What Camper to Buy???

[wannaeye]

I am looking to buy a camper next spring. I am wondering what a 03 Chevy 1/2 ton 5.3 will pull. I want something in the 24 to 26 foot range with a slide out. I could do 5th wheel or a travel trailer, but my question is what can I really pull?

My owners manual says I can go up to 7800 pounds, but what can my truck handle for pulling around Minnesota?

[Ryan_V]

you should have no problems with your truck and a travel trailer up to 30 foot. they are making them lighter and lighter. i have a 30 footer (no slide...about 6000 pounds loaded) and pull it with my 01 tahoe. I can set the cruise and turn the air on in the tahoe when towing and it does just fine. just make sure you have a tranny cooler and you're truck will pull as long as you don't go overboard. If you're think of a fifth wheel, I'd get helper springs.

[eyemaster]

You should be able to look at several different sizes and models. i would go with a manufacturer that has been around for a while, and has a good reputation. They are built lighter now a days but when you get into the lighter models seems like some are built cheaper.

[wannaeye]

So if I could comfortably pull around 6500 lbs total, does that put me in a trailer that wieghs around 5000-5500 lbs dry???

At this point my biggest concern would be the wieght that I could pull. What do other folks pull with thier 1/2 tons??

Thanks in advance for all the great info!!!!! This is a great site!!!

[Ryan_V]

you're correct. when you look at "uvw" of the camper, figure on adding about a thousand pounds to that to get your actual weight, probably not that high, but that's a good conservative estimate.

[StrangeBrew]

I have an 05 Sierra with the 5.3 and pull a 29 ft travel trailer. The trailer is rated for up to 7000 lbs and we must be close to that weight by the time my wife and kids are done packing. It pulls just fine. When you encounter big hills you will drop a couple gears to make it up.

For me the deciding factor between the 5.3 and the 6.0 engine was that this is my everyday truck and wanted the better gas mileage for 90% of the time I am not towing.

As far as the 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton, I also inquired about this but since I have the crew cab and the shorter box I was not able to put a hitch in the box. Your will have more choices of trailers if you go the travel trailer route instead of a 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton truck. This is due to the weight of a 5th wheel trailer.

[trackerbrent]

Here is my advice on buying a trailer. Do not go off the UVW of the trailer, use the GVWR of the trailer for deciding which one to buy. Here is the main concern, the GVWR and GAWR of your truck. On a TT you are transfering around 15% of the weight of the trailer to your truck. If the trailer has a GVWR of say 6500lbs, like you suggested, then 1000lbs would be transferred to your truck with the use of a weight dist. system. This would be required by a class IV hitch to carry the max weight of 1000lbs tongue weight. Your truck has a 6700lb GVWR, I believe. Your curb weight is around 5200lbs, no gas or options. Math follows.

Truck:5200lbs

Gas:28 gals(est): 170lbs

Trailer tongue weight:1000lbs (assuming 6500lb trailer)

Family of four(est): 600lbs

Misc gear in bed (est):200lbs

Total: 7200lbs (500 lbs over GVWR of your truck)

Here is my suggestion from quick math I just did. If you go with a TT(travel trailer), get on with a GVWR of 6000lbs and all the #'s should work for your truck. Length does not matter to much for the trailer, only the GVWR of it.

I tow a 23' fifth wheel with a GVWR of 5500 lbs. My F150 has a GVWR of 7200lbs, around 500lbs more then the Chevy. But the F150 also curb weight is a little more. Tows it great with the boat behind it.

For fifth wheel this is about as big as I would go. Fifth wheel puts about 20-25% of its weight right in to the bed of the truck, then you have to add 100lbs for the hitch. Things add up quick to get to the GVWR of your truck. Hope this helps and is not too confusing.

[muc33]

That is a very good post trackerbrent. I agree whole heartedly. good figures in my book!