Towing Question

[Augusta]

I am wondering if anyone can help me. I am looking at buying a camper that weights 7,400 lbs. My 2003 Chevrolet Silverado with the 5.3 L engine says the maximum towing weight is 8,000 lbs. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Am I pushing the towing capacity to the limits?

[upnorth]

You would have to add yourself and any other gear you are going to carry to that 7400 pounds. Is the 7400 lbs loaded or dry? If it is dry you will be over in no time at all. If you are really looking at something that heavy I would be looking for a 3/4 ton truck.

[Dave]

How many times and how far you going top pull it, would be some more questions to answer.

[Augusta]

I expect to pull it 3 to 4 times a year. Mostly within 2 hour drive of the metro.

[icefisherman]

I have a 2001 dodge ram 1500 5.9l and I pull a 29 foot jayco featherlite camper and it weighs around 6000lbs. I personally wouldnt go any heavier than that, I feel mine is at the limit. On flat roads its fine but going up hills it really works it. I use a load distribution hitch and that makes all the differance.

[sdpikehntr]

I run a V-10 super duty and pull a rather heavy 6,000 pound TT, I would not go any smaller on the Pick-up. We tend to travel up tp 4hr to go camping to Northermn MN, When we get between the DL and Park Rapids area, I have a tough time keeping speed with the hills. In addition to the power most 1/2 truck do not have the built in front and rear sway controls to handle that added weight, so it may be tough to control at raod speed.

I would check with your local dealership shop to see if it is safe to pull the weight.

[Powerstroke]

There is more than one number to think about than tow rating.

You also need to consider the GCVWR, The Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating and the tongue weight of the trailer. This is the total max weight your vehicle can handle. The curb weight of a vehicle is set with a tank of gas and a 150lb driver. If you're 150lbs then you know how much your truck weighs with you in it. If not, get out the calculator.

If you plan on having other passengers you need to add their weight, pets, any gear in the truck, and the tongue weight of the trailer to know how much your TRUCK will now weigh. Is that number larger than your trucks capacity (probably not).

Now, that trailer is 7400lbs. Is that the dry weight of the camper or the GVWR of the camper? No camper is ever its dry weight, because that is without option. Add in the AC, microwave etc and it gets heavy. If you add personal items, toiletries, books, bedding, dishes, food etc, you're now thinking about the GVWR of the camper which is the number you should use.

So, If the GVWR of the camper really is 7400 you're out of luck. You need to look up the ratings for your truck. I can't find firm numbers online, but its most likely your combined rating is around 11,000 which means that leaves you less than 4000 lbs for just your truck and since your truck weighs more than 4000 lbs you REALLY need to look at numbers.

I say no way in any circumstance. Also, don't let anyone selling you something, convince you that you can tow it. I would say you should have a 10% margin for error built in too. I'm thinking you'll want to keep that trailer around 6000lbs. That includes a weight-distribution hitch and brake controller.

PS, I bought my first RV last year so I've been through this headache already and I've been towing a very long time. Just because numbers match up doesn't mean you're going to like driving it at max capacity.

[Hory]

Towing a RV is all about the breaks and suspension. No 1/2 or 3/4 ton vehicle is going to win a drag race pullin a RV of any size. The safety issues involved with towing generally relate to suspension and braking. With that being said, my parents pull a 2010 31' RLDS Hornet travel trailer with a double slideout on one side and single on the other. The fully loaded weight checks in at almost 10K lbs on the dot. They pull this with a 2003 Chevy 1/2 ton suburban. In order to do this comfortably, the suburban has an installed heavy-duty air bag suspension. The brakes also have been upgraded 2 full sizes all the way around on the vehicle. The sway bars are also very unique and about twice the size I've seen on any RV over my 15 years of towing. They have been towing for probably 20 years, but generally not over an hour in distance on very flat land. A lot comes down to how comfortable/skilled/experienced a driver is. Use the trailer brakes as much as possible by using your control box. By just hitting those you can stop a slight sway. Proper trailer brakes have the capability of stopping a rig dead in its tracks better than the towing vehicle's brakes ever could. Whatever the size vehicle or trailer make sure you as a driver are comfortable maneuvering it in any situation. Backing up alone, hooking it up alone, towing at highway speeds, etc.