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Who's towing RV's with their Armada??

257K views 414 replies 69 participants last post by  Titaniumarm 
#1 ·
I probably should have asked this before I traded in my F250 on the Armada, but I feel pretty confident I am within the acceptable levels on the Armada and the Camper. My Dry weight on the camper is 6700lbs so I should be golden. Who else is using their Armada as a Tow Vehicle for an RV? What weights are you looking at? How's it pull?

Interested to hear from anyone with a Travel Trailer who can give some insight?
 
#2 ·
There's a few of us here that tow RVs.. I have a weekend warrior 23 foot, gross is 7,700 lbs, the tongue is just about 900lbs which is the max the mada with the big tow package can support, you'll want to be sure to have the tow package. I use the equalizer brand weight distribution hitch and it works real well, the mada has the muscle to pull the trailer with no issues. With a dry 6,700lbs you'll probably be close to the madas towing limit once it's loaded though.
 
#3 ·
Chris - nice rig! If you haven't already, do a search on trailer towing, a bunch of us do tow with our Armada, and there is some great information on this site about what we've learned (good and bad). The Armada makes a great tow vehicle, so long as you recognize that it's a 1/2 ton truck, and accept those limitations. We tow a 26' Prowler trailer, dry weight about 4300#s, fully loaded around 5500, so we're quite a bit lighter than you. We have towed all over the Western US, including some pretty steep and long mountain grades at high altitudes, with absolutely no troubles or issues.

Welcome to the forum, and hope to see you on the road or in a campground some day!!

Keith
 
#5 ·
Armada Towing RV

My dry weight is 6785 to be exact, and my tounge weight is 720. Even with 1000 pounds of stuff in it which I don't have that would put me at 7785, and say 500lbs in passengers 7785(TV)+ 5558(Mada)+ 500lbs(Passengers)= 13848GCVW which is under the 15000 for the Armada. Does my math sound right? I do have the weight distribution hitch, and I am going to get a Prodigy Brake controller installed this week, Mada does have Trailer Tow Package and is pre wired for the Break Controller. I've towed my trailer with a Suburban and a F250, so I am intrested to see how the Armada does. Thanks for the imput , and keep it coming. :urock:
 
#6 ·
My dry weight is 6785 to be exact, and my tounge weight is 720. Even with 1000 pounds of stuff in it which I don't have that would put me at 7785, and say 500lbs in passengers 7785(TV)+ 5558(Mada)+ 500lbs(Passengers)= 13848GCVW which is under the 15000 for the Armada. Does my math sound right? I do have the weight distribution hitch, and I am going to get a Prodigy Brake controller installed this week, Mada does have Trailer Tow Package and is pre wired for the Break Controller. I've towed my trailer with a Suburban and a F250, so I am intrested to see how the Armada does. Thanks for the imput , and keep it coming. :urock:
Chris - the issue you're going to run into is the GVWR of the Armada, not the GCWR of the Armada / trailer combo. At max tongue weight of the Armada, you don't have any reserve for cargo / people in the truck. Example, my tongue weight is about 650 #s loaded. With my wife and 2 kids, plus a full tank of gas, I calculate that I'm at or slightly over the Armada GVWR. Add some stuff in the truck (say, firewood, bikes, canoe on the roof, etc.), and I'm way over. My solution is to put everything in the trailer (except the wife and kids of course!!). Also, don't underestimate the weight that you have in the trailer. You state that you're 6785 dry. Did you measure that, or is it from the brochure? If it's from the brochure, then you're way heavier than that. Then, add in batteries, propane, water (you're never completely empty), stabilizing blocks, chocks, lawn chairs, bar-b-que, firewood, the list goes on and on. My trailer advertised dry weight is 4200 #s. I'm at almost 5000 before I even start loading up with clothes, food, beer, etc.

I have a weight calculator in Excel, I'll send it to you via PM. It will give you a good idea of what you might weigh. But, best approach is to hook it up and take it down to the local truck scale and see what it really is.

BTW, the issues that we have with respect to GVWR of the Armada is not specific to us, it applies to all 1/2 ton vehicles. To tow at max tow rating, your tow vehicle needs to be completely empty. Look at the disclaimer in the manual, it says that all weights are calculated on an empty vehicle with only a driver on board. Add weight to the vehicle, and it comes right off the tow rating.

