# Towing A 312Bh With An '08 Suburban 1500



## huntrfish (Apr 30, 2012)

Hey all, we are new to the forum and have not yet purchased an outback. We LOVE the layout of the 312bh (yes probably bigger than what we need), but are concerned about our tow vehicle. I have been watching the website for a while, and have noticed some mixed reviews about tow vehicles. I am wondering if my 2008 Suburban 1500 is enought of a tow vechicle for this trailer. One of the dealers I contaced has told me yes over the phone, but I personally feel he just wants to sell me the trailer. Because he is about $7,000 higher than another dealer in another state, he probably won't be getting my business anyway.

We don't go very long distances to our camping destinations, but have on occasion went into the mountains.

Any thoughts wouldbe appreciated.


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

Here is a copy of Trailer Life's towing guide for 2008 --> Here

Here is Keystones spec page that shows the 312BH's weight --> Here

The weight limit for your Suburban ranges from 7100 - 8000 lbs depending on your model variation. The shipping weight on the 312BH is a biscuit short of 7600 lbs, with a max weight of 9000 lbs. I'm afraid that the 312BH might be a bit much for a 1/2 ton Suburban.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

x2 with H2oSprayer's advise.

While that is an awesome Outback layout, it is simply too much trailer for your Suburban. Yes, that dealer is trying to SELL you a trailer that (IMHO) is not safe with your trailer.

Dry Weight of 312BH ~7,600

Now, of course Keystone wants to make this number as small as possible, so a LOT of items are not included and are listed at "options". Yet all this "options" come standard on every Outback. (makes you say "Uh?")

All this stuff (like awning, full propane tanks, stove, AC unit, battery,etc..) will quickly add another 500lbs to the real weight of Outback.

That model also has a 43 gallon water holding tank. I prefer to fill my tank at home so I have MY water...not some unknown water from who knows where. Going with a round number of 8lbs per gallon of water, you have the potential to add another 344lbs in water alone.

Adding the water and the "optional" items to the weight of the Outback and you're now close to 8,400lbs. Using the 80% rule, you are now way over your "safe" towing limit (8,000 x 80% = 6,400lbs) and we haven't even added any personal items, clothes, camping equipment or food.

As an example, my prior 2004 28RSS had a factory listed weight of 5,270. When I bought my F350, I had the Outback weight tested while adjusting the hitch....it was at 7,300.......2,000lbs over the listed weight (now&#8230;I do have a LOT of stuff in our trailer). Point is...DONT trust the listed weight. Get it checked!! If you can find a scale (a lot of times along freeways...go on weekend) to get the real weight of the trailer it would bevery helpful.

If you can find a scale (a lot of times along freeways...go on weekend) to get the real weight of the trailer it would be very helpful. TELL the dealer (don't ask) that you want to test drive the trailer and then take it to a local scale. You might have to borrow a truck that already has a hitching system installed. Then unhook the trailer on the scales and get the weight and do some quick math to determine your real towing ability.

Someone on this forum once said you can actually "tow" an Outback with an riding lawn mower...it is about stopping and controlling the trailer during unforeseen events that really tests the limit of your tow vehicle.

Nobody wants another truck payment, but it only takes one small thing to set the trailer in motion at 60-65mph and without the right truck things can turn bad in an instant. We simply want you and your family to be safe and get to/from the campground with no problems.


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## luverofpeanuts (Mar 9, 2010)

H2oSprayer said:


> Here is a copy of Trailer Life's towing guide for 2008 --> Here
> 
> Here is Keystones spec page that shows the 312BH's weight --> Here
> 
> The weight limit for your Suburban ranges from 7100 - 8000 lbs depending on your model variation. The shipping weight on the 312BH is a biscuit short of 7600 lbs, with a max weight of 9000 lbs. I'm afraid that the 312BH might be a bit much for a 1/2 ton Suburban.


I agree. I think like with most things, you'll see a variety of opinions. With this scenario, probably more on the "I don't think it will handle it" side than other setups, but you'll no doubt have those that will feel ok towing a setup like this.

