GMC YUKON XL DENALI 1500 pull my 25’ airstream?

[Karad]

Does anyone currently pull their 25’ airstream with a GMC Yukon XL Denali 1500? How does it do? It says it can pull up to 8,400 lbs. It has a 6.0 engine. Just wondering before we take the plunge.

[ZOZ]

That is the GMT900 352 hp @ 5400 rpm. It is the last of the V-8 Vortec L96 engines used by Chevrolet. A very good engine.

The better engine in this configuration is the GM 6.2L V8 Vortec L94 engine that gives 403 hp @ 5700 rpm with better torque specs.

Either will tow your AS 25' with ease.

Payload? Payload? Payload?

zoz

[Dennis C]

The engine and the maximum tow ratings aren’t the concern with a Yukon Denali. The concerns are payload (cargo & passengers) and tongue weight limits. You’ll need to check the payload sticker on the specific Yukon that you’re considering, as they’re unique based on how the vehicle is optioned. My guess is that you’ll find a payload rating somewhere between 1,300 and 1,600 lbs. if your tongue weight exceeds 1,000 lbs, something that is very possible, then you could have only a few hundred lbs. of capacity left for the passengers and any gear that you want to bring. You’d likely be close to or over the maximum limit.

[field & stream]

Originally Posted by Dennis C

The engine and the maximum tow ratings aren’t the concern with a Yukon Denali. The concerns are payload (cargo & passengers) and tongue weight limits. You’ll need to check the payload sticker on the specific Yukon that you’re considering, as they’re unique based on how the vehicle is optioned. My guess is that you’ll find a payload rating somewhere between 1,300 and 1,600 lbs. if your tongue weight exceeds 1,000 lbs, something that is very possible, then you could have only a few hundred lbs. of capacity left for the passengers and any gear that you want to bring. You’d likely be close to or over the maximum limit.

Ditto on above comments about payload - objectively that is the concern.

Subjectively, we towed a 23’ Airstream (700 pounds lighter than the 25’) with a 6.0 liter Denali and personally found it unsatisfactory. Perfectly fine cruising at lower elevations, but not good in western mountains and very little ability to accelerate when needed.

A 3/4 ton tv will solve the payload issues, but only a diesel (or a supercharger, which is what we did!) will address the subjective power issue. Perhaps you could test tow a 25’ trailer to form your own opinion based on your personal performance standards.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

The whole issue of "payload" is hardly unique to the Yukon. It is a very normal thing to run into on most modern SUV's. They simply don't make them like they used to, payload wise.

The door post sticker is the only way to tell what the payload on any vehicle is. None of the internet resources are 100% accurate in this regard. As you add options, the payload goes down and down.

You likely will have:

1) Tongue weight (1,000 pounds isn't a bad guess)

2) Hitch and shank weight (might be 100 to 300 pounds ... depending)

3) Two passengers .... I won't guess here ...

4) "Stuff"

It's coming up with a number for item 4 that usually is the problem It tends to accumulate as the season rolls on. It might be 100 pounds at the start and 600 pounds later on .... who knows .... I'd suggest allowing at least a couple hundred pounds "extra" in this category.

If you *do* decide to squeeze things tight. Spend the $10 at a CAT scale and check things. Far better to know what's what / drive safe.

Bob

[greenflag]

The previous posts hit the topic squarely. It’s about payload not towing capacity. The Yukon will pull it. A vehicle over payload handles like it. Think safety!

[kscherzi]

Vehicle payload is a simplistic way to budget weights. A more accurate way is to measure against axle capacity, or GAWR. While the trailer tongue may weigh in at 1,000 lbs, not all of that has to be carried by the tow vehicle. A properly set up weight distribution hitch should move a couple hundred pounds back onto the trailer. There are lots of forum discussions as to how this works.

