2013 2500 Suburban Receiver/Frame Bend

[Towandrace25]

Seen these problems before online and seems I have it now as well. I am towing a 24' aluminum trailer w/ race car and everything that goes with it. Likely around 6000# loaded up,, maybe a bit more but not anywhere near capacity of 10K and tongue weight max of 1K per the hitch specs. Just found this and dumbfounded as to why this would happen. Truck only has about 40K miles on it and I am the second owner, I suppose it could have been this way from when I bought it since I didn't check for it and I guess that is on me. But I did have it inspected prior at an independent service center and they did not catch anything, so I believe it did happen under my ownership. What do you all make of this? Something I should be worried about at this stage? The other side doesn't seem to have flexed downward at all, only the driver side pictured. I am beyond pissed off at this point as I am WELL under the capacities of this truck and no reason this should be happening. Suggestions? WD hitch could help?

 

Pic is rotating weird and cannot seem to fix it but you can't miss it. Thanks in advance.

 

[5Alive]

_{I've seen this problem before online and in real life too. It usually happens to people who:}

 

_{1. assume their loaded trailer weight, without ever actually weighing their trailer as loaded.}

 

_{2. assume their tongue weight, without ever actually measuring their tongue weight with a tongue weight scale.}

 

_{3. assume the tow ratings of their vehicle, without ever actually looking up their tow ratings from the vehicle manufacture.}

 

_{4. assume the maximum tow ratings printed on their hitch apply to all loads, while ignoring the other information on the label.}

 

_{5. ignore the weight carrying rating on their hitch}

 

_{6. ignore the weight distribution requirement to achieve the maximum rating on their hitch.}

 

 

_{From reading your post, it sounds like you did all six of the things that people who end up with hitch and frame fatigue typically do.}

 

_{1. "I am towing a 24' aluminum trailer w/ race car and everything that goes with it. Likely around 6000# loaded up,,}

 

_{A typical 24' Featherlite Aluminum trailer weighs 3,700 lbs empty, without any cabinets or accessories. If your car weighs 3,000 lbs, and your tools, box, winch, tires, tire jack, tire rack, spare engine, racing gear, fluids, and fuel weigh 1,300 lbs altogether., then you'd be 33% heavier than you thought you were. The point is, there is no point in guessing. But there is great merit in going to a 3 platform Cat scale and learning what your real loaded trailer weight is, so you can plan accordingly.}

 

 

_{2. 'I am WELL under the capacities of this truck."}

 

_{A typical race car trailer has much of it's weight forward of the trailer axles, due to the race car being front engine, rear drive, loaded in nose first, with the aft end of the trailer kept clear in order to back the car out again. Other than tire racks mounted on the wall at the aft end of the trailer to try and ballast back the forward biased weight, everything needed to race is upfront. The tools, the spare engine, the jack, the oil, the fuel, the cabinets, etc. You assume that you are "well under the capacities of this truck" that you have... but based on my current ownership and use of 3 similar trailers (a 24', a 20', and a 16'), and based on looking at your photo, I'm going to assume that your tongue weight is over two times the tongue weight carrying capacity of your hitch. 200% overloaded. Without exaggeration. There is only one way to find out which assumption is closer to the truth: weigh your tongue weight. Use a multiplatform commercial scale, or a tongue weight scale. I use and like Sherline tongue weight scales.}

 

 

_{3. "not anywhere near capacity of 10K and tongue weight max of 1K per the hitch specs"}

 

_{The 2013 Chevrolet Trailering Guide lists the maximum rated towing capacities for the 2013 2500 3/4 ton Suburban 4x4 as 9,400 lbs., not 10K lbs. Two wheel drives are 9,600 lbs. Both the 9,400 and 9.600 lb ratings are raw maximums, GM states the weight of any cargo or extra passengers in the Suburban must be subtracted from these maximums to determine actual towing capacity. Since the vehicle does the towing, not the hitch by itself in a vacuum, the ratings of the vehicle need to be considered. A case in point is that the failure shown in the photo is of the vehicle frame, not the hitch, Here's a link to the official 2013 GM Trailering Guide. See page 13 for Suburbans. http://www.chevrolet.com/content/dam/Chevrolet/northamerica/usa/nscwebsite/en/Home/Vehicles/Trucks%20and%20Vans/2013%20Silverado%203500HD/Model%20Overview/02_pdfs/Trailering%20Guide%20MY13%20eBrochure.pdf}

 

_{4. "not anywhere near capacity of 10K and tongue weight max of 1K per the hitch specs"}

 

_{If and when you read page 13 of Chevrolet's Trailering Guide for 2013, you will discover that not only is your vehicle not rated to tow 10K lbs. but your hitch isn't rated to carry a 10K trailer or 1K of tongue weight either. It sounds like only part of the hitch label was taken into consideration, when really all the ratings on the hitch label need to be considered. Points 5 & 6 explore the rest of the text on the hitch label, and are copied below verbatim from Page 13 of the trailering guide, (but also stated on the hitch label)}

 

_{5. When using a weight carrying hitch, the maximum trailer weight is 5,000 lbs, with a 600 lb. trailer tongue weight limit.}

 

_{6. A weight distributing hitch and sway control are required for trailer weights greater than 5,000 lbs.}

 

 

_{"I am beyond pissed off at this point.... no reason this should be happening."}

 

_{"Suggestions? WD hitch could help?"}

 

 

_{You've already suggested a good solution to your quest for suggestions. Yes, a WD hitch would help. In fact, GM states that a WD hitch is required for your trailer weight, even at your low estimate of 6,000 lbs. The fact that you are asking about a WD hitch implies that you are not using one now... which offers ample "reason for this to be happening". It looks to me like you are weight carrying about 1,200 lbs of tongue weight on a hitch that is only rated for 600 lbs of tongue weight absent any sort of weight distribution. It sounds like you have been well OVER the ratings, and need to get an actual factual weight of your loaded trailer and tongue weight, and also get a WD hitch system before your next tow.}

 

 

_{Seen these problems before online and seems I have it now as well. I am towing a 24' aluminum trailer w/ race car and everything that goes with it. Likely around 6000# loaded up,, maybe a bit more but not anywhere near capacity of 10K and tongue weight max of 1K per the hitch specs. Just found this and dumbfounded as to why this would happen. Truck only has about 40K miles on it and I am the second owner, I suppose it could have been this way from when I bought it since I didn't check for it and I guess that is on me. But I did have it inspected prior at an independent service center and they did not catch anything, so I believe it did happen under my ownership. What do you all make of this? Something I should be worried about at this stage? The other side doesn't seem to have flexed downward at all, only the driver side pictured. I am beyond pissed off at this point as I am WELL under the capacities of this truck and no reason this should be happening. Suggestions? WD hitch could help?}

 

_{Pic is rotating weird and cannot seem to fix it but you can't miss it. Thanks in advance.}

 

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