2019 Yukon Denali Towing

[Dgarrett]

Looking to buy a 2020 passport 3100qb and plan on pulling it with a 2019 GMC Yukon Denali XL. Has anyone pulled with a newer model Denali like this with the 10 speed transmission?

Max towing is 8100 on the vehicle
Passport is 6600lbs dry (obviously more with water and supplies)
Passport is 35’ long and 780lbs hitch weight.

Anyone with experience with a similar set up or if there is a Keystone tech hanging around the forum please weigh in.

[JRTJH]

Do some more research and contemplation !!!

The ratings you cited are at two different ends of the spectrum.

You cite the MAXIMUM tow capacity for the vehicle model and you cite the MINIMUM weight/tongue load for the trailer...

That's like saying a vehicle has a MPG rating of 18 city/26 highway/25 combined and a 10 gallon tank, so every one of them (regardless of how it's driven or where) will always have a range of 180 miles city/260 miles highway/250 miles combined. So, if I put 9 gallons of gas in the vehicle, I KNOW I can make it to grandma's house without refueling, regardless of any negative impact from rain, snow, winds, traffic or other conditions...

Put simply, attempting to pull a 35'11" (really a 36' trailer) that weighs 8800 pounds with a 12% tongue load (1056 pounds) before you add the 125 pounds for the hitch, is at best "optimistic" and closer to "foolish dreams", especially when hitched to a vehicle with a maximum trailer capacity of 8100 pounds...

Will the Denali have the "power to pull it" ?? Yeap.

Will the Denali have the suspension, tires, axle ratings to carry that much tongue weight along with your family, the cargo you'll have in the vehicle AND pull it in adverse conditions, when you need the most control to prevent injury to your loved ones??? Now that's not an equation where you can use "maximums on one end and minimums on the other and come out equal"....

I won't say it's impossible to make it move forward if hitched together, but towing is much more than forward movement capacity.

[chuckster57]

Welcome to the forum!!

There aren’t any “keystone” employees or techs on this website and nobody from Keystone monitors this website that we are aware of.

When you start looking at towing numbers, the dry weight and tongue weight are null and void. The only time those numbers are right is when it’s on it’s way from the factory.

Use the GVWR of the trailer and know that the actual tongue weight will be higher.

Use your placard in the drivers door area for the ratings of your vehicle. How much weight can it CARRY not tow? How much stuff/people/gear and such are going to be in the tow vehicle.

Post the numbers from your vehicle and we can get a better idea. Don’t mean to be negative as it’s always nice to see someone ask BEFORE purchase to find out they may be looking at too much trailer rather than “ I bought...I tow with...am I ok”? And find out they aren’t.

Your going to get lots of answers, but in the end the numbers don’t lie. Anyway, like I said, welcome to the forum!!

On edit: looks like John won the finger race once again.

[Kylemcmahon1]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Do some more research and contemplation !!!

The ratings you cited are at two different ends of the spectrum.

You cite the MAXIMUM tow capacity for the vehicle model and you cite the MINIMUM weight/tongue load for the trailer...

That's like saying a vehicle has a MPG rating of 18 city/26 highway/25 combined and a 10 gallon tank, so every one of them (regardless of how it's driven or where) will always have a range of 180 miles city/260 miles highway/250 miles combined. So, if I put 9 gallons of gas in the vehicle, I KNOW I can make it to grandma's house without refueling, regardless of any negative impact from rain, snow, winds, traffic or other conditions...

Put simply, attempting to pull a 35'11" (really a 36' trailer) that weighs 8800 pounds with a 12% tongue load (1056 pounds) before you add the 125 pounds for the hitch, is at best "optimistic" and closer to "foolish dreams", especially when hitched to a vehicle with a maximum trailer capacity of 8100 pounds...

Will the Denali have the "power to pull it" ?? Yeap.

Will the Denali have the suspension, tires, axle ratings to carry that much tongue weight along with your family, the cargo you'll have in the vehicle AND pull it in adverse conditions, when you need the most control to prevent injury to your loved ones??? Now that's not an equation where you can use "maximums on one end and minimums on the other and come out equal"....

I won't say it's impossible to make it move forward if hitched together, but towing is much more than forward movement capacity.

Can not go wrong with that.

[JRTJH]

Looking at the "basic information" about the 2019 GMC Yukon Denali, this is what I found:

GVW 7300
PAYLOAD 1530
MAX TLR 8100
GCWR 14000
Empty weight (base Denali) 5743

At GVW (fully loaded Denali) the maximum trailer weight is 6700 pounds, not 8100. 14000 - 7300 = 6700

An "empty Denali" weighing 5743 (factory base specs) maximum trailer is 8100. 14000 - 5743 = 8257 (limited to 8100 per GMC) The difference is likely the 150 pound allowance for the driver.

