Actual Weight Capacity

notsolittledrummer · 05-10-2017, 01:32 PM

I am newly registered, but have been lurking for a while. I wanted to run my logic/thoughts on our actual tow capacity to explain where I landed, and see if you all agree or disagree with my conclusion. We are slated to take delivery this Friday, and have not signed any paperwork, so I'm trying to sort this out now before we are fully committed.

I have not weighed on a truck scale, so I don't have our actual vehicle weight at the moment. But, i have included all of the relevant ratings and weight estimates below:

2016 Suburban LT 2WD Trailering Package
GCWR 14000
Max tongue Weight 1000
GVWR 7300
RGAWR 4200
FGAWR 3500
Combined load rating 1650
Max Trailer Weight Rating 8600

2015 Jayco 287BHSW:
Unloaded Vehicle Weight 6065
Dry Hitch Weight 641
GVWR 7500
Cargo Carrying Capacity 1435

Taylor Family Load Estimate
Combined weight of People 600
Cargo (in truck, rough est.) 150

Sooooo, is it correct math to take the combined load rating and subtract the cargo weight and tongue weight? If i end up with a positive number, that should be ok, right?

Sorry this is confusing! Open to any other input or perspective.

Thank you!

Dan

sennister · 05-10-2017, 01:45 PM

My 2011 Denali has some numbers pretty close to yours.

Here is the one that bites me and your number is the same.

Max tongue weight 1000

Of course you have no idea what your tongue weight is since you don't have a camper yet. The unloaded and dry tongue weight really doesn't mean anything. If you look up the camper on the website in the specs where you get these numbers there is a (?) if you hover over this you will see that these numbers are without any options (dealer or manufacturer) and without propane tanks.

For calculating tongue weight the rule of thumb is 10-15% of trailer weight is in tongue weight. You really don't want to run 10% because lets say you are leaving a camp site and they don't have a place to dump. Black and grey tanks are all the way in the back and if you are at the 10% mins, that much weight shift will likely result in stability issues. So most say 13-15% is a better safety margin.

So using some basic math against that 1000 max tongue weight will show some things.

lets say you are at the 15% and the trailer is 6750lbs

6750x.15= 1012

So you are 12 lbs over weight for your hitch. However that still isn't accounting for a weight distribution hitch which weighs about 80lbs. Now you are almost 100lbs over weight.

If you play that balancing game and go with a 13% tongue weight on the same trailer weight.

6750x.13=877 then add in your 80 for the WD hitch 957.5lbs. You are just in spec.

This is why I went with a Jay Feather 25BH over some of the other BH models. That 6750 number I have been using wasn't a random number. It is the GVWR or the most my trailer can weigh. If I am fully loaded at max capacity and 15% tongue weight I am over the limits of my hitch.

With many pickups there are options to upgrade the hitch. On the Yukon/Tahoe/Suburban trucks, I have yet to see an upgrade option. Is suspect this is because how it is built into the frame/bumper Also that 1000 max weight is with a Class IV hitch. If you only have a Class III hitch (non WD) then it is something like 600 lbs.

Soon as I saw this was the weak point in my numbers I used that 6750 for my shopping list on the camper so I didn't have to buy a new truck at the same time.

sennister · 05-10-2017, 02:02 PM

In addition to the tongue weight limit the other one people bump into is the cargo limit. I think it is on the sticker inside the driver's door. That cargo limit is what your 600 + 150 + tongue weight + WD hitch + any dealer or aftermarket accessory like running boards goes against. You might be over on that as well. My Denali is the short one so my cargo limits may be a bit higher as my truck is lighter.

Also for every pound of cargo that you can shift from the truck to the camper the better. If you move 100lbs to the camper. That will translate to 10-15 lbs against your tongue weight and cargo limit. The other 85-90 lbs is carried by the trailer.

