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Old 04-22-2012, 10:06 AM   #1
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Fng

Just sold my sailboat......want to buy a new 2516g......researched pop-ups and this one came with the highest marks. My TV is a 2009 Santa Fe 3.3 V6 with tow package. I plan on adding a brake controller. This is rated for 3500# and 350 tongue weight....with my TV, am I looking at too much camper? BTW....."FNG" is * New Guy. I appriciated any and all input.
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Old 04-22-2012, 10:14 AM   #2
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Tim,

Welcome to the board. With the number of ex and current military here FNG is not an "unknown" acronym.

Just to be clear; we are not the "final authority" on "Can I Tow This"; you are.

Just so we know you have done your "Due Diligence," please post your complete tow vehicle and proposed camper specs to include axle ratings, gear ratios, and GVWR. If you don't know what they are, you have not started the "buying your camper" process yet.

It is always best if you take a whack at it first, so you have an idea of what you are up against. It takes a good while and lots of research to work up an answer to that question.

There are excellent tools in the FAQ section to get you started.
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Old 04-22-2012, 11:02 AM   #3
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I will save you a lot of work.

Yes and No. Yes, you can if you weight 150 pounds and you keep nothing else in the car. No, you should look for a smaller and lighter camper.

GVWR for the 2516G = 3,250 pounds.
Required tongue weight at GVWR = 325 - 487 pounds
How you load your camper would be critical for safe towing.
You would need to scale the rig before every camping trip.

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Specifications

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Specifications


Specs on SE AWD or FWD are the same.

Wheel Base - 106"
Front GAWR 2,976 pounds
Rear GAWR 3,197 pounds
Curb Weight 4,022 pounds
GVWR 5,291 pounds

Max tow with tow package and trailer brakes - 3,500 pounds
Gross Combined weight - 7,522 pounds

BASED ON - 150 pound driver a full tank of gas and NOTHING ELSE in the Santa Fe. EVERY extra pound added to the TV comes off the max tow rating. See Hyundai definition of Tow Rating (little ? next to tow rating)
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Trailer-Life-Towing-Guide-2009.pdf (3.81 MB, 35 views)
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Old 04-22-2012, 12:06 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by herk7769 View Post
I will save you a lot of work.

Yes and No. Yes, you can if you weight 150 pounds and you keep nothing else in the car. No, you should look for a smaller and lighter camper.

GVWR for the 2516G = 3,250 pounds.
Required tongue weight at GVWR = 325 - 487 pounds
How you load your camper would be critical for safe towing.
You would need to scale the rig before every camping trip.

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Specifications

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Specifications


Specs on SE AWD or FWD are the same.

Wheel Base - 106"
Front GAWR 2,976 pounds
Rear GAWR 3,197 pounds
Curb Weight 4,022 pounds
GVWR 5,291 pounds

Max tow with tow package and trailer brakes - 3,500 pounds
Gross Combined weight - 7,522 pounds

BASED ON - 150 pound driver a full tank of gas and NOTHING ELSE in the Santa Fe. EVERY extra pound added to the TV comes off the max tow rating. See Hyundai definition of Tow Rating (little ? next to tow rating)
What a stand up guy!
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Old 04-22-2012, 01:21 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by loganmartin View Post
What a stand up guy!
Heck yeah he is....... Well dang, I really wanted that 2516g....back to the brochures.
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Old 04-22-2012, 01:25 PM   #6
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Tv should be the single most important consideration in buying a camper.
You should build from there
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Old 04-22-2012, 02:37 PM   #7
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also, the 3500 is if it came with the factory tow package.
does your Santa Fe have the factory tow package?
if not, then the tow capacity drops to 2000lbs., i think.
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Old 04-22-2012, 02:51 PM   #8
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also, the 3500 is if it came with the factory tow package.
does your Santa Fe have the factory tow package?
if not, then the tow capacity drops to 2000lbs., i think.
Yep, factory tow package as stated in original post.
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Old 04-22-2012, 02:52 PM   #9
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Okay so if the 2516g is out..........what should I be looking at?
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Old 04-22-2012, 04:33 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor43 View Post
Okay so if the 2516g is out..........what should I be looking at?
Hi Trevor,

Short answer: Look for a trailer with a GVWR of 2,333lbs or less to be safely within your ratings. 2,800lb GVWR is potentially doable depending on your family and how you load.