As you can see, using "max" on one end and "min" on the other simply won't work....

When you look at the trailer, the picture grows even more bleak.

Empty (shipping) weight 6405
Cargo Capacity 2395
GVW 8800
Tongue weight 780

Facts about the trailer "ratings".

The empty weight does not include a battery (required to tow because the trailer emergency braking system must be operational) nor does it include the propane (tank weight is included, contents are not weighed at the factory) and any optional equipment is not included in the "base brochure weight). Also, there is no spare tire, wheel and carrier included in the weight.

It's a fact that you will NEVER see the trailer at the shipping weight. By the time you pick it up, you'll have to add 40 pounds for propane, 50 pounds for a battery, 125+ pounds for a weight distribution hitch, 100 pounds for the spare tire and carrier to that shipping weight, so the closest you'll ever see is around 6720 "empty weight".

Considering that you're driving the Denali because you have children, then you'll need to add the weight of your family, all their cargo, any optional equipment installed on your vehicle to include any aftermarket additions like running boards, mats, rear view camera system, TPMS system, tool box and tools, even the gloves in the glove compartment need to be considered. Then you also need to deduct the weight of all passengers in the vehicle, all of their cargo and any "travel items" such as a cooler, snack sack, coloring books, video equipment, even all the cell phones add weight that becomes "important" when you're pushing the "maximum end of the calculations"....

Now, take into account that GM (like every other vehicle manufacturer) tests and certifies their "maximum towing capacity" using a "test mule trailer" which is a 16' flatbed trailer loaded with concrete blocks for weight. There is a SIGNIFICANT difference in towing that kind of trailer behind a Denali and towing a 36' "flat sidewall RV" behind a Denali. The slightest crosswind will push against the sidewall of the trailer, forcing control issues. EVERY 18 wheeler that overtakes you will "push the trailer" as it passes, also causing control issues.

If you're "well under maximums, control is an issue. If you're "pushing the absolute upper limit" then all bets are off as to being able to comfortably control a trailer that large with a "minimally rated vehicle".

If you've never towed a large RV, I'd urge you to talk to people who have, DON'T TAKE A SALESMAN'S WORD AS RELIABLE !!!!!

The first thing any RV salesman will ask is, "What is your tow vehicle" and regardless of your answer, his next statement will be, "Good, you vehicle will tow anything we've got on the lot".....

Don't be lulled by the "big, comfortable spaces" in the trailer and the sales pitch by the dealership. They are designed to sell trailers and separate you from your money. Once you tow it off the lot, they have no concern other than you don't wreck it before their check clears the bank.....

[Dgarrett]

Great info guys!! Thank you. This is why I’m asking before I buy. Maybe I will look into a motorhome to get the space instead of a trailer. We need a decent amount of room with 5 kids and all their stuff.

Thanks again!

[flybouy]

With 5 kids finding a motorhome with sufficient sleeping accommodations could be challenging. I have a BIL that faced similar challenges and found a used Ford 1 ton van that was set up as a 14 passenger "bus" from a Limo company. He removed the rear most seating to use as storage and towed a 30' Jayco travel trailer. It handled everything very well except for fuel milage as it was a V10 gasser.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Dgarrett

Great info guys!! Thank you. This is why I’m asking before I buy. Maybe I will look into a motorhome to get the space instead of a trailer. We need a decent amount of room with 5 kids and all their stuff.

Thanks again!

You can look at motorhomes, as we have, and I think you will find you will be hard pressed to find much room in them until you hit mega bucks. The trailer will give you more room at a much reduced cost. I did look at a fellow's Holiday Rambler Endeavor while he was here for a couple of months; pretty big, 3 slides as I recall; maybe in the 38' range? 330k seems he said....and it still wasn't big enough for 5 kids IMO.

For 5 kids, who will grow, and 2 parents you need a big trailer and a big trailer needs a big truck. We've had some folks on the forum that used large HD vans that might be an option. The Yukon will be out of its depth.

[Just chillin]

I had the suburban version of yours. 32 foot trailer, towed it 2hrs to a state park and 2hrs back home and traded off the suburban. I drive big rigs for a living and even I couldn’t keep it in my lane when a big truck passed me . Plenty of power and actually made it in under the numbers but totally understood then why you see them on their side out in the ditch.

