Towing whitehawk 25bhs with Colorado Z71

[IromnanZ71]

New to the forum. Just broke in my 2015 Colorado Z71 Red Rock 2WD. I have no complaints. I purchased the truck intending on purchasing a travel trailer for my family..(wife and 2 kids).


I have seen a bunch of towing threads but non can give me a staright answer. This is my first truck and first time learning about towing.


I am looking a purchasing a JAYCO 25BHS that has


An unloaded Vehicle weight of 4,925
Dry hitch weight of 590
GVWR of 6,500 :


I know the truck has a 7,000 lb tow rating and the Trailers GVWR is 6,500 which i probably will never get it t that weight. I plan on using a brake distribution system and brake controller.


I plan on using it 90% of the time in florida, mostly the florida keys.


I guess my main concern is can I tow it? but can i tow it safely with wife and kids in the truck?


Looking forward to everyones advice ![/SIZE]

[ttavasc]

Welcome to the forum! To start with you'll need to post the payload details for your specific truck. Look on the drivers door jam for the yellow & white tire loading sticker with the sentence "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed <nnn>KG or <nnn>LB". Also, there should be another sticker, possibly on the door itself, with the GVWR and axle ratings for the truck - post those as well. Does the truck have a factory tow package installed?

How much payload your truck can carry will be the limiting factor and you'll almost certainly run out of payload before you reach the advertised "max tow capacity". In addition to the trailer's tongue weight, usually estimated as 13-15% of the loaded trailer weight, payload also needs to account for all the fuel, passengers and any cargo you put in the truck.

[NVGun40]

The weight specs for the trailer are the factory "projected" specs and will not be the same as when the trailer is delivered. I have the '15 25BHS. My tongue is 604 pounds with two full bottles and two twelve volt deep cycle batteries and unloaded. You will hear a lot of talk on these forums about CAT scales. Be advised, CAT scales are not available everywhere (like here in Alaska). However, there are scales to be found in other places (like many municipal dumps), so do an internet search for your area.

Other things to consider besides whether the TT falls into range for what the manufacturer posts as your vehicles tow and payload specifications are, wheel base (Length and Width), gear ratio, payload in vehicle including passengers.

Search the forums for stories and advice on this subject. Just because all the technical specs say you can do a thing does not mean you should do a thing. Since this is your first time having a truck and getting into towing a TT, proceed with caution. You are doing the right thing by seeking this information before hand.

[Bassdogs]

Can you do it? Yes, but you would be at or over the limits with any reasonable amount of camping stuff. Lots of camper for a medium sized TV. Short hauls s/b fine. Keep the speed down.

[penguin149]

I tow a Jayco X17C with my 4.0L 2012 Nissan Frontier. Tongue weight is about 475# (verified with the bathroom scale weigh method). GVWR of the TT is about 3,500#....it's a single axle. Haven't taken the TT to the CAT scales yet. I've had no problems towing in Kentucky/Tennessee but I can REALLY tell that I'm trying to pull an 8 foot wide/9 foot tall box behind me! My truck has about 1380# of payload and I feel like I am really close by the time I add hitch weight (including the WD hitch itself), wife, daughter, firewood, beer (& soda) cooler, satellite dish, etc.


I've had other trucks and TTs before each pretty well matched up. From F250 with a V10 pulling a 30 ft with a slide to a 4.6L F150 and a 24 ft entry level TT. So I think my expectations are realistic.


I agree with the comment above about towing short distances...wouldn't take that combo into the mountains or take 8 hour trips.

[Eric0508]

I pull a 2013 Jayflight 25BHS with a F150 w/ the 5.4L. I feel like im close to the limit of the truck. I know the 2015s are quite a bit lighter, but I feel like this is a recipe for the tail wagging the dog.


If you do end up pulling the trigger on it, get a top of the line sway control and weight distribution setup. On the flipside, there are a lot of other trailers that will give you a similar floor-play with less weight.

[Jhnbggs]

As stated by another member your Colorado will pull it but safely is another story. Before purchasing it and finding out you are at or over the limit do your homework. The weight is your main focus as there are several ways to load your belongings in the trailer. One of the guys on this posted about going to scales a day getting your weights before hand. If it were me I would not tow this trailer with your vehicle. Remember, if your going dry camping you'll have to fill your water tank as well which at 7.7lbs per gallon adds weight and depending on the tank location could be in front of the axles adding tongue weight, behind reduces it.

[Camper_bob]

Doing your homework and knowing your weights is only half the battle IMO. Just because a rig is within spec, that doesn't mean you'll want to tow it. This statement comes from personal experience. My previous rig was within spec in every way; VERY close to the limits, but within spec on paper. So yes, my truck towed my trailer. Yes it was technically "safe". No, it was not fun for me, and I was constantly worried about weights. Perhaps my expectations were higher for my truck working at its maximums, but either way I was not happy doing it.