RedHorse1 · 05-10-2017, 02:07 PM

I compared the numbers that you have against my older (now gone) TV and TT. Although both are completely different my TV numbers are surprisingly similar.
What I expect is you will be very close if not over both the max tongue and Rear GAWR ratings which is close to what "Senn" is saying.
A visit to the CAT Scale will show you what the current weights are from which you can get an idea of the approximate loading with TT attached. But as "Senn" points out the tongue max may be your most critical number.
Good luck and welcome to JOF!

bankr63 · 05-10-2017, 02:16 PM

In all likelihood, you are going to be skating right at the limit on both tongue weight, and GVWR, which will put you right on the GAWR's too. By my estimate with the numbers you give and an estimated "wet" tongue weight you are probably a little over.

In simple terms, you can probably do it, BUT to be safe you will be constantly juggling around what gets loaded where to keep things in limit. You will need to adjust cargo in the TT to get the tongue weight just right, adjust the WDH perfectly to get the GAWR's correct, and be very careful with the weight in the TV. If there are kids in your "people" number I hope those kids aren't planning on growing any more!

If you go for it, I would strongly suggest a tongue weight scale like the Sherline so you can know before you go. If you can keep your tongue weight consistent with a well setup hitch (i.e. not setup by your average stealership), then you should be okay each trip. But again, you will be right at the limit.

My TT isn't as close to my TV limits as your proposed combo, but I still have an Achilles heal at my RGAWR. Everything else is well in spec, but I am always pretty close on that number and pay attention to loading and WDH tension to keep it safe.

ETA: Oh, and WELCOME to JOF!!!
Having fun yet??

RedHorse1 · 05-10-2017, 02:22 PM

Double check your hitch numbers, there may be 2. One for WDH and another without.

sennister · 05-10-2017, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedHorse1

Double check your hitch numbers, there may be 2. One for WDH and another without.

You are right that there are two ratings. The one with the WDH (Class IV) is 1000lbs as he indicated. Without (Class III) it is only 600lbs

sennister · 05-10-2017, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bankr63

In all likelihood, you are going to be skating right at the limit on both tongue weight, and GVWR, which will put you right on the GAWR's too. By my estimate with the numbers you give and an estimated "wet" tongue weight you are probably a little over.

In simple terms, you can probably do it, BUT to be safe you will be constantly juggling around what gets loaded where to keep things in limit. You will need to adjust cargo in the TT to get the tongue weight just right, adjust the WDH perfectly to get the GAWR's correct, and be very careful with the weight in the TV. If there are kids in your "people" number I hope those kids aren't planning on growing any more!

If you go for it, I would strongly suggest a tongue weight scale like the Sherline so you can know before you go. If you can keep your tongue weight consistent with a well setup hitch (i.e. not setup by your average stealership), then you should be okay each trip. But again, you will be right at the limit.

My TT isn't as close to my TV limits as your proposed combo, but I still have an Achilles heal at my RGAWR. Everything else is well in spec, but I am always pretty close on that number and pay attention to loading and WDH tension to keep it safe.

ETA: Oh, and WELCOME to JOF!!!
Having fun yet??

It is good to keep an eye on axle limits but I was finding a bigger battle with the cargo and hitch limits. At least on my truck. His curb weight might be a little higher. Although his is only 2WD where I have AWD so that may make me a little heavier. I find it amusing that they advertised that my truck could pull 8100lbs but in reality I can be blowing past the numbers with 6750 depending on how it is loaded.

Just as you described, I don't want to play the balancing game. I am going out to enjoy time with the family. If I wanted to play the weights and balance game, I would get my private pilot's license and fly there. It can be done that way and still be safe. You are also right that the kids are growing so factor that in. Less of an issue if you plan on replacing the TV in the next year or two but that depends on your vehicle cycle.

Bottom line, can the truck pull it? Yep. Will it be over some of the numbers, well if he goes camping with absolutely nothing in it, it will be fine. That isn't realistic. If packing pretty light for the weekend with empty Fresh Water tanks and getting groceries once you get there, probably be fine. Might have to watch how things are loaded. Keep heavy stuff back behind the axles. If they are looking at full timing and moving all their worldly belongings in it, they are going to blow past every weight limit listed.

notsolittledrummer · 05-10-2017, 07:26 PM

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. Dealer is still trying to convince me that with a wd hitch it will all be fine......looking at a 25bh now.