[Brantlyj]

Originally Posted by Dgarrett

Great info guys!! Thank you. This is why I’m asking before I buy. Maybe I will look into a motorhome to get the space instead of a trailer. We need a decent amount of room with 5 kids and all their stuff.

Thanks again!

Would probably be cheaper to get a truck that can handle the load and have a chase car with the overflow of family.

[wiredgeorge]

OK, you get the motorhome. Now the kiddos want to go to McD's for a Happy Meal. Ouch... the motorhome isn't going to be much fun to move for a trip to anywhere for a bite. You will have to drag a toad. Which toad will work with your crew? Hmmmm. Best to buy a one ton van as suggested. There may be SUVs out there with the payload capability to drag a larger trailer but I am not an expert on such things.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Just chillin

I had the suburban version of yours. 32 foot trailer, towed it 2hrs to a state park and 2hrs back home and traded off the suburban. I drive big rigs for a living and even I couldn’t keep it in my lane when a big truck passed me . Plenty of power and actually made it in under the numbers but totally understood then why you see them on their side out in the ditch.

^^^ This is the "far too often" situation with "at the top edge of ratings" with almost any rig. From my experience (minimal as some might call it) those who "tow at the upper edge" and say they have an excellent towing experience, almost always don't have any "other rig experience" on which to base their judgement that "what sway and control problems they have are typical and they all must tow this way, so ours is great. It's only after they upgrade for whatever reason and finally operate a "properly sized rig with appropriate components" that they realize that, "Hey, what I had was terrible and I never knew it".... The situation above is a perfect example of "towing at the top margins with a tow vehicle that can "accelerate rapidly so it's a good match" and because of "other experiences" the driver understood that it's not typical of how a rig "should respond". What Just Chillin posted is typical of way too many "on the edge owners" who will "actually argue that their rig is perfect" only to realize, after towing a properly matched rig, what a real pleasure it is to tow "normally".

[flybouy]

"We don't know what we don't know". Several years ago we were camping in the mountains of PA with my BIL and 3 other campers full of friends and relatives. My BIL arrived and was convinced he had damaged hios transmission in his V10 powered Ford Excursion. I agreed to tow his 30' Jayco home for him and then return to get our unit.

On the way to his home we were going up over the mountains and he calls me and asked how it was possible that I was going so much faster towing over the same hills that he strained to go crest. My reply, diesel. He thought his V10 was comparable and didn't understand the difference that the torque curve and powerband of the diesel until I "walked away" going up the hills.


"we don't know what we don't know". I was one of those marginal trailer pullers with the F150 and but I knew it wasn't good. What a difference getting an "appropriate" tow vehicle can make.

[Dgarrett]

Thanks again everyone for the comments. We were also discussing the limitations a motorhome would have and the need to have a tow vehicle sounds like a pain. We are looking into smaller lighter trailers. The big kids might just be putting up a tent!

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Dgarrett

Thanks again everyone for the comments. We were also discussing the limitations a motorhome would have and the need to have a tow vehicle sounds like a pain. We are looking into smaller lighter trailers. The big kids might just be putting up a tent!

A tent isn't a bad thing. Did it with my parents and did it with our kids. Our trailer at the time would fit them but they preferred being "out in the tent". You could go with a smaller, suitable trailer until such time that you wanted to upgrade the tow vehicle.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Dgarrett

Thanks again everyone for the comments. We were also discussing the limitations a motorhome would have and the need to have a tow vehicle sounds like a pain. We are looking into smaller lighter trailers. The big kids might just be putting up a tent!

I'm not a fan but you may want to take a look at pop-up's and hybrid campers. A lot of the newer units have slide outs and with the beds that pull out can expand much larger than you would think.

[jsb5717]

Welcome, aboard, neighbor! First of all...good on you! Too many buy in ignorance or arrogance and then come to a place like this to try to figure out how to make it all work.

You're asking the right questions and I appreciate that you want to keep your family, and others around you, safe.

There are several trailers that will comfortably sleep your large family but a properly rated TV that will carry them all is clearly the issue.

Good luck in your quest for the best combo.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Dgarrett

Thanks again everyone for the comments. We were also discussing the limitations a motorhome would have and the need to have a tow vehicle sounds like a pain. We are looking into smaller lighter trailers. The big kids might just be putting up a tent!

BE VERY CAUTIOUS OF ANY TRAVEL TRAILER AND YOUR YUKON...…

It's NOT because it's a YUKON or "it shouldn't tow" but it's payload, rear axle rating and your family. The YUKON has a 1500 (approximate) payload. You have 7 people, all a vital part of that payload, taking up nearly ALL of the payload. There's precious little payload remaining for ANY (not just large, but most medium and many small) travel trailer tongue/hitch weight.

