Tow capacity help (07’ Yukon 2500)

[Dasanii19]

Hello, I have a 2007 Yukon XL 2500 with 4.10 gears. I’m looking to buy a Keystone Cougar 29’. https://www.rvusa.com/detail?id=2802227

My question is, am I safe to haul this trailer? I believe with 4:10 gears my Tow capacity is 9500lbs & payload 2500. The trailer dry weight is 6875 and GVWR is 8800. Should I think about any air suspension? Any help or tips would be great!

 

[Big Mama]

More knowledgeable folks will chime in on this one. I’m not too versed on 2500’s or if they have auto leveling out back or trailer brakes. The sticker on your door jam or in your manual would be where I’d start. Good luck and happy towing.

 

[Geotrash]

Keystone owners have their own RV forum loaded with towing experts. It’s active and there’s a section there for tow vehicles. That said, I have a feeling they’re going to tell you that that’s right at the edge even for a 2500. I like to see at least a 10-15% margin between the trailers gross weight and the rated towing capacity of the tow vehicle. If you decide that you need to add a trailer brake controller because your truck doesn’t have one from the factory, I recommend a Tekonsha P3. Only takes 20 minutes to install on one of these rigs.

Tongue weight shouldn’t be an issue for 2500 though, and if you need air bag helper springs, they have lots of options for you.

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/


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[avalonandl]

You should be OK but make sure you have a good Brake Controller and your shocks/brakes on the vehicle are updated. The 2500's handle the weight well. Basically the only thing better is a 3/4 ton pickup or a DUALLY...

 

[Big Mama]

Been wondering if anyone uses a weight distributing hitch? My uncle tows way overweight with his Silverado and uses one. Anyone used one with our rigs?

 

[bfourman]

You will know that trailer is back there for sure. I towed a 29' Sunnybrook with a GVWR of 10k with my 00 Yukon XL 2500 3.73. Did it pull it? Yes. Was it fun? Not really. Short trips on local roads/state highways were fine. Interstate trips sucked.

You will be limited in your 07 by the 4 speed trans vs the later 6 speed. My 09 Burb 2500 tows 10x better with the 6L90 and the engine and axle ratio are the same as my 00. The 4L80 is stout but you will always be in 3rd or screaming in 2nd to crest hills.

Weight distribution hitches are a must with pretty much any dual axle camper. rv.net/forums and read thru the towing section. I don't need one with my current hybrid camper because it "only" weighs 6k but I run one anyway for sway control and keeping the Suburban level.

 

[intheburbs]

Hello, I have a 2007 Yukon XL 2500 with 4.10 gears. I’m looking to buy a Keystone Cougar 29’. https://www.rvusa.com/detail?id=2802227

My question is, am I safe to haul this trailer? I believe with 4:10 gears my Tow capacity is 9500lbs & payload 2500. The trailer dry weight is 6875 and GVWR is 8800. Should I think about any air suspension? Any help or tips would be great!

You might want to double-check your payload on the door sticker. I doubt it's 2500. Probably closer to 2000 or 2100. Payload of my 2008 is 2088 lbs.

Yes, you will be fine with that trailer. Frankly, GM underrates the 2500 trucks, so even if you're close to the limits, you still have a safety margin.

What you definitely will want to do is check your weights on a truck scale once you're loaded and ready for your first trip. Good confirmation to make sure you're properly loaded and balanced, and not overloading anything.

Airbags are not necessary. The leaf springs are plenty stout. You will likely want to upgrade your shocks. If you have the stock suspension, Bilstein 4600s will make a HUGE difference when towing.

I've towed my 8600-lb trailer all over the country, including some Rocky Mountain passes and the Eisenhower Tunnel. She does just fine. I'm never a menace causing slowdowns behind me, and I'm always faster than the big rigs. The 6.0 loves to rev - let it eat!

Our rig parked at Wall Drug. Notice no WD on the hitch, yet she still sits perfectly level. 1120-lb tongue weight.

 

[Foggy]

Get a quality WD Hitch and you will be just fine.. Just be careful of which gears you stay in at the transmission.
I tow my 321RES camper just fine.. It's 7800dry weight, about 9500 loaded with a 800lb tongue weight.
I use a high quality WD hitch with sway control.. Mine is just a 1500 with 3.42 and 6L80e..I have more power
and use the best of everything to compensate due to the towing

 

[intheburbs]

Get a quality WD Hitch and you will be just fine.. Just be careful of which gears you stay in at the transmission.
I tow my 321RES camper just fine.. It's 7800dry weight, about 9500 loaded with a 800lb tongue weight.
I use a high quality WD hitch with sway control.. Mine is just a 1500 with 3.42 and 6L80e..I have more power
and use the best of everything to compensate due to the towing

This part in red. OP has a 2007, so it's the 4L80. Lock it into 3rd and leave it there. Do not tow in OD/4th.

 

[Foggy]

This part in red. OP has a 2007, so it's the 4L80. Lock it into 3rd and leave it there. Do not tow in OD/4th.