Sennister- do you mind if I ask what you paid otd?

notsolittledrummer · 05-10-2017, 07:28 PM

The bummer is that the 287 floor plan works perfectly for our family, and the pricing I was getting was killer. That's life I guess, and Id rather sort this out now than have to buy a new tow vehicle!

Rustic Eagle · 05-10-2017, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notsolittledrummer

snip.......Dealer is still trying to convince me that with a wd hitch it will all be fine......snip

That statement would put me in "proceed with caution" mode going forward with this individual and/or dealership.

Bob

bankr63 · 05-10-2017, 07:53 PM

Okay - point, counterpoint. (And I might get grilled for this).
You have the perfect trailer identified. You have a TV that will (barely) pull it. Welcome to the upgrade treadmill aka two-foot-itis.

IMO, seal the deal on the TT you want. Try it out with your current TV. Yes, you are at the limit, and will need to be smart about your weights for the first while.

How long do you generally keep your vehicles for? Your is a '16, and some 18's are already arriving on dealer lots, so almost two years old. Two more years from now, your TV will be 4 years old, mostly paid for, and after a couple of towing seasons probably just starting to show the effects of heavy towing. That's when you trade up to a new, larger, more capable TV.

Now the next step two years after that is that you find the NEW perfect TT, and it is right at the limit for your 2 year old 3/4 ton or whatever you got... You getting the idea yet?

Yes, I tow near the limit of my TV. But it is darn near paid for, and although it has had fairly high maintenance costs, most of those costs aren't towing related (the power steering on my Traverse has been a nightmare). It is also relatively high mileage (approaching 75k miles), and I do follow severe maintenance schedule, and even insist on certain extras like tranny fluid changes every two years. And yes, I would like something more capable, but a new HD pickup is twice my current payment. The wait and swap game works for me, but my Traverse will probably be near DOA at tradein.

sennister · 05-10-2017, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notsolittledrummer

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. Dealer is still trying to convince me that with a wd hitch it will all be fine......looking at a 25bh now.

Sennister- do you mind if I ask what you paid otd?

Let me start out by saying campers seem a bit odd. This is the first one we bought new. The one we had before was our neighbors old one they had while building their cabin.

Anyhow I say they are odd because I have seen people here say that they are tough to compare because like with cars/trucks they all come with different options which is true. When we bought ours we were at the RV show. The dealer had 5 of them to choose from. Of course only one there to see since it was in a convention center in Minneapolis in the middle of winter. I have seen some people say RV show deals were not that good. Ours seemed really good. Of the 5 to choose from all were slightly different with options. They all had the outdoor kitchen but one example was 3 of the 5 had the base sofa (jackknife) and two had the tri-fold. We wanted the tri-fold. If needed for a bed it is actually usable and as a sofa how we will use it 99% of the time it is more comfortable as a sofa. This is about a $600 option. The funny thing was they were all the same price. Didn't matter what options it had. The one we bought was optioned out the best. Every option except the fan and bike rack. We felt they must have had some special factory incentive or something because we got it for $21K out the door if you take the trade out of the mix. I see they have several to choose from for $23,995 I think now but that is before tax. I guess my tax calculation wouldn't be 100% accurate because the we had a trade that came off the purchase price so that would mess up the figure a bit. Also tax is going to be different in every state so what we pay for tax isn't going to be the same as what you pay unless you buy in Minnesota. Most say if you can get 30% off MSRP you have done well. That is right about where we were at because I think MSRP was a little over $29K on our camper. Another variable is going to be fees like destination and dealer prep. Another reason we may have gotten a better deal is the one we bought that had the most options, was also the one we actually went through at the show. Meaning a few thousand or so people also walked through our camper. They did a great job reconditioning things though. There were a couple very minor things found at the delivery inspection that were corrected on the spot. I have yet to find any other faults with it.

