Too much RV for my Yukon?

[Idaho45guy]

My elderly father has a 2003 Nomad Lite 24' travel trailer that he and his ex-wife spent 5 months in down in AZ last Winter. She divorced him when they got back and so he left the trailer as is, and it was absolutely filthy.

He offered to let me use it for the Summer if I cleaned it up and did maintenance, which seemed like a good deal at the time. After 2 solid days of scrubbing, it is better, but I still need at least another day of cleaning the bathroom, then power washing the exterior, and taking it to the local RV dump.

Towing it the 12 miles from his house to my house was an experience. It has an equalizer hitch, but he was in Boise for a match, and I had no idea to set it up.

I had installed a trailer brake controller, but didn't have it set up properly. My vehicle struggled to get above 50 mph in the rolling hills on the way back. When I got home, I could smell the trailer brakes and the rims were too hot to touch. Oops...

My only vehicle is a 2005 GMC Yukon with a small lift, 98k miles, and a 7500lb tow rating. The stock rear suspension was upgraded a couple of months ago with heavy-duty Z71 coils and Monroe Gas Magnum shocks. Trailer dry weight is 4700lbs. No idea what it is with full tanks and gear.

He tows the trailer with a 2005 Chevy 3/4-ton extended cab, long bed, 4x4 pickup.

Once I get the equalizer hitch set up correctly, and the brakes set up properly, is it still going to be too much trailer?

Not planning on going more than 50 miles from home since all of my favorite camping spots are pretty close by.

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[redneck1]

I think you'll be fine once you get the hitch at the right height , equalizer bars and the brakes sorted out .
It will pull a lot easier once it's set up right .

[WebMonkey]

You don't mention your engine, transmission, factory tow package.
I don't know anything about Yukon's

I pulled a larger bumper pull with my 05 dodge ram quad cab.
4x4 5.7 hemi 17" rims factory tow pkg.

Equalizer hitch and low setting on the brake controller.
Pulled from Missouri Ozarks to magic kingdom and back.
No issues.

Good luck!

[2wheelDuke]

I'm wondering if you had brakes dragging or if they were just giving too much while you were on the brakes.

What engine do you have in your Yukon? I have an 06 Sierra quad cab with the 5.3, and I'd have no qualms about towing that with my truck at all. I've towed heavier car trailers all over the place.

[Screwbolts]

It is important when towing that the camper be level and straight with your tow vehicle, in the photo the nose of camper is way low and your tow vehicle is setting to nose high. Adjust the ball height so hitch of camper and ball of tow vehicle are the same height. then when you hook up adjust the tension on the load carrying bars so that the weight is transferred evenly front to back on tow vehicle, in other words so the TV is once again setting same as unhitched and trailer is once again level.

Ken

[Idaho45guy]

You don't mention your engine, transmission, factory tow package.
I don't know anything about Yukon's

I pulled a larger bumper pull with my 05 dodge ram quad cab.
4x4 5.7 hemi 17" rims factory tow pkg.

Equalizer hitch and low setting on the brake controller.
Pulled from Missouri Ozarks to magic kingdom and back.
No issues.

Good luck!

The Yukon has factory tow package with the 5.3 V8. Previous vehicle was a 2014 Ram 1500 and it was much beefier and had 100 more hp.

[DCP]

Use the water at the camp ground and keep the black tanks empty. You will save gas. Water weighs 8 lb per gallon

[WheelgunConvert]

Lock out the overdrive for sure. I pull a 33’ 7800# with a 5.3 automatic , cooler, and 3.73 rear gears. It’s challenged a little in the hills and will occasionally go to second gear.

A good way to understand how a weight distributing hitch works is imagine how a wheelbarrow would distribute the weight if it was 4 wheels. The torsion bars are the handles for the wheelbarrow.

Adjusting the brake controller is not my specialty. I tune it to where it transitions from feeling like I’m being pushed when applying brakes to just a bit of drag from behind when starting to apply the brakes.

[Lloyd Smale]

you wont be doing much passing cars on two lane roads in traffic but that Yukon should pull it no problem. If I was going on a round the country tour id probably want a 3/4 ton but for towing it a few hundred miles youll be fine.

[Winger Ed.]

If you keep the extra weight off it, you should be fine.

I'd encourage putting a extra transmission cooler on it and change the fluid.
Most folks don't change the fluid until the trans. burns out, but there's a reason the fluid doesn't come with a lifetime guarantee.