Absolutely if it is a stock 4L80E... With 4.11's will be a slow ride, but very
safe and manageable . I have a highly modified 4L80E in my Stepside that
was my primary tow vehicle until last year when I bought and modified my Yukon.
I "could" tow in 4th.. but usually didn't.. I just slowed down and occasionally shifted
into 4th on downhill grades to get rpm's down

My 6l80 is modified, but I haven't towed in 6th at all.
I use 4th most of the time, but at higher speeds and level or downhill I
go into 5th gear... Same camper- about 9500+ loaded.
I upgraded to the kick ass WD hitch with built in sway control - Equal-I-Zer system.
both vehicles towed more stable with it

 

[TheWho196489]

You might want to double-check your payload on the door sticker. I doubt it's 2500. Probably closer to 2000 or 2100. Payload of my 2008 is 2088 lbs.

Yes, you will be fine with that trailer. Frankly, GM underrates the 2500 trucks, so even if you're close to the limits, you still have a safety margin.

What you definitely will want to do is check your weights on a truck scale once you're loaded and ready for your first trip. Good confirmation to make sure you're properly loaded and balanced, and not overloading anything.

Airbags are not necessary. The leaf springs are plenty stout. You will likely want to upgrade your shocks. If you have the stock suspension, Bilstein 4600s will make a HUGE difference when towing.

I've towed my 8600-lb trailer all over the country, including some Rocky Mountain passes and the Eisenhower Tunnel. She does just fine. I'm never a menace causing slowdowns behind me, and I'm always faster than the big rigs. The 6.0 loves to rev - let it eat!

Our rig parked at Wall Drug. Notice no WD on the hitch, yet she still sits perfectly level. 1120-lb tongue weight.

How Long it this trailer? We are having sway issues with our 32rbfq puma trailer and 07 gmc yukon xl 2500. I have reese weight distribution kit and friction sway control bars as well along with air shocks on the truck and are not able to get past 45mph without swaying really bad. We are full time living on the road and are being told the vehicle is too small for this camper listed above or the camper is too long.

 

[Geotrash]

How Long it this trailer? We are having sway issues with our 32rbfq puma trailer and 07 gmc yukon xl 2500. I have reese weight distribution kit and friction sway control bars as well along with air shocks on the truck and are not able to get past 45mph without swaying really bad. We are full time living on the road and are being told the vehicle is too small for this camper listed above or the camper is too long.

I believe the towing capacity of your Yukon is 9700 lbs. The dry weight on that camper is 9000 lbs with a GVWR of 10500 lbs., making it a little too much trailer for that rig. That said, the kind of sway you're describing shouldn't be happening anyway. A few things can contribute to sway:

1/ The tongue weight of the trailer is too light. You want 10-15% of trailer weight on the tongue, which in your case would be between 900 and 1500 lbs, depending on how it's loaded. Take it to a CAT scale at a local truckstop and see what you got.

2/ Your weight distributing hitch is either not effective, or set up wrong, or both.

3/ There is something mechanically wrong with the trailer, such as one or both axles slightly askew.

 

[intheburbs]

I believe the towing capacity of your Yukon is 9700 lbs. The dry weight on that camper is 9000 lbs with a GVWR of 10500 lbs., making it a little too much trailer for that rig. That said, the kind of sway you're describing shouldn't be happening anyway. A few things can contribute to sway:

1/ The tongue weight of the trailer is too light. You want 10-15% of trailer weight on the tongue, which in your case would be between 900 and 1500 lbs, depending on how it's loaded. Take it to a CAT scale at a local truckstop and see what you got.

2/ Your weight distributing hitch is either not effective, or set up wrong, or both.

3/ There is something mechanically wrong with the trailer, such as one or both axles slightly askew.

@TheWho196489

My trailer is 35' long.

Good advice here. I'd focus on number 1 - tongue weight. More tongue weight = more stability.

If you haven't weighed your rig, start there. Download the CAT scales app, find your closest scale, and weigh. Re-weighs are like $3.50, so weigh twice - both with and without the trailer. You'll get numbers like these:

It's common with WD hitches to have the bars cranked too much, which causes instability and sway. I'd say 13%-15% is the ideal number for tongue weight.

Doing the math on mine:
1) Tongue weight is (weight of tow vehicle while hitched) - (weight of tow vehicle unhitched)....(3220+5620)-(3740+3980) = 1120 lbs tongue weight
2) Trailer weight is (total rig weight hitched) - (vehicle weight unhitched)....16340-7720 = 8620 lbs trailer weight
3) Tongue weight percentage = tongue weight/trailer weight = 1120/8620 = 12.99% tongue weight on tow vehicle. And my rig is dead-nuts stable, even in high crosswinds. What a coincidence!

Only caveat here is your rear axle weight. Don't exceed your rear axle weight rating on the sticker in your driver's door jam. I think the 2007 has the semifloater 9.25" rear, not the beastly 10.5" freefloater. I have the beastly axle, and even though the rating on my sticker is 5500 lbs for the rear axle, I know the axle itself is rated to 8600 lbs by the manufacturer, and the limiting factor is actually the tires, which can handle over 6,000 lbs, so I'm not worried.

 

[Bigburb3500]

Saw this thread and after @intheburbs weighed in on my 3500 thread (pun intended) I knew he was going to be the guru to bring into the conversation. Glad he was able to impart his knowledge and safe travels!