A couple things I would point out to you about the Jay Feather. We bought it because of the floor plan. We have loved the bunks and separate front bedroom for a long time. We love the outdoor kitchen because of the fact that we dry camp. Though you can't use the outdoor kitchen unless on generator because it is 110V only. Keep in mind that most of the campers we found in this basic floor plan were in that 7K-8K GVWR and I simply didn't feel comfortable pulling it with my Yukon. Towing rating is 8100lbs so it should work but only if you ignore all the other numbers. Personally I didn't want to risk it with the kids. The actual weight on my camper with options as it left the factory with propane tanks is 5604lbs. The GVWR is 6750lbs. They are clearly doing things with this camper to shave weight and still make the floor plan. What you will notice is the Jay Flights use plywood floors and probably feel a bit more firm. I am 6'4" 250 lbs and I can feel a bit of flex to the floor. My understanding is it is a foam floor with luan (super thin plywood) over it and then the vinyl flooring. The frame is also a bit less beefy. I trust we won't have issues with this stuff but just remember this is a light weight camper made from materials and methods that are probably hard to repair if needed later down the road. My concern was if I went with a 7K-8K camper I would need a 3/4 ton. I didn't want to drive a 3/4 ton as a daily driver. In fact the Denali isn't my daily driver. My wife drives it and I have a Subaru WRX. She likes the Denali but would not be OK with a 3/4 ton pickup for a daily. Besides even if I did do that honestly I would rather get a 5th wheel than a camper. By the time I get a new truck $60K which would probably be a 1 ton because they are not much more money and much cheaper on road tax here in MN (so cheaper in the long run) and $80K on a 5th Wheel we are at $140K and that just isn't in the cards right now with my daughter just starting braces and the simple fact of how busy we are we wouldn't get enough use to justify that expense. So it came down to $140K or $21K. For the few weekends we actually make it out we can live with a smaller camper.

Kind of a lot more than you asked for but it is the direction we went and why. Jayco was really about the only option in the floor plan and weight that fit with the truck we have. Even if we replaced the Denali with a new one, the towing figures are basically the same so we have the same limitations. They don't make the 3/4 ton Suburban/Yukon XL anymore. We went with the Denali mainly because it was the only way to get the 6.2 engine from the Escalade without going with a pickup at the time. In 09 there was an option to equip it in the Tahoe but they are really rare I guess. I didn't like the Escalade in that the dash doesn't have much for information on it like coolant temp, oil pressure and such. The additional torque is really nice in the hills. However I started a new thread about transmission temps. I was hitting 210F on our first outing last weekend. While not a temp to cause too much alarm, it isn't that far from a concern and it was only 75F or so out. The Denali will have the same transmission you have and comes standard with the aux transmission cooler. So I have two transmission coolers. Unless your truck cools a lot better than mine (it might as the grill is pretty restrictive on the Denali) that additional weight would concern me on hot days. I haven't hit the CAT Scales but based on what our old camper weighed I would say we are a bit over 6K. Our loaded weight is pretty close to the empty weight of the camper you were looking at and I am considering ripping out my OEM aux cooler and putting in a bigger one to get me through those hot July-August days.

notsolittledrummer · 05-10-2017, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bankr63

Okay - point, counterpoint. (And I might get grilled for this).
You have the perfect trailer identified. You have a TV that will (barely) pull it. Welcome to the upgrade treadmill aka two-foot-itis.

IMO, seal the deal on the TT you want. Try it out with your current TV. Yes, you are at the limit, and will need to be smart about your weights for the first while.

How long do you generally keep your vehicles for? Your is a '16, and some 18's are already arriving on dealer lots, so almost two years old. Two more years from now, your TV will be 4 years old, mostly paid for, and after a couple of towing seasons probably just starting to show the effects of heavy towing. That's when you trade up to a new, larger, more capable TV.

Now the next step two years after that is that you find the NEW perfect TT, and it is right at the limit for your 2 year old 3/4 ton or whatever you got... You getting the idea yet?

