Yukon Denali 6.2 towing Travel Trailer

[optimusprime]

So here is what I have for my calculations. Please let me know if this seems right. I haven't made it to a CAT scale yet but this is a starting point for me.

08 Yukon XL Denali
Towing- 7900#/ 7400#GVWR/ 5,984# Curb weight/ Available Payload- 1416# (per yellow sticker)
Payload in vehicle- Me, wife, 3 kids...645#/ Hitch weight ProPride P3...180#
Available Payload...1416 (-) TV Payload...825#= 591# Payload LEFTOVER for TT hitch weight

I added weight to my kiddos because obviously they are going to grow so I allotted extra for them. This includes ZERO extra cargo inside the Yuk or the TT. Obviously the TW is going to increase the more gear I put inside the TT and if we carry anything inside the Yuk, the payload will only decrease. Add to this another kid if we have one and that number continues to diminish. If allowing for up to 10-15% tongue weight, this leaves me with the ability to only haul a roughly 4000#-5910# trailer fully loaded. If I am doing my math correctly, I would be looking for a TT with a dry weight of 2500-4400# that would have to fit up to 6. Basically, it appears I am SOL for towing a TT with my family and my only option is as stated above, the 2500 Burb. Does anyone else agree with this assessment or am I missing something. Again, thank you all for the time you've spent helping me out.

 

[97audia4]

Something I didn't see in this thread is to upgrade to an external transmission cooler if your Yukon doesn't have one. The engine is a workhorse and will handle 4000 RPM all day long but generally when towing the transmission will run at a lower numbered gear which will drive up the transmission temperature, especially on hills. You want to keep the transmission temperature around 200F.

A weight distribution hitch is a must.

40k trucool with factory lines.

Someone also mentioned summer months the coolant temp rises, mine seems to cycle and levels back out at 210 on the cluster after a long hill pull.

 

[swathdiver]

08 Yukon XL Denali
Towing- 7900#/ 7400#GVWR/ 5,984# Curb weight/ Available Payload- 1416# (per yellow sticker)
Payload in vehicle- Me, wife, 3 kids...645#/ Hitch weight ProPride P3...180#
Available Payload...1416 (-) TV Payload...825#= 591# Payload LEFTOVER for TT hitch weight

Does anyone else agree with this assessment or am I missing something.

No and yes. You have not considered the mechanical advantage of what a weight distribution hitch does when you tension the bars. You are thinking in terms of using a Weight Carrying Hitch and not a Weight Distribution Hitch.

You should easily be able to handle an all up weight of 6,200 pounds or so, probably more.

Let's say your trailer weighs 6,251 pounds on its two axles and tongue. If you were to simply back up and hitch it up to your truck, your payload would exceed 1,600 pounds and your truck's GVW would be over 7,600 pounds. Following me so far?

Now, put tension on those weight distribution bars. This moves weight off the hitch and rear axle and transfers some to the steer axle of the Denali and to the axles on the trailer. How much I cannot tell but consider this example: If the bars are tensioned to move 8% of the tongue weight off of the hitch/rear axle to the steer axle and 16% to each trailer axle would effectively redistribute 396 pounds off of the back of your truck. Your cargo weight would now be 1,239 pounds and your Denali's GVW would be 7,302 pounds. Does this make sense?

 

[intheburbs]

My one caveat to James' above post. You can't change the physics of how a trailer behaves. 13% tongue weight offers good stability while not consuming too much payload. If you seriously crank up your weight bars to transfer some of that tongue weight back to the trailer axles, you're making the rig less stable and more prone to sway. The P3 hitch will certainly help.

Bottom line - if it was me, I'd find the trailer I like and take it for a "test tow" to a truck stop with scales. Before I buy. Only way to be sure. I've bought used, so that's never been a problem.

Here's another picture I like to post to make heads explode. And it also illustrates the benefits of a 2500 with that monster rear axle. 8600-lb trailer, 1100-lb tongue weight, and 900-lb family. Look closely at my hitch....

Here's a good video that illustrates...

