New and really want to be sure

HotRodMomma · 12-03-2010, 09:25 AM

I have an o5 Avalance Z71 4WD., GCWR is 13,000 lbs.

I am looking at purchasing (tomorrow) an 06 Signature Ultra Lite with Super Slide, 32' States 6200 lbs.

I have sway bar, tranny cooler and brake controller, am I asking too much? Would onlybe towed flat ground, no hills where I live or would travel.

Want to be sure I am safe as well as the people on the road with me.

hoffkm · 12-03-2010, 12:28 PM

I pull a 2011 Rockwood 2901SS Ultra Lite with a dry weight of 5,500 lbs with all options, I would estimate 6,250 fully loaded (first task in the spring is a trip to the scales) with my 2007 Avalanche which has roughly the same GCWR as yours (6,000 lb truck, 7,000 lb trailer maximum). It is all that I feel safe pulling with my Avalanche and many would say that I am pulling too much trailer with my rig. My new to me Hensley Arrow helps alot with sway and stability but I am still not going to win any races with a 1/2 ton truck pulling a 31' long trailer. The Signature Ultralites are heavier trailers than the Ultra Liites (more and fancier options) and you may be pushing the limits with what you are looking at.

MtnGuy · 12-03-2010, 01:12 PM

HotRodMomma, we probably need more information.

The trailer model #.....maybe we can find the stats from that.

The Avy wheelbase. I don't think the Avy's are as long as a typical pickup. If that trailer is 32', then you are need a fairly long wheel base to pull that safely.

You have not listed the maximum tow ratings or the hitch ratings. You can probably find the maximum tow ratings on the Chevy website by entering the engine and final drive ratio. The hitch rating should be posted by a sticker on the hitch.

If you are referring to a friction sway control bar, then that is probably not a good idea for a 32' trailer. An integrated sway control and WDH would be much more practical.

Give us the additional information, and I feel sure more members will chime in here.

**bikendan** · 12-03-2010, 04:13 PM

i have an '07 2WD Avy with the 5.3 v-8 and 3.73 rear end.
it's tow max is 7200lbs. you didn't state if yours is the 1500 or the 2500, which has a bigger engine and more towing.

you didn't say what that 6200lbs. weight is. sounds like "dry" weight for a 32' TT. it'll weigh over 6500lbs. on the lot.
"dry" weight is a useless number because no trailer weighs its fictional "dry" weight.

without knowing more info about the Avy and the TT, i'd say that it's wayyy too much trailer for the Avy.

32' TT usually means 3/4 ton TV.

LadyWindrider · 12-03-2010, 05:20 PM

If you go with the tow length you would need/want a vehicle with a minimum 160 inch wheel base, which the Avalanche is not, I'm pretty sure. (Length of trailer in feet multiplied by 5 equals minimum wheel base in inches of tow vehicle) Also if you think sway won't be a problem, drive through a thunderstorm with 50 mph gusting wind.

lbrjet · 12-03-2010, 08:16 PM

If the truck can handle the tongue weight you will probably be OK on flat ground. TW's can vary a lot on 32 ft trailers.

crocus · 12-03-2010, 10:07 PM

Flat ground or not, the question is if you can stop the rig in an emergency situation. Doesn't sound very safe to me.

donn · 12-03-2010, 10:08 PM

Way way way too much trailer for a 1/2 ton Avalanche. First of all that is way too long to handle with your SUV. Second that 13K GCWR can get eaten up very fast just by the vehicle and passengers. Third you will not like attempting to tow that long with that short of a vehicle. Lastly the 5.3L if you have a 1500 based AV will not be happy trying to pull that much trailer.

Borwick · 12-04-2010, 09:45 AM

When the wife and I first decided to get the TT, our list included models that were the "biggest" we could pull with our vehicle.

We put down the deposit, and then realized that we did this the wrong way. We were lucky that the dealer allowed us to tear up that contract, and get real.

Around Northern California, the "RV" type of camping sites are just parking lots. We enjoy "rouging" it, which means dry camping in varied terrain.

We ended up with the smallest trailer we could find that met our needs. In the end, we are happier because it's easy to tow, and we can get in and out of campsites that the larger unit could not go.

Yosemite (size restrictions), and many of the Sierra Nevada campsites around us are very hilly and snug.

You might think about this in those terms. I know the McMansion units are great, but I wouldn't consider them a "go anywhere for the weekend" kind of thing.

**Herk7769** · 12-04-2010, 07:05 PM

Dave,

That has to be the best bit of advice I have seen on this Forum.
RIGHT ON.

HotRodMomma · 12-06-2010, 01:57 PM

Thank you all for you thoughts and advice.

In the end, we did not do it...were not comfortable with it.

In turn we are looking at units 25' and below, and have found some with a slide for under 5000 lbs. So, we know they are out there and will take our time looking for the one that will not only suit us, but our tow vehicle!

SaskCampers · 12-06-2010, 02:08 PM

Very smart of you. We have a 34' TT and we have to be very careful on asking when we book sites to make sure they can handle a trailer like that. At one provincial park we booked they had to change our site as they didn't write down the trailer size and when we got the the lady looked out and said No way are you getting that in the site we booked for you and gave us another and we were very fortunate to have got another site as it was a long weekend and we had just drove several hours through a major storm to get there. (I would not have been very happy had they not been able to give us another site)

**bikendan** · 12-06-2010, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotRodMomma

In turn we are looking at units 25' and below, and have found some with a slide for under 5000 lbs. So, we know they are out there and will take our time looking for the one that will not only suit us, but our tow vehicle!

as someone who owns the same vehicle, i think you're making the right decision.
i tow a 23' HTT with a super slide. it weighs a little over 5k, loaded for camping, and i wouldn't want to tow anything longer or heavier.
the main reason is that i have a number of mountain ranges to get over quite often and anything heavier would really strain my Avy.
the second is we prefer state campgrounds which have smaller sites.

if you lived in flat land and preferred RV parks, then you could go with a heavier, longer rig.

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