Keith
 
#9 ·
My guess is that your actual Hitch Weight is exceeding your payload capacity, but that's just a guess. I'd suggest finding a scale to weigh it all on before doing anything else.

http://catscale.findlocation.com/


In all honesty, if you are exceeding your payload capacity then you're definitely not alone. Although it's not suggested, it's ultimately your decision that matters.

My only concern would be a lawsuit in the event of an accident. I haven't ever heard of a lawsuit happening but it wouldn't surprise me to see one popup in news headlines one day.
 
#10 ·
My guess is that your actual Hitch Weight is exceeding your payload capacity, but that's just a guess. I'd suggest finding a scale to weigh it all on before doing anything else.

In all honesty, if you are exceeding your payload capacity then you're definitely not alone. Although it's not suggested, it's ultimately your decision that matters.
Agree with you totally, get it weighed to find out for sure.. The manufacturer stickers are for a base model with NO options at all so they are not accurate.. So long as I'm close I'll continue to tow.. You do have the tow package correct?
 
#17 ·
I towed a 8.5'x24' v-nose car trailer that was 9.5' tall and the ride was horrible even with the trailer empty and the equalizer hitch. The dry weight was only 5200lbs but the center of gravity of the trailer didn't help at all. My tongue weight was maxed out for whatever reason but this was after playing with a sherline tongue weight scale, before the adjustments it was 1400lbs. I took it back to the dealer because they sold me a 3300lbs dry weight trailer not a 5200lbs trailer...now I have a 3000lbs, 6.5' tall, 7x18 trailer and I can't even feel it back there.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Dude you are not alone! I think I've jumped into this the deepest with a Jayco Eagle 314BHDS and a Hensley hitch which weighs in the neighborhood of 160# with spring bars and all assorted components.

That being said, after looking at the numbers of the GMC Yukon/Chev Burb 2500. The Nissan is real close to the 3/4 ton SUV TV, making 317 HP and 385 ft. lbs. of torque. The Yukon/Burb 2500 6.0 liter is making a little more HP (don't remember the numbers) and about the same amount of torque. Depending on whether it's 2wd or 4wd they are (the GM's) rated to tow 9300 - 9700 lbs. I don't remember the GCWR but it is, if I remember about the same. It can be looked up easily enough. They have a GVWR of 8600# with a curb wt. of 6480# so a very generous CCC. I don't know why the Nissan has such a low GVWR with its power and torque? It is actually a roomier vehicle inside as well!

Anyway, I towed that behemoth from Atlanta GA to San Diego CA with out so much as a glitch or hicup. Granted it was empty W/only 1/3 tank of water and full propane bottles & battery, it towed that TT just fine. I didn't tow in OD but I did tow it all of the way in 4th only droping to 3rd to crest some hills. 2400 miles one way and droping to 2nd only here in San Diego County coming out of the local desert into the mountains. In 2nd the Mada had plenty of power to spare running at 3000 RPM's and about 40 - 45 mph. Could have driven harder but saw no need, it'd have done 50 - 60 I'm sure.

Many people have done what I've done only to find out later that the numbers don't quite cook off just right. Speaking of the 3/4 ton SUV's. The olny difference that I can see is they are perhaps geared lower and have a heavier spring pack. If you find the need, both of these can be remedied easily enough and from what I've read on RV net. Some states allow for a recertification of your truck as far as GVWR.

Check out the trailer life/RV net forum, there is a lot of good info over there as well.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I tow a 30 Ft Jayco 26P. Loaded weight is 6300 lbs and 800 on the tongue. It pulls very strong but personally I would not want to go heavier or longer. Excellent tv that has tons of torque and lots of muscle. IMO it is the best ½ ton SUV you can buy today for towing. I have towed with mine since 05pulling a PU, HTT and now a TT. I too added factory tow mirrors, which is a must IMO towing rigs this long and wide. I also tow a 21 foot boat. The last two years it has been used just for towing so the miles are staying low at 70k. Great truck I plan to hopefully keep for many miles. Enjoy that tt…very nice.
 
