I have a 2010 Traverse LT1 with the tow package. I know it says it can tow up to 5200 lbs, but I'm not sure what all I need to take into consideration when I'm trying to figure out the total weight. We are looking at buying a Gulfstream Ameri-Lite 25BH, the dry weight is 3940 lbs. But that is the weight with nothing in it, right? So how do I figure out how much it will weigh when I have it packed with linens, pots and pans, tableware, food, etc? Also, do I need to take into account the weight of the people and dogs who will be riding in the car? It seems if I do that I will already be adding about 900lbs right off the bat (2 adults, 2 kids, and 2 100+ lb dogs add up quick). Sorry if I seem really ignorant about all of this, I just don't want to buy something and then have it turn out that I will not be able to tow it adequately with the Traverse. Thanks for any help/advice!
Melmo
You are asking all the right question Melmo.
1. As far as the trailer weight goes, you will have to find out from the manufacturer how they weigh their units. Generally, manufacturers will give a generic dry weight to all trailers of the same model. So what you need to do is find out what the actual weight of the trailer is, as it leaves the factory. I know for instance that my Jayco has a sticker on the screen door that says "Weight as built XXXX lbs". Mine happens to be 4200lbs as leaving the factory.
Secondly, you have to add the weight of linens, plates, pots, toys, bicycles etc on to the weight of the trailer. Your trailer will have a maximum gross vehicle weight rating (Max GVWR) that you are allowed to load the trailer up to. My trailer is 5500lbs. Now, this doesn't mean the trailer weighs 5500lbs, but just that the weight of the trailer, plus all the contents can weigh up to 5500lbs.
As far as loading the vehicle goes...you don't have to subtract the weight of your people/pets from the trailer weight. You have to subtract that from the vehicles gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 10,200lbs for FWD or 10,450lbs for AWD. Now, even though I don't have AWD, I go with the 10,450lbs rating for my FWD, because the only reason for the 250lbs difference is because of the AWD hardware. There is not difference in braking, suspension, etc, so as far as I am concerned all Traverse have a GCWR of 10,450lbs.
Getting back to the people and pets. You have to to take the GCWR, and subtract the weight of the trailer. So if you trailer all loaded and ready for the road weighs 4800lbs, then 10,450-4,800= 5650 lbs for the vehicle and its contents. I have not weighed my Traverse yet, but I gather from posts that I have read, it weighs around 4800lbs with 1 driver (150lbs), and a tank of gas. Now start adding the weight of occupants and your stuff. You can't exceed 5650lbs.
We try to camp fairly light. We don't go far from home, and so we don't take tons of stuff with us. We don't have 8 sets of dishes, our dishes are melamine, not ceramic, etc, you learn how to pack light.
My Traverse tows really well. I don't feel like I'm over doing it at all. A proper weight distribution hitch is a must. You don't want to put the full tongue weight on the Traverse, because it has soft suspension.
I think that you will be ok with the Gulfstream trailer. For your reference, I am towing a 2010 Jayco Jay Feather 213. Some people on the Acadia forum are towing bigger trailers then me, and they even towed them from New York to Florida. He even mentioned driving 70MPH. He also said, he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
If you have any more questions just ask.
1. As far as the trailer weight goes, you will have to find out from the manufacturer how they weigh their units. Generally, manufacturers will give a generic dry weight to all trailers of the same model. So what you need to do is find out what the actual weight of the trailer is, as it leaves the factory. I know for instance that my Jayco has a sticker on the screen door that says "Weight as built XXXX lbs". Mine happens to be 4200lbs as leaving the factory.
Secondly, you have to add the weight of linens, plates, pots, toys, bicycles etc on to the weight of the trailer. Your trailer will have a maximum gross vehicle weight rating (Max GVWR) that you are allowed to load the trailer up to. My trailer is 5500lbs. Now, this doesn't mean the trailer weighs 5500lbs, but just that the weight of the trailer, plus all the contents can weigh up to 5500lbs.
As far as loading the vehicle goes...you don't have to subtract the weight of your people/pets from the trailer weight. You have to subtract that from the vehicles gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 10,200lbs for FWD or 10,450lbs for AWD. Now, even though I don't have AWD, I go with the 10,450lbs rating for my FWD, because the only reason for the 250lbs difference is because of the AWD hardware. There is not difference in braking, suspension, etc, so as far as I am concerned all Traverse have a GCWR of 10,450lbs.
Getting back to the people and pets. You have to to take the GCWR, and subtract the weight of the trailer. So if you trailer all loaded and ready for the road weighs 4800lbs, then 10,450-4,800= 5650 lbs for the vehicle and its contents. I have not weighed my Traverse yet, but I gather from posts that I have read, it weighs around 4800lbs with 1 driver (150lbs), and a tank of gas. Now start adding the weight of occupants and your stuff. You can't exceed 5650lbs.
We try to camp fairly light. We don't go far from home, and so we don't take tons of stuff with us. We don't have 8 sets of dishes, our dishes are melamine, not ceramic, etc, you learn how to pack light.
