In the market for new RV with questions....

[BNHolland]

Hello!

I'm in the market for a new RV and have a ton of questions...., like:

- Towing Safety
- Besides the RV, what else do I need to buy
- best locations to camp in the Southeastern US (TN, AL, MS)

Looking forward to learning from the community!

Thanks!

[NB Canada]

There really isn’t anything to help you with at this point

You need to decide what type and size of trailer you want /need

You need to decide if you will need a different tow vehicle to haul it
What is your current vehicle?

Are you primarily a weekend camper at local campgrounds or???

Towing safety is partly having the proper equipment and it being maintained but there is a lot of other things that factor in
Only you can determine if you will be safe. If you have never towed before there is a learning curve.

[huntindog]

Hello!

I'm in the market for a new RV and have a ton of questions...., like:

- Towing Safety
- Besides the RV, what else do I need to buy
- best locations to camp in the Southeastern US (TN, AL, MS)

Looking forward to learning from the community!

Thanks!

if this is your 1st rv.....buy used!!!!
most people imagine how they will use an rv. and most of them find that imagination is not reality.then they want a dfferent rv that will be a better fit. if you buy new you will find that the cost to change rvs is prohibitive. if you buy used you will be able to afford the next rv much easier

[BNHolland]

There really isn’t anything to help you with at this point

You need to decide what type and size of trailer you want /need

You need to decide if you will need a different tow vehicle to haul it
What is your current vehicle?

Are you primarily a weekend camper at local campgrounds or???

Towing safety is partly having the proper equipment and it being maintained but there is a lot of other things that factor in
Only you can determine if you will be safe. If you have never towed before there is a learning curve.

Given the information below, can I safely tow the Grand Design Transcend 265BH?

Tow Vehicle Specifications
- 2023 Yukon XL AT4 w/6.2L engine
- GVWR: 7,700 lbs
- GCWR: 14,500 lbs
- RGAWR: 4,300 lbs
- Curb Weight: 6,239 lbs
- Max Payload: 1,461 lbs
- Conventional Trailer Weight Rating for Vehicle Configuration: 7,800 lbs
- Max Tongue Weight: 780 lbs

RV Specifications
- Looking at the Grand Design Transcend 265BH
- GVWR: 7,995 lbs
- Unloaded Weight: 6,450 lbs
- Hitch Weight Capacity: 658 lbs


Passengers and other Payload
- Average weight is 175 per person
- 5 Occupants
- Additional 300 to 400 lbs of gear in the back of the Yukon

[huntindog]

Given the information below, can I safely tow the Grand Design Transcend 265BH?

Tow Vehicle Specifications
- 2023 Yukon XL AT4 w/6.2L engine
- GVWR: 7,700 lbs
- GCWR: 14,500 lbs
- RGAWR: 4,300 lbs
- Curb Weight: 6,239 lbs
- Max Payload: 1,461 lbs
- Conventional Trailer Weight Rating for Vehicle Configuration: 7,800 lbs
- Max Tongue Weight: 780 lbs

RV Specifications
- Looking at the Grand Design Transcend 265BH
- GVWR: 7,995 lbs
- Unloaded Weight: 6,450 lbs
- Hitch Weight Capacity: 658 lbs


Passengers and other Payload
- Average weight is 175 per person
- 5 Occupants
- Additional 300 to 400 lbs of gear in the back of the Yukon

no and its not even close
people 175*5=875
gear 400+875= 1275
payload 1461 -1275=186 - WD hitch 125= 61
you will only have 61# left for tongue weight

[NB Canada]

Given the information below, can I safely tow the Grand Design Transcend 265BH?

Tow Vehicle Specifications
- 2023 Yukon XL AT4 w/6.2L engine
- GVWR: 7,700 lbs
- GCWR: 14,500 lbs
- RGAWR: 4,300 lbs
- Curb Weight: 6,239 lbs
- Max Payload: 1,461 lbs
- Conventional Trailer Weight Rating for Vehicle Configuration: 7,800 lbs
- Max Tongue Weight: 780 lbs

RV Specifications
- Looking at the Grand Design Transcend 265BH
- GVWR: 7,995 lbs
- Unloaded Weight: 6,450 lbs
- Hitch Weight Capacity: 658 lbs


Passengers and other Payload
- Average weight is 175 per person
- 5 Occupants
- Additional 300 to 400 lbs of gear in the back of the Yukon

Do the math. @huntindog spelled it out for you

Not at all within specs

You will easily be 1000 lbs over weight

So is this the vehicle you currently own?

[Cpb9294]

Huntindog is spot on.
Looks like you need a truck with at least 2800+ lbs. Payload capacity.
You don't want to put 5 lives and others on the road at risk.

[LMagelitz]

As others said…no-go with the Yukon.
Try Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville, AL. Great park.
Buy used is great advice, unless you know for sure based on some experience.

[FT4NOW]

Also, posted trailer hitch weights are dry (no cargo, no battery, no propane tank). Safe estimate is 12 - 15% of trailer GVWR.

[TomPanning]

I’m really glad you asked for advice before buying. Two broad pieces of advice:
1. Never ever EVER believe what a salesman says, particularly about whether a vehicle can tow a trailer. RV forums are littered with people who just bought their first trailer, only to find out that they can’t actually tow it safely. You got a taste of that with the trailer you proposed here. I guarantee if you went to 5 dealerships and asked them the same question, all of them would say “yes, no problem”.
2. Find a general RV book that will introduce you to all the RV stuff that you need to know about (if not understand) before spending thousands of dollars. One of them will be the payload calculations that you just saw. Another will be that RVs aren’t like cars: a new one is not at all guaranteed to be in perfect condition (there are people who prefer to buy used because then the first owner has worked through any manufacturing issues). Another big one is dealing with fresh water, gray water, and black water. There’s plenty more, and it’s not hard to learn, but don’t trust a dealership to teach you any of it.

”RVing is a lot more complicated than 99% of people think when they first get interested” probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it is the truth. That being said, there are a lot of people who love it anyways, so don’t get scared away.

Your local library probably has at least one book about RVing. I read several of them when I was getting started, and they all have pretty much the same info in them, so pick whichever one seems good to you.