#20 ·
I actually considered the Jayco Eagle Super Lite 314BHDS when I bought my KZ. They were neck and neck with the KZ winning due to the u-dinette and standard black tank flush, which were not in the Jayco at that time. I am now actually considering getting a Keystone Bullet 31BHPR, which is 35 feet long. The weight is comparable to my Spree, but it has the ideal floorplan. If any of you frequent www.rv.net (I know Pops does) there has been a lot of discussion lately on length versus wheelbase. Interestingly, an OEM finally weighed in on this criteria recently. Jeep rated their 109" wheelbase Cherokee to pull a 30 foot travel trailer. That really puts a kink in the older wheelbase rules of thumb found on many other sources. At that length, Jeep also just recommended sway control. Now, I am not crazy so I would always use a good sway control system (Equalizer or better), but I also don't buy into the extreme limitations espoused by many over at rv.net (it is the same group that practically thinks you need a Freightliner to pull anything over 25 feet).
 
#21 · (Edited)
The rig in my signature tows very well. I weighed the rig loaded for travel and got the results below.
The specs for the trailer say 30'6"overall length, 4885# empty weight.

Weight Rating Actual % of Rating
GAWR Front 3,699 3,070 83.00%
GAWR Rear 4,299 3,550 82.58%
GVWR 7,299 6,620 90.70%
GCWR 15,100 12,460 82.52%
GAWR Trailer 7,000 5,840 83.43%

Hope you can make sense of this, this thing doesn't do tables.
 
#22 ·
I'm pulling a 30' Keystone Zepline gross at 7,200 and some change and net 5,800. I upgraded to drilled and slotted rotors and use the trailer brakes a lot less. Running with a Blue Ox Sway Pro WD hitch and when its adjusted right it works great. Other than changing over to synthetic trany fluid, there is not much else I need to do. The one thing about toy haulers is how they act when the "garage" is empty. I hear they get squirly and increase the tounge weight. Like Kieth said, I keep the gear out of the truck and in the camper and always try to travel with the holding tanks empty (cuts out a few hundred pounds).
 
#23 ·
I am about to take the plunge. My wife and I are going to look at a 2009 Starcraft 284BHS which is basically the Jayco 25BHS. We looked at the Jayco model but it is a little more expensive than the Starcraft. The weight it a little higher than we wanted (only about 500 lbs) but we tow in the southeast (MS, AL, LA, FL) so hills aren't really a factor. I think that once we are fully loaded with gear we should be under the GCWR and with an Equalizer WD hitch should be good with the axle weight.

I agree with you about those on rv.net. I haven't really posted about what I am towing with since there are a lot of people out there that will condemn you like you were a baby killer if you come close to what your factory weight limits are.

I remember camping with my parents 20 years ago and you had Buicks pulling large trailers. I understand safety but if you have the right setup and meet the factory specs you should be fine.
 
#24 ·
Update to my above post:

Picked up my TT today. Great day to tow it the 100 miles home. It was nice and windy in south LA/MS. The Armada had no issues with the tow. The wind was coming in from the front so my mpg sucked, 7.5 per the trip computer (I don't expect much better without the headwind). We have sway control so when we had some strong gusts we felt them but the truck and trailer moved as one. At no time did the tail wag the dog or even move.

The auto level worked great. As soon as I was hitched up it kicked in and leveled the truck. Now I am going to purchase the big tow mirrors and we should be good to go.

Overall I am very pleased with the first test of towing. I will post pictures as soon as I charge my camera.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Yes, I do tow with the tow/hual mode engaged and no, it doesn't disable the O.D. You need to manually select 4th when towing. Just my $.02 cents worth but I wouldn't rely entirely on the tow/hual mode either. A little discretion, manually shift to keep it from "hunting" when climbing grades as hills seldomly follow a constant angle but rather vary and sometimes your TV wont know which gear to "stay" in until you've crested the hill. That'll be a judgement call, if it is not "hunting" for a gear let the engine & tranny do the work. If it is "undecisive," give it a little help.
 
#29 ·
2000 294j Tt

Yeah finally got the camper, 2nd armada, just bought an '06. Got a bit of a problem though. Put on the hitch, plugged in trailer adapter, put in 2 blue and 1 brown relay under the hood. everything tests except the running lights. I have been told I am missing a relay, but where is that relay is the question. Anyone know?
 

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#31 ·
Pulling

Just towed a 26' Jayco 26BH about 450 miles round trip in 4th gear and tow mode 9mpg.
Nicely done! What did you use for mirrors, my 29' Jayco is a bit hard to see around. I can pull without mirror extensions, but if I found some that were a good fit, I'd be all over them!
 
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