[Markopolo]

You can surely make any 50 mile trip once you get the hitch and brakes sorted out... look for a video on YouTube ... then hook it up and pull it around the neighborhood...those electric brakes should slow you down real nice but only when you push the pedal... you want them to brake you more then your suv brakes but not too much more. It will keep you from jack knife. Think of the trailer as an anchor. Touch the brakes and the trailer should slow you down first, then the vehicle brakes... if the vehicle brakes first, your brakes will surely over heat as you found out. That can cause warpage of your rotors, so don’t make a habit of that.. but you can do this... even if it was a bit large for your vehicle, which it probably isn’t, you can take a 50 mile trip with it no problem setup properly.

Marko

[tinhorn97062]

Looks like your tongue weight is too much for your SUV. That’s going to make for a crappy trip. My own opinion, yes. You have too much trailer to safely tow. CAN you pull it? Sure. But not safely. If you were to panic stop from a highway speed, that trailer is going to throw you around...same if a wind catches it.

[Duckiller]

How much does the Trailer weigh? If less than 7500 lbs then you should be fine. Have your father show you how to hook up brakes and hitch. Done wrong you could have had serious problems. Make sure trailer and Yukon are level when towing. Makes everything much better. Enjoy it.

[jonp]

The Yukon has factory tow package with the 5.3 V8. Previous vehicle was a 2014 Ram 1500 and it was much beefier and had 100 more hp.

More than enough truck for that trailer. You can look in your owners manual or online. Several so sights will let you put in your VIN and will tell you what you have. My F150 with factory tow and the 5.4 Triton is 7500 or 9,000 lbs or so. The rear gears will be the limit I think. You know what rear end you have. Remember when figuring the total weight to include everything your hauling and yourselves in the weight

Just make sure those brakes work correctly. Seeing smoke from them is not something you ever want to experience going down a mountain

[osteodoc08]

I towed a 7500# 28’ travel trailer with my 2010 GMC 1500 crew with 5.3 and 6 speed with tow package. You shouldn’t have struggled getting to 50. Matter of fact, mine made it to 55/60 without difficulty. It’s the wind resistance that hurt more than anything. Make sure you have a trans cooler and your vehicle is up to snuff. Get the brake controller checked as the brakes should not smell and be that hot unless riding them down a long downhill grade. Get the equalizer set up right. Should be GTG.

[metricmonkeywrench]

Can we get a closer view of your hitch area? Not sure what type of leveling system you have. I think your at a disadvantage from the get go with too low of a hitch ball to start off.

Seen weirder set-ups over the years. I once saw a station wagon towing a full sized mobile home and a van/trailer so overloaded that the hitch ball stud would hit the road on every bump in the road.

+1 on checking the brakes, one or more may have been dragging.

[Eddie17]

My mistake, water weighs 8.3+/- per gallon

[osteodoc08]

Go the the equalizer web site and find how to set up the hitch. I used it on mine and felt it worked well.

[Minerat]

Your break controller should be set around 4 and then adjusted up or down depending on the load and terrain. I pull a 7500 lb utility trailer loaded with 2 big atvs (650's) and gear or loaded with tents, stoves and other equipment for elk camp each year. It varied from 5000 to 6500 loaded and going down the west side of Vail pass I usually have it set at 4. When empty I set at 1.5.

Also, set the controller to zero when backing your brain will thank you.

My tow rig is a Chevy Highcountry 3/4 ton, 6.0 engine. So can't relate to your less hp. But if you towing capacity is more then your trailer you should be fine. Nothing worse the trailer brake issues and your speed problem may have been related to them being on when you took it home. Just make sure your controller is wired right to the truck wiring harness.

[Idaho45guy]

Great responses!

The Yukon was equipped with a factory tow package, so I just plugged the controller directly into the correct fuse box spot under the dash; super easy.

I just leveled the trailer, so next step is to measure the height of the trailer tongue and match it to the unloaded height of the Yukon hitch. The hitch is adjustable in height, so I should be able to get it perfect.

I do recall when I was towing, and when I hit the brakes, the number on the controller went to 7.5, which is apparently much too high. There is also an adjustment on the side of the controller that my dad said is critical as well.

Unfortunately, I don't do campgrounds. So I have to pack in my water. But I only plan on 1-night trips, so shouldn't need full tanks.

I just got my utility trailer back from the tire dealer. I did an axle flip on it last weekend and ordered bigger and beefier tires for it. I used it to haul my UTV into the mountains and needed more ground clearance and tougher tires due to rocks and sticks. Yukon handles it just fine...

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