 

[swathdiver]

My one caveat to James' above post. You can't change the physics of how a trailer behaves. 13% tongue weight offers good stability while not consuming too much payload. If you seriously crank up your weight bars to transfer some of that tongue weight back to the trailer axles, you're making the rig less stable and more prone to sway.

Thanks Bill. So even with the bars tensioned, you are saying that you still want to maintain the optimum tongue weight? If so, I'll revise that calculator to reflect such.

One trailer I looked at, the tongue weight was but 510 pounds while another was over 800 pounds even though both trailers weighed about the same. The latter had an up front galley. These were dry weights, before the hitch, batteries and gas bottles were added too.

 

[optimusprime]

No and yes. You have not considered the mechanical advantage of what a weight distribution hitch does when you tension the bars. You are thinking in terms of using a Weight Carrying Hitch and not a Weight Distribution Hitch.

You should easily be able to handle an all up weight of 6,200 pounds or so, probably more.

Let's say your trailer weighs 6,251 pounds on its two axles and tongue. If you were to simply back up and hitch it up to your truck, your payload would exceed 1,600 pounds and your truck's GVW would be over 7,600 pounds. Following me so far?

Now, put tension on those weight distribution bars. This moves weight off the hitch and rear axle and transfers some to the steer axle of the Denali and to the axles on the trailer. How much I cannot tell but consider this example: If the bars are tensioned to move 8% of the tongue weight off of the hitch/rear axle to the steer axle and 16% to each trailer axle would effectively redistribute 396 pounds off of the back of your truck. Your cargo weight would now be 1,239 pounds and your Denali's GVW would be 7,302 pounds. Does this make sense?


View attachment 240000

View attachment 240001

Sort of. I’m a little lost regarding some of the numbers. Like the 7302 vehicle weight. Best I could come up with by filling the chart was 7223. But the thought makes sense. But at what point does transferring weight to the other axels become dangerous?


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[optimusprime]

My one caveat to James' above post. You can't change the physics of how a trailer behaves. 13% tongue weight offers good stability while not consuming too much payload. If you seriously crank up your weight bars to transfer some of that tongue weight back to the trailer axles, you're making the rig less stable and more prone to sway. The P3 hitch will certainly help.

Bottom line - if it was me, I'd find the trailer I like and take it for a "test tow" to a truck stop with scales. Before I buy. Only way to be sure. I've bought used, so that's never been a problem.

Here's another picture I like to post to make heads explode. And it also illustrates the benefits of a 2500 with that monster rear axle. 8600-lb trailer, 1100-lb tongue weight, and 900-lb family. Look closely at my hitch....

Here's a good video that illustrates...

When it says 60% of the weight on the front of the trailer, are they referring to 60% of the tongue weight staying at the tongue?


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[swathdiver]

Look closely at my hitch....

Looks like a Weight Carrying setup, not WDH.

How about this?:



Weight transfer to the axles becomes dangerous when you exceed the capacity of those axles.

The 60/40 rule has to do with weight distribution within the trailer itself. 60% of the weight on the tongue and front axle and 40% of the weight on the rear axle.

 

[optimusprime]

Looks like a Weight Carrying setup, not WDH.

How about this?:

View attachment 240002

Weight transfer to the axles becomes dangerous when you exceed the capacity of those axles.

The 60/40 rule has to do with weight distribution within the trailer itself. 60% of the weight on the tongue and front axle and 40% of the weight on the rear axle.

View attachment 240003View attachment 240004View attachment 240005

How do you go about figuring out how much weight is distributed? Is this referring to how much extra you’re putting in?


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[swathdiver]

How do you go about figuring out how much weight is distributed? Is this referring to how much extra you’re putting in?


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Therein lies my problem Andrew. I do not know, just guessing based on research. I do not have a trailer with a WDH so I cannot play with the tension and keep weighing the whole setup at the CAT scales. But if and when I buy one, that's what I'll do. I'm hoping that someone here knows of a correlation between how many links of chain equals such and such to this axle and that axle. Then I could modify the calculator for the benefit of all. It's still a work in progress and demands peer review.