The dry weight (shipping weight) together with the carrying capacity (1403) add up to 8982. . So IMHO, your tow vehicle should PLAN to be capable of handling at least this maximum weight of the trailer... it will most certainly be much heavier than the dry weight, but probably not at the max. Many rules of thumb say you should aim to tow at no more than 75% of your tow vehicles max tow rating. You're well over that without adding a roll of toilet paper to the camper.

Aside from crunching the raw numbers to see if you are over/under limits, you have to determine where your comfort level towing a trailer is. Are you familiar with towing heavy loads, with a trailer that has a large frontal area and how that feels in heavy wind and big rig traffic? The tow vehicles based on 3/4 ton and 1 ton chassis have the axles, brakes, transmissions, suspensions to regularly handle loads better than the 1/2 based vehicles.... especially the SUV ones that are geared more towards people moving, than heavy load hauling. The worse thing you have going for you is that the Suburban will have coil springs in the rear.....great for ride comfort....not strong enough for heavy loads and hitchweight.... you'll be hobby horsing (or porpoising ) that 'burb the whole trip, no matter how good your WD hitch is.

I think if you do some looking, you might be able to find a used (slightly older) Suburban 2500 that would be better that you could trade your 2008 for w/o losing much (though it still would not be as good as 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup).


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## huntrfish (Apr 30, 2012)

Oregon Camper: "Nobody wants another truck payment, but it only takes one small thing to set the trailer in motion at 60-65mph and without the right truck things can turn bad in an instant. We simply want you and your family to be safe and get to/from the campground with no problems."

I appreciate your feedback, and could not have said it better myself. That is my exact point and the reason for this post. I will not endanger my family just to tow a bigger camper. I love my Burban' and love the looks of the 312bh, but it is looking more and more like it won't work together.

However, if I can talk the wife into the camper-----Maybe I can get a new pickup too!!!









Anyway everyone, thanks for your posts. I was actually thinking that it was not going to work, and you all have basically confirmed my thoughts.


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## WYOCAMPER (Mar 28, 2007)

x4.

Agree with everyone else on here. Looks like you will need either more truck or less trailer if you keep the Sub. Sorry. You are definitely doing the right thing reaching out here for advice. The folks on here are some of the most knowledgeable you will find. They offer real world knowledge and experience. A little research on here will go a long away saving you time and frustration after the purchase.

On a side note, I wish these dealers had some sort of training in what "is" and what "is not" a safe towing combo. I know they are sales folks, trying to make a sale, but they are putting their customers (not to mention people on the road) in an unsafe situation. I'm sure this does not apply to all dealers, but this issue comes up time and time again. Maybe it is time that manufacturers like Keystone stepped up and required training of their dealers if they wanted to sell their line of trailers.


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## Rmk2001800 (Apr 17, 2011)

I have a 2012 312hb and towed it with 98 Chevy 1500 4x4 ext cab- the right tow vehicle- not really but my thoughts were im not on the interstate I will be on back roads and I only 50 mph. With all that said I only live 20 minutes for 4 camp grounds so I felt good about it. Then after a good hitch - equalizer - I had no issue. My plan was to use it only for a yr until I got a larger truck which has happened this spring. I did venture off to one camp ground that was 60 miles away with it and had not issues with it. To get by for a couple yrs I wouldn't worry- if the camp grounds are close and you don't mind taking your time you will be fine- I did it about 15 times last year- 49 nights I had it on camp spot.

Now this is just my experience- and I know a lot will not agree with it- but it's the truth&#8230;&#8230;.. Just drive through some local camp grounds and see what people are using for a tow vehicle- you will see a lot of decisions like this.


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

the 312's "empty" tongue weight of 795 in reality is likely going to be over 1000lbs. That alone may be over the hitch limit on the burb. to the 765 add 60 for propane, 60-150 for batteries, 100lbs for the WD hitch head, shank and bars (which is cargo weight for the burb) and your at 1000lbs+ without anything in the trailer. My guess, is that even lightly loaded you'll be in the 1200 range wih an empty water tank. load the burb up and your likely to find yourself well over GVWR for the burb. couple that with the 1/2 ton burb's relatively soft suspension and I'll guess it won't be a real pleasant towing experience at the best.

