Too much trailer for my Yukon?

[Idaho45guy]

My elderly father agreed to let me use his travel trailer for the season if I cleaned it up and maintained it. He told me it was a 22'.

It's not. Its a 24' and really is bigger than what I wanted, but the price is good.

It's a 2003 and dry weight is 4700lbs. With full tanks and gear, I'd say it's probably close to 6,000 lbs.

I went to go get it and he has a weight distribution hitch, but it wasn't set up for my rig. He uses a 2005 Chevy 2500 extended cab 4x4 long bed to tow it to Arizona and back.

I installed a brake controller and upgraded my rear coils to the Z71 coils, which lifted the rear a couple of inches.

With the hitch set up properly and the brake controller set up as well, it should be OK for going shorter distances, I hope.

It just looks really, really big for my poor Yukon...

 

[Scottydoggs]

you can put some air bags in the coil springs, helps a ton to keep the ass end up and level.

 

[09Tahoe4Now]

From personal experience 1) air bags in the springs to level the rear end out. 2) sway control/sway stabilizer/weight distribution hitch if at all possible 3) make sure your rear shocks are good 4)check tire conditions on tow and towed vehicle, no noted tire separating, gouges, screws/nails, correct pressures & tighten down trailer lug nuts before leaving out. Good luck

 

[PG01]

Reset the weight distributing hitch, you’ll be able to get the rearend of your truck and trailer tongue up higher.

 

[Idaho45guy]

Luckily, I live close to some beautiful areas to camp in, so I can go around 30 miles and be in wilderness.

When I was shopping for RVs, I was looking at new 18' models at around 3k pounds. This thing is a tank and I'm worried going too far is going to destroy my transmission.

Even without the equalizer hitch set up, it didn't seem too scary for the 12 miles to get it home. Just made the Yukon really struggle to stay over 50.

 

[Big Mama]

If it’s just for 1 season follow the above advice. Adding an external trans cooler is cheap insurance. The hitch is key to this. You have plenty of motor just not the suspension and hitch set up of a truck.

 

[89Suburban]

Stay in the right lane and put it in tow mode for the trans and brakes, good luck with it.

 

[Woodblocker55]

You know just setting up hitch right .. It will be fine .. I pulled 9000 lbs with suburban 2002 . See weight distribution hitch will fix all that. Research weight distribution hitches. Before you spend $400 on airbags. Just a set of coilovers and back I'll work and a weight distribution hitch. Save your money.
Here's 9000 lbs load on 2002 suburban coilovers weight distribution hitch. I can crank it up even more it would have been more level. You also need to get tongue weight correct with weight distribution hitch. Weight distribution hitch can actually pull the front end down. Do some research.
My load was oak dam heavy .

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[Fless]

I went to go get it and he has a weight distribution hitch, but it wasn't set up for my rig.

EDIT:

Not sure what you mean, not set up. With the WDH all you need on the vehicle side is the head and shank that goes into your hitch receiver. Then set the tension properly with the trunnion bars.

 

[Woodblocker55]

I hauled 63,560 lb with 2002 suburban. I do believe that the suspension in yukons and suburbans are designed for weight distribution hitches. It handles perfect with it set up correctly. 10% weight on tongue. I could go as fast as I wanted and brakes on trailer need to be adjusted and setup correctly also . More of a choreography than you think. But once it's set right it's like it's so easy . each load at 9000 lbs trailer and load was hauled 50 miles I did that 15 times for total of 1500 miles . I also bought a ball scale from Etrailer ..so I could nail down the exact tongue as my load changed Everytime I loaded. Bundles run 2200-2500 lbs each . Hauled 4 once trailer and load 13,160lb got it home 50 mile the weak point was trailer axels not the suburban.. then realized 2 was maxing everything out .
Ya .. averaged 9.5 to 11 MPG ..55-65 mph .
Just so you know Max the 2002 suburban pulled 50 miles was GCVW was 18,860 lbs there pulling monsters long as they have HD towing package 3:73 . And big note and totally awesome brakes on trailer. My 2006 Yukon XL 4:10 should even do it alot better ..[emoji106] this summer will be Yukon XL testing .

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[Larryjb]

Do you have the 5.3L?

You should have not problem pulling the trailer. Use the tow/haul mode, use a Scanguage II to monitor transmission temperatures. I use a WDH and have no need for air bags in the rear. In fact, air bags can give you a false sense of security. With air bags, your truck may be level, but still have all the weight on the rear axle and not enough on the front which will compromise steering and handling. A WDH will rebalance the weight properly.

4700 lb trailer is nothing for the Tahoe/Yukon. It does matter how you pack though. I pulled a 3500 lb trailer up the Coquihalla, and my wife had overloaded the trailer (that was partly my fault too). Fill up your fresh water holding tank at the site, or leave it empty. Buy your food locally, and don't bring too many toys.

 

[rzabel]

EDIT:

Not sure what you mean, not set up. With the WDH all you need on the vehicle side is the head and shank that goes into your hitch receiver. Then set the tension properly with the trunnion bars.

There are height and angle adjustments on my weight distribution hitch in addition to the tension on the chains. I think most of them are like that and they need to be adjusted for the height of the trailer, height of the tow vehicle and angle of the receiver so it will properly distribute weight to the front wheels.

 

[drakon543]

wdh also help alot specifically when you get a good bounce over a bridge and such. when i used to work at the rv shop i used to do alot of towing. the trailer would have to be pretty small for me to not want to atleast give a wdh one link on the chain. when you pop over bridges and other sudden height changes on the highway you get that sudden change in tongue weight and you get the bounce going. a wdh will act like a shock absorber keeping that bounce under control so you can stay in control. best towing accessory anyone can add to thier trailer.

 

[SRQYukon]

Probably better consider some sway control with that short wheelbase truck. Although longer trailers may be stable enough with WDH alone.

 

[Woodblocker55]

If your tricky by a weight distribution hitch with sway control all in one purchase.

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[WhizKid331]

I cannot agree more with the WDH comments. We pull a 24Ft trailer with water tank full and 3-4 adults in the truck. I checked our weight on a CAT scale fully loaded and came in at 12,000 lbs. total. (03 Yukon XL). However, our hitch really balances the weight across all of the axles and gives us a flat tow for the truck and trailer. Make sure the hitch is distributing the weight, and that it is positioned at the correct height for the trailer.

 

[TowTahoe]

I wouldn't hesitate.

I have a 2001 Tahoe and From the month I got it (ordered it and still have it) up until six years ago it towed a 24' travel trailer pretty close to the GVWR you have. I previously used an '89 Bronco 302 with the towing package. The Tahoe was so stable and a whole lot more responsive than the Bronco (with the 302) ever was.
That being said the Tahoe was also ordered to tow. It has the ZW7 suspension and I am running the auto leveling shocks. If you don't have the towing package you will certainly notice the lack of the change in rear end ratio but the tow/haul mode makes up for that for the most part.