Can our 2014 NV Passenger tow this?

[TAmc41]

We are looking at a 2016 Forest River Grey Wolf 26DBH. Please look at the following figures and let us know if we can tow this.

 

Our 2014 3500 NV HD ratings

GVWR 9430

GAWR (FR) 3825

GAWR (RR) 5875

Max GCWR 16000

Towing capacity 8700

Payload 3535

Max tongue load 870

 

We are a family of 9 with an approx. total weight of 790 lbs.

 

 

2016 Forest River Grey Wolf 26DBH ratings

Hitch wt 725

Gross wt 7725

Dry wt 5795

Cargo wt 1930

Axle wt 5032

GVWR 7725

 

What do you think? Thoughts and opinions welcome. Thanks.

[Chris_CommercialManager]

You'll be just fine.  I'd say use a WD hitch, to me they are worth every penny.

[ASD Dad]

Yes, you can tow that.  You MUST have a WD Hitch.  Not sure why Chris is just "suggesting" one.  Most hitches require one over 500lbs of tongue weight for one big reason.  You'll also be pushing the tongue weight max once that camper is loaded with gear for a large family.  Most people add 1000 lbs of gear (dont laugh, it is very easy to do and many go over that).

 

Dry - 5800 lbs

Add propane (sits on tongue)

Add gear

I'd guess you'll be at 7000 lbs loaded min

Tongue should be 11-15% - 770 lbs up to 1000 lbs

 

Our camper is similar in weight and it tows well.  Our old camper was even heavier and towed fine.  There are some on here with even heavier campers still but they're starting to push the spec limits.  

 

BTW - get a decent WD hitch.  There is nothing wrong with the cheap ones they toss in most of the time but a good one will be easier to hook up, have less setup issues and normally tow better.  If you're not going to camp often the cheap EZ Lift, Camco and similar will be just fine.  If you plan on camping a lot, towing far or towing long term go ahead and invest in a Blue Ox, Reese, Equal-i-zer, etc.  

[andy_george]

If I was you, TAmc41, I'd never pull a trailer like that. You should do what's safest and buy the trailer, then let ME tow it around for our family vacations for a few years and give you the full report! Just tell me where to pick it up;)

 

I'd also think you'd be just fine pulling it....

[aabel]

It'll be a breeze!!! Mine's heavier (Forrest River EVO 2850) and it tows fantastic!!!

[Flonative]

I would think you will be fine with a WD hitch. We love our NV to tow our TT and just returned from a 1000 mile trip. Happy Trails! 

[KMG]

My Nissan does great when towing.  It fits inside nicely.   :)

 

 

Show me what you guys are pulling with your NVs

 

[Carmen]

I tow a 25 ft. Airstream with a V8 NV2500 cargo model.  I also have a Hensley WD hitch which works great.  They cost crazy money new but I found one on Craigslist to make it worth while.

 

[andy_george]

30' Keystone camper and a 24' cargo trailer, and bringing our new Honda home on the flatbed....

Edited July 19, 2016 by andy_george

[andy_george]

Still don't know why every picture I post is upside down....?

[andy_george]

And since we are on the topic of pullers, and KMG's rig is so impressive, here's the rest of our towing fleet. We take a ton of pride in this stuff!

[KMG]

Nice vehicles andy_george!  What's the Freightliner used for?  Great exhaust on the bus!

Edited July 19, 2016 by KMG

[andy_george]

Good call on the brand of the stock truck,upside down, you must be a bit of an expert! It's our supply truck for our food concession business. Soooo much nicer than jumping into the back of a pickup topper, and with a commercial drivetrain I hope to be using it when I retire in 30 years!

 

(Sorry they are still inverted..... I flipped the pics upside down before attaching them, and of course it doesn't flip them back..... I give up!

[Flonative]

The Lance - 2285 Travel Trailer 

[NoEffinMini4Me]

I no longer pull the camper because we now have a seasonal site. Spree Ultra lite 329.

Works great. Even turned off the Trailer brake for a test. Yep. no issues to complain about.

[Bonedoc05]

We pull a 35ft Jayco dry wt 7800lbs with no problem. We are a family of 8 and just got back from the Smoky Mountains about 500 miles round trip and had no issues at all. I wouldnt hesitate to pull it anywhere.

[ASD Dad]

We pull a 35ft Jayco dry wt 7800lbs with no problem. We are a family of 8 and just got back from the Smoky Mountains about 500 miles round trip and had no issues at all. I wouldnt hesitate to pull it anywhere.

