Tow vehicle question

[natureman]

Good morning!

I have a question about towing a TT as I am new to the RV world. I have a 2007 Tahoe LTZ that has tow rating of 8200lbs. I have been looking at TT around 6500-6900lbs max. Majority of the ones I like are 32-35ft long. I'm concerned about that length behind my Tahoe even though once loaded I will be under the 8200lb tow rating. Do you all think a 32-35 ft TT behind my Tahoe is to long of a trailer?

[cfowler55]

Even assuming that you are not over vehicle carrying capacity I think you will be miserable by the time you reach your destination unless only camping locally. Towing at or near rating tends to be tense. Weight coupled with a unit +/-50% longer than tv is something I would definitely avoid

[jonnyaiks]

With 700-1000lbs on the tongue and 35' long, it will be really exhausting to control in a Tahoe over any distance or in wind or highway traffic. It'd be exhausting enough in a properly set up half ton. You get exhausted and bad things can happen.

[bfisher003]

I would not want to tow that long a trailer with a Tahoe.

[tuffr2]

For a trailer that size you really need a much larger tow vehicle. Trailers that large act as a sail and will wag that tiny tahoe like a tail on a dog.

Either look for a much smaller 3,500lb trailer or start looking 3/4 ton truck.

When a tow rating is 8,200lbs that means you can tow a hay wagon out of the field. It does not mean you can tow a 8,200 lb. trailer on the freeway at 70mph passing Semi trucks or visa versa.

The wheel base of a tahoe is really not long enough to tow a large trailer and still control the trailer. Plus I believe you only have a 6 cylinder engine.

Do not look at those large trailers, they are nice but the tahoe can not tow one.

[tuffr2]

Forgot to mention, look inside the door jam to get the GVWR. That will be your limiting factor. If you are serious about towing with the tahoe weigh the tahoe with full tank of gas, the dogs, cooler and other stuff.

Add 120 lbs. for a WD with sway control. Subtract the weight of the vehicle from the GVWR. That will be how much more weight you can carry. Typically the 3,500 trailer will have a hitch weight of 600 - 800lbs. Add that to the weight of the tahoe and see if it is still under the GVWR.

[natureman]

What is the max length that will be sufficient enough for my Tahoe?

[tuffr2]

My experience, depends on your camping plans. If you are going to camp in local state parks and RV parks you can tow more then if you plan to travel on the highway hundreds of miles.

I had a small 22' hard shell trailer that I towed with a little Honda Ridgeline. The Ridgeline was ok as long as I stayed on back roads at 45 - 55mph. Even on the highway for 10 - 15 miles at 60 65 mph was tolerable. But one 300 mile trip I realized I needed a larger truck.

So if you plan long trips I would stick with 18' to 20' trailers. If local maybe 24' max length.

Once you hook up a trailer to your tahoe you will see how difficult it is to tow. The engine will struggle, the vehicle will handle different.

Maybe the best way to describe towing is even a V8 powered F-150 will go from 21 mpg highway mpg to 11 mph highway when towing a 5,500lb trailer.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by natureman

Do you all think a 32-35 ft TT behind my Tahoe is to long of a trailer?

The length of the trailer is not your limiter, although the longer the trailer the more miserable will be your towing experience. Your limiter is probably the GVWR of the Tahoe.

A TT loaded to 6,900 pounds will have hitch weight of about 1,000 pounds, including the weight of a good weight-distributing (WD) hitch. As tuffr2 noted, you need to load the Tahoe with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing. Drive to a truck stop that has a CAT scale and fill up with gas. Then weigh the wet and loaded Tahoe.

The GVWR of the Tahoe minus the wet and loaded weight of the Tahoe gives you the payload capacity available for hitch weight. If your payload capacity available for hitch weight is not at least 1,000 pounds, Then you need to look for lighter-weight trailer. Else you're probably going to be overloaded when on the road.

[natureman]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

The length of the trailer is not your limiter, although the longer the trailer the more miserable will be your towing experience. Your limiter is probably the GVWR of the Tahoe.

A TT loaded to 6,900 pounds will have hitch weight of about 1,000 pounds, including the weight of a good weight-distributing (WD) hitch. As tuffr2 noted, you need to load the Tahoe with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing. Drive to a truck stop that has a CAT scale and fill up with gas. Then weigh the wet and loaded Tahoe.

The GVWR of the Tahoe minus the wet and loaded weight of the Tahoe gives you the payload capacity available for hitch weight. If your payload capacity available for hitch weight is not at least 1,000 pounds, Then you need to look for lighter-weight trailer. Else you're probably going to be overloaded when on the road.

What do you mean by "wet"

[natureman]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Forgot to mention, look inside the door jam to get the GVWR. That will be your limiting factor. If you are serious about towing with the tahoe weigh the tahoe with full tank of gas, the dogs, cooler and other stuff.

Add 120 lbs. for a WD with sway control. Subtract the weight of the vehicle from the GVWR. That will be how much more weight you can carry. Typically the 3,500 trailer will have a hitch weight of 600 - 800lbs. Add that to the weight of the tahoe and see if it is still under the GVWR.

Is this the sticker you are talking about?

[tuffr2]

Yes, that is the door sticker. Each vehicle has one. GVWR is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, the most weight that the vehicle can carry plus the weight of the vehicle.
I see it is 7,300lbs.

Say your vehicle loaded (wet) with people, full tank of gas, some tools, dogs, cooler etc. weighs 6,200lbs for example that means you still have 1,100 lbs. you can carry.

There are a few places to get your Tahoe weighed. Any truck stop will have CAT scales. Any place that sells coal, stone, gravel will have a scale.

[MTK46]

Towing a 32-35' TT with a Tahoe is called "The tail wagging the dog" Something you don't want to happen.
As others have said check the GVWR of you Tahoe. With the lighter TT that are around I think you should be able to find something about 26' that would work just fine.
Something like these new should work for you.

SC-225RBS | Cruiser RV
https://www.lancecamper.com/travel-trailers/2375/

[muleman1]

Everyone's jumping on the weight aspect of the OP's question, but the short wheelbase of the Tahoe is just as much an issue. Side pressure on whatever he decides to tow is going effect the steering more than it would on a longer wheelbase vehicle (i.e. pickup).