So once you have your weights, and you know the ACTUAL capacities of your tow vehicle, you then have to decide if you are comfortable towing at your truck's maximum rated capacities. For me it was fine for the short-term, but then my son was born and DW said she wanted to start traveling longer distances. So I upgraded the truck. Now I'm so far under my specifications, I won't ever have to worry about it again.

Now, I'm not saying that everyone towing a popup needs a 1T truck, but I would say you should consider the "80% Rule". Find your most limiting factor (usually payload), and don't exceed 80% of that capacity.

[Jopopsy]

Do yourself a huge favor and plug in the numbers on the linked spreadsheet. It will tell you if you can pull what you want to pull, and how far into the tow vehicle's capability you are.

Be honest w/ the numbers. You can get most of them from the door panel of your truck and the yellow sticker on the camper. Tongue weight can be figured out w/ a Sherline Tongue Weight scale. Or figure ~15% of the loaded trailer's weight on the tongue (assuming you load it correctly). People are people, figure out what you weigh. And anything you throw in the bed of the truck counts against the truck.

Tow Capacity Worksheet

[DocBrown]

The dry weight is a fictional number. NVGun40 has it right when he said that the delivered weight will be over that number. And by at least 250#. The dry weight does not include options such as awning, AC, etc. Even the mandatory "customer convenience" package is not counted in that dry weight. With 2 kids, when you are ready to camp, your trailer will be at least 1000# over the listed dry weight. And keep in mind that the kids are growing (more weight every year) and they will require more toys. It would not surprise me in the slightest if you hit the GVWR of that trailer.

That's a nice little truck, but I have another concern about the size of that trailer compared to the length of the truck. That trailer is much better off pulled by a full size 1500 series PU.

To Bob's point, I have twice towed 2 different setups very close to my limits. It's doable, it's safe, but there is a huge difference when you have a healthy margin between the limits of the truck and the trailer.

Do yourself a favor. Buy a smaller trailer speced out more for just you and your wife. Put the kids in a tent. They'll love it, and you'll have a much better towing experience.

[Subaru297]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

So I upgraded the truck. Now I'm so far under my specifications, I won't ever have to worry about it again.

So he says.....until he starts eying that nice new 5th wheel

Hahaha

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

So he says.....until he starts eying that nice new 5th wheel

Hahaha

LOL! I was looking the other day. I had to stop myself; DW said the "D" word if I sold the trailer for a 5er!!

To be fair, before I traded the GMC for the RAM, we went through a lot of discussion that went like this:

DW: "YOU SAID the truck could tow that trailer! That's why we bought it, because you said the truck could tow it! Now you're telling me it's not enough truck and we bought the wrong trailer?!"

Me: "Yes, the truck CAN tow it. Yes, it's a lot of trailer for the truck, but we bought the trailer we loved. But if you want to carry more stuff, and you want to go further, and you want me to stop worrying about weight, AND you want to do all that safer and more enjoyable, then I need a bigger truck."

Serendipitously, in the end, I ended up with the truck I always wanted; the whole thing cost me a little money, but with my GMC there were too many compromises...

[RedHorse1]

The difference between the Rear GAWR (from the yellow sticker) and the drive axle weight (from the scales) is how much extra weight you can tolerate. If you weigh with the family, full fuel tank and some "stuff" in the back to simulate how you'd travel minus the trailer you have a good start. The remaining axle capacity can be devoted to the hitch (about 100#) and tongue weight. Divide the tongue number by 0.15 (15%) and that is your theoretical Max TT weight. Keep in mind that this is an estimate. If you target a TT weighing 1000# less than that # you are probably good to go.
The max TT weight is a loaded weight. Don't believe the weight in a brochure. Get the weight from an actual trailer and add 800# or so to get a real world weight number.
Do not believe a sales person who will tell you that everything is good and you are overthinking the situation.
The CAT Scale is your friend.

[IromnanZ71]

Ok so I went to the cat scale yesterday to get a real world number. Truck came in at 4700 with wife and 2 kids. I also threw in the bed a bunch of heavy items from the garage to role play luggage or any other camping items I would throw back there instead of inside the TT. Now 4700 didn't include a weight distribution hitch and I had half a tank of gas so I would assume 4850 would be a better number to guide myself with.

Now if the 25bhs has a GVWR of 6500 and I keep the TT weight below that I should be fine right? I'm not looking to tow every week. I'll be usually doing weekend trips 200 miles max and once a month maybe twice a month depending on the season.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by IromnanZ71

Ok so I went to the cat scale yesterday to get a real world number. Truck came in at 4700 with wife and 2 kids. I also threw in the bed a bunch of heavy items from the garage to role play luggage or any other camping items I would throw back there instead of inside the TT. Now 4700 didn't include a weight distribution hitch and I had half a tank of gas so I would assume 4850 would be a better number to guide myself with.

Now if the 25bhs has a GVWR of 6500 and I keep the TT weight below that I should be fine right? I'm not looking to tow every week. I'll be usually doing weekend trips 200 miles max and once a month maybe twice a month depending on the season.

