i have an 05 chevy silverado z71......my question is can she handle a 16-18 foot fun runner....its dry wait is 3600, and the truck has a 7000 tow cap......i dont want to go any bigger for fear of the trucks performance over the years.

 

As long as you have the towing pkg, you should be just fine. The only thing I would consider would be putting a tranny temp gauge in just for peace of mind..

 

I have a tahoe z71 and i tow an attitude 19' that weighs about 5200lbs.....it tows the trailer nicely.......

 

Learnem, what kind of gas mileage are you getting when you tow your trailer? I have a 99' Tahoe and just got a 16' enclosed trailer for hauling the ATV. Planning on taking first long trip to WI in June and have been wondering what kind of mileage.

Thanks.

 

I average about 8 mpg towing with water, gear, quads, food, BEER, dogs..........

 

Thanks learnem for the reply. I figured would get somewhere between 5 and 10 mpg, but was hopeing it was on the higher end. Figure loaded with one ATV and assorted gear will be around 4000 lbs, probably no more than 4500 lbs counting a loaded truck.

 

Uncle - Since I know for a fact that you're leaving the dog at my house and I doubt that you're hauling any beer - I bet you can count on 8.1 MPG. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Jaybee

 

Be careful on the "dry weight" on the toy haulers! The "dry weight" is usually the box, and maybe the appliances and empty tanks. On top of that comes the beds, etc . . . You can add anywhere from 400 to 800 pounds on top of the "posted" weight. I just bought my first toy hauler this past February and was in the same situation that you are in - a tow vehicle with a 6500# tow capacity. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 4WD. I have the heavy duty tow package (tranny cooler and heavy duty receiver hitch) and was limited to about a 4000# UWV on the trailer.

I checked out WW, Carson Funrunner and the American Freedom. The dry weight on the Carson 16' would have been no problem. Be careful on the 18' as they have adjusted the weight from last year and they run at about 4700ish. WW advertises at about 3800, but I bet it doesn't include all the options, so add on about 400-800. I got the 17' American Freedom. Dry it weighs about 3800 (with the "advertised" dry at 3400!) You may want to question the dealer on the advertised weights. Example, the 19' Attitude's literature says it weighs in at about 4800-4900, however I called their factory and was told that in reality with all the options it weighs more like 5500. I have all the options but for a generator and fuel station.

Fully loaded - 60 gal fresh water, two quads, gear and beer - I have had no problem pulling it up the Cajon Pass or out to Ocotilo Wells. I can take the pass at 55 mph and there isn't any sign of overheating or the tranny going kaput. However, I am also **** about regular oil changes and maintenace, full on synthetic too. (By the way the Jeep has over 160,000 miles on it!)

So the moral of the story is, be careful on the advertised dry weights. If you keep the toy hauler at about 4000 (which limits your selection to the Carson, AF and WW) there should be no problem. Oh, by the way, on the flat stretches, with a good tail wind, I get about 12 mpg, up the Pass or with a head wind I get 3 mpg.