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  1. #1
    King Pin
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    Considering a Travel Trailer? Understand Your TV's Hitch Ratings

    There have been lots of discussions on this forum about matching a truck and trailer. Those discussions normally focus on towing capacity, power-trains, and payload. But don't forget your hitch when it comes to purchasing a travel trailer.

    While at the Quartzsite rally, I saw other owners pulling travel trailers with a variety of hitch models and different sized components. One owner was even towing without weight distribution bars. I didn't check their tow vehicle's receiver limits, but there is no way I could do that with my 2016 Ford F350.

    Here are the weight ratings for my Ford's receiver hitch:



    My 2017 297RSTS has a GVWR of 9,995#, but my hitch weight runs heavy at 1,500-1,600# depending on how I'm loaded. Other GDRV travel trailers can have even higher hitch weights. As you can see, the only configuration that will work for my rig is with a 2-1/2" shank. The most hitch weight I can handle with the 2" shank is 1,250#. So I'd be over the receiver rating by 250-350# with the smaller set up. I'm using a Blue Ox hitch with the 2-1/2" shank and 2,000# spring bars. The Blue Ox set up normally comes with the 2" shank. If I was towing without weight distribution, the ratings are much lower.

    If you're considering purchasing a travel trailer, please take the time to check the capacity of your tow vehicle's receiver hitch before purchasing the trailer or hitch components. Finally, you need to also consider the hitch ball to make sure it exceeds the weight of your loaded trailer.

    Jim
    Last edited by TucsonJim; 01-22-2018 at 12:29 PM.

  2. #2
    Seasoned Camper Bob/OlallaWA's Avatar
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    Any dealer worth a crap should be able to point this out when you hook up to pull the trailer off their lot.
    Last edited by Bob/OlallaWA; 01-22-2018 at 01:59 PM. Reason: change would to should
    2019 GMC 3500 HD:)
    2016 Reflection 313RLTS:cool:

  3. #3
    Seasoned Camper wstcoaster07's Avatar
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    "should be able to", yes... Will they though? Unfortunately a lot will not.

    I went RV hunting with my dad this past weekend and he was taken back by what he called the "numbers game" that car manufacturers use. All he knew before was that Ford/Chevy/Dodge have commercials showing 3 tons of rocks at a construction site being dropped in to the back of the truck bed. Now he understands the truth though. However, I hit him with the hitch number last and he about fell on the floor when he realized there was another number he had to make sure he didn't exceed.
    2019 2800BH
    BlueOx Swaypro BXW1500
    2017 Expedition EL XLT w/heavy duty tow package w/ Michelin Defender LTX LT275/65/18

  4. #4
    King Pin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob/OlallaWA View Post
    Any dealer worth a crap should be able to point this out when you hook up to pull the trailer off their lot.
    I wish it were so. How many times have we seen a dealer sell a fifth wheel or trailer that grossly exceeded the payload to an uninformed owner? We see it frequently on this forum. One of the main points of this forum is to educate our members so that they will not make costly errors that have to be corrected later.

    Frequently, we see new members on this forum that are shopping for a trailer hitch before they complete the RV transaction at the dealer. By informing them of what they need to consider before making a hitch purchase, they can avoid getting the wrong one. I for one, will never solely trust a dealership with my safety or properly equipping my vehicle and trailer. The dealerships I've dealt with have a tendency to work from "empty" pin and tongue weights that manufacturers provide. They usually don't have a clue what the loaded trailer will weigh. Have you ever seen a dealership say "Now before you leave the lot, we need to weigh your rig to make sure you're not over-weight or exceed the payload or hitch ratings of your truck?" They don't know how an owner will load the cargo or what they'll be carrying. It truly is a case of "buyer beware".

    Jim

  5. #5
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Very good advice Jim.

    We ran into this when we bought our 2950RL. The dealership sold us a 1000 lb hitch (head,shank,lift bars etc) and that was based on the unloaded advertised tongue weight of 795 lbs. Then we found out that the as built tongue weight was 902 lbs. Add a battery and full propane tanks and stuff in the cubby, the actual tongue weight once I got my tongue weight scale, I found our tongue weight to be 1200 lbs. The dealer tried to tell me that a weight distributed hitch eliminates some of the tongue weight so they thought a 1000 lb hitch was fine.

    We discussed this and they went ahead and upgraded us for free to a 1400 lb hitch and new ball. Now the hitch was good to go.
    Then looking at our trucks factory receiver, it was a class 4, on the sticker label its maximum with weight distributed hitch was 1000 lbs. So I upgraded the trucks receiver to a Curtis class 5. So now we are good to go all around but still must watch our tongue weight when loading.