Yes, I tow near the limit of my TV. But it is darn near paid for, and although it has had fairly high maintenance costs, most of those costs aren't towing related (the power steering on my Traverse has been a nightmare). It is also relatively high mileage (approaching 75k miles), and I do follow severe maintenance schedule, and even insist on certain extras like tranny fluid changes every two years. And yes, I would like something more capable, but a new HD pickup is twice my current payment. The wait and swap game works for me, but my Traverse will probably be near DOA at tradein.

Thanks for muddying the waters even further lol! The challenge is that with a family of 7, I don't even know what to upgrade to other than a diesel excursion. None of the 3/4 or 1 ton diesels have spaces for 7 butts which would relegate us to running 2 vehicles. That may be what it is, but if I can avoid t I'd like to.

Think I'll wait and see where the otd prices comeback for the 25bh. If it's not unbearably higher I may go with that just for the sake of being conservative.

Thanks for the reply!

sennister · 05-10-2017, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bankr63

Okay - point, counterpoint. (And I might get grilled for this).
You have the perfect trailer identified. You have a TV that will (barely) pull it. Welcome to the upgrade treadmill aka two-foot-itis.

IMO, seal the deal on the TT you want. Try it out with your current TV. Yes, you are at the limit, and will need to be smart about your weights for the first while.

How long do you generally keep your vehicles for? Your is a '16, and some 18's are already arriving on dealer lots, so almost two years old. Two more years from now, your TV will be 4 years old, mostly paid for, and after a couple of towing seasons probably just starting to show the effects of heavy towing. That's when you trade up to a new, larger, more capable TV.

Now the next step two years after that is that you find the NEW perfect TT, and it is right at the limit for your 2 year old 3/4 ton or whatever you got... You getting the idea yet?

Yes, I tow near the limit of my TV. But it is darn near paid for, and although it has had fairly high maintenance costs, most of those costs aren't towing related (the power steering on my Traverse has been a nightmare). It is also relatively high mileage (approaching 75k miles), and I do follow severe maintenance schedule, and even insist on certain extras like tranny fluid changes every two years. And yes, I would like something more capable, but a new HD pickup is twice my current payment. The wait and swap game works for me, but my Traverse will probably be near DOA at tradein.

I won't grill you too much. We considered this option but there are a few issues.

Realistically you are looking at different class vehicles. My parents have a Traverse (on the their second one) In-laws had two Acadias and now on their second Enclave. I see you have the towing package which is good however the drivetrain can only do so much. As you pointed out that is probably a bit hit you are taking by going your route. Your option to step up could be a HD Pickup as you mentioned. Or a Tahoe which really is more than capable for your needs. Funny thing a Tahoe is actually smaller (Shorter) and I think lighter than your Traverse. My parents found that out when they went from a Tahoe to a Traverse. The point is that while it is a little higher your ride comfort and such is probably about the same with more towing capability. So a shift wouldn't be much of an impact for what (if anything like us) is 90%+ normal daily driving without a camper. Going from a 1/2 ton truck to a 3/4 ton is a much different transition. First off you can't get a 3/4 ton Suburban or Tahoe anymore. So you are stuck if you need 3rd row, we don't but others do. Then there is ride quality, parking lot maneuverability and such that is drastically different when going from 1/2 ton to 3/4 compared to from Traverse to 1/2 Tahoe.

My point is that if a smaller camper like yours worked, it is easier to justify saying I will just step up to a Tahoe or similar in a year or so. We had a small camper and we went out once last year and twice the year before because we simply out grew it. In fact the one time we were going out last year we were taking a tent rather than the camper and decided to take it at the last minute. Not to mention the fact that if I am considering getting a 3/4 ton, because of tax reasons it is cheaper to get a 1 ton in MN. A 1 ton is a waste pulling a 25BH or even the heavier Jay Flights unless it is one of those massive 30 some foot ones. With a 1 ton I would rather go 5th wheel but I need to hit the powerball first.

sennister · 05-10-2017, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notsolittledrummer

Thanks for muddying the waters even further lol! The challenge is that with a family of 7, I don't even know what to upgrade to other than a diesel excursion. None of the 3/4 or 1 ton diesels have spaces for 7 butts which would relegate us to running 2 vehicles. That may be what it is, but if I can avoid t I'd like to.

