ok so i just bought my 01 yukon slt.. its got the tow package and receiver already... what am i going to need to bring my car trailer home 200 miles... i've only got a week to prepare, so how do i determine which hitch and what the hitch height should be? also, what else can i do to prepare it for this "voyage"... it will be the only thing i'll tow for at least a few months, but in the summer i plan on putting on the swaybar package and getting a brake controller... the trailer im pulling has i think "inertia brakes" or something sounding like that..

any help is appreciated, thanks

Hi, visit an RV dealer and get an ELECTRONIC brake controller installed. You have a multiple plug connector near the brake pedal for it.
Look in your owner's manual and find out your GCWR and GVWR. What model do you have, what engine, what axle ratio?
Don't forget the tire air pressure.

The rest depends on the trailer.

My trailer weighs 10,000 lbs and this is what goes with it
http://www.reeseprod.com/support/support/pdfs/parts_hi_performance.pdf

Is your trailer at your house? What came with it?

Take care, Eggert :bananasmi

Be sure you have the correct ball size. It's probably 2" but could be 2 5/16". I think my ball mount has a 2" drop. My Premier car trailer weighs about 1800 lbs. If you're just bringing it home empty you will forget it's behind you. The brakes you mentioned sound like surge brakes. You won't need a controller for this type of brake. The idea is good but for some reason, Boat US or maybe their insurance company, doesn't like them. They will have to be disabled automatically or by hand to back up. My brother in law tows a 20' Bass boat/tandem trailer with surge brakes and likes them. I doubt you will need the sway bar kit unless you're towing something a lot heavier than a car. I use an equalizer system the few times I'll haul a small crawler but it's about 6500 lbs.

ok so come to find out the trailer i'm pullin the truck home on is electric brakes, its for a drag car, he said it was pretty lightweight and very low.. so will i need the height of the trailer when i take it to the trailer/rv place a few towns over(to find the correct drop), or is it a standard size for my vehicle... also i'm going to have to buy a electronic brake controller now.. so i suppose the trailer place will help me with that too i guess... any suggestions on where to get a harness that hooks into factory plugs and which controller to buy?

i'll be towing my showtruck home so it doesn't weigh much, its pretty much a standard cab minitruck with no motor, no interior and no bedfloor, but alot of excess steel on the frame and suspension... i wouldnt imagine it to weigh more then 2000lbs with just body and frame, but i could be wrong

if your towing the trailer empty, you can do withOUT the brake controller for now. But if you get serious about towing, or put a race car on the trailer, then you need the full set up.

when I brought my trailer home for the dealer, I towed 150 miles, no problem. no setup, nothing.

Then I got serious with a weight dist hitch, brake controller, sway controllers... and I tow 500 miles to go racing.

Hi Nick,
here is what I did and recommend:
Call the GMC help line with your VIN to have them tell you the GVWR and GCVR or the max trailer weight.
It depends on the engine and the rear axle ratio.
Gross vehicle weight = the truck + everything in it.
Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating : Above plus trailer weight plus trailer load.
My YXL K2500 weighs 6,600lbs with a full tank + me, GMC talks about 5,800lbs...

The trailer has a label for empty weight and max weight. Go by the max weight to size the tow stuff.

Level the trailer front / rear height and measure from the ground to the top of the hitch ball coupling.
That is the tongue height for that trailer.
Go to the hitch installer and they will size the drawbar considering that your truck will dip a little from the weight.
Then tow the trailer to the place and have them put the sway control /weight distribution onto the trailer and adjust it to your truck.

I highly recommend the towing stuff in the link above. I would NOT get a FRICTION sway control.
The whole setup is around $400 for the hitch and $150 for the brake controller.

Reese has lots of info on their web site and also makes good brake controllers.

Hope this helps, Eggert :bananasmi