[chuckbye]

I have a 2021 25 Globetrotter and a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali 6.1 with all trailering options
and propride hitch. The 8100 towing capacity is fine. The tongue weight max printed on the inside of the door is WRONG. The manual says 1250# and GM sent me an e-mail saying the 800 was a mistake. The tongue weight for the 25 is 882# and with the propride hitch is goes to 940#. The trailer is easily under 6000# so all is good so far.
The front axle rating is 3800 pounds and the rear is 4300#. The payload as I recall is only 1300#. I have towed the airstream and all seems well except the CAT scale reading is not good on the rear axle. GMC lists the front axle at 2600# and the rear at 2800# empty. CAT scale is 5700# on trailer, 3000# on front axle with two passengers and 4600# on rear axle with the weight distribution on the propride cranked very tight. There is ZERO sway in wind and meeting or being passed by a semi. The gas mileage is 8mpg which I can live with due to the extreme costs of driving and maintaining a 3.0 diesel. Towing is great except no extended mirrors available, but Airstreams wireless rear camera solves the problem. The remaining issue I am working on with Pro Pride is the 4600# on the rear axle with the Yukon being empty except for two front seat occupants. I hope this helps and hope someone can enlighten me on what is going on with my propride.

[Msowers22]

Send these pics from the Denali

[Msowers22]

Don’t bother with the crappy Voyager camera. It won’t work on your new Denali if it’s a 2019 or newer. Get the GM rear camera

[AShar]

If you are thinking of buying something new, I would suggest that you take a look at the recent GMC Yukon Diesel. The gas engine will work, but in my experience Diesel does a better job in towing.
We have a similar setup, an SUV with 3.0L Turbo Diesel and 25FB. We have taken it to Lassen NP, Carter Lake NP, Tahoe, etc., and have hit 7-8% grades, the towing power of the Diesel engine is unmatched. We were towing with RAM2500 Hemi before this, and I still don't find a lack of towing capacity in the new setup. Having talked about the towing power, the next two are payload and towing stability. There is no comparison between an SUV and a 3/4 ton here; the latter clearly wins. But if you need an SUV, as we did, then that's a moot point.
In our experience, we have found that by loading the trailer properly, keeping the black and grey tanks empty, and carrying extra stuff like generators, portable solar panels right on top of the trailer axle, and distributing some of the weight with a good hitch back to the trailer; you can address these two factors. It takes some extra effort, but it can be done. I would still encourage you to do the payload calculations, as everyone may have different needs. With all the adjustments, we are at a point where the CAT scale shows an increase in weight of between 730 to 760 lbs on the tow vehicle from the trailer, so you will then need to add how many passengers and stuff you will carry in the TV and see if the payload numbers make sense. In our case, it's my wife, me, and an 80lbs dog, and the numbers work with some room to spare in the GVWR. Many great people here can help, but feel free to private message me if you want to learn what I did to achieve the correct numbers.

[cmipilot]

1/2 Ton? No thank you. The manufacturer's numbers are one thing. Reality is another. People load up their RV and their tow vehicle and never bother to weigh it again to find out what the reality is. Err on the side of having too much tow vehicle vs. too little. You will be much safer.

[Jason P M]

I pull a 2021 GT 25FBT with a 2018 Suburban Premier with the 5.3L gas and 6 speed trans. ProPride hitch. Payload is 1500 on the burb. Rear axel weight on the CAT scale is 4500 (300 over the rear axle weight rating). Zero issues with sway, squat (due to air suspension and 3P) or stability. Power is fine on flat roads but my engine/trans/rear combo struggles on even the slightest hills. I plan to upgrade to the new Suburban with the 3L diesel and 10 speed trans, but for now my 2018 does fine so long as I stay out of the mountains. If I didn’t need the Suburban for everyday life, I would go to an HD diesel. A HD truck solves both the rear axle weight issue and the power to pull in the mountains.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Msowers22

Send these pics from the Denali

Hi

The gotcha is that those pictures are from a 2021 Silverado 2500HD Pickup Truck and the OP is asking about a 1500 Yukon SUV .....

It's amazing what you can find by typing the VIN 1GC4YREY4MF298715 into various web sites...... Yikes !!!! .....