You can estimate a number of ways:

  • Calculate the weight of you and all passengers and cargo loaded in your Santa Fe. Be generous.
Subtract that weight from 3,500lbs.

That will be the max loaded trailer you can haul. Its GVWR if you will. You might still have issues with other ratings, however, using this method.
  • Or, another way would be to just take 80% of 3500, which is 2,800lbs. That is only a fair estimate of the max loaded trailer that you could tow and doesn't assume your light hitch rating.
A trailer with a GVWR of 2,800 works with the TVs GCWR but might run afoul of the TVs 350 max tongue weight. 10% to 15% of 2800 = 280 to 420lbs.
  • You could also work backwards from the max tongue weight...
350lb max hitch weight / 0.15 = 2,333lbs for your fully loaded trailer.
Now for the Really long answer: What you are facing is a balance between what you and your family need for your camping experience and what your vehicle will tow safely - that means within its ratings.

Small SUVs and especially crossovers run up against different weight issues than larger SUVs and half-ton pickups. Your Santa Fe's biggest limiter will be its CGWR of 7,522lbs and its 350lb max tongue weight. Although you, and any trailer owner, should also check the other ratings to make sure they are ok.

GCWR is the Gross Combination Weight Rating and is the maximum number that the tow vehicle's GVW plus the trailer's GVW should never exceed. In other words, this is the most that the entire setup should weigh. This includes the tow vehicle, trailer, you, passengers and all cargo inside and on top of your truck or trailer.

I am going to use the 2516G you mentioned as an example:

Since we don't know how you load, we will assume you will load to the max in the trailer, which is 800lbs, bringing the total weight to its GVWR of 3,292lbs.

Your truck's GCWR (7,522) less its curb weight (4,022) less a fully loaded camper (3,292) = 208lbs remaining for you, all passengers and cargo inside the truck.

So, the first question for you is: How much do you, all passengers and all cargo carried in the Santa Fe weigh?

Even if it is just you, the tongue weight on this fully loaded trailer would be close to or over your Santa Fe's 350lb maximum.

That's why Herk's calculations were correct. Unless its just you in the truck, this won't work. And, even with only you, you are very close to max. Trust me when I say it is not fun to be towing something that is close to your max. At best, your truck will struggle and experience undue wear and tear.

So, getting back to your question "what should you be looking for?"

Start with your family, estimate the weights and give yourself some leeway.

Trevor, I am glad you are asking these questions now. Plenty of campers never do ask until after the purchase. Plenty of others never care. You are doing the right thing.

Come back here for some help!

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Old 04-22-2012, 04:42 PM   #11
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You might also want to play with this towing calculator

I took the liberty of running some numbers. It comes to 2,602 for a fully loaded trailer:
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Old 04-22-2012, 04:45 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Triguy View Post
Hi Trevor,

Short answer: Look for a trailer with a GVWR of 2,333lbs or less to be safely within your ratings. 2,800lb GVWR is potentially doable depending on your family and how you load.

You can estimate a number of ways:

  • Calculate the weight of you and all passengers and cargo loaded in your Santa Fe. Be generous.
Subtract that weight from 3,500lbs.

That will be the max loaded trailer you can haul. Its GVWR if you will. You might still have issues with other ratings, however, using this method.
  • Or, another way would be to just take 80% of 3500, which is 2,800lbs. That is only a fair estimate of the max loaded trailer that you could tow and doesn't assume your light hitch rating.
A trailer with a GVWR of 2,800 works with the TVs GCWR but might run afoul of the TVs 350 max tongue weight. 10% to 15% of 2800 = 280 to 420lbs.
  • You could also work backwards from the max tongue weight...
350lb max hitch weight / 0.15 = 2,333lbs for your fully loaded trailer.
Now for the Really long answer: What you are facing is a balance between what you and your family need for your camping experience and what your vehicle will tow safely - that means within its ratings.

