99 Tahoe to tow 292BHDS

[bjcohn]

We just purchased a 2012 Coachman 292BHDS weighing in at 6400 LBS. I plan to tow mostly in the midwest with our 1999 Tahoe with a "heavy duty towing package" and 3.42 gears, GRW 6800 LBS.Has anybody attempted towing a 29' camper like ours with a truck like ours?

[camper_Lucy]

I think you have a couple of issues with that setup to consider,
First, I am not sure where you got your numbers from but that TT has a dry weight of 5530, in general you would ignore that number in favor of the GVWR, but since this units MFG does not post them you have to add the Dry weight and the payload of 2010 to get and estimate GVWR - that makes yours 7540, and generally the hitch is equal to 10% GVWR coming out of the factory, yours is listed at a hitch weight of 740 so this estimate is close.

Second, that TV only has 111 in wheelbase, there is a formula on here if your search, or someone who knows it can respond, but that is a short wheelbase for a 30' TT especially as you reach the top end or exceed the GVWR of the TV. The higher the weight and the shorter the wheelbase the more difficult it is to keep straight in and emergency stop, or a high cross wind.

If your TV capacity is 6800 as you listed, the TT exceeds it before you add people and fuel to your TV.

[nycamper]

I tow a 33' Rockwood 8315BSS without any problems. You will definitely need a good anti-sway hitch system. There are many good good ones out there. Mine is a Pull-Rite anti-sway and I get no sway. Your axle ratio is on the low side, 3.73 IMO would make towing much easier on grades. Happy camping and welcome to the forum.

[bjcohn]

Thanks for sharing the info.
I have stock leaf suspension on the rear. Should I make any changes there like supersprings or a add-a-leaf kit? Or will a good weight dist. system with sway control be good enough?

[11XLITE28BH]

I think you may have some troubles with that set up, especially on windy days, and the 3:42 rear end isn't ideal for that heavy of a TT.

[grhodes50]

Since we don't have the actual weight numbers, this is all just a big guess.

If the brochure base weight of 5530 is correct you'll need to add the weight of any options which may include the awning, AC, full propane tanks, battery etc. This usually adds about 300-400 lbs, so let's say your at 5,830 lbs. Now add food, clothing, towels, linen and so forth to the tt, which can easily be another 1,000 lbs, well that puts you at about 6,830. Close the weight that you originally gave us.

The brochure also gave a hitch weight of 740 lbs for a 5,530 lb tt. That's a little over 13%, which falls midway in the 10-15% recommended range. Using that ratio your tt's loaded hitch weight will be around 888 lbs. You stated your GVWR is 6,800 lbs. Subtract the actual loaded weight of the vehicle (including full tank of gas, passengers and gear) and that gives you what's left over for your hitch weight. Oh yeah, don't forget to add in the weight of the hitch.

If indeed your wheelbase is only 111", well that's just pretty short for towing a tt that size. A good anti-sway hitch doesn't make up for a bad set up. Maybe a Hensly would work, but they cost a few thousand dollars.

You also asked about add ons to your vehicle's suspension. No matter what you do, short of a complete suspension overhaul, you will not increase any of your vehicle's ratings. As mentioned in previous post, the 3:42 rear gears aren't very good for towing.

Like I said, this is all guess work since we don't have actual numbers to work with. But If it was me, I would look for another tow vehicle.

[bjcohn]

There is a decal on the drivers side of the TT that states the "dry weight is 6400 LBS" The TT is a Coachman 292 BHDS Liberty Edtion, unfortunately the weight on the Coachman website is incorrect. I want to be as safe as possible even if it means buying another tow vehicle ( which I have no money for after paying for the TT ). Anyone have a nice Suburban 2500 for cheap??