My Traverse tows really well. I don't feel like I'm over doing it at all. A proper weight distribution hitch is a must. You don't want to put the full tongue weight on the Traverse, because it has soft suspension.
I think that you will be ok with the Gulfstream trailer. For your reference, I am towing a 2010 Jayco Jay Feather 213. Some people on the Acadia forum are towing bigger trailers then me, and they even towed them from New York to Florida. He even mentioned driving 70MPH. He also said, he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
If you have any more questions just ask.
Great post Quantum.
The Traverse is listed as weighing 5066 lbs. per the Chevy website. I suspect that is with an empty fuel tank.
The Traverse is listed as weighing 5066 lbs. per the Chevy website. I suspect that is with an empty fuel tank.
Yes Quantum stated it well. In a nut shell don't overload to the point you're towing more weight then you are towing with.
You will at some point have what your towing pass you on the road as it spins you out... or shoves you through something..
Keep your tong weight right as well or you will have swaying issues and can even have the front end come up to a point you will lose traction and steering.
Don't under estimate the hitch it's strong enough to lift the entire Traverse right up into the air.
So it will drag you and sway you just fine if the weight distribution is wrong.
You will be fine as long as you follow what Quantum said.
We travel allot with our camper and I see campers involved in accidents all the time.
I have seen so many under sized trucks vans and cars pulling things way to big. Allot of 1500 class trucks pulling campers that should have at minimum 3500 class truck. Saw one on it's side this summer and the wind blew it over because the tow rig was to light.
I just fall off the lawn chair when I see a 23 ft trailer coming into the campground being pulled by an Dodge Intrepid or something else just as bad.. I should try and find the picture I took of that one...
You will at some point have what your towing pass you on the road as it spins you out... or shoves you through something..
Keep your tong weight right as well or you will have swaying issues and can even have the front end come up to a point you will lose traction and steering.
Don't under estimate the hitch it's strong enough to lift the entire Traverse right up into the air.
So it will drag you and sway you just fine if the weight distribution is wrong.
You will be fine as long as you follow what Quantum said.
We travel allot with our camper and I see campers involved in accidents all the time.
I have seen so many under sized trucks vans and cars pulling things way to big. Allot of 1500 class trucks pulling campers that should have at minimum 3500 class truck. Saw one on it's side this summer and the wind blew it over because the tow rig was to light.
I just fall off the lawn chair when I see a 23 ft trailer coming into the campground being pulled by an Dodge Intrepid or something else just as bad.. I should try and find the picture I took of that one...
Thanks for the information, especially the part about the GCWR, that makes a lot more sense! Do you think the length of the trailer matters? My husband is worried about trying to tow a 27 foot trailer with the Traverse, and thinks we should look for something that is closer to 20 feet. I had just been looking at weight, and the Ameri-Lite 25BH seemed to fit the bill, it is light weight enough but has a lot of room to grow (I know my kids will want to bring friends camping as they get older, and we also have family members that would probably be interested in going along on some trips), plus there is a good price on one close by. We are only planning to do relatively short trips (2-3 hours from our home), so we won't be packing it to the brim, so weight shouldn't be a concern.
BigBlue: I agree with you that there are people out there towing....that shouldn't be towing. I disagree with the statement that you shouldn't tow anything that weighs more than you vehicle. For instance, many 1 ton pickup trucks weigh around 9,000lbs, but the tow ratings are upwards of 17,000lbs, which is double the weight of the tow vehicle.
That being said, the Traverse is not a Ford Super Duty...I realize that. I do believe you can SAFELY tow a sizeable trailer with the Traverse. I don't agree that you should be towing at 75MPH, with any size trailer...but that is just my opinion, not law, or fact.
I feel that I can safely tow my trailer, at 65MPH MAXIMUM. If i needed to pass someone at 70MPH, I would sooner slow down to 60MPH, than speed up to 70....and I think that is where a lot of people get into scary situations...over compensate and get into horrific accidents.
Melmo: I would tend to think that 27' is getting a bit long for the Traverse. My unit, is 23' long, and has a rear slide out, that makes it 28' when I am setup at camp. We did not want a hybrid (tent ends) trailer, we wanted more sound proofing/insulation so that when the kids are sleeping, we can sit out by the fire with another couple and carry on a conversation. The reason I say that 27' is getting long, is that the bigger problem with the Traverse for towing, is WIND. It seems to handle the weight of the trailer just fine, but if I get a good side wind, I can feel it trying to push the Traverse around...this comes back to the weight of the Traverse and its ability to track well.
See if you can find a shorter trailer, that expands to a bigger trailer on site. Something like a hybrid, or even a rear slide out unit like what I have. You may find that it will tow better.