Think I'll wait and see where the otd prices comeback for the 25bh. If it's not unbearably higher I may go with that just for the sake of being conservative.

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah not much for options when it come to needing the 3rd row. It is a tough situation. If you are considering a 25BH be sure to get one with the Tri-fold. The problem with the base sofa is it folds flat like a futon. So keep in mind it is really a love seat. You may have kids short enough to fit there today but they are growing so unless they are willing to share the bunk the Tri-fold is the way to go to get length. As I mentioned it is more comfortable as well as a sofa.

As I said prices can be all over the place. I would expect somewhere in the $23-26K range. Try for less but we kind of lucked out. Out the door price will fluctuate a lot. Out west they pay more for delivery for instance. State tax fluctuates a lot with vehicles. My tax number with a $21K out the door is skewed because of the trade. I added that figure back in to get the $21K. I think it was actually closer to $21,200 or so but the tax I guess wouldn't be right. Ours was also the demo unit at the RV Show. Though we could have gotten another that hadn't been through the show with nearly the same options for the same price. I think the difference was it didn't have the $200 bumper mount BBQ. Though I have seen mediocre reviews on it here.

Other complaints are maybe the front pass through storage doors are pretty small. However that keeps me from putting a lot of heavy stuff in there which helps my tongue weight which as I mentioned is my concern. Heavy stuff goes under the bunk and dinette. Duffel bags go in the bunk area.

notsolittledrummer · 05-10-2017, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sennister

Let me start out by saying campers seem a bit odd. This is the first one we bought new. The one we had before was our neighbors old one they had while building their cabin.

Anyhow I say they are odd because I have seen people here say that they are tough to compare because like with cars/trucks they all come with different options which is true. When we bought ours we were at the RV show. The dealer had 5 of them to choose from. Of course only one there to see since it was in a convention center in Minneapolis in the middle of winter. I have seen some people say RV show deals were not that good. Ours seemed really good. Of the 5 to choose from all were slightly different with options. They all had the outdoor kitchen but one example was 3 of the 5 had the base sofa (jackknife) and two had the tri-fold. We wanted the tri-fold. If needed for a bed it is actually usable and as a sofa how we will use it 99% of the time it is more comfortable as a sofa. This is about a $600 option. The funny thing was they were all the same price. Didn't matter what options it had. The one we bought was optioned out the best. Every option except the fan and bike rack. We felt they must have had some special factory incentive or something because we got it for $21K out the door if you take the trade out of the mix. I see they have several to choose from for $23,995 I think now but that is before tax. I guess my tax calculation wouldn't be 100% accurate because the we had a trade that came off the purchase price so that would mess up the figure a bit. Also tax is going to be different in every state so what we pay for tax isn't going to be the same as what you pay unless you buy in Minnesota. Most say if you can get 30% off MSRP you have done well. That is right about where we were at because I think MSRP was a little over $29K on our camper. Another variable is going to be fees like destination and dealer prep. Another reason we may have gotten a better deal is the one we bought that had the most options, was also the one we actually went through at the show. Meaning a few thousand or so people also walked through our camper. They did a great job reconditioning things though. There were a couple very minor things found at the delivery inspection that were corrected on the spot. I have yet to find any other faults with it.

