Tow vehicle for 2010 Outback 301BQ

[dmtax]

Hi Everyone,
We are looking to buy an Outback 301BQ TT to be delivered in the Spring. We need a new tow vehicle as we now own a Fleetwood Niagara pop up. We are interested in buying a GMC 1500 Sierra Denali 4WD with a 6.0L which will tow about 8600lbs. The 301BQ weighs in at about 7050 unloaded. We are being told by several GMC salespeople that we should consider a 2500 because although the 1500 will tow it, the braking system on the 2500 is much better.
If anyone has any information or owns a 301BQ and could let me know what they tow with it would be appreciated. Also if anyone has anything good, bad or otherwise to say about this unit I am interested in hearing it.
Thanks,
Darice

[Festus2]

If you are asking whether or not to go up from a GMC 1500, my suggestion would be "yes" you should. I would estimate that you could add around 1500 lbs of additional weight of load (passengers, all your supplies and gear, food, etc.) which would bring your weight close to the 8600 lbs figure you quoted as being its towing limit (7050 + 1500 = 8550). While I don't own a 301BQ TT and cannot comment on it, I do own a Cougar 278RKS with the same dry weight and I would NOT want to be pulling it with a 1500 of any sort. You will, I am sure, get a wide variety of opinions and recommendations about what size and what make of TV you should get. While "bigger" is not always "better", when it comes to towing there is some truth in this.

[Flyguy]

From what I understand you should limit your towing weight to about 80% of the TV's limit, I don't know this to be a hard fast rule but it sounds reasonable. My Toyota Tundra Crew-Max has a tow limit of 10,400 Lbs and my trailer grosses out at 6040lbs, so doing the math for me it would be 10400 X 80% = 8320lbs so there's plenty of margin there for my trailer. If we apply this to your trailer and using the weights published:

301BQ Specifications
Shipping Weight 7050
Carrying Capacity 1150
Hitch 700
Length 33' 6
Width 8'
Height 10' 11
Fresh Water 43
Waste Water 30
Gray Water 60

Then 7050 + 1150 = 8200lbs GVW and 80% of the 8600lbs TV limit for the Denali = 6880lbs, looks like you need more pulling power to be safe IMHO.

[dmtax]

Thanks to you both for all the info. It reinforced what we thought...that we may have to go up in tow capacity. It is amazing how many different opinions you will get from different car salespeople.
Darice

[Festus2]

Let us know how you make out with your future purchases -- a newer tow vehicle perhaps and the Outback TT. If you have any questions along the way to doing this, just ask and we will try to help you out.

[tedstr]

We have GMC 1500 that towed a 30 foot Laredo on a western trip through Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Arizona for our Yellowstone vacation. The truck did very well and we watched the transmission temperature, especially going up hills. The highest we had was 213 degrees. My dealer said that 230 was the limit. Anyway, the TV did the job, but, we have ordered a new GMC 2500 for the extra comfort range that Flyguy mentions. We plan to keep our new TV for a long time. Also, if we decide, we could always upgrade to a smaller fifth wheel in the future. So plan ahead. If you would want a fifth wheel, you cannot tow it with a 1500. IMHO.