Need help deciding about tow vehicle and another camper

[Nell]

Good morning everyone!

We have right now a 2004 Silverado 2500HD 4x4 Crew that we tow a 1999 265BH Sprinter with. We haven't been able to go camping for over 2 years-and the camper suffered minor damage back in Feb 2010 when we had a 30+ inches of wet snow in a 24 hour storm. The neighbors tree a branch went through side along with it breaking the vent for the fridge along with the tank covers being lost and the a/c cover being hit. Not good. Add to it we'd both lost our jobs since 08-I finally got a new job as a school bus dispatcher that I start in a week. It changes everything for us again.

I am considering down sizing here. Thinking of going to a light weight camper-still with bunks. I am thinking of a Tahoe-we now only have one child living at home-the older kids are 19 and 21 and don't want to vacation with Mom and Dad now. What would be the tow rating for a Tahoe with a 5.3? Not a new one-looking for a 2005-07. Is this doable? I really am not happy with the fuel use now with the Silverado-although I only drive 5 miles each way to work(by the interstate)-it sucks fuel-11mpg or less.

Looking for suggestions if that isn't a good choice-what to look for? I've not towed with anything less that 3/4 ton since 99. And what is a good choice for a used camper set up with it? We plan on using the Hensley again because it makes it all so much easier to tow.

So fire away-good and bad points to consider.

Thanks!

[Francesca]

Hi

Here's a link to a GREAT website that you can use to find out towing capacity- and just about anything else you want to know- about nearly any vehicle.
This goes to the Tahoe page, but you can look at others once you're at the site.
Chevrolet Tahoe Research All Models and Prices - MSN Autos

Hope this helps!

[Cat320]

The tow rating for ALL vehicles is GCWR minus the weight of the tow vehicle when ready to tow. Normally the tow rating you find in a chart is for an empty TV, which never happens.

[Francesca]

Most manufacturers put out a number that is the total weight that the vehicle can tow.
That's the number you'll find in the charts.
There will be tongue weight limits, too.
There's a lot of debate about how those numbers are arrived at, but disregarding them can have serious consequences when it comes to warranties.
Not to mention that at least according to my Safeco Insurance agent, towing beyond the limits set down by the manufacturer will void an insurance policy.

[Nell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francesca Most manufacturers put out a number that is the total weight that the vehicle can tow. That's the number you'll find in the charts. There will be tongue weight limits, too. There's a lot of debate about how those numbers are arrived at, but disregarding them can have serious consequences when it comes to warranties. Not to mention that at least according to my Safeco Insurance agent, towing beyond the limits set down by the manufacturer will void an insurance policy.

We ran into this years ago as we were just starting out towing. We had a bought a 1500 Chevy conversion van-the guy told us we could tow just fine with it. Wrong. Traded it in within 18 months and bought a 2500 Suburban. So we learned a lot in the last 25 years about tongue weights, dry weight etc-we aren't going to get sweet talked into anything ever again.

Our camper is showing it's age these days. So I am hoping that next summer we can replace it. If I can get the newer tow vehicle before then-all the better. While the Silverado is great at towing, the 7-9 miles a gallons is just a bit too much to swallow-11mpg around town unloaded. I need the four wheel drive-I am the one that goes out on the roads at 3am to assess the roads to whether school get's closed for snow storms or not. So that adds weight to the equation too.

Going in like the last time-with lots of information and facts to buy the new tow vehicle and camper.