Toad weight

[KEliasz]

I have a Georgetown 351ds with tow rating of 5000 pounds. I'm looking at purchasing a new chevy suburban which has a curb weight of 5600 pounds. I'm sure the hitch has some leeway built in and it would probably handle it but is this a bad idea. Rolling weight vs dead weight is different and I'd be using a brake controller.

[Schvarak]

Originally Posted by KEliasz

I have a Georgetown 351ds with tow rating of 5000 pounds. I'm looking at purchasing a new chevy suburban which has a curb weight of 5600 pounds. I'm sure the hitch has some leeway built in and it would probably handle it but is this a bad idea. Rolling weight vs dead weight is different and I'd be using a brake controller.

Not to mention your gas mileage will hurt!!!

[AquaMan]

I tow a Jeep which has a curb weight of around 4800lbs with a 364TS. Not sure I would want to go any heavier, but I'm also a couple thousand lbs heavier than you.

[grumpy0374]

If you weighed 250 lbs, would you trust a ladder that has a rating of 175 lbs, to use on a daily basis??? Would you continually go up and down that ladder dozens of times a day, hoping it would not give way.
Yeah, the hitch probably has some "giggle room", but at 600 lbs your already 10% over it's rating. Also, it's not just the hitch, but you also must consider the frame where the hitch is bolted. Some are just extensions welded onto the regular frame, and may not be rated over the 5000 lb rating.
Best solution would be to get a class 4 rated hitch. Their usually rated for 10,000 lbs (have one on my class c). You just have to be sure the frame rails are strong enough to take the extra strain of a 5600 lb toad.
Grumpy

[formerFR]

your 'hitch' weight rating is by IT'S manufacturer, not your RV's manufacturer... it in no way means that you can ACTUALLY tow that much weight...

the only way to know the safe weight tow rating for YOUR coach is to subtract your RV's actual LOADED weight from it's GVCWR, leaving the difference the amount that you MIGHT be able to tow, as long as it doesn't exceed the hitch's rating.

for example:
a loaded weight of 22,500 lbs
a GVCWR of ........ 26,000 lbs
leaves the ability to
tow a vehicle or
trailer of =< ........ 3,500 lbs

[AquaMan]

I would be less concerned with the frame rails on an 20k F53 chassis as I would be the hitch (and at 5600lb I personally am not very concerned). Depending on how heavy you are on cargo, you may have some room before you hit the CGVW. The engine/transmission should be good for 26k (that's what mine is rated at (2016)) and you have a 20k GVWR. The frame has very little stress when flat towing (compared to pulling a trailer), the mounting of and rating of the hitch is different, as is the drivetrain.