How well does a 350 Hp 2001 Alpine pull a trailer?

[StansCustoms]

The tech site is down for now...so I thought I'd throw this out there.

I'm contemplating a buying 20' Wells Cargo enclosed trailer to pull my classic car around with. (in about 30 minutes..waiting on a call back)

Total towed weight will be about 6000 lbs . I believe the recommended towing capacity is 5,000 lbs. but I think I'm close enough....providing the tongue weight is 500 lbs or so.

For those of you that have pulled an enclosed trailer...how did the 350 hp do?? Was it adequate..or was it a strain on the engine in your opinion. I'm driving from Ft. Worth to Orlando...to those that know the terrain/route.

Thanks

[gatorv]

I pull a Carson 20' with a V8 Jeep and Rhino inside.
My 2000 40' Alpine 350hp has no problem.

Thanks, Gator

[Dave Fernandez]

I towed my old 99 Suburban 7300# and I have also towed my 60 jeep on a Car trailer about 8000# with no problems with a 2001 Alpine with a 350. I now tow the Yukon at 6400# with no problems.

[Rich and Cork]

I tow my 22ft enclosed trailer with no issues. The trailer is around 3300 lbs before I loaded it with "stuff" in the cabinets and the floor. So I would guess I am frequently near 8,000 lbs loaded, depending on what I put inside. The tow rating is 10,000 lbs. You can see the trailer in my avatar.

[JimM68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StansCustoms Total towed weight will be about 6000 lbs . I believe the recommended towing capacity is 5,000 lbs. but I think I'm close enough....providing the tongue weight is 500 lbs or so.

You need to double check that 5000 lb #.
It's not recommended, it is MAXIMUM. But maximum of what, and why do you believe it rather than knowing it to be true?

You have 2 things to look at.

Hitch rating. This is a DO NOT EXCEED, period. It should be on the hitch.

The other is the difference between the motorhomes GCVW rating (that is C for combined) and the actual loaded weight of your rig, as determined on a scale.

Most DP's like yours are rated to pull 10k, not 5k. It will be on the weight plackard, which is glued to wall or inside a cabinet somewhere in your coach.

[StansCustoms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimM68 You need to double check that 5000 lb #. It's not recommended, it is MAXIMUM. But maximum of what, and why do you believe it rather than knowing it to be true? You have 2 things to look at. Hitch rating. This is a DO NOT EXCEED, period. It should be on the hitch. The other is the difference between the motorhomes GCVW rating (that is C for combined) and the actual loaded weight of your rig, as determined on a scale. Most DP's like yours are rated to pull 10k, not 5k. It will be on the weight plackard, which is glued to wall or inside a cabinet somewhere in your coach.

Maybe so... but I don't find it and the tech site is/was down.

I believe it because that's the way I remember it...not that means sh$$. Never the less that's what I believe..since I don't trust my memory I thought I ask some of the forum members that have been thru the routine and KNOW if what I'm asking is right or not.

Is that reason enough?

[StansCustoms]

Thanks Gator, Dave , Rich and Cork..

I bought the trailer today as planned. The trailer weight on the title is 2660 lbs. My '61 Corvette weighs 3100 lbs...plus a Cushman scooter and some odd and end baggage, maybe 600/700 lbs at most.

Should top out at 6,500 lbs and less if I leave the scooter.

According to what you guys are towing with no issues...looks like I'm OK.

Thanks for the input..
Best regards

[Old Rv'er]

Stan, according to the 2001 brochure your alpine can tow 10,000 lbs, so I believe you are fine with your load. However, someplace on that hitch, should be stamped the gross weight rating and the max tongue weight as well. Take out your wire brush, put on your safety goggles and scratch away until you find those numbers. You need to know what they are before you try to haul a 5000K rated hitch with over that amount of weight, it might fail, and you could have a serious accident, which I know you don't want. Safety is to know what equipment you have and carry/tow accordingly.

