Newbie: Need Help Trailering

[andyo]

Hi. I went camping for the first time with the family a couple of weeks ago and we loved it. However, sleeping in a tent wasn't great so we're in the market to buy a travel trailer.

I have the opportunity to buy a 1992 Sierra 30' trailer in very good condition. My dilemma is whether or not I have enough truck to do the job. I have a 1993 GMC Suburban K1500. I've looked all over the internet and all the talk about GVWR, GVW, GCWR, formulas, yadda, yadda, yadda has me totally confused.

My questions are pretty simple: Will my Suburban do the job? Does anyone have any experience towing this size trailer with my size vehicle?

Thanks in advance for all the help!

[Clay L]

Well it may seem confusing, but if you are going to pull a TT safely, you are going to have to become familiar with those terms.

Look in your truck manual and see what the pickup is rated to tow, and then look at how much your TT weighs. If that's okay, then have your truck weighed with a full fuel tank and the number of people that will be it when you pull the TT. If the weight of the TT plus the weight of the truck is less than the GCWR, then you are probably okay.

Of course if you load the TT and the truck with stuff, you might still exceed the GCWR.
_________________
Full timing in a 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N, Workhorse chassis.
Clay (WA5NMR), Lee (wife), Codi & Brandi (Shelties), Damncat (damn cat)

[elh3946]

[porscheracer]

Brief tutorial (and, yes, you can find it all by searching) hopefully on layman's terms:

GAWR - maximum weight allowed on a given axle front or rear, truck or trailer, all are rated and that rating is one of the most critical not to exceed.

GVWR - Usually in reference to the truck (although the trailer has one too). The maximum amount of TOTAL weight that the unit can safely handle. That includes all fluids, passengers, toys, clothes, etc., that you stuff on it. The often forgotten item is that it also includes the added weight applied to the rear when you attach the trailer - and that is NOT insignificant, seeing as the hitch weight should be ~15% of the trailer weight - in other words, 750# on the truck for a 5000# trailer.

Hitch rating - will be molded into the hitch, expressed in capacity and tongue load. The minmum hitch for most applications, for my thinking, should be 10K towing/1000# load.

GTW/tow rating - Gross trailer weight. Calculated by the truck manufacturer. Usually VERY optimistic - since it assumes pretty much a perfect situation with an empty truck. NOT applicable about 95% of the time in real life.

GCWR - the real secret. The total weight of everything, all hooked up and ready to roll, with the dog in the back seat and everything! If you scale over max GCW, start taking things off and leave them at home.

I'm a real stickler for some things. I really don't care what your GVW/GCW stickers say. When your trailer weight exceeds your truck weight by more than 100%, you have a traveling time bomb, IMHO. Luckily you get a small break - because your tongue weight gets to move from the "trailer" column to the "truck" column.

Brakes! I don't care that your truck can haul your trailer over Eisenhower/Johnson at 90 without a whimper. If it can't control it going down the other side in an emergency stop when you round the turn at Georgetown and the world is at a standstill, you just go in faster - and deeper!
Get a GOOD controller and make sure the wiring gauges are up to handle the rig. Way too many aftermarket installs are inadequate to the point of being downright hazardous.
It's certainly not un-cool to take the rig after everything is together and try couple of controlled panic stops (in a remote location, we hope). Learn the controller operations, and verify that it WILL stop - in a hurry, from any speed. IF it doesn't work - take it back and have it fixed. It is, after all, your $$, your rig, and your life (not to mention your victims').
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Norm & Janet
'08 Winnebago View 24H / '09 Escape XLT AWD toad
'05 Winnebago Vectra 36RD / '03 Dakota QC 4x4 toad, or a 24' trailer with another car;
Probably somewhere in NA - or maybe on another continent.

[porscheracer]

I forgot to answer the original question. Can your Suburban safely tow that trailer? I doubt it.
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Norm & Janet
'08 Winnebago View 24H / '09 Escape XLT AWD toad
'05 Winnebago Vectra 36RD / '03 Dakota QC 4x4 toad, or a 24' trailer with another car;
Probably somewhere in NA - or maybe on another continent.

[andyo]

Thanks for all the information. As I suspected, I probably shouldn't risk this size trailer with my size vehicle.

Rather than trying to buy a vehicle to "fit" the trailer (ex: 3/4 ton Suburban), I think I'll either look for a good second-hand class "C" camper OR go back to the original game-plan of a pop-up camper. The two options are at opposite ends of the cost spectrum so I have some decisions to make.

Just don't want to get into a situation where I buy too small to begin with and end up sizing-up constantly. I did that with 4 brand-new boats in 2 1/2 years and it's a heck of a lot more expensive than just doing it "right" the first time. We'll see what my better half thinks (though I can pretty much guess what she'll say).

[porscheracer]

I feel your pain. The boat history probably taught you well. I went through 3 trucks (the first of which was a brand-new custom order) getting a safe setup. For the $$ I spent trying to save, I could have wound up with a nice Class 6 toter if I had started out correctly.

In short . . . trying to "cheap out" initially will either cost you a lot of $$ or get you in trouble in the long run. Either adjust your priorities or bite the bullet!


_________________
Norm & Janet
'08 Winnebago View 24H / '09 Escape XLT AWD toad
'05 Winnebago Vectra 36RD / '03 Dakota QC 4x4 toad, or a 24' trailer with another car;
Probably somewhere in NA - or maybe on another continent.