Help with details on towing, please

[Chale44incolo]

Hi all,

I am a woeful newbie in terms of towing our dual-axle 2003 Kiwi Too 22U trailer with our 2019 2WD/4WD V6 Chevy Colorado pickup and I'm hoping the towing gurus here can help us out, please.

So our weight info sticker in the trailer indicates that the trailer GVWR is 5800 lbs, and the CCC for the trailer is 1825 lbs.

The 2019 V6 Chevy Colorado has a towing capacity limit of 7000 lbs.

Am I correct then to say that as long as my wife and I keep below 1825 lbs of added weight for a camping trip (I have to figure we would stay WELL below this), then we're "good" on the Kiwi's GVWR no problem, and, we're "good" in terms of the towing capacity of our Colorado pickup? It sure seems to me like we would be, but I'm hardly an expert on this topic and I'm hoping folks here might be able to enlighten me if I'm misinterpreting anything important, etc. If you see any critical pieces of information missing above in order to weigh in with an opinion (no pun intended...), please just let me know and I'll try to provide it. Thanks in advance here for any thoughts and help.

We plan to install a brake controller (a given, I know, and the Colorado is already all set up for it in terms of wiring etc.), an "Air Lift" kit for the rear suspension of the Colorado truck (our Kiwi seller was quite impressed with how little the truck sagged down upon our getting the Kiwi tongue weight on the truck when we departed his place; but he recommended we do an Air Lift kit for the truck regardless, so we plan to do that), and an anti-sway hitch.

Thanks for your attention and I hope you can provide me with some good feedback on this. Charley in Lafayette CO --

[Chale44incolo]

Also, I find on the web that the V6 Chevy Colorado has a payload of 1566 lbs. Thanks again--Charley

[curver900]

lots of threads on this, rule of thumb -

if your payload is 1566 then start subtracting.

You need to look at the yellow sticker on YOUR truck to get Its Payload....

hitch? -50lbs
you and yours? - 300lbs
dog/cat/food/beer/tools in the pickup? - 200lbs
trailer 5800 + 1825 exceeds 7000 - for a total of 7625
propane?
batteries?
lets assume the trailer is only 6500lbs... you travel light... no water

6500 x .15 = 975lbs for tounge weight

so 50 + 300 + 200gear + 975 = 1525 give or take

so if you have more than the above you are at your payload. Anything over what is above and you are over your payload...

.. do you have a topper? how about anything other than factory stuff? running boards?

i missed your adding air lift.. that also takes away from your payload it does NOT add to it...

Unfortunately you are going to have to go truck shopping... or sell your trailer and find something more in line with what you can actually tow.... don't beat yourself up it is a common mistake...

Your next limiting factor will be the wheels and the tires and their load capacity on your truck... I think you will find you are going to be over loaded across the board... weighing it as others have said will help you out allot in determining your next move.

[Jagiven]

X2 with Curver900.

Couple things to add. Look at the yellow sticker on the driver's door jam. This will give you the payload information for your truck as it came out of the factory. Anything you added to the TV counts as part of the payload. Usually manufactures have calculated in already a full tank of fuel and an "average" size driver of 150 lbs. I do know this is not the same for all manufactures nowadays.

I would recommend taking the combo to a CAT scale all loaded up for a trip, just they way you plan to travel. I would make sure to have a full tank of fuel before taking any measurements. Here is a link that will explain how to do it. https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...v-tt-3871.html . Also plan to stop in a few times over the next year or two, you will find with time you will add more and more stuff to the TT.

Happy Camping & Welcome Aboard

[16WhiteColly]

As a Colorado owner, YOUR payload is what is stated on YOUR truck in the drivers door. Every truck is different, due to the different options. The weights in the Towing Guide are generalized so a salesman can sell you a trailer that sometimes you should not be towing.

[Chale44incolo]

Thanks much, I'll have to sit down and absorb this fully.

No, no truck topper or running boards or other additions to the truck.

So, wow, this truck is truly just barely able to do this task? I'm amazed...the Colorado isn't a big truck, but it's not a little one, either...I've definitely got to try to understand this topic better, for sure. --Charley

[Chale44incolo]

Thanks, these sound like very good things to do. I'm kind of in a situation where, if the Colorado is just not right for the towing task, I've gone and done $ stuff to it (brake controller, Air Lift) that was for naught, though, you know? Hmm.--Charley

[Chale44incolo]

Got it, thanks, I'll look at my truck's weight sticker when I get home this PM. --

[EJH]

Agree with the above. I have a mid-size truck also: 2021 Ford Ranger, which has slightly more towing and payload capacity than the Colorado (7,500 lbs tow with 750 lbs hitch weight, 1650 lbs payload). I tow a trailer 800 lbs GVWR lower than what you are discussing. I would not feel comfortable with your setup.

