Trailer

[pleeboo]

i am concidering buying a 30 foot trailer. What i need to know is would a chevy astro be able to tow it? What year of astro would be able to do this?
I do know that i would need one with a tow package i am familair with what that involves.

truck not good option for us as we have 4 children and 2 adults.

[Leeann94astro]

I'm not sure there IS a 30' trailer that the Astro can safely tow with 6 people and their stuff in it. Remember, any listed towing capacity includes the stuff you're hauling in the vehicle - it should say tow+haul capacity.

To pull a trailer that size, plus the associated water/propane/food/people, I'm pretty sure you'll need a full-sized van (since you do need a van).

[BillTR]

I own a 2001 GMC Safari SLT AWD and an R-Vision Trail Light TC26QBS 26 foot trailer.
This model of trailer will sleep 6 comfortably as long as two are children (teenagers). It is at the upper limit of the safari's (astro's) towing capability, but as long as you do not try and take a whole household's worth of possesions along as well, the van handles it quite nicely.
I constantly have people at rest stops and camp grounds ask me how I can pull such a large trailer, but the Safari has handled it with ease.
I live in Calgary, Alberta and often weekend in Banff or Jasper in the Rocky Mountains.
This combination handles all but the VERY steepest grades with ease, and even on an extremely steep grade, I can still maintain 50 MPH without any problems.
Two years ago, on an extremely hot day, I managed to run the temperature gauge close to the red zone on a very steep and long climb, but a couple of minutes at a fast idle off to the side of the road and we were on our way again.
My van does have the factory towing package and I would assume that is a big help because it includes coolers for the engine oil and transmission, but other than that, the only extra equipment added was a trailer braking system and a good quality equalizer hitch to fit the van's hitch receiver.
Oh, almost forgot, my van also has the factory optional high-ratio differential too. But with the tow/haul mode engaged, it is almost unstoppable.
I don't know what type of trailer you were thinking of, but my 26-footer is not much smaller than a 30' and serves us very well.
Personally, I like it more than a motor home, because we can set it up and unhitch it from the van at a campsite and then go exploring in the van without the trailer in tow.

[spike88]

.

I used to pull a 19ft 4,200 lbs Travel Trailer with my 2001 AWD Safari. This is "AFTER" I upgraded my van with:
- Timbren SES 3,000 lbs (to remove factory "rear suspension" mush.
- Onboard Brake Controller - for electric trailer brakes.
- 7-Pin Wiring
- +1 Leaf Spring in rear - for more added support (due to vehicle rear cargo).
- Install Aux tranny cooler - LPD Design for 5,000 lbs trailer.
- Class III hitch - square bar design that accepts a WD system.
- Weight Distribution Hitch - with bars sized for trailer's scale "average loaded" weight.
- Installed 75W-90 Synthetic gear oil in front and rear axles.
- Only pulled in 3rd gear and kept under 55 mph.
- When possible, avoided the fast hiways and steep hills.

Pulled my little "wind wall" TT for 1.5 years. When NOT towing and pulling away from a stop light - BANG. The tranny blew apart. Tranny specialist told me towing my TT was "too much stress" for the Astro/Safari vehicle. Especially on its weaker design tranny and its weaker design rear axle.

Long post short.... The V6 4.3L engine and shape of the van does NOT like wind. Especially when towing a "wind wall" trailer behind it. The van can easily pull boats / utility trailers / tent trailers "nicely tucked" behind the van. But wind drag is too much on its V6 engine. And, its tranny & rear axle doesn't like extra towing stress either. Especially when towing a trailer more then 4,000 lbs with passengers / cargo inside the van. As my tranny guy stated... It isn't the trailer weight or internal vehicle cargo. The "over stress on the weaker design parts is from the wind".

If towing 20+ ft trailers with family with "average" amount of camping gear inside the vehicle, I'd go with 250/2500 series large size V8 engine passenger van. Especially for long trips, towing up hills and windy towing conditions. Something I learned the hard way....

If wondering, I no longer tow a TT anymore. Sold my 19ft TT and got Jayco 29FBS at a seasonal camp site. Much better then towing a "wind wall" around.

.