Newbie with used 25RS

[cfendya]

Hi everyone! We are looking at a used 25RS and I have a couple questions on our tow vehicle. Currently we have a 2015 Yukon minus the heavy duty tow package. The car manual states it's tow capacity is 6300lbs and the hitch has a 1000lb max tongue weight with max trailer weight of 10k lbs. It has a 6-speed transmission but only 3.08 rear end gears.

When we bought the Yukon, we never thought we'd be pulling a camper with it

I've combed the forum to see what other 25RS owners are towing with and it's all over the place. I'm hopeful our Yukon won't have a problem towing it as we really like the hard shell aspect of this Roo.

We found a 23SS as well which is about 1000lbs lighter but with the tent pop outs and this being our first camper, we feel most comfortable with the 25RS (even though it looks like they are no longer manufacturing them).

Thank you in advance for all the help!

[bikendan]

pay no attention to the numbers on the hitch receiver. those are what the receiver is rated for, not what your Yukon is capable of.

GM puts that same receiver on many different vehicles that have different hitch capacities and towing capacities.

you need to consult your owner's manual for actual hitch and towing capacities for your specifically equipped Yukon.

personally, i tow a lighter and shorter Roo, with a Avalanche with the HD towing package. it has a towing capacity of 7200lbs. and i wouldn't want to tow anything much bigger.

[cfendya]

Thanks for the reply bikendan! I figured the hitch was in use by lots of different vehicles which is why I haven't really paid too much attention to it (minus tongue weight).

I've been doing a lot of research and it seems as though with the additional gears in the new transmissions, this has allowed for lower rear end gears. Someone in another forum posted a screenshot of an Excel spreadsheet figuring final drive ratios. I don't know what the rules are for posting links to other forums so if someone tells me, I'll gladly share it. Basically though, it compared a 4 speed with 4.10 gears to a 6 speed with 3.08. In 4th gear the 6 speed was at the same final drive ratio as the 4 speed with 4.10. 5th gear was only slightly lower meaning in the right driving condition, it probably could be used to gain fuel economy. Similar to this, I found another post late last night on a truck forum about a year old talking exactly to this. It seems as though as the manufacturers continue to innovate the transmissions, rear end ratios will become less of a discussion topic. Still important no doubt, just less emphasis

That all said, what is considered a best practice on % of max towing to leave as a reserve. I'm fairly certain I don't want to hit 100% on my max tow but at the same time, I want to make sure we get something which we can all safely enjoy.

Thanks again for the input!

[bikendan]

what's your payload amount? it's on the yellow sticker in the driver's door edge.

[Truth B Towed]

Take in mind that it will also depend where you are planning on hauling it, Colorado has alittle more "hills" then we do in Michigan, where we haul our 25rs with a 2008 Silverado 5.3 , tow package and a 3.23 rear end, it does fine here, but if I were to plan on going through mountains it could be a struggle...you would love that 25rs though, we do ours.

[cfendya]

After much consideration, research and talking with many, we put a deposit down on a 2014 25RS. The whole family is excited and can't wait to get it. It's being shipped in from Utah but for the cost of this brand new one, it was cheaper than the used 2013 we were looking at.

For those of you that have a 25rs, what size TV works in this unit. It looks like a 22'' but wondering if anything larger can be had or if 22 is the max. Looks like there is plenty of space there and I know lots of time its a weight concern but with the newer LED models and how light they are, wondering if 22 is still it or if larger can be had?

We don't plan on watching a lot of TV but if we get caught in the rain, it'll be nice to have.

Thanks again for all the comments and suggestions!