[mrmom]

I think there is some confusion on here with your weights and calculations. Your trailer's GVWR of 5800 lbs is the MAXIMUM weight of the unit when fully loaded. The dry weight (empty) of this trailer is listed at 3490 lbs. The hitch weight is listed at 340 lbs, (give or take based on your exact combination). If you do a search for a Kiwi Too 22u, there are a number of sites that list the specifications for these trailers.

The brake controller is required by law for a trailer of this size/weight and I wouldn't even tow locally without one! Your Air Lift (air bags in the springs I assume) just help the truck not to squat as much, but don't really factor into any of the equations. I actually have these on my Suburban for towing. You definitely need a Weight Distributing Hitch of some type to help balance the load and for sway control.

All that being said, I think you are right at the maximum for what this truck can safely tow. You may be alright towing short trips, but given that you are in Colorado (with all those mountains!), you are probably going to stress out that truck pretty hard. I have roughly the same size/weight trailer towed with a 1500 Suburban and there are times that I wish I had more truck. Good luck with your "new" unit!

[curver900]

Originally Posted by mrmom

I think there is some confusion on here with your weights and calculations. Your trailer's GVWR of 5800 lbs is the MAXIMUM weight of the unit when fully loaded. The dry weight (empty) of this trailer is listed at 3490 lbs. The hitch weight is listed at 340 lbs, (give or take based on your exact combination). If you do a search for a Kiwi Too 22u, there are a number of sites that list the specifications for these trailers.

The brake controller is required by law for a trailer of this size/weight and I wouldn't even tow locally without one! Your Air Lift (air bags in the springs I assume) just help the truck not to squat as much, but don't really factor into any of the equations. I actually have these on my Suburban for towing. You definitely need a Weight Distributing Hitch of some type to help balance the load and for sway control.

All that being said, I think you are right at the maximum for what this truck can safely tow. You may be alright towing short trips, but given that you are in Colorado (with all those mountains!), you are probably going to stress out that truck pretty hard. I have roughly the same size/weight trailer towed with a 1500 Suburban and there are times that I wish I had more truck. Good luck with your "new" unit!

I assumed the trailer information was correct. But if as mrmom has stated these are the actual numbers then there is a much different discussion.

[Chale44incolo]

mrmom, and everybody else who's weighed in on this weighty topic (sorry), thanks very much for all the feedback, whether 'distressing' to me and my wife, or not; got to have the info and educate ourselves better regardless, that's for sure. We bought the 2019 Colorado a few months ago, prior to snagging this seemingly-perfect (size, layout, even the age, didn't really want to necessarily go for a new TT, as my wife has in-progress grand visions of interesting/fun-for-her remodeling and such) Jayco trailer off of craigslist here locally, and we felt like, oh man, this 'mighty' new pickup of ours is surely a perfect match to pulling this thing! Well, maybe not, as you all wisely note. Or, maybe <right> on the borderline. I'm collecting up as accurate of info as I can now (the weights sticker for MY truck, not just generic web info for the Colorado, etc.). The highly recommended, local RV folks I'm talking with (Aerosuds) would like us to haul it over (post-cold-pocalypse we're currently in here) and let them assess it end-to-end, which seems like a great thing to accomplish. So, we'll see. I'll provide more info as we go here, and again thanks for everyone's feedback, I know this is a tired irritating topic here at this forum, but you've helped me a LOT already. --Charley

[curver900]

it's better to ask then to assume... good for you to take the time... you'll have a better experience for it later...

[craigav]

IMO, If you have already purchased the RV and the Colorado, and you are close to but not exceeding the tow and weight ratings, then your next step should be to take a road\camping trip and check it out... and enjoy! After your trip you may find things you would like to do to your truck, or you may be able trade it in for more than you paid for it (or close to it) and then get a 1500.

[mrmom]

Glad to be of help. Please feel free to check back in if you have any other questions. You are doing the right thing by educating yourself and using all of the combined knowledge from members. Better to ask now than to find out the hard way later!

[Chale44incolo]

craigav, thanks--that is starting to look like the thing to do to me, too, at this point. We'll go ahead and get the brake controller in the Colorado regardless (seems to me it's a good thing for it to have no matter what really), and get it on out there for a bit of further real life driving experience, and see what we think. Thinking about going out east (not west over the divide...yet) to Nebraska for the sand hill cranes, that might be a good starter trip...

