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Can my car pull it?

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  • Can my car pull it?

    My wife and I are looking at a 31 ft trailer that is 6700lbs dry. We currently have a Envoy Denali that has a manufacturer tow weight of 6500lbs. We plan on getting a suburban size vehicle within 2 years, but were hoping to be able to pull the trailer with our current vehicle for a summer or two.

    Our trips will not be through mountainous terrain and will likely be limited to 3 to 4 hour trips.

    How much of a gamble am I taking using our current vehicle?
    Is the weigh that big of a concern?
    Will I have trouble with the shorter wheel base and a longer trailer?

    I would appreciate peoples thoughts.

  • #2
    I have a 2004 gmc envoy that I pull my 27ft trailer that weighs around 5,500lbs with the manual tells you to pull in 3 low.I have pulled it up some steep hills it struggles a bit but it gets the job done.I haven't pulled it further than 4hrs away but like I said it gets the job done.when I do pull it takes my mpg down to 10,I believe your vehicle will be very similar in these ways.Good luck!

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    • #3
      The trailer tow weight (even dry) far and away exceeds the capacity of the Envoy 5.3L V8. Sure, it will pull it, but from a safety standpoint it's ridiculous in my opinion. And I sold those for GM, I know the tow vehicle well. I'd get a trailer in the 20-24' range or postpone the purchase until you get the GMC Yukon. It's trimmed nicer than the Chevy and has a higher resale value due to lower production volume.
      “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
      ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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      • #4
        While the vehicle may well pull it okay (you'd be shocked at what my Dad towed with his '82 Toyota PU with 4 banger!), if you get into an accident the insurance company will penalize you for exceeding the weight limit, and the dealer may void the warranty if they learn of it too.

        I'd suggest a ighter trailer within the vehicle's ratings.
        Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

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        • #5
          Ive been in some pretty scary situations towing trailers that merely approached the capacity of what my vehicle was rated for. Exceeding it is not a good idea in my opinion. If you were going to a local camp 10-15 miles away where you could drive very slow I could see it but 3-4 hours is sketchy!

          I have had to brake hard with my tongue weight overloaded. It takes the weight off of your front tires, which ruins your braking distance and your ability to steer. I wouldn't risk it.

          Be safe
          Aaron

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          • #6
            Towing

            I would not recommend it. Could the 5.3 pull it absolutely. But what transmission does it have in it. I pull 6400 (dry) with my 1500 silverado 5.3 and am close the 7400 weight limit. Loaded I am about 200 lbs below the weight limit. It pulls it fine as along as you stay down below 60 and anticipate the hills. But we usually only go about an hour. The furthest we have gone is 3 hours. I would not trust my combo cross country. If you ask enough folks you will find someone who says you can pull it. I know that when it is feasible I will upgrade to a 2500.

            By the time you load the trailer with gear you will be another 500 lbs (if you pack very light). If you carry water figure 8 lbs a gallon so another 320 or so.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by rxcamping View Post
              I would not recommend it. Could the 5.3 pull it absolutely. But what transmission does it have in it. I pull 6400 (dry) with my 1500 silverado 5.3 and am close the 7400 weight limit. Loaded I am about 200 lbs below the weight limit. It pulls it fine as along as you stay down below 60 and anticipate the hills. But we usually only go about an hour. The furthest we have gone is 3 hours. I would not trust my combo cross country. If you ask enough folks you will find someone who says you can pull it. I know that when it is feasible I will upgrade to a 2500.

              By the time you load the trailer with gear you will be another 500 lbs (if you pack very light). If you carry water figure 8 lbs a gallon so another 320 or so.
              Rx, why would you upgrade to a 2500? It has a lower towing capacity, just as the 4X4 does. The 2500 has a stronger suspension to carry a higher weight in the bed, and the added weight reduces towing capacity. The 1500 when equipped with the larger engine offers increased towing capacity vs. the 2500 with the same engine. The 2500 also has a choppy ride if driven empty vs. the softer 1500. You can upgrade your towing capacity with the larger V8 in the 1500 rather than sacrificing capacity in the similarly-equpped 2500.
              “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
              ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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              • #8
                Re: Can my car pull it?

                Short answer to if it will tow it: It will not, not for long anyway. I speak from long experience, and hard learned lessons from my defiant youth. If I only had the money now that my hard-headedness cost me...


                Not to hijack this thread, but "if you get into an accident the insurance company will penalize you for exceeding the weight limit"?





