1st time trailering with 2013 Tahoe

[hockeyguy]

I have a 2013 2WD Tahoe with 5.3 engine. I am looking to rent a towable camper for a family camping trip. As this is my first time trailering with this vehicle I am wondering what advice you guys have as far as the equipment I should be looking to obtain to make this happen...like the hitch, brake controller, etc.

Thanks

 

[Jimmyy]

The weight of the trailer will determine the answers.

 

[Geotrash]

I have a 2013 2WD Tahoe with 5.3 engine. I am looking to rent a towable camper for a family camping trip. As this is my first time trailering with this vehicle I am wondering what advice you guys have as far as the equipment I should be looking to obtain to make this happen...like the hitch, brake controller, etc.

Thanks

For anything with a tongue weight over 400 lbs or a total trailer weight over 4000 pounds, you'll want a weight distributing hitch (WDH). The people who rent you the camper will likely have one that they will include with the rental because part of the hitch is bolted to the a-frame of the camper. They should also be able to help you with getting the hitch set up right for your truck.

If your truck doesn't have the factory brake controller, it's easy to add one. I prefer the Tekonsha P3 and have one in our 2007. Works great.

If you don't have the factory air suspension, you may eventually want to invest in a set of Sumo Springs or equivalent for the rear to help get rid of any sag that the WDH can't eliminate.

Check to see if your truck has the auxiliary transmission cooler as well. Most do, but not all. It will help with keeping the transmission cool if towing in the hills. For your first rental, I recommend staying well below the rated tow capacity of your truck (in the 5000 pound loaded weight range) until you get used to towing with it.

I used to tow a 18 foot, 4000 lb camper with our XL Denalis and didn't need a WDH, but now tow a 32 foot, 7000 lb camper and a WDH with sway control is absolutely necessary.

 

[hockeyguy]

Thanks Geotrash! good info

 

[swathdiver]

I have a 2013 2WD Tahoe with 5.3 engine. I am looking to rent a towable camper for a family camping trip. As this is my first time trailering with this vehicle I am wondering what advice you guys have as far as the equipment I should be looking to obtain to make this happen...like the hitch, brake controller, etc.

Thanks

What do you got?

Open your glovebox door and move the junk out of the way so you can see the RPO Sheet.

If you have GU4, you have 3.08 gears and are rated to tow 5,500 pounds with a GCWR of 11,000 pounds.

If you see GU6, you have 3.42 gears and are rated to tow 6,000 pounds with a GCWR of 11,500 pounds.

If you see GU6 and K5L, you are rated to tow 8,500 pounds with a GCWR of 14,000 pounds.

You do not want to exceed 600 pounds of tongue weight with a regular hitch or 1,000 pounds with a Weight Distribution Hitch. Our cars require them above 5,000 pounds and 4K is good safety margin. Most states require a trailer brake controller for anything over 2K pounds and the Kenosha P3 is tops. Do you have a controller at your left knee? Do you have JL1? That is the integrated trailer brake controller.

Once we know what you've got and what you want to haul folks on here can give more tailored advice.

 

[Fless]

What do you got?

Open your glovebox door and move the junk out of the way so you can see the RPO Sheet.

If you have GU4, you have 3.08 gears and are rated to tow 5,500 pounds with a GCWR of 11,000 pounds.

If you see GU6, you have 3.42 gears and are rated to tow 6,000 pounds with a GCWR of 11,500 pounds.

If you see GU6 and K5L, you are rated to tow 8,500 pounds with a GCWR of 14,000 pounds.

You do not want to exceed 600 pounds of tongue weight with a regular hitch or 1,000 pounds with a Weight Distribution Hitch. Our cars require them above 5,000 pounds and 4K is good safety margin. Most states require a trailer brake controller for anything over 2K pounds and the Kenosha P3 is tops. Do you have a controller at your left knee? Do you have JL1? That is the integrated trailer brake controller.

Once we know what you've got and what you want to haul folks on here can give more tailored advice.

I'll third the Tekonsha P3 controller. "Kenosha" a la @swathdiver. LOL

[As in Michigan, not Wisconsin]

 

[hockeyguy]

@Fless the RPO sheet shows GU6 and K5L but no JL1. No controller at my left knee.

The camper I'm renting off Outdoorsy.com is a 21 ft Jayco Jay Flight Baja Edition. 4,300 lbs. The owner did not mention anything about a weight distributing hitch or brake controller.

 

[avalonandl]

You need both. Also new rear shocks if yours are original. Get Bilstein. Thank me later. Also use 89 octane gas.

 

[Fless]

You need both. Also new rear shocks if yours are original. Get Bilstein. Thank me later. Also use 89 octane gas.

I would agree with needing both. The WDH will do a lot to improve the way the setup rides, and the electric brake controller will help keep the camper from pushing around the Tahoe. Besides probably being required by law in your State for a camper of that weight, having functional trailer brakes will contribute to better stopping distances and the reliability (and wearout) of your Tahoe's brakes.

 

[hockeyguy]

Thanks @Fless and @avalonandl I appreciate your input!

 

[gooffeyguy]

Man, reading this makes me wonder how I've towed my 18' 1500lb car hauler with a 3200lb car on and off since about 2006 with my Yukons without a WD hitch. I do have a brake controller though.

 

[Geotrash]

@Fless the RPO sheet shows GU6 and K5L but no JL1. No controller at my left knee.

The camper I'm renting off Outdoorsy.com is a 21 ft Jayco Jay Flight Baja Edition. 4,300 lbs. The owner did not mention anything about a weight distributing hitch or brake controller.

I'm assuming this is 21' ball to bumper? Single axle? 4300 lbs loaded (gross)? If yes on all 3, I'm in the camp that you can do this safely without a weight distributing hitch. If instead it's 4300 lbs. unloaded it's probably a tandem axle and I would then agree that a WDH is needed.

 

[hockeyguy]

Yes @Geotrash it is a single axle and I think the dry weight is 3350 lbs. Owner has it posted as 4300 lbs but that must be fully loaded.

So, being as that I can go ball to bumper what concerns should I have about the tongue weight?

 

[donjetman]

Use a "Weigh-Safe" brand hitch. It has a gauge built into it so you know the tongue weight. https://www.weigh-safe.com/

 

[Geotrash]

Yes @Geotrash it is a single axle and I think the dry weight is 3350 lbs. Owner has it posted as 4300 lbs but that must be fully loaded.

So, being as that I can go ball to bumper what concerns should I have about the tongue weight?

That's about right for a single axle. In my opinion, no concerns with tongue weight. I pulled a Springdale 1800BH with our Yukons for many thousands of miles without a WDH. It was also a single axle at 3400 empty, 4400 loaded. You will notice some squat, and be careful not to load the back of the Tahoe with a bunch of heavy gear, but you don't need a WDH for that trailer. When ours was loaded up for camping, the tongue weight was around 550 lbs because I had a generator mounted on a platform over the A-frame of the trailer, but without that, your tongue weight will be around 400-450 lbs. You won't have any problems with that. If you do it often, you may want to invest in sumo springs to get rid of the squat completely, unless you have the factory rear air suspension. In which case, you won't have any squat anyway because the airbags will take it out.

Also, etrailer.com has some great videos for installing a Tekonsha P3 in your truck. When I installed one in our 2007 I think it took me all of 20 minutes because the wiring is already there.

 

[hockeyguy]

thanks again @Geotrash

 

[Fless]

You want to shoot for tongue weight to be 10% to 15% of the weight of the loaded camper. Always tow with the trailer A-frame level or pointed slightly down at the hitch, in order to minimize sway.