[kayakterp]

Originally Posted by Chale44incolo

mrmom, and everybody else who's weighed in on this weighty topic (sorry), thanks very much for all the feedback, whether 'distressing' to me and my wife, or not; got to have the info and educate ourselves better regardless, that's for sure. We bought the 2019 Colorado a few months ago, prior to snagging this seemingly-perfect (size, layout, even the age, didn't really want to necessarily go for a new TT, as my wife has in-progress grand visions of interesting/fun-for-her remodeling and such) Jayco trailer off of craigslist here locally, and we felt like, oh man, this 'mighty' new pickup of ours is surely a perfect match to pulling this thing! Well, maybe not, as you all wisely note. Or, maybe <right> on the borderline. I'm collecting up as accurate of info as I can now (the weights sticker for MY truck, not just generic web info for the Colorado, etc.). The highly recommended, local RV folks I'm talking with (Aerosuds) would like us to haul it over (post-cold-pocalypse we're currently in here) and let them assess it end-to-end, which seems like a great thing to accomplish. So, we'll see. I'll provide more info as we go here, and again thanks for everyone's feedback, I know this is a tired irritating topic here at this forum, but you've helped me a LOT already. --Charley

If you are taking it to an RV dealer to get more information, pls be careful as they have more interest in selling than they do safety! Most RV dealers will gladly get you out their doors by telling you what is pleasing to hear vs what is true!

If you do hookup truck to trailer I’d first go to a scale on your own to get real world numbers instead of what a dealership has to say!

Good luck and happy camping

[curver900]

Originally Posted by Chale44incolo

craigav, thanks--that is starting to look like the thing to do to me, too, at this point. We'll go ahead and get the brake controller in the Colorado regardless (seems to me it's a good thing for it to have no matter what really), and get it on out there for a bit of further real life driving experience, and see what we think. Thinking about going out east (not west over the divide...yet) to Nebraska for the sand hill cranes, that might be a good starter trip...

if you take a picture of your yellow sticker in your truck and the yellow sticker on your trailer and post it up I think we can provide some feedback and "free" advice....

[BigRedGrandPa]

I totally agree with earlier comments. You need to start out by understanding what your vehicle can pull and haul. Once you establish that, then weigh your trailer (don't count on the tag) that's just a generic tag put on all those models, you need actual weights. With those established then go with the maximum load weight for the trailer. When you get those numbers and it falls under the pull weight of the vehicle, don't stop there. You have to consider terrains you're going to be traveling. I had a TT that dry weight was under 5,000 lbs, cargo weight was 1200 lbs. I took it fully loaded (with water) and it weigh in under 6000 lbs. I had a truck that had a small 8 cylinder motor. It was rated at 7000 lbs. But, we went to Death Valley (dry camped) and when we were leaving we had to stop three time to let the transmission cool. When we got home I promptly bought a different truck. So, matching numbers isn't going to guarantee success. If you are close in numbers like I was and traveling steep grades, I would up-size your vehicle or down-size the TT.

[Mad5581]

In theory your truck is adequate for that trailer. Looking at sticker or OEM number I would say your probably going to be within 1000 lbs of your GVWR on the truck your probably gonna be within a few 100lbs on your payload. Like other have said I would definitely run it across a cat scale once it's loaded up. I would wait on the airbags. Until you see if your in your specs. If all the numbers add up okay then I would add airbags after I add or upgrade to a bigger transmission cooler. The weakest link on that truck is the transmission. Protect it first. Then add airbags with onboard air compressor and 2.5 gallon tank with a air hose quick fitting for airing up your tires. To cost to add the tank and fitting is not much more then just adding the onboard compressor. I've got bags and compressor but regret not adding the tank and fitting. I find myself adjusting my truck tires and trailer tires frequently (the change with elevation and outside temperatures). It wouldn't add anything to the truck until you know your good on the numbers and your comfortable driving it. Then the add-ons just make the experience easier and more pleasant. Also keep in mind that truck may claim its good for 7k but you may not. 3.5 tons is good amount of weight. I'm confident your 300+ hp v6 will be fine but multiple other components may not be. Good luck and happy camping. FyI your gvwr on your rv INCLUDES your cargo weight and tongue weight. So your loaded weight can't exceed the GVWR. I would go fill up your truck with Gas and add weight to represent all occupants toss some tools or fire wood in the truck and go weight it alone first. This will you more accurate base line numbers as to what your trailer can weigh. Then loaded up trailer and truck and scale them both.. as long as nun of the axle or gross weight numbers are not over (also check you tire weight capacity) common problem is overloaded tires. It's bad new...