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Travel Trailer Question 2013 LTZ with Towing Package.

T

tmeade

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Jul 23, 2014
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5
I purchased a 2013 Avy LTZ last year with the towing package included. 3.42.

Looking at purchasing a Winnebago Minnie 2451BHS (appox-27 feet long).  Dry weight is 4880lbs and the gross weight is 7630lbs.  Hitch weight is 630 pounds.

I can't imagine that the weight we have in the trailer will ever approach the 7630lbs considering they way we camp.  The most I'm willing to invest into the truck would be a sway system and a brake control system.  I would rather try moving on to purchasing something lighter rather then adding a bunch of after market items to the truck to accomodate a trailer I haven't purchased yet. Also, I'm really not looking to have a nail biting experience while towing the trailer either. I would like to be comfortable and worry about other things other then the trailer weight. 

What does everyone think?  Move on to something lighter or would I be fine?  I don't need to go down the highway at 75 mph too.   
 
I am sure the newer AVs would be fine.  For my 02 I had a 27 footer, almost the same specs as yours, and to me it seem unweildly.  I even had a Hensley hitch which is supposed to be one of the best hitches (and most expensive) out there.  Because of the size and driving experience with the 27 footer we didn't feel as comfortable as we would like to have been.  Mechanically, the AV pulled it as expected.  Could be that I was just not experienced in towing.

We eventually sold the 27 footer and now have an 18 footer.  The smaller and lighter trailer is a lot more manageable.  Towing is a non-issue and no more white knuckles.
 
tmeade said:
I purchased a 2013 Avy LTZ last year with the towing package included. 3.42.

Looking at purchasing a Winnebago Minnie 2451BHS (appox-27 feet long).  Dry weight is 4880lbs and the gross weight is 7630lbs.  Hitch weight is 630 pounds.

I can't imagine that the weight we have in the trailer will ever approach the 7630lbs considering they way we camp.  The most I'm willing to invest into the truck would be a sway system and a brake control system.  I would rather try moving on to purchasing something lighter rather then adding a bunch of after market items to the truck to accomodate a trailer I haven't purchased yet. Also, I'm really not looking to have a nail biting experience while towing the trailer either. I would like to be comfortable and worry about other things other then the trailer weight.   

What does everyone think?  Move on to something lighter or would I be fine?  I don't need to go down the highway at 75 mph too.   
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Are you saying you have 3.42 gears? If so you can expect not much oooomph from a dead stop start. Too high a gear for what you are towing. The rest you state sounds ok to me except I would put a load leveling hitch on there along with the sway control. The brake control system goes without saying. If the trailer does not have electric brakes on more than one axle I would also add those to the other axle(s). It is just a matter of buying the backing plates with the brakes and magnets already on them, labor to install and wire in and adjust the shoes. The gears though give me the biggest concern with the size of the trailer.
 
I forgot to add, before I started towing I upgraded my gears from 3.73 to 4.10 and added the tranny cooler.  As raiderron said the brake controller goes without saying.  I also upgraded to bigger brakes to get my stopping power back.
 
Yep. Remember that the trailer brakes are there to help you stop the whole combination of the truck and trailer because your truck brakes alone will fade quickly. Added brakes to the other trailer axles will always be a plus. Aux trans cooler is a plus, also. Since I don't own a newer 2013 LTZ, own an '02 Z71, I don't know if your rig is a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton. The heavier 3/4 would be best because if your rig is a 1/2 ton then it has some components that are lighter duty and will wear out quicker. I live in Oregon. It is big business around here in the Eugene area for trailers and motorhomes. I have yet to hear of a trailer salesman that will tell you your 1/2 ton rig is too light duty to tow the trailer he wants to sell you. Just my $.02.
 
raiderron said:
Are you saying you have 3.42 gears? If so you can expect not much oooomph from a dead stop start. Too high a gear for what you are towing. The rest you state sounds ok to me except I would put a load leveling hitch on there along with the sway control. The brake control system goes without saying. If the trailer does not have electric brakes on more than one axle I would also add those to the other axle(s). It is just a matter of buying the backing plates with the brakes and magnets already on them, labor to install and wire in and adjust the shoes. The gears though give me the biggest concern with the size of the trailer.
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He has the 6-speed auto so 3.42 gears should not be a concern. Aux tranny cooler is a must, but I believe GM made that part of the towing pkg on the second-gen.
 
GM did a lot of nice things post-2008 with the Avalanche for towing.  Obviously there is the 6 speed and 3.42 gears which helps a lot, but there is also the integrated brake controller with anti-sway technology built right in.  The transmission cooler is an option from GM.  You can tell if you have it by looking dead center of the radiator for a small cooler. 

I think you'll be fine with a good weight distributing / sway controller hitch.  Just get your tires inflated right and drive with some caution.  Keep an eye on transmission temp and if it gets up over 220 on a regular basis, add an aftermarket cooler.  Overall, these are not 2500 diesels and shouldn't be driven as such. 

I pull a 6500lb boat and the truck never feels un-safe, and I don't have much of the tech yours has got.  My trailer also isn't a big long box like yours is though.
 
Wow!!  Thanks for all the quick replies. 

Based on the above it appears that the AV would be adequate with a brake control installed and good hitch/sway system. 

It doesn't sound like I should go much bigger with a trailer though. 

Thanks Again everyone!!
 
And yes, there is a small transmission cooler mounted in front of radiator.
 
tmeade said:
Wow!!  Thanks for all the quick replies.  

Based on the above it appears that the AV would be adequate with a brake control installed and good hitch/sway system.  

It doesn't sound like I should go much bigger with a trailer though.  

Thanks Again everyone!!
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You should have an integrated brake controller already on the truck from the factory.  It is located to the lower left of the steering wheel.  You don't want to replace it because you lose the trailer sway control (TSC) if you do so.  Basically, the controller will automatically brake the trailer if sway is detected, thus eliminating the sway.  
 
Nothing to the lower left of the steering column, but I did locate the wires to connect to an after market controller.

The window sticker says trailering package included.  Listed under the mechanical items it states "trailering equipment and trailer sway control."

 
Sorry... my bad. I think I'm confusing the location with a different truck. But I'm certain a 2013 LTZ has that integrated controller. You can't get sway control without it.

Page 5-34 of the owners manual has the details. The controls are integrated into the DIC. (the little info button to the right of the gauge cluster)

I just don't want to see you add an aftermarket controller and forgo that TSC. The brake controller just tells the trailer what percentage of brake to apply. Simple ones just measure pedal deflection, while others, like the prodigy, have accelerometers in them. So it seems like the prodigy is better but the factory controller is the only one where the trailer brakes can be applied by the trucks stabilitrak computer when sway is detected. It has access to the trucks internal attitude sensors which means it can do things no aftermarket controller can touch. I can try better describe it if it's still not making sense.
 
JohnnieMo.  I think I get what you are saying or hope I get what you are saying. 

Sounds like I need to go to the dealership and have them install the factory controller otherwise I won't get the benefit of the sway control.
 
Try the steps from the owners manual. I think it's already installed and is part of the drivers computer.
 
MyBigToy said:
He has the 6-speed auto so 3.42 gears should not be a concern. Aux tranny cooler is a must, but I believe GM made that part of the towing pkg on the second-gen.
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That's right.  6-speed + 3.42, when you do the calcs, comes out to be superior  to 4-speed + 4.10.  I just did 8 hrs towing w/ the measly 3.08, and *that* lacks oomph. 
 
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