Towing Grand Design 28BH

[knl8229]

We have a 2020 28BH Reflections 5th wheel.
We have attempted to pull it with our 2014 GMC 2500HD 6L and are struggling immensely. We had previously pulled a 2015 Cougar 330 RBK without one stitch of grief.
Anyone else experiencing grief pulling this model? We are completely within tow capacity and our dealer told us we would have no issues pulling this rig as it is 1/2 tonne towable. They claim they haven't had one person complain and that they sold this popular unit to people using 1/2 tonnes.

Hi campedforyears,

I own a 2019 GD Reflection 28BH fifth wheel, so only a slight difference between the floor plan change from 2019 to 2020 and tow it with a 2016 GMC 2500 6.0L and have not had any problems. I travel most of the time in hilly areas in Northeast Pennsylvania and I most certainly don't win any races going up hill, but have not had any problems towing. When we've traveled in flatter areas the truck and 5th wheel combination performs perfectly.

Personally, I don't agree with your dealer saying that it's 1/2 ton towable, but that's a different discussion. Currently, I've been using a Pull-Rite 2700 ISR 16K automatic slider hitch, which seems to be working well.

I'm not sure this solves your problem, but just wanted to provide you with my experience so far with our 28BH.

[campedforyears]

It rolls fairly good till about 80 km/h then from 80 to 100 it is like we have a huge sail behind us. You can actually feel it pull you in the cab of the truck. We struggle holding 100 and the truck's rpms just rev and won't kick to over drive no matter what. We easily could sift through with our heavier cougar at 120 km/h without any truck issue.
We went back to the dealer and pulled a few different fifth wheels with no issues what so ever just this Reflection seems to be giving us grief.

[backtrack2015]

That is very strange. I never had that problem with mine. Have you checked the trailer brakes aren’t dragging excessively and that the axles appear to be aligned properly?

[SGT ROC]

It rolls fairly good till about 80 km/h then from 80 to 100 it is like we have a huge sail behind us. You can actually feel it pull you in the cab of the truck. We struggle holding 100 and the truck's rpms just rev and won't kick to over drive no matter what. We easily could sift through with our heavier cougar at 120 km/h without any truck issue.
We went back to the dealer and pulled a few different fifth wheels with no issues what so ever just this Reflection seems to be giving us grief.

I have no issue pulling my rig, other than the normal up hills, and it's 1000 lbs heavier than yours. Dumb question, you're not nose high are you? I pull easily at 55 - 60 miles per hour on fairly level ground, which there isn't much of where I live.

[campedforyears]

That was what we had assumed off that bat was our breaks were dragging but all was good there.
We took it back to the dealer....they made some adjustments to the axel which helped with the swaying we were getting but did not help with the drag.
Apparently out of 100 same units they have sold we are the only ones that have been complaining. Which makes me believe that there is something wrong with the unit. Our dealer told us to just to suck up the extra fuel cost (which is the least of our worries) and just use it.

[campedforyears]

we had no issues pulling our other rig either, which was 1000 lbs heavier and 4 feet longer. Never thought of the nose high but we look to be sitting fairly level. I was just thinking maybe the aerodynamics from the truck to rig was just that much different (being the nose cone of this fifth wheel is different from the cougar) that it was creating some sort of issues.

[backtrack2015]

we had no issues pulling our other rig either, which was 1000 lbs heavier and 4 feet longer. Never thought of the nose high but we look to be sitting fairly level. I was just thinking maybe the aerodynamics from the truck to rig was just that much different (being the nose cone of this fifth wheel is different from the cougar) that it was creating some sort of issues.

I hope one of the units you test-towed at the dealer was another Reflection. If yes, that would eliminate the aerodynamics as the problem.

[phonemannn]

Perhaps your combination does not get your tow rig in it's sweet spot, Torque range. Heavier might have kept it in a lower gear, a better RPM for max torque....Guessing...