 

Curious if you pulled that setup across any scales.  7800 dry, 8 people in van sounds impossible to be under Nissan's specs.

[Bonedoc05]

Curious if you pulled that setup across any scales.  7800 dry, 8 people in van sounds impossible to be under Nissan's specs.

No scales.

[Bonedoc05]

Edited

Edited October 10, 2016 by Bonedoc05

[ASD Dad]

I think a scale may shock you, I know it did us the first time I weighed in years ago.  Plus if you are towing at the limits which you admittedly are, you will know if you WDH is properly setup to make sure you are not overloading the rear axle or taking too much weight off the front. 

 

I always tell people this - it is up to everybody to tow and drive safely.  I wont tell people one way or another unless I see something totally unsafe when I am actually out.  You have to weigh in the wear and tear on your vehicle, the safety of your family and the safety of all the other cars and people on the road around you.  With a modern vehicle you can tow almost anything reasonably well, even way over the ratings.  Vehicles these days have much better engines, brakes and chassis setups.  You could probably tow that camper with a much smaller vehicle and it would "tow" just fine except maybe up a steep grade.  On flat ground you can tow most anything with a small vehicle.  

 

BUT - and this is how I always end things - what happens in an emergency maneuver?  Say you need to dodge a blown out big rig tire at 60 mph on the highway.  Say one of your camper tires blows up which happens way too much.  Somebody cuts you off or runs out in front of you?  It is those times when you need to make sure your tow vehicle can haul your trailer.  It is those times you need to make sure your WDH is setup properly, your tires are in good shape and proper inflation, brakes are calibrated correctly, etc.  If you are happy driving your family at 100% of a manufacturers rating that is your right to do so.  I would still wager money you are over if you actually got on scales fully loaded for a trip.  

 

There is a very good reason for specs on towing capacity.  If Nissan or any other company could put down they can tow more you can be 100% positive they would do it.  Look at the pissing wars of the domestic trucks.  Every single year they tow more and haul more payload.  Even if it is by 200 pounds they will still claim it to one up the next company.  They used to cheat and just write in more specs for the fun of it until they came out with SAE standards.  There's a reason Nissan thinks the NV can tow "x" amount and the GCVW should be "x" pounds.  If they could put down it can tow or haul more they would have happily said so in the first place.  

 

EDIT: I dont want to come off as a safety nanny or know it all.  I will restate it is up to the person behind the wheel to make the decision.  I say all this because I have personally seen what happens when things do go bad.  It can be something "funny" like seeing a guy actually break his rear end trying to haul a big fifth wheel with a 1/2 ton truck or another guy do the same thing hooking up a goose neck trailer with a Bobcat on it on his 1/2 ton.  I have also witnessed really bad wrecks and when you look at the trailer and the tow vehicle you just have to wonder what they were thinking...

Edited October 10, 2016 by ASD Dad

[KMG]

X2

[Bonedoc05]

In regards to emergency maneuvers...I can say that most folks pulling trailers would be in trouble even if they are within limits. FYI, My trailer tires were replaced this spring, and like every spring before our first trip out the brakes inspected and bearings serviced/replaced if needed. Anytime you are pulling a trailer behind your vehicle your are at an increased risk if you were in a emergency situation.

It is however, a nice passive/aggressive statement when someone posts "I don't want to come off as a safety nanny or know it all" and also make references to putting my family at risk by towing higher weights, when we all put our families at increased risk whenever we tow campers. I, too, have witnessed bad wrecks when a moron is pulling a lawn mower on a 6x9ft trailer with a dodge ton truck. Operator awareness and experience is just as important of a factor as being at 100% vs 75% of towing capacity.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Bonedoc05

[ASD Dad]

I will give you high props for replacing tires, inspecting brakes and your bearings.  I see way too many people that ignore all of those and things get ugly in a hurry.  I've had two bad blowouts from cheap imported crap tires from the OEM on brand new campers and one was with the camper empty so it was well under the weight limit.  I also inspected a bearing that was so over packed with grease from the factory that it blew out the rear seal and coated the drum brake making it useless.  

 

If I am coming off as passive aggressive, it is what it is.  I'd rather be at 75% of the limit vs. 100% or over any day of any year.  Risk vs. reward just doenst add up.  Specifications are there for a purpose.

[Bonedoc05]

Really, does the risk of towing a camper ever match the reward no matter the weight? If a tire blows at 75% vs 100% your in trouble either way.