A couple things I would point out to you about the Jay Feather. We bought it because of the floor plan. We have loved the bunks and separate front bedroom for a long time. We love the outdoor kitchen because of the fact that we dry camp. Though you can't use the outdoor kitchen unless on generator because it is 110V only. Keep in mind that most of the campers we found in this basic floor plan were in that 7K-8K GVWR and I simply didn't feel comfortable pulling it with my Yukon. Towing rating is 8100lbs so it should work but only if you ignore all the other numbers. Personally I didn't want to risk it with the kids. The actual weight on my camper with options as it left the factory with propane tanks is 5604lbs. The GVWR is 6750lbs. They are clearly doing things with this camper to shave weight and still make the floor plan. What you will notice is the Jay Flights use plywood floors and probably feel a bit more firm. I am 6'4" 250 lbs and I can feel a bit of flex to the floor. My understanding is it is a foam floor with luan (super thin plywood) over it and then the vinyl flooring. The frame is also a bit less beefy. I trust we won't have issues with this stuff but just remember this is a light weight camper made from materials and methods that are probably hard to repair if needed later down the road. My concern was if I went with a 7K-8K camper I would need a 3/4 ton. I didn't want to drive a 3/4 ton as a daily driver. In fact the Denali isn't my daily driver. My wife drives it and I have a Subaru WRX. She likes the Denali but would not be OK with a 3/4 ton pickup for a daily. Besides even if I did do that honestly I would rather get a 5th wheel than a camper. By the time I get a new truck $60K which would probably be a 1 ton because they are not much more money and much cheaper on road tax here in MN (so cheaper in the long run) and $80K on a 5th Wheel we are at $140K and that just isn't in the cards right now with my daughter just starting braces and the simple fact of how busy we are we wouldn't get enough use to justify that expense. So it came down to $140K or $21K. For the few weekends we actually make it out we can live with a smaller camper.

Kind of a lot more than you asked for but it is the direction we went and why. Jayco was really about the only option in the floor plan and weight that fit with the truck we have. Even if we replaced the Denali with a new one, the towing figures are basically the same so we have the same limitations. They don't make the 3/4 ton Suburban/Yukon XL anymore. We went with the Denali mainly because it was the only way to get the 6.2 engine from the Escalade without going with a pickup at the time. In 09 there was an option to equip it in the Tahoe but they are really rare I guess. I didn't like the Escalade in that the dash doesn't have much for information on it like coolant temp, oil pressure and such. The additional torque is really nice in the hills. However I started a new thread about transmission temps. I was hitting 210F on our first outing last weekend. While not a temp to cause too much alarm, it isn't that far from a concern and it was only 75F or so out. The Denali will have the same transmission you have and comes standard with the aux transmission cooler. So I have two transmission coolers. Unless your truck cools a lot better than mine (it might as the grill is pretty restrictive on the Denali) that additional weight would concern me on hot days. I haven't hit the CAT Scales but based on what our old camper weighed I would say we are a bit over 6K. Our loaded weight is pretty close to the empty weight of the camper you were looking at and I am considering ripping out my OEM aux cooler and putting in a bigger one to get me through those hot July-August days.

Very thorough and well put! Gives me a helpful starting point with the guys here in az.

notsolittledrummer · 05-11-2017, 02:53 PM

SO, the dealer here is asking way too much for the 25bh.
What are the thoughts on the 264BHW?

sennister · 05-11-2017, 03:15 PM

It is probably a better match to your tow vehicle. Not having a slide really saves on the weight. I don't think it has an outdoor kitchen but not sure how high that was on the list of options.

I am not real familiar with that camper to be honest. I assume the sofa is a jackknife (like futon) based on how close it is the kitchen counter. They may have limited space (length) so watch that. Same goes for the dinette. I don't know that you said how big your kids are and they are growing either way. Can it work? Sure but it may be tight. Though you are in AZ so maybe you won't have too many rainy days where everyone is in the camper to stay out of the weather.

notsolittledrummer · 05-11-2017, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sennister

It is probably a better match to your tow vehicle. Not having a slide really saves on the weight. I don't think it has an outdoor kitchen but not sure how high that was on the list of options.

I am not real familiar with that camper to be honest. I assume the sofa is a jackknife (like futon) based on how close it is the kitchen counter. They may have limited space (length) so watch that. Same goes for the dinette. I don't know that you said how big your kids are and they are growing either way. Can it work? Sure but it may be tight. Though you are in AZ so maybe you won't have too many rainy days where everyone is in the camper to stay out of the weather.

My daughters are 7,3, and 2 and my sons are 2 and 1.

I'm going to keep working them down on the 25, but on the first shot o can get into the 267 for well under 20. To your point, I think it will be tight, but it could work.

Thanks again for the feedback!

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