Towing a 235RKS

[mmbabineaux]

Hi all! I am new here and also new to trailer camping. I drive a 2007 Chevy Silverado 4.8L, which is rated at 4,600 pounds towing. I don't plan on doing any dry camping so will the dry weight of about 4,000 pounds be ok for me to tow? I don't see that I'll be loading it down with more than 600 pounds of gear. With my family of 5, the Surveyor seems to be the best fit as far as floorplans and weight. My wife and I are shopping around as of now but will be seriously looking to buy something in a few months.

Any/all suggestions appreciated.

[Bama PrimeTime]

First of all, Welcome to the Forum.
There are some great people here that can give you much better advice than I can but here are some things that I've learned.
Dry weight doesn't have anything to do with dry camping. Dry weight is the weight of the trailer BEFORE the appliances, propane tanks, air conditioner, furnace, or other add ons are put on it. we have a Surveyor SV291 with a dry weight of 4200 pounds and an "out the door" weight of 4820 pounds. there is a label in the galley cabinet above the sink with both weights listed.
We also have a 2006 Chevy Silverado with a 4.8ltr. V-8. But it was ordered with a heavy duty towing package. It has a 4:10 rear end, larger tranny with cooler, and a heavy duty suspension. I have a towing capacity of 6800 pounds only because of the small V-8.
With gear I would guess our 291 weighs around 5300 pounds but I could light on that. I still have room to play.
We need more info on your Chevy as to what you can safely tow but you have a starting point.

[MRimmer]

Bama is right on here

Does your truck have the tow package?

What gear in the rear?

Are you sure you did not read 4.3 numbers by mistake?


http://trailmanor.com/WebDocs/Campin...FRIkxwodsj4ehQ

[mmbabineaux]

I actually have 2 vehicles able to tow but neither have towing packages. These are the numbers I found in my owners manuals.

Chevy Trailblazer 2WD L6 engine
axle ratio 3.42
max trailer weight 5,400lbs
GVW 5,550lbs
GCWR 10,000lbs

Chevy Silverado C-1500 Crew Cab 2WD 4.8L V8
axle ratio 3.23
max trailer weight 4,600lbs
GVW 6,800lbs
GCWR 10,000lbs

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I should start looking at pop-ups...

[acadianbob]

We have a SV235RKS and it is a really nice unit. We pull with a 5.4L F150 with 3.73's. IMO, this trailer is a significant pull if you are pulling into the wind. You might find your tow vehicles to be a bit on the light side for this unit. I have seen photos and posts about people pulling these with a Ridgeline and a Trailblazer though. Might be OK if you are not going too far and keep your speed to 55 mph.

[acadianbob]

Pop-ups are an easy tow. We had a 2,000 pound Rockwood which we towed at 70 mph and only lost 1 mpg from normal fuel mileage. A lot of the issue with towing is wind resistance. Your 3.23 axle is hurting your towing capacity. You might find a pop-up to be a great alternative. We enjoyed ours for many years.

[Bama Rambler]

Here's some thinkin' info.
SV235RKS = 4064 UVW (unloaded vehicle weight)
Interior Luxury Package = 90
Exterior Luxury Package = 163
A/C = 104
Battery = 46
Propane = 60
WD Hitch = 90

All this equals 4617 lbs
That puts you 17 lbs over your TV's (tow vehicle's) limit before you load anything in it.
While it's possible to tow this, it all depends on what landscape you'll be towing it over as to whether you'll like it or not.
It looks like to me that the trailblazer would be a better choice to tow it with. With it you'd have a few hundred pounds to spare.

[mmbabineaux]

We live in south Louisiana and plan on taking trips to different parts of the U.S. so I'd hate to limit myself so much. I was originally thinking of using the Silverado because of the more comfortable ride on long trips.

Seems like it'll be; comfortable ride/pop-up versus not-so-comfortable ride/larger camper.

From what I've seen, the Surveyor seems to be the lightest trailers available for its size.

Thanks for the info.

[johnthen]

Some more food for thought. Don't forget about GCWR (gross combined weight rating). That's your tow vehicle and the trailor, wife and kids, pets, fuel and all those other "just in case" items.
For example:
Tow vehicle weight: 5000 lbs
yourself, fuel, kids, ect: 1000 lbs
total: 6000 lbs

If your GCWR is 10,000 lbs, then you can tow 4000 lbs. worth of trailor and contents.

[FunNut]

Originally Posted by acadianbob

Might be OK if you are not going too far and keep your speed to 55 mph.

We have a Honda Ridgeline and the owner's manual states do not tow above 55mph. Anyone who is going to tow NEEDS to get out their vehicle's manual and go over the towing sections carefully.