Stan, just checked the 2000 brochure and it's only rated for 5000 lbs towing, make sure you don't have a transition coach which has both years equipment. So please follow my advice above and scrape/sand/etc to find those numbers.

[takepride]

Stan:

My weight sticker is on the front firewall, inside the front slide, under the DS windshield.

The GCWR, tongue weight, trailer brakes and correctly sized hitch are the issues. IIRC mine has a 10K hitch but my GCWR keeps my toad maximum at 5850, unless I shed a few pounds. The weight issue is actually a braking issue.

[StansCustoms]

Thanks for the reply Monty.....I guess it will take a wire brush ..or grinderw/brush. The hitch is smooth as a baby's behind, no stamped numbers of any kind. It is a HEAVY duty hitch though...very beefy. Much bigger than anything I have on my 1 ton wreckers and they are rated for 10,000 lbs.

Takepride..
I'll look under the cowl this morning for the tag. the one in the cabinet just gives the load specs...no hitch info.

Anyone besides me having trouble accessing the Tech Site..I haven't been able to access it for 3 days..?

Best regards

[2racer]

We have 01' 38 fdds and I pulled 28' enclosed full w/Racecar and all support equipment, just over 10,000.
I also used alpine for work and my toad was a 02 FordF450 crew cab box truck weighing in from 15,000-18,500 and never had any lack of power issues traveling mostly I-10 from tx to Fl

[Mule Skinner]

I think the receiver said 500 lbs. or 1000 lbs with weight distribution.
I would recommend load levelers (weight distribution) and sway control.
Camping world has these items. If you look at camping world on line you will see what this stuff is. Then I would go to a hitch center, they have better stuff. JMO
I was towing my race trailer 8000 lbs and added the sway control. It worked so well I add a second one. Two is better than one, right?

[StansCustoms]

Now that the trip is over...I thought I would add an update.

I towed a 20' Wells Cargo enclosed trailer to Orlando,Fla. and back from Fort Worth, Tex. (2300 miles ) The trailer and cargo weighed about 6500-7500 lbs.

Going down I was driving about 65-68 mph as I was a day late leaving. I didn't figure the mileage going down but did coming back and got almost exactly 9 mpg...at 60-62 mph. I was "very pleased" with the mileage especially pulling a trailer.

The Cummins 350 handled the load effortlessly...and stopping was great even though I didn't have trailer brakes...(which is in the process of being remedied).

This was my first long distance excursion...having only made a couple of 500 mile round trips to lakes and such in Texas. Man! What a pleasant trip...the pulling and handling with the trailer was phenomenal! MUCH better than I had hoped for...

Once the brake controller is installed I doubt the coach will ever leave without the trailer...it's like a garage on wheels for our toad/Corvette.

I really expected about 6/7 mpg pulling a 20 ' box and didn't expect the coach to be nearly as peppy as it was with a trailer. Really there wasn't all that much difference with or without the trailer...just a little "heavier" feeling?

Acceleration was still really good and getting out into traffic and up to speed on the interstate was still effortless...

I still need to tweek the steering a little...I believe the alignment shop didn't set the tow in correctly...still has a tiny bit of road wander. I'm going to take care of that myself and install a Steer-Safe. After that I believe it will be rock steady. It was good...but the roads in Louisiana need the Steer- Safe to help the driver reduce those many wrist flexes when you hit the rough concrete expansion joints.

To summarize...the trip couldn't have been better. All the equipment worked flawlessly and I was smiling when I got home...I LUV my Alpine!

[StansCustoms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2racer We have 01' 38 fdds and I pulled 28' enclosed full w/Racecar and all support equipment, just over 10,000. I also used alpine for work and my toad was a 02 FordF450 crew cab box truck weighing in from 15,000-18,500 and never had any lack of power issues traveling mostly I-10 from tx to Fl

Hey 2racer..

I just noticed your post..

15,000-18,000 lb toad...That the biggest toad I have heard of...LOL. I'm impressed if the Alpine pulled that well ...No wonder I didn't notice a lot of difference with my little 'ol 7,000 lb. trailer..