symbasden
WI
Senior Member
Joined: 07/29/2003
View Profile
|
I pull about the same numbers as you are saying. Note the 5890 is the bare bones dry weight. Mine came from the factory at 6400lbs and I tow it with the rig in my sig. It does fine.
HOWEVER, my dad has hooked onto it with his chevy truck which is about the same as your tahoe only lighter so the truck can tow more... He didn't have much fun with it, I hopped in and the difference was noticiable. With his truck it was at the limits with mine I had a LITTLE capacity to spare.
Jeff
2009 Rockwood Signature Ultra Light 8317SS
2004 Dodge Ram 1500 QC LB Hemi
DW Kelly and DD
|
Rob_315er
Rochester, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 03/20/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
1. Hope you don't have the weak GM hitch.
2. You will be ok on short trips.
3. If you put that $3000 for the Hensley into getting a 6.0 Burb (or an Excursion), you will be much happier overall, and not far behind in your trade.
2008 8317SS
2004 Excursion V10
Equalizer 1200lb
Tekonsha P3
Retired:
2004 Expedition
|
RandACampin
Kathleen, Georgia
Senior Member
Joined: 04/06/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Where is the proof that GM hitches are weak? Just like tire threads, internet mania and heresay. We need a snopes on this forum to ferret out all the fact from fiction, kind of like the never ending tire threads. Show me some proof that it is the hitch and not something the owner did.
-rog
|
Bonefish
Midland, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 01/08/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I towed a Rockwood 2602 with my Tahoe for around six months before purchasing a F250 diesel.
Tahoe was a 5.7 liter with a book tow rating of 7000# and had the tow package with transmission cooler, large radiator, etc.
Rockwood 2602S on paper dry was 4149# and GVWR 6444#. The actual on the scale weight was 5748# with two 20# propane bottles full, camping gear but minimal water in the fresh tank (10 gal) and gray/black empty.
Tahoe would pull it on flat ground but it was never a pleasant situation since few areas we like to go are flat. It was not that I had a issue with sway or that the camper towed bad (I had load leveling bars and one sway break). The issues were with the tow vehicle being under powered in many situations. Took a while to get up to highway speed (60-65 mph). Entering short acceleration ramps was a challenge in heavy traffic. Any hill drug you down. Bucked a 50 mph headwind once and could only get up to 45-50 mph in third gear.
Photo of my old rig.
You will do what you want but I will predict that you will be looking for a new tow vehicle soon.
Good luck and happy camping!
Bonefish
Photo edited to conform to RV.Net Guidelines
Moderator
* This post was
edited 05/13/08 11:58am by an administrator/moderator *
|
shutdown
In The Dog House
Senior Member
Joined: 03/13/2008
View Profile
|
I can personally say i had a GM hitch fail. It was on a 2000 3/4 ton truck. I was very lucky that i caught it before it let loose. I noticed mine when i had a tough time getting the pin to align with the hitch and receiver. When i looked at it i saw cracked welds which caused the hitch to bend, causing the pin to not align.
To the OP, You'll be fine! you are well within the limits of the TV. You won't be able to pull a 10,000' mountain pass at 70mph but your truck will make it. Make sure you keep up with the maintenance on it, especially the drive line oils. You'll have NO problems.
|
|
|
H4Adventures
Minot, North Dakota
Senior Member
Joined: 01/17/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I was waiting for the GM hitch police, figured someone had called them...I would be willing to bet there have been failures of every hitch out there (to one degree or another). Welds fail, period. Usually the falire is a result of outside forces (too much stress, corrosion, etc.) I would be willing to bet that if those we have seen in pictures were actually evaluated, we would find there were outside forces beyond the capacity of the hitch.
If you tow with a vehicle that is not proper for the weight/length of the trailer, and get side or whatever forces to generate an accident, the most likely failure point is going to be in the hitch area. A friend of mine continually ignored my suggestion he replace his ball with one that was the proper diameter shank...his MOVED in the hole. After it snapped off he decided to replace it...my point with this is some folks don't look at the big picture and then when something fails they don't want to accept the responsibility for what happened as their own.
2007 Zinger ZT30BH
2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD CC, 6.0/4.10
2004 Chevy Trailblazer
2003 Tracker Avalanche, 150EFI Merc.
|
shutdown
In The Dog House
Senior Member
Joined: 03/13/2008
View Profile
|
I'd hardly call myself a "hitch policeman" You are right. any of them can fail. Moral of the story INSPECT EVERYTHING, often!
at any rate, this was not intended as a hijack or the GM hitch police. I was just telling what personally happen to me.
I don't think that GM hitch issues concerns the op B/C he stated he was purchasing an Hensley
|
HighCover
Fort Worth
Senior Member
Joined: 11/26/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
I have a 2007 Tahoe with 5.3L and a 3.42:1 rear end (which is too high). I tow a Rockwood 2306 (dry weight rating of 3500#, GVWR of 4700#) with a Equal-i-zer hitch. This is a 7'-6" wide ultralite, no slide or other "weighty" features. Probably around 5000 miles on the combo now, including a run through the mountains of Kentucky.
It tows pretty well, and I can generally run it on cruise control at 60MPH. But, the trannny drops down and lets the engine rev to 3500-3900 RPM on long grades. So far, cross winds have not bothered me too much, and I don't ever feel as though I am driving with "white knuckles." But, the trailer is definitely "back-there" and tugs at the Tahoe going down the road.
Having said all this, I would not entertain a longer, heavier, or wider trailer without first upgrading my TV to a 3/4 ton chassis. Here's a picture of my set-up:
photo edited to conform to RV.Net guidelines
Moderator
* This post was
edited 05/13/08 12:00pm by an administrator/moderator *
2007 Tahoe, 5.3L
Rockwood 2306
|
CajunJimbeaux
Geaux Tigers
New Member
Joined: 08/19/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
d schmincke wrote: i have a 33 ft it dont sway with a 1/2 ton
I dont see the WD bars on your hitch...what's up with that?
|
Sir Buffalo
Long Island, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 03/23/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
i think their in the pic....looks like a reese....
Sir Buffalo!
2006 Zinger by Crossroads 27BHS
2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 5.7
|
|
|
