Got My New Trailer Today...SWEEET!!

[seasalt]

KAB

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Now, I fully understand your point of trailer and vehicle being level as being a starting point for trailer loading. But, if you accomplish this with to much weight at the rear of the trailer this can lead to trailer sway. (You already indicated ( The rear of the truck sits way low, the front is way high, and the front wheels don't steer or brake worth a darn 'cuz of this. ) which can be caused by excessive tongue weight percentage or excessive payload - tongue weight is payload)

With all of that said, from my understanding, it is best to have a level trailer and tow vehicle with about 10-15% of trailer weight being tongue weight. With the size of vehicle that you are towing with, the manf. recommends a WD hitch. If you are willing to take the risk, then so be it, do as you wish. )</font>

NEVER said level BEFORE loading was my final goal. DEFINITELY dont want to end load the rig to achieve this either.

ALSO I dont plan on hauling my tractor along with dirt together at once without some serious adjustments. i.e. WD or larger tow vehicle.

General: If anyone else can find a loophole in what they think I AM THINKING I want to do with MY trailer, please feel free to bring that up too. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. I will do my best to justify that too. Wheew! Makes me want to shred my new hitch and post a picture with my promise never to use a regular hitch for any prupose again.

 

[seasalt]

Red Rocker,

Thought it was an appropriate term for today's battery of lessons.

Glad you liked it. Comes from E Texas.

 

[seasalt]

KAB

Forgot one thing..." with that size vehicle the manufacturer recommends a WD hitch..."

Not sure where you get your assumptions, but OK. Heck I am seconds away from going out to get one now just to say I have one in reserve and promise to use it even when towing a few sheets of plywood!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[seasalt]

4000 base plus spare with locking mount, and tail gate channels for a 2x12. Purchased with 4 chains and 4 binders and two straps, plus the hitch (in question), and maybe one or two other small related items, then tax and title, all for about $4800.

 

[wushaw]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( wushaw:

Yuk Yuk! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif That trailer could probably tow a house without a WD hitch!! )</font>

Naw.. just a TJ wrangler, I would hate to overload the truck /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The bed and trailer hitch was done by Wroughtn Harv, I was just a helper.

 

[VA_Joe]

seasalt,

Thanks for the informative discussion on trailer hitches. I learned quite a bit from yours and others posts.

Joe

 

[KAB]

When looking at your numbers:
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I will definitely load my 2900# tractor, 800# FEL, first and test run that before attaching my 1400# BH = 5100 lbs call it 5500 with rounding. That is a good safe load for the trailer, and at the non WD recommended limit for a generic 1/2 ton GM product in a NON WD configurarion.

)</font>

Are you including trailer weight? If I use your high weight of 5500lbs for tractor, loader, and BH. Then add the curb weight of a 2004 suburban of approx (depending on options) 5380#. Then use your agreed weight of 3000# for the trailer you have a combined weight of 13880. This setup is approx 880# over the GCVW. (All your numbers except curb weight which is from GM.)

Also, I should have made myself clearer. When I stated </font><font color="blue" class="small">( "starting point for trailer loading." )</font>, this meant with the trailer loaded. I never included in the totals the weight of the tractor and dirt at the same time. Dirt/Gravel at approx 2000#/ton would equate to 4000# (2 ton) + Trailer (3000#) = 7000#

If you want to haul less than 2000# of plywood (or anything else) a WD hitch is not required, but would not hurt anything.

BTW. All of my numbers when referring to GM weight specs. comes directly from GM assuming the year specified. For a Z71 package it will be 4wd, 5.3, either 3.73 or 4.10. Now if you had a Suburban with Z71 stickes added at a time after purchase then I would have to use different numbers. (yes people add Z71 stickers after the purchase.)

Once again, My concern is for the person getting into trailering. You seem to understand what you want and if you are willing to take the chance... Go for it.


Kurt

 

[Highbeam]

"Once again, My concern is for the person getting into trailering. You seem to understand what you want and if you are willing to take the chance... Go for it."

I agree. There's more to it than some people think.

 

[gobbler]

First off, the ONLY way to be sure if your within your tow ratings is to weight your Suburban and trailer. Typically ½ ton Suburbans are not good tow vehicles, reason – they weigh a lot, even before you put butt in the seat. By the time you put yourself in the seat and have a full load of fuel and other passengers and stuff, you’ll be within 500lbs of your GVWR of 7000lbs, and probably even less than that. Now add the tongue weight of your trailer and it’s load, and you’ll be over your GVWR. Some people think, oh well, I’m just a little over, it will be ok and most of the time they’re right. But I’ve heard of cases where folks have towed over they’re ratings and been in accidents and from what I’ve heard around the campfire, you don’t even want to put yourself in that position (lawsuits and such). I’m not sure what the GCWR of the Sub is, probably 12K lbs, and if so, you’ll be bumping up against that if you put a good load on it.

Another thing, the published tow ratings elsewhere in this thread are bogus. If you read the fine print in your owners manual, those numbers are derived from a stripped down vehicle, with one 150lbs driver and ½ tank of fuel. Everything you add to your truck (including tongue weight) affects the GVWR of your truck.

On the topic of WD, I would do it, it’s cheap insurance and also consider sway control, that’s a big trailer with the potential for a good sized load. If you have “P” rated tires, change them out for “LT” rated tires. You will notice a better handling and more stable towing experience. Depending on how your Sub is configured, you might also consider a transmission cooler if not already installed as some component of a tow package

 

[Highbeam]

Thanks KAB and Gobbler, I was hoping someone out there would know when and why to use a WD hitch and not just how they work. Anything with Z71 on it needs to be carefully checked to be sure the ratings are respected with even a moderately heavy trailer. I have a Z71 and it was tricky to stay on the right side of the ratings. I don't even mind being over a rating if by only a small margin and if that decision was made with full knowledge of the risk.

5500 lbs of anything behind the Z71 with the GM hitch, or any standard class 3, is too much for a weight bearing hitch by the numbers. Then there are all the other benefits of the WD hitch.