Small SUVs and especially crossovers run up against different weight issues than larger SUVs and half-ton pickups. Your Santa Fe's biggest limiter will be its CGWR of 7,522lbs and its 350lb max tongue weight. Although you, and any trailer owner, should also check the other ratings to make sure they are ok.

GCWR is the Gross Combination Weight Rating and is the maximum number that the tow vehicle's GVW plus the trailer's GVW should never exceed. In other words, this is the most that the entire setup should weigh. This includes the tow vehicle, trailer, you, passengers and all cargo inside and on top of your truck or trailer.

I am going to use the 2516G you mentioned as an example:

Since we don't know how you load, we will assume you will load to the max in the trailer, which is 800lbs, bringing the total weight to its GVWR of 3,292lbs.

Your truck's GCWR (7,522) less its curb weight (4,022) less a fully loaded camper (3,292) = 208lbs remaining for you, all passengers and cargo inside the truck.

So, the first question for you is: How much do you, all passengers and all cargo carried in the Santa Fe weigh?

Even if it is just you, the tongue weight on this fully loaded trailer would be close to or over your Santa Fe's 350lb maximum.

That's why Herk's calculations were correct. Unless its just you in the truck, this won't work. And, even with only you, you are very close to max. Trust me when I say it is not fun to be towing something that is close to your max. At best, your truck will struggle and experience undue wear and tear.

So, getting back to your question "what should you be looking for?"

Start with your family, estimate the weights and give yourself some leeway.

Trevor, I am glad you are asking these questions now. Plenty of campers never do ask until after the purchase. Plenty of others never care. You are doing the right thing.

Come back here for some help!

Okay......so even with a WDH.....I'm not getting around that GCVW. I doubt I would ever pack 800 lbs of gear on the camper......I understand the propane and battery up front. Thanks again for everyone who has shared their info with me.....I have learned a lot in the last few hours.
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Old 04-22-2012, 04:46 PM   #13
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I looked at the recommended max trailer weight in the attached (see my second post) Trailer Towing Guide for 2009; it recommended 2000 pounds.

That is quite a bit less than what you were looking at. I would also make changes to your tires as weel since you have passenger tires on the Santa Fe. You would need LT tires IMO.

That is another thing. I am not sure the Santa Fe can use a WD hitch. Some of the smaller station wagons (like the Subaru) prohibit WD hitches in the AWD arena.
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Old 04-22-2012, 04:52 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by herk7769 View Post
I looked at the recommended max trailer weight in the attached (see my second post) Trailer Towing Guide for 2009; it recommended 2000 pounds.

That is quite a bit less than what you were looking at. I would also make changes to your tires as weel since you have passenger tires on the Santa Fe. You would need LT tires IMO.

That is another thing. I am not sure the Santa Fe can use a WD hitch. Some of the smaller station wagons (like the Subaru) prohibit WD hitches in the AWD arena.
I'm FWD.......I saw some WDH on etrailer.com for my 2009 Santa Fe...geez, this is a ton of info to digest.
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Old 04-22-2012, 05:00 PM   #15
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read this ...

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...-fe-21458.html
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Old 04-22-2012, 05:03 PM   #16
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Sometimes it feels like drinking from a fire hose.
Don't worry, you do want to be happy with your purchase afterwards.

The research I did seemed to make more sense than that 2009 guide anyway. I think you would be a lot happier with something in the 2400 - 2600 Gross Weight Range. (note NOT dry weight! That is really a meaningless number.)
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Old 04-22-2012, 06:08 PM   #17
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Yep, factory tow package as stated in original post.
sorry, missed it.
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Old 05-06-2012, 06:41 PM   #18
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Well........I went ahead and did it. Went to Chicago and dragged home a new 2516g...Santa Fe with WDH pulled it fine through the flat lands of Indiana and Ohio and through the mountains of Pennsylvania and Virginia.....and never skipped a beat. First thing noticed once we put it up......Concertone ZX25 has a lot of Hoover Action to it. Only lost about 5 mpg. while towing it around the mountains and head winds.
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