Geo is even towable four down. You can also check with Remco, 800-228-24281 to see if it's towable. Remco is the towing experts.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I don't see any reason why a relatively light vehicle could not be towed by your Class C.  If it were a 2000lb  boat trailer you were asking about, probably everyone would say "yes" without thinking further.  You need to check the tow rating of the motorhome and the hitch itself.  The motorhome can tow the difference between its actual loaded weight and its GCWR - Gross Combined Weight Rating. The motorhome's GVWR is almost irrelevent, since very little additional weight will actually be carried by the motorhome as a result of towing.  If you can't get the motorhome weighed (any truck scale will do), assume the motorhome is loaded to its max weight (the GVWR) and substract that from the GCWR to see how much you can tow.

Moving whatever you tow is rarely the issue. The question is, can you stop it? The toad's brakes are not operating while towing and the motorhome's brakes are designed only for the GVWR. Generally you will want/need to add a auxiliary brake such as a Brake Buddy to assist in stopping the car.  Many states require such brakes if the car exceeds a certain weight, typically 2500-3000 lbs (varies by state).

 

[JerArdra]

PLB,

We had an 18' Class C with a Dodge 440 and I would suggest that you tow nothing heaver than a Geo Metro.

JerryF