Also, when you are looking at the trailer, tell the salesperson that the sale is conditional on taking the unit for a "test tow". We did that with our unit. At first they looked at me a little strange, but I explained that I didn't want to buy a trailer I wasn't comfortable towing. If they didn't want to let me test it out, then I would find a dealer that would. They were more than willing to let me take it home for an afternoon after that. They even set me up with all the hitching equipment, brand new, and when I made the final deal on the trailer, as I was going to sign, I said "and this includes all the hitching as well". They told me that it would cost $800 extra, and I said, no thanks. I will have to think about it. I got up from the chair, and they then threw it all in for free. I walked away with what I think is a very good deal, after knowing that I could comfortably tow the unit.
Good luck! Keep us posted.
That being said, the Traverse is not a Ford Super Duty...I realize that. I do believe you can SAFELY tow a sizeable trailer with the Traverse. I don't agree that you should be towing at 75MPH, with any size trailer...but that is just my opinion, not law, or fact.
I feel that I can safely tow my trailer, at 65MPH MAXIMUM. If i needed to pass someone at 70MPH, I would sooner slow down to 60MPH, than speed up to 70....and I think that is where a lot of people get into scary situations...over compensate and get into horrific accidents.
Melmo: I would tend to think that 27' is getting a bit long for the Traverse. My unit, is 23' long, and has a rear slide out, that makes it 28' when I am setup at camp. We did not want a hybrid (tent ends) trailer, we wanted more sound proofing/insulation so that when the kids are sleeping, we can sit out by the fire with another couple and carry on a conversation. The reason I say that 27' is getting long, is that the bigger problem with the Traverse for towing, is WIND. It seems to handle the weight of the trailer just fine, but if I get a good side wind, I can feel it trying to push the Traverse around...this comes back to the weight of the Traverse and its ability to track well.
See if you can find a shorter trailer, that expands to a bigger trailer on site. Something like a hybrid, or even a rear slide out unit like what I have. You may find that it will tow better.
Also, when you are looking at the trailer, tell the salesperson that the sale is conditional on taking the unit for a "test tow". We did that with our unit. At first they looked at me a little strange, but I explained that I didn't want to buy a trailer I wasn't comfortable towing. If they didn't want to let me test it out, then I would find a dealer that would. They were more than willing to let me take it home for an afternoon after that. They even set me up with all the hitching equipment, brand new, and when I made the final deal on the trailer, as I was going to sign, I said "and this includes all the hitching as well". They told me that it would cost $800 extra, and I said, no thanks. I will have to think about it. I got up from the chair, and they then threw it all in for free. I walked away with what I think is a very good deal, after knowing that I could comfortably tow the unit.
Good luck! Keep us posted.
Thanks Quantum, we are now trying to decide between the Jayco Jayfeather X213 like you have, the Jayco Jayfeather X23B, and the Rockwood Roo 23RS. After seeing them at an RV show, I was a bit worried even these were too long for the Traverse (they look so huge just sitting there, I was trying to imagine it next to the relatively short Traverse), but after seeing your pictures and reading your description, I think/hope it will be ok. My husband keeps trying to convince me we should just trade the Traverse for a Tahoe, but I have a hard enough time parking the Traverse (don't worry, when we have the trailer on, he will be the only one parking it). I think one of these trailers will be more than sufficient, we just have to see what we can get the best deal on.
The 2011 X213 is a little more aerodynamic then mine...at least that is what I noticed in the pictures. They re-did the roofline a bit, to make a more aerodynamic shape. I don't know if it is actually better or not.
We are satisfied with the Travese as a tow vehicle. 80-90% of our mileage each year will be driving solo, so the better fuel economy ratings of the Traverse vs. the Tahoe is huge. For the 10-20% of kilometers (2000-2500km) per year we will put on towing, I don't want to be having to drive a more expensive vehicle around. Our Traverse is a people mover first, trailer towing machine second. I'm willing to sacrifice a bit less power, for a better (for our needs) vehicle.
We looked at the 23B as well, but its a bit heavier then the 213, and when we got this close to the maximum tow rating, 200-300lbs is a factor...at least it was for us.
As far as the ROO goes, does it require support bars under the rear slide out? When we were shopping around, some of the rear slide models needed support bars under the slide. The Jayco doesn't. Also, some are manual slides, and others are electric slides. Jayco is electric. That is why we chose what we did.
Good luck, and have fun!
We are satisfied with the Travese as a tow vehicle. 80-90% of our mileage each year will be driving solo, so the better fuel economy ratings of the Traverse vs. the Tahoe is huge. For the 10-20% of kilometers (2000-2500km) per year we will put on towing, I don't want to be having to drive a more expensive vehicle around. Our Traverse is a people mover first, trailer towing machine second. I'm willing to sacrifice a bit less power, for a better (for our needs) vehicle.
We looked at the 23B as well, but its a bit heavier then the 213, and when we got this close to the maximum tow rating, 200-300lbs is a factor...at least it was for us.
As far as the ROO goes, does it require support bars under the rear slide out? When we were shopping around, some of the rear slide models needed support bars under the slide. The Jayco doesn't. Also, some are manual slides, and others are electric slides. Jayco is electric. That is why we chose what we did.
Good luck, and have fun!
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