I don't see the GVWR of the truck to compare with your scale result? That's the critical piece of information. Compare your GVWR from your door pillar with the 4850 you got on the scale (use the higher estimate) and that will give you what the tongue of the trailer can weigh. Divide that number by .15 (conservatively assuming a 15% tongue weight) and that will give you the GVWR of the trailer you should tow given the amount of payload you have left (on paper).

Now of course, that calculation is pretty conservative; 15% tongue weight is the maximum you'll want on the tongue, and I'm saying you should use GVWR of the trailer for that, you may NEVER have the trailer loaded to max GVWR. Using maximum weights may be too conservative for your purposes, but if you can get within these numbers, you'll have far fewer weight problems.

Alternatively, you could take 6500x.15 to get 975 lbs. For a trailer with 6500 GVWR, and 15% tongue weight, 975 is the heaviest the tongue should ever be. So if your GVWR on the truck minus the scale weight is more than 975, you're GTG (on paper).

[Jopopsy]

Seriously plug all your numbers in the spreadsheet I linked to. Doesn't get any easier than that, and you'll know absolutely whether or not your within the manufacturers range for towing safely. Forget what others are saying w/ regards to their past experience. If you cared enough to get it weighed, plug all the numbers in and see what comes out.

[Subaru297]

Originally Posted by Jopopsy

Forget what others are saying w/ regards to their past experience.

Really? Isn't that why we come to a forum in the first place?
There are many of us here that have all crunched the numbers bought a trailer that is well within spec of what the manufacturers ratings are and were unhappy with the towing experience and regretted buying that large of a trailer...... or used it as a good excuse to upgrade trucks.

Others past experience is the whole point of this forum

To the OP......

We need your GVWR to help further.

The highest GVWR I see is 5800lbs for a 2WD. So the most payload you can have is 950lbs. With your family onboard already that is pretty good. Payload won't be an issue as long as tongue weight is less than 950lbs which is max for the trailer you are looking at.

2015 Chevrolet Colorado | Options & Specifications | Chevrolet Canada

Stability on the other hand..........??? I would say that is personal preference but by the numbers the combo looks sound.

[Jopopsy]

Yes, but so many tow something that they feel 'good' about but probably have no business towing. I'm not saying anybody here is doing that, but if the OP took it upon himself to weigh everything (kudos to him/her), then why not use hard data to assure you're within the tow vehicles capacities as listed by the manufacturer?

Its not like you have to make the spreadsheet up and figure it out for yourself. Just plug your numbers in.

[Ottawasteve]

Originally Posted by IromnanZ71

Ok so I went to the cat scale yesterday to get a real world number. Truck came in at 4700 with wife and 2 kids. I also threw in the bed a bunch of heavy items from the garage to role play luggage or any other camping items I would throw back there instead of inside the TT. Now 4700 didn't include a weight distribution hitch and I had half a tank of gas so I would assume 4850 would be a better number to guide myself with.

What the others are trying to say is your payload (the weight pressing down onto the axles and tires of your tow vehicle) is your limiting factor. Your trailer loaded for camping packed very conservatively will be at least 1000 lbs over dry weight without full water tanks etc. That will take you up to 5925 lbs. At 14% tongue weight, this will give you 830 lbs of tongue weight to deduct from your payload. You have not provided the payload of your Colorado (isn't readily available on internet search), but a full sized 1500 without payload package etc, has a payload of about 1400 lbs.

Everything you put into the truck you have to deduct from payload. So if you had a full sized chev, you would take the 1400lbs payload deduct 830 lbs for the tongue weight plus 100 lbs for your WD hitch less 110 lbs for wife (might be more but add some lbs elsewhere), 3X50lbs each for 2 kids and dog and 200lbs in box of truck for bbq, tools, and couple of cases of bottled water, and you would have 10 lbs of payload left. If you add a canoe or a couple of bikes or a cooler in the truck, you need to deduct the weights from payload and would put you over the payload limits on your truck.

I suspect your Colorado will have less payload than a full size Chev, but you will have to determine that. Another thing to keep in mind is that the maximum posted payload from the internet may not be the actual payload for your truck. For example Ford advertises the 3300 payload capacity of its 2015 F150's but it requires a Heavy Duty Payload package which you cannot order for 2015. The payload of your truck will depend on options that you have on it.


My Jayco delivered was 600 lbs heavier than the brochure and internet weight for the model of trailer. When my trailer is loaded, the tongue weight is 50% more than the posted tongue weight from the Jayco site.

Once you punch the numbers into the spreadsheet (Thanks for that I have it downloaded for future calculations and to pass on to camping friends) it will become clear where your payload problem arises and how much you are over.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

To the OP......

We need your GVWR to help further.

X2 - this would be very helpful. If you are uncertain of which values to post from the labels on the drivers door jam just take a picture of both of them and post those. That would show the actual payload, axle ratings and GVWR and provide details that will help fill in the blanks.