Bob

[Dennis C]

For another reference point, I tow with a 2018 GMC Sierra Denali 1500 4x4. It has the 5.3L engine, 8-speed transmission, and 3.42 axle ratio. It tows fine in the mountains, and it gets around 15 mpg towing on flat ground. It has a payload capacity of 1,491 lbs., and a maximum tow rating of 9,100 lbs. GMC publishes two tongue weight numbers: 700 lbs. without a WDH and 1,250 lbs. with a WDH.

My 23-footer has a tongue weight of 620 lbs., and even with that light weight I often find myself very close to my maximum payload capacity. I have to load things carefully. There’s no way that I could comfortably or safely tow a 25-footer with this truck. I can’t imagine it would be better with a Yukon.

[Msowers22]

What did you find?

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by chuckbye

I have a 2021 25 Globetrotter and a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali 6.1 with all trailering options
and propride hitch. The 8100 towing capacity is fine. The tongue weight max printed on the inside of the door is WRONG. The manual says 1250# and GM sent me an e-mail saying the 800 was a mistake. The tongue weight for the 25 is 882# and with the propride hitch is goes to 940#. The trailer is easily under 6000# so all is good so far.
The front axle rating is 3800 pounds and the rear is 4300#. The payload as I recall is only 1300#. I have towed the airstream and all seems well except the CAT scale reading is not good on the rear axle. GMC lists the front axle at 2600# and the rear at 2800# empty. CAT scale is 5700# on trailer, 3000# on front axle with two passengers and 4600# on rear axle with the weight distribution on the propride cranked very tight. There is ZERO sway in wind and meeting or being passed by a semi. The gas mileage is 8mpg which I can live with due to the extreme costs of driving and maintaining a 3.0 diesel. Towing is great except no extended mirrors available, but Airstreams wireless rear camera solves the problem. The remaining issue I am working on with Pro Pride is the 4600# on the rear axle with the Yukon being empty except for two front seat occupants. I hope this helps and hope someone can enlighten me on what is going on with my propride.

I see this is your first post. Welcome to Airforums! We are glad to have you with us.

Can you add the email from GM (about the hitch weight limit) to this thread? I currently tow my 25FB with a 2010 Yukon Denali, and at 138,000 miles it is showing its age and costing me in repair bills. I am considering getting a new one when the supply situation improves, but I am concerned about the hitch weight limit. The limit for my 2010 model is 1000 pounds.

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by Karad

Does anyone currently pull their 25’ airstream with a GMC Yukon XL Denali 1500? How does it do? It says it can pull up to 8,400 lbs. It has a 6.0 engine. Just wondering before we take the plunge.

Welcome to Airforums! We are glad to have you with us.

What transmission is in the Yukon you are considering? My Yukon has the six speed transmission. That is fine for flatlands and modest hills, but I wish I had more gears when I hit the big passes here in Colorado.

[B.trudeau]

Originally Posted by Msowers22

Don’t bother with the crappy Voyager camera. It won’t work on your new Denali if it’s a 2019 or newer. Get the GM rear camera

if the Voyager camera dont work on the 2019 + Denali doesn't mean its "crappy" I have a Voyager camera and it is working just perfectly fine! By saying crappy you freely destroy a product reputation and make people who owns a Voyager like dumb people who knows didly squat about things! This is an Airstream thread where people come to get information about things in a respectable way. If you had problems with your camera there are probavly other threads related.

[Pappy3393]

I agree with the posts that say payload is the issue. The Denali will have the least payload capacity of all Yukons because it has the most options added to it and each option adds weight to the vehicle. I struggled with this because I had a Yukon SLT and the towing numbers looked OK and I felt I was good to go and then I read about payload on these forums. I did my research and sure enough my 1300 lb payload capacity (yours will be less because its a Denali) was going to be my limiting factor. Don’t go by the payload numbers in the sale brochures. They reflect the highest number for a stripped down vehicle. The door sticker is key. Adding a diesel just adds more weight (thus less payload) and more $’s. I think you need to consider a 3/4 truck from GM, Ford or RAM. I bought the RAM 2500 gas version and it pulls my 28 AS like a dream. I will add that I went with the propride hitch and that has worked out great as well. Good Luck. I hope you make the safe decision.