Can I tow a Grand Design?

[Cate&Rob]

The thing about braking ability is that there is not a specific requirement to be met. There are many variables including type of brakes and even temperature of the brakes. Modern tow vehicles with four disc brakes will even get their maximum combined GVW to a stop in a not unreasonable distance. In our first year with our 303, we had three of the four trailer brakes completely greased (which I did not know about at the time). Our F150 always got this combined weight of about 16,000 lbs to a safe stop . . . with a little bit of planning. When I got the drum brakes cleaned up, things got a whole lot better and now with the trailer disc brakes, I can stop this rig really quickly if I have to.

Rob

[sbarlag]

In GMC vehicles the RPO code is listed on the data sticker inside of the glove box, RPO link
http://www.rpocodes.com/.
http://jameshalderman.com/images/RPO_Codes.pdf.
https://www.marshu.com/images-websit...-car-codes.pdf
It will most likely be a 3 digit alpha/alpha/numeric code, most likely begining with a G.

Scott M. Barlag
Product Specialist
[email protected]
www.camplandRV.com
219/787.1040 x102
219/508.5662 cell/text
219/787.1038 fax

[howson]

Please see this post in the REFERENCE forum: https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...ity-Calculator

[TripleG]

Hi stephensfamily5

What is your GVWR for you truck? Payload plus curb weight of your truck should add up to the vehicles GVWR. This will be on the sticker in the door usually drivers side. You will hit this limit, the vehicles GVWR long before you hit before you hit the vehicles GCWR when towing travel trailers. GCWR is everything combined as one big unit. The truck, trailer, people, pets, gear, water, tools etc.

My 2150RB (2018) weighs 5234 lbs empty. So 5000 lbs seem like salesmen optimism, make sure too take pictures of the trailer weight info sticker of units you like, and run the math again and again before you buy. My experience is most salesmen are honest, but some are downright deceitful.

For our discussion lets go optimistic with the 5000 lbs. You want to be able to take 750 lbs gear in the camper, that means the ideal tongue weight should between 10 and 12% of the loaded trailer using 11% gives you 632lbs of properly loaded tongue weight which you will need to minimize trailer sway. So now add the 632 lbs plus the 450 lbs you gave for passenger weight. Also about 60 lbs is about what a weight distribution system will add. Do not forget to subtract any upgrades you have added previously to your truck. ie tool boxes, toneau covers, Anything that you added that did not come from Chevy. so at a very minimum you already have 1142 lbs of payload. Hope this helps you and as another reviewer said if your truck is on the lite side just keep looking for something you and the family will be safe in. Better to be safe than sorry. Safe Travels :-)

[TripleG]

Also as another thought there is formulas for ideal vehicle wheelbase length to trailer length. You will need to google it I guess because it is escaping my memory, but definitely worth looking at. Wheelbase matters big time, especially in the wind!!!

[T'boro Fisher]

You'd be surprised by what you can tow with a Colorado.

Some real world experience;
I had a 2015 Canyon SLT for a company truck (put 105,000 miles on it) and it was great LITTLE truck. We also towed my 16' Lowe fishing boat and 22' Pontoon with it on occasion. With the Lowe; you knew it was behind you and had to make sure you accommodated for the longer stopping distance. The Pontoon was all the Canyon wanted and more. Never pulled it very far (we keep that boat in storage 2 miles from the ramp) and would not consider getting on a freeway with it, the truck just has not got enough ****** to tow something that heavy or has that much wind resistance. For reference; I pulled both boats with a 2010 F150 / 5L previously and the difference was night and day on the towing experience.

Not trying to rain on your parade but my experience would be the Colorado / Canyon just isn't enough truck (ballast, braking, power) to pull anything bigger than a bass boat.

[MidwestCamper]

We have a 2016 Colorado truck, and are looking at purchasing our first trailer. We are limited by the 7000 lbs. tow capacity, but are interested in the Imagine 2150, with a dry weight of just under 5000 lbs for the 2016 & 2017 models. The Colorado has a GCWR of 12000 lbs. According to RV.CampingWorld.com, RV Dry Weight + Passenger’s Weight + Cargo + Liquids = Total Weight.

So say 5000 lbs dry weight +passengers (&dog) weight of 450 lbs + cargo ~750 lbs + liquids 100 lbs=6300 lbs. ~ 90%capacity. We don’t plan on boondocking or carrying anything of significant weight. Do you think this is doable, or are we pushing it? Is there something significant that I am forgetting? The curb weight of the truck is 4390, so we should be within the GCWR also. Thanks for your input from a newbie at RVing!

Your truck is SAE certified to handle 7000lbs and your trailer has brakes so don't be concerned about stopping your combo. It would be best to be no higher than 80% of your GCWR but you can camp in your truck or a tent or buy a TT, then move up to a full size truck when you can. Your Colorado will be at its limit where you will need to consider the tongue weight which will be a few hundred pounds higher than the dry specification. You do not want to load the trailer above the max GVW of 7000 lbs. where you can figure the tongue weight will fall in at 10% to 14% of the total loaded weight of your travel trailer. Buy an anti sway load leveling hitch like an equalizer or other name brand. If you think you will as some time move to a full size truck, a modern 1/2 ton (properly equipped) will tow your 2150RB with ease. I tow a 2600RB with a 1/2 ton GMC Sierra with a 5.3L and 3:42.1 rear ratio and it has zero issues. Buying too much truck can be as bad as not buying enough truck since you will pay in comfort and fuel economy if its your daily driver. Several decisions need to be made where you need to decide if you will stick with your Colorado, or some day move up to a larger truck, or a larger camper or both.

[MidwestCamper]

You didn't have it set up right. A properly set up 1500 will do a really nice job pulling a 6K lb TT.

Completely agree. And too much truck as a daily driver can be miserable and expensive.

[MidwestCamper]

I know we will need a good WD hitch with some type of sway control. I forgot to add 100 lbs. for that. Is that right?

What are E tires? And what do you mean by helper springs? Sorry, but we know very little. That is why we are here asking questions before spending our hard earned money!

Respectfully....You will not need E rated tires to pull a 2150RB. If your truck is equipped with an LT tire, you will be fine. Look at the tag in the drivers door opening and you will find your payload and towing information. Based on your 7000lbs of towing you have a 3.6L V6 or a 2.8L Duramax and based on your body configuration and if your truck is 2WD or 4WD your payload will be at a minimum of 1450 lbs. Most likely based on your payload (what you can put ON the truck), a 10K equalizer hitch will be all you need.

[MidwestCamper]

This sounds good, but how many trailer/TV rigs can stop in the same distance required for just the TV? There's trailer brakes and then there's real brakes. Those four drum brakes on a large RV are not even close in stopping power to the four disk brakes on a TV that weighs half as much as the RV. And don't forget that the trailer and TV both have about the same area in contact with the road.

Before SAE certification, manufactures would estimate based on computer models and some testing but SAE devised a test that proves what the vehicle can reliably and safely tow and stop with properly functioning trailer brakes. The overkill approach is no longer needed since the customer today has a certification based on testing and real data as proof. Stopping distance would never be the same as the tow vehicle alone since the trailer brakes are designed to stop the mass of the trailer. The tow vehicle is optimized to stop based on max payload and not max towing.