                Whether your vehicle will tow an oversized load should be lower down on your list of worries. Have an at-fault accident while towing a load greater than your vehicles rated towing capacity and you leave yourself defenseless in court. The attorney of those that you injure will argue against you and your insurance company's lawyers that you owed a duty to everyone on the road to drive safely, and that duty was to not tow an oversized, overweight load. They will argue that by towing the overweight load, and by towing a long trailer with a short-wheelbased vehicle that with knowledge and forethought you breached that duty to everyone, including their poor innocent client. And what will your defense be against that line of reasoning? You won't have one. Every reasonable person on the jury will know that they are right. Yes, your insurance company's lawyers will offer to try to settle out of court, but if you have any steady income at all that the other side can go after, they will insist on a jury trail. They will go after your income stream. Your insurance company's lawyers will show up to provide you a defense, but in the end you will lose. Your insurance company will honor their promise to you and will pay the limits of your policy... and then they will walk away, having satisfied the contractual requirements you place on them (the liability limits you selected when you bought the policy), leaving you to pay the balance of the judgment, that amount being whatever is excess above the policy limits you chose to buy. This remaining unsatisfied balance of the judgment award will be abstracted against you at the county and state level, and basically you will not be able to buy nor sell real property until the judgment is satisfied. Until you do you are ruined for life. You won't be buying that Suburban, nor selling that trailer, at least not without giving the proceeds of the sale to the county clerk to distribute to the offended party. I make my living in risk management. I know what I am talking about. I have seen the results of what having a cavalier attitude toward such things can yield. People do not listen.


                Do it right. Do it right the first time. Don't gamble. I know this is a camping forum, but sometimes it is only prudent that the question presented should necessarily transcend to another discussion in the interest of risk management.

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                • #9
                  Re: Can my car pull it?

                  I would not.
                  My experience in the mid 90's with an ultralite 30'er and a full size Ford Bronco (O.J. Simpson style) would not have me do that combo again. The loaded trailer was well within the stated tow limit by about 1700 pounds under. I hardly knew it was there most of the time. It was the times I knew it was there that turned my knuckles white and my heart to skip some beats. The short wheelbase is very noticeable with cross winds or those from passing trucks. Simple dips in the road or washboard surfaces are much more of a problem. Also pulling is one thing, steering and stopping are even more important. Overloading my Oldsmobile Bravada with a heavy duty flatbed trailer and Bobcat made for an interesting 15 mile drive home from the rental place that I did not want to repeat.
                  Get less trailer or more vehicle or both. Your life might depend on it and so might ours if we meet you out there on the road.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Can my car pull it?

                    I never quite understood the folks who go through the hassle and expense of trailers and fifth wheels. After you do all the math of the expense, risk, and hassle, why not just stay at a nearby hotel and visit the sites you want to see during the day?

                    Just asking...

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                    • #11
                      Re: Can my car pull it?

                      When I was a teen my family did the travel trailer scene for awhile. Hotels may seem cheaper, but if you don't get a nice suite with a kitchenette you end up eating all your meals on the go or take out, which becomes expensive fast. Having a couch, kitchen table, outdoor area under awning, bedroom area, gives people space to escape. The ability to walk into a space know it will by dry, have an air conditioner and where racoons won't raid your food is nice. My bike strapped to the back, my toys were in under storage, we had a shelf of books, cabinet of toys and TV. It obviously limits your options of where to camp but if you have 3 kids and a wife who is not inclined to roughing it, it's a solid option. :cool:
                      sigpic

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                      • #12
                        Re: Can my car pull it?

                        I prefer a self-propelled RV, which are available used for decent prices. As the weather improves, I will be converting my Ford van to a mini-RV. Tent camping remains a good option, but as we age many of us want or need the comfort and ease of an RV or some kind. And when used often, it becomes far cheaper than moteling it. An RV is generally easier to park than a TT, and doesn't require a large expensive tow vehicle. Need a 'runabout'? "Toad" to the rescue - tow a small car or SUV.
                        Check Craig's List, Ebay and other sources for a good inexpensive used RV that just needs a little 'love' to become your adventure home away from home.
                        Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

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                        • #13
                          Re: Can my car pull it?

                          I would suspect that by now the OP has that suburban they planned on.
                          “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                          – E. B. White

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                          • #14
                            Re: Can my car pull it?

                            Originally posted by Mike View Post
                            I never quite understood the folks who go through the hassle and expense of trailers and fifth wheels. After you do all the math of the expense, risk, and hassle, why not just stay at a nearby hotel and visit the sites you want to see during the day?

                            Just asking...
                            I am not a trailer person,
                            dont have the space or funds for it,
                            but do see the appeal,
                            having all your personal stuff with you,
                            being at a spot/campsite day and night, without having to travel to a hotel room,

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Can my car pull it?

                              Originally posted by Mike View Post
                              I never quite understood the folks who go through the hassle and expense of trailers and fifth wheels. After you do all the math of the expense, risk, and hassle, why not just stay at a nearby hotel and visit the sites you want to see during the day?

                              Just asking...
                              I can see the allure of it. You still get to wake up and be outdoors but have all the comforts of home.

                              I wouldn't do it but then I don't go backpacking either and I know there are people that feel like you aren't camping if you have a car nearby. Another view is my brother who has a Cabellas cabin tent with a wood burning stove, kayaks, a row boat and a 55 gal water drum. He will often use his flat bed trailer to go camping because all that doesn't fit in his truck.

                              That said, I tend to agree with you. I can't ever see myself using a fifth wheel or similar....but then again when I was younger I laughed at the thought of an air mattress.
                              “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                              – E. B. White

                              Comment

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