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Towing heavy travel trailer

dcving1
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dcving1 New Member

dcving1

Posted
Posted (edited)

Im hoping not to hear bad news, but here it goes....

 

Im currently in the process of purchasing a travel trailer from a private party. The issue I am realizing is that when I look at the trailer sticker, I'm thinking the hitch weight will be more than my max tongue rating.

 

Please someone tell me that with a weight distribution hitch, I can still pull this off. I've already placed a deposit and would hate to back out of this deal. I have attached the sticker on my truck and the sticker on the side of the trailer. When I google the specs of the trailer, it says the hitch weight is 955 pounds. 

 

My specs:

2024 GMC Sierra Elevation w/ 3.0 Duramax. 6" inch BDS Lift with 35" tires and upgraded Eibach shocks. My sticker rating for max tongue weight is 880 pounds. 

 

Trailer specs:

2021 Keystone Springdale 295BH

GVWR: 9710

Screenshot_20250212_195556_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20250212_214345_Gallery.jpg

Edited by dcving1
AndrewF Enthusiast

AndrewF

Posted
Posted

The trailer weighs 6810 empty, as long as you keep your cargo to less than 1990 lbs. so you're under 8800 total you're legal. Which probably mainly boils down to keeping the tanks empty when you travel. 

 

Is that trailer tongue weight spec empty or loaded?  Weight distributing hitches don't technically reduce tongue weight. Unfortunately the GM capacity stickers default to 10% of towing capacity even when GM states on their website 10-15% is ok so that part is always a gray area.

 

https://www.gmc.com/gmc-life/trucks/why-tongue-weight-is-important-for-safe-towing#:~:text=What Is Proper Tongue Weight,the total loaded trailer weight.

 

I'm sure the 3.0 has more than enough power in any case.  

 

 

dieselfan1 Senior Enthusiast

dieselfan1

Posted
Posted

 A weight distributing hitch itself weighs 50-60 lbs. So subtract that from your tongue weight. Also your lift kit parts subtract that from your payload. Subtact any other accessories. I don't think I would want to tow that long of a trailer with a half ton anyways. Consider the wind also.

A windy day sucks for something that size.

Now the lift itself makes for a less than desirable tow vehicle. Looks cool though. You have plenty under the hood but not enough truck in my opinion. 

I tow a 25 foot 6000 lb travel trailer with my 23 High Country 6.2 and I sure wouldn't want a heavier and longer travel trailer in the wind.

66ss3964spd Enthusiast

66ss3964spd

Posted
Posted

From what I've read a weight distributing hitch does not decrease tongue weight. Is that 955 trailer tongue weight with the trailer fully loaded?

 

The owners manual says that trailer tongue weight must be added to GVWR of the truck. The truck's sticker says your curb weight is 5633; that's ready to drive but otherwise fully empty. 5633 + 880 = 6513. The truck's GVWR is 7200, which leaves you with a margin of 687 pounds for bodies and gear to put into the truck and the bed.

 

Even without the tongue weight issue, if you max out the GVWR of the truck to 7200, and max the trailer at 9710 you'd be at 16,910, 2000 pounds over the max GCWR of 15,000. You'd need to shed 2K pounds just to get to the max GCWR.

CamGTP Senior Enthusiast

CamGTP

Posted
Posted

I agree, the lift kit and towing that trailer is not ideal at all. The lift itself reduces the weight you can tow because it technically changes all of the factory designed suspension geometry that allows you to tow the max load safely. Plus you added heavier and wider tires than stock, which also changes your max payload and how it will handle a huge trailer like that.

 

Nearly every single lawn care company or roofing company around me lifts their trucks and puts huge wheels on it, then they tow huge trailers all days every day. Guess you ends up coming into the shop for lots of problems and new tires all the time??

Shall36 Enthusiast

Shall36

Posted
Posted

If you don’t already have a full head of gray hair, you will after you tow that trailer with your truck. With a 6 inch lift, I’m not sure I would tow any TT. 
 

I strongly recommend going out to IRV2 and check out the forums over there if you haven’t already. You can do whatever you want, obviously, but I think you’ll find that the consensus among people who tow travel trailers regularly will be that you probably are going to be very limited and what you can tow with your truck, especially given the lift kit.

newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted (edited)
15 hours ago, dcving1 said:

Im hoping not to hear bad news, but here it goes....

 

Im currently in the process of purchasing a travel trailer from a private party. The issue I am realizing is that when I look at the trailer sticker, I'm thinking the hitch weight will be more than my max tongue rating.

 

Please someone tell me that with a weight distribution hitch, I can still pull this off. I've already placed a deposit and would hate to back out of this deal. I have attached the sticker on my truck and the sticker on the side of the trailer. When I google the specs of the trailer, it says the hitch weight is 955 pounds. 

 

My specs:

2024 GMC Sierra Elevation w/ 3.0 Duramax. 6" inch BDS Lift with 35" tires and upgraded Eibach shocks. My sticker rating for max tongue weight is 880 pounds. 

 

Trailer specs:

2021 Keystone Springdale 295BH

GVWR: 9710

 

 

 

 

Sorry.  Not enough truck and the lift and 35"s make it even less ideal as all that weight has been added to your curb weight and further reducing your weight capacity to your GVWR.  

 

I see an HD in your near future.  Or at least a lighter trailer.  Try a trailer with a GVWR 7000lbs or less.  

Edited by newdude
66ss3964spd Enthusiast

66ss3964spd

Posted
Posted

The 35's also reduce towing capacity because the larger diameter effectively reduces axle gear ratio. The additional weight of the 35's also reduces braking capacity due to the increased flywheel effect; longer stopping distances.

 

Given the non-factory lift, the non-factory tire size, it's almost a certainty that GM won't honor the warranty should something in the power train fail for any reason. A warranty denial could be expensive. As well, the truck may be insured based on the factory specifications (discoverable from the VIN) which have now been changed, so you might consider contacting your insurance company to ensure they'll cover the truck with the modifications, in both towing and non-towing scenarios. An insurance denial could be catastrophic. 

r6221740 New Member

r6221740

Posted
Posted
On 2/13/2025 at 9:55 AM, dcving1 said:

Im hoping not to hear bad news, but here it goes....

 

Im currently in the process of purchasing a travel trailer from a private party. The issue I am realizing is that when I look at the trailer sticker, I'm thinking the hitch weight will be more than my max tongue rating.

 

Please someone tell me that with a weight distribution hitch, I can still pull this off. I've already placed a deposit and would hate to back out of this deal. I have attached the sticker on my truck and the sticker on the side of the trailer. When I google the specs of the trailer, it says the hitch weight is 955 pounds. 

 

My specs:

2024 GMC Sierra Elevation w/ 3.0 Duramax. 6" inch BDS Lift with 35" tires and upgraded Eibach shocks. My sticker rating for max tongue weight is 880 pounds. 

 

Trailer specs:

2021 Keystone Springdale 295BH lightroom alternatives

GVWR: 9710

Screenshot_20250212_195556_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20250212_214345_Gallery.jpg

Towing a heavy travel trailer requires careful preparation, the right equipment, and a solid understanding of weight distribution and towing capacity. Ensuring that your tow vehicle has sufficient towing and payload capacity is crucial to maintaining stability and safety on the road.

asilverblazer Senior Enthusiast

asilverblazer

Posted
Posted

Weight distribution hitches can lessen the tongue weight. The weight taken off the trucks rear axle goes to the trucks front axle and trailer axles - mostly the trucks front axle, The lesser tongue weight won't usually be enough to make a difference. 

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