    Be informed, check it yourself.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  6. #6
    Rolling Along
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    My hitch does not have any ratings sticker, but I've attached the chart from the owner's manual that might be of interest for Ram owners. The chart covers all Ram trucks from 1500 - 3500 models.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Hitch Rating.jpg 
Views:	42 
Size:	55.8 KB 
ID:	11205

  7. #7
    Rolling Along
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    My hitch does not have any ratings sticker, but I've attached the chart from the owner's manual that might be of interest for Ram owners. The chart covers all Ram trucks from 1500 - 3500 models.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Hitch Rating.jpg 
Views:	42 
Size:	55.8 KB 
ID:	11205

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Hitch Rating.jpg 
Views:	207 
Size:	20.3 KB 
ID:	11206

  8. #8
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    Anybody know the hitch rating for a 2017 Chevy Suburban with a 3.42 gear rating and a max tow package? The more I read, the more confused and worried I become. I’ve only been towing and camping since last June and the dealership set it all up for me. I’ve got a 2600rb on order, can I be sure that the new dealership will set it up properly and how will I know? I don’t have any markings on my hitch although it it a weight distribution hitch and I can’t find any hitch numbers in the owners manual. Another newbie looking for help.
    Thanks,
    Vince

  9. #9
    King Pin
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    Hi Vince - I downloaded the 2017 Suburban owner's manual and the information is listed on page 309. I'm assuming you have a 1500 series Suburban. It states that if you are using a weight distributing hitch, you should not exceed 1,000# of tongue weight. If you are not using a weight distributing hitch (called weight carrying), you should not exceed 600# of tongue weight. Here's a cut and paste from the owner's manual:



    The owner's manual also has a section on page 307 that states the maximum trailer weight. I'm not sure how your Suburban is configured, but the worst case is 8,000# with your 3.42 differential. Since the 2600RB has a GVWR of 7,495, you're good to go there too.



    The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on the 2600RB is 7,495. A typical travel trailer runs about 10-15% of the weight on the tongue. So if you fully loaded the trailer to 7,495 pounds, your tongue weight would be between 750 and 1,124. If you were on the heavy side, the 1,124 would exceed the rating of your receiver hitch. However, this is very manageable. I'd suggest you purchase a Sherline 2,000# scale and use it to make sure you're not loading the tongue to more than 1,000 pounds. I think you'll be in good shape if you do this.

    If it was me, I'd make sure my dealer was providing a weight distributing hitch with 1,000 spring bars. I prefer the Blue Ox myself and purchased it on my own. But there are other good brands out there.

    To be 100% sure you're good to go with this combination, you need to know the payload of your individual Suburban. If you look on the driver's door, you'll find a sticker that looks like this:


    Add up the tongue weight, passenger weigh, trailer hitch weight and the weight of anything else you put in the tow vehicle. If all of that doesn't exceed the number on your vehicle's sticker, you're in great shape. If it adds up to more than what your sticker says, you'll need to cut down on cargo and any heavy items you put inside the Suburban.

    Don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions.

    Jim

  10. #10
    Seasoned Camper
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    Hitch rating

    Quote Originally Posted by TucsonJim View Post
    Hi Vince - I downloaded the 2017 Suburban owner's manual and the information is listed on page 309. I'm assuming you have a 1500 series Suburban. It states that if you are using a weight distributing hitch, you should not exceed 1,000# of tongue weight. If you are not using a weight distributing hitch (called weight carrying), you should not exceed 600# of tongue weight. Here's a cut and paste from the owner's manual:



    The owner's manual also has a section on page 307 that states the maximum trailer weight. I'm not sure how your Suburban is configured, but the worst case is 8,000# with your 3.42 differential. Since the 2600RB has a GVWR of 7,495, you're good to go there too.



    The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on the 2600RB is 7,495. A typical travel trailer runs about 10-15% of the weight on the tongue. So if you fully loaded the trailer to 7,495 pounds, your tongue weight would be between 750 and 1,124. If you were on the heavy side, the 1,124 would exceed the rating of your receiver hitch. However, this is very manageable. I'd suggest you purchase a Sherline 2,000# scale and use it to make sure you're not loading the tongue to more than 1,000 pounds. I think you'll be in good shape if you do this.

    If it was me, I'd make sure my dealer was providing a weight distributing hitch with 1,000 spring bars. I prefer the Blue Ox myself and purchased it on my own. But there are other good brands out there.

    To be 100% sure you're good to go with this combination, you need to know the payload of your individual Suburban. If you look on the driver's door, you'll find a sticker that looks like this:


    Add up the tongue weight, passenger weigh, trailer hitch weight and the weight of anything else you put in the tow vehicle. If all of that doesn't exceed the number on your vehicle's sticker, you're in great shape. If it adds up to more than what your sticker says, you'll need to cut down on cargo and any heavy items you put inside the Suburban.

    Don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions.

    Jim
    Jim,
    Thanks for all of this info. I do have a weight distribution hitch rated for 1000#, although I don’t know the manufacturer. I read some of thise numbers in my manual but wasn’t sure I was interpreting them correctly and I guess I just needed some confirmation. My sales guy told me I could haul 9000# with the max tow pig but I haven’t seen that anywhere in writing. My cargo capacity on the Suburban is 1497, so I think I’m ok all the way around as long as I don’t overload. I’m going to have it weighed when we load for our first trip this spring. The 2600rb is about 1000# more than my Jayco so I am a bit nervous about it. I will check out the Shureline scale and the Blue Ox hitch as well.
    Thanks again for you time and input, I really appreciate it. I know my wife will feel much better about all of this now. Maybe we’ll see you on the road!

    Vince and Peg
    Kennedy our Bernese Mountain Dog
    2017 Chevy Suburban Premier
    w/max tow pkg
    2018 GD Imagine 2600RB
    (Coming end of month)

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