For example, 700 pounds of "people", 200 pounds of "cargo" leaves 600 pounds for everything else. Most 4500 pound trailers with two 40 pound propane tanks and two 12 volt batteries on the front frame of the trailer will weigh in at well over 500 pounds. Now add the WD hitch weight and you're suddenly "overloaded" with even a 22' trailer, when you consider the "precious cargo" that's onboard in the YUKON's capacities.

As Marshall suggested, if the YUKON is going to be a "permanent part of the equation" then you might want to look at the current pop-up and hybrid trailer offerings. A "hardside trailer" of any size adequate to meet your space needs, even just for meals or bad weather days is going to be much more trailer than the YUKON can handle with a family of 7.

[jsb5717]

I don't know what your budget constraints are but one idea I had is:

• A heavier duty diesel truck, such as a Ford F450
• a small/lite pickup camper that sleeps 3
• a reasonable sized TT that will sleep 4

You'd have to do the math on the various selections
Most states permit people to ride in the truck camper so carrying the brood is doable. OR, WA, CA, ID are all included so camping around here is possible.

https://www.rvtripwizard.com/rv-info/state-road-laws

Anyway, just thinking out loud

[PDMarlowe]

I'm going to weigh in here just to add a little personal data/opinion to this thread. We have a 2011 Outback 260FL that other than length has very similar mass and capacity as what you are quoting for your Passport. My main tow vehicle for this is whatever I can borrow from the company I work for. Usually it is a choice of several vehicles so I have used many different trucks to tow our trailer as I am nearing retirement and looking to buy one to drive off into the sunset. I will say that it has all been in the midwest and there are no mountains and most hills are relatively gradual and not over 2.5 miles in length.

Laying this out, I have recently towed our trailer with a 2019 Yukon XL Denali, a 2018 Suburban Premier (both 6.2L), a 2018 Sierra 2500 HD (Diesel), a 2019 Sierra AT4 (6.2L), a 2019 Sierra Elevation 1500 (2.7L Turbo) and a new 2020 Sierra Denali (3.0L Diesel) that I have borrowed in the past few years. The tow vehicle that sits in the driveway in case I can't borrow one is a 2004 Suburban 1500 (5.3L) with 170,000 miles on it. We no longer have the kids at home so it is usually just the 2 of us and our "stuff." Our trips are typically 200-300 miles from home and back. The towing of each of these vehicles is fine with our trailer. We have towed it on freeways, 2 lane back roads and dirt roads. The obvious best vehicle was the 2500HD diesel as that thing would pull it up a wall without straining. My second choice would be the new 3.0L diesel. After that, all of the 6.2L vehicles felt about the same. The pickup feels more confident than the SUVs but I was never uncomfortable in the Yukon or Suburban. A key point in each use is to make sure that the tires are properly inflated and the hitch is properly set. In borrowing vehicles I have to adjust my hitch ball height a lot, but when set to the hitch manufacturer's specifications all of the trucks pull and handle just fine on our mostly flat roads. I can set the cruise and in just about all cases they will stay in the top gear unless we get on one of the hills and I get a single gear downshift (except the 2.7L that had to have the rpm to keep up to speed). Sway is minimal even with trucks going by. We have towed in some nasty weather as well. I wouldn't recommend the 2.7L. It would pull it but actually got worse fuel economy than any other vehicle I have used. The old Suburban does a wonderful job as well, but it is equipped with the heavy duty trailering package that Chevy offered at that time and I have upgraded the rear springs and shocks as well. The 5.3L is still strong (Mobil 1 since new) but it is geared high and has the old 700-R4 4 speed trans. Not good with the gas either.

So, to reinforce what just about everyone here says, going bigger is better. I really wish GM hadn't dropped the 2500 Suburban back in 2014 but I understand they were coming out of bankruptcy then and had to cut costs somewhere. Maybe it will be back someday. I can only imagine the vehicle it would be with the Duramax 6.6L in it.

I agree with previous posters, with 5 kids and all of your "stuff" I'm not sure I would invest in the SUV. Yes, the Yukon XL Denali is an awesome vehicle but you will be on or just over the edge with it. Personally, I prefer a little more capacity for contingency than you would have. With the 2 of us and our minimal "stuff" We are probably 500 to 750 lbs. under where you will be.

Riding off into the sunset, I am still debating. I know one thing, it will be a diesel, just not sure if it will be the 1500 or 2500. Cost is definitely a consideration.