We have a 3/4 ton silverado pulling a 295RE, similar empty weight, similar cargo capacity, similar tongue weight. but truck has a 2400lb cargo capacity. (6800empty 9200GVWR) With DW, cooler, firewood, genny, etc in the bed, and a real measured tongue weight of 1400lbs, I have used up 2000lbs of my 3/4 ton's 2400lb cargo capacity, and had to upgrade to a class V hitch as well since I am slightly over the Class IV hitch rating.


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## joeymac (Aug 19, 2010)

Something to consider on the Suburban. I have the 312BH. Last year we bought a 2008 Chevy Suburban LT 2500. It has an oil cooler, trans cooler, heavy duty brakes, 6 spd trans, and heavy duty rear end. Basically a 3/4 PU frame with a Suburban body on it. It has a payload of 2100# if my memory serves me correctly. The towing capacity is 9400 lbs. 
The Suburban 2500 is a rare bread so it will take some searching to find one. It took me about a month to find the right one for us. Very happy we bought it. Possibly trade the 1500 in for a 2500. 
The hitch weight limit is 1000 lbs so you'll be close there. I took mine to the scales last year and with full propane tanks and battery, I weighed in at 940 lbs. 
Something to think about if you need seating for 8. Towed the 312 to Virginia last year and it performed flawless.
Good luck


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## Toolmaan (Jan 11, 2007)

Too much trailer for a half ton. When I bought my 21RS I was towing with a Mercury Mountaineer, looking back that was insane but the dealer said it would be ok. I have a much larger TV now.


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## Jewellfamily (Sep 25, 2010)

What I typically see in these posts is that if your asking if you have enough vehicle or not, you really dont. Have a look at my signature on this post and see my setup. I have the same basic trailer as you but Im guessing your Suburban has 5.3L engine and probably 3.42 gears, and no airbags. This 312BH trailer is everything my truck wants and Im set up a little better than what Im assuming your setup is. You can add airbags, and cold air intakes, and high dollar hitches, etc...and it gets you closer, but your still right on the edge all of the time. I dont travel far (typically 100 miles tops) on the interstate so I get away with it. I"ll upgrade to a heavier vehicle, but just havent been able to yet.


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## scot4ever (Jan 23, 2011)

huntrfish said:


> Hey all, we are new to the forum and have not yet purchased an outback. We LOVE the layout of the 312bh (yes probably bigger than what we need), but are concerned about our tow vehicle. I have been watching the website for a while, and have noticed some mixed reviews about tow vehicles. I am wondering if my 2008 Suburban 1500 is enought of a tow vechicle for this trailer. One of the dealers I contaced has told me yes over the phone, but I personally feel he just wants to sell me the trailer. Because he is about $7,000 higher than another dealer in another state, he probably won't be getting my business anyway.
> 
> We don't go very long distances to our camping destinations, but have on occasion went into the mountains.
> 
> Any thoughts wouldbe appreciated.


We recently traded our 2007 suburban 1500 because of towing issues with our 28RSS. Our trailer unloaded is 5400lbs which is well below the 7000lbs tow capacity, but it's not the trailer weight that caused problems for us. It's the GAWR (gross axle weight rating) of the suburban that's the issue. We found when loaded to go camping that we were exceeding the rear GAWR by a couple hundred pounds. The GAWR is around 4200lbs for the suburban rear axle and overloading this is asking for problems down the road (sorry about the pun). I also was always very aware of the trailer being hooked up, especially if there was any kind of side wind even though we have a load balancing hitch with anti sway bars. I only now realize just how intense it was towing with the suburban by how relaxed I feel towing with the Ram; it's as if there's nothing on the hitch at all. 
I have to agree with the others who are saying the 312bh is most likely too much for the 1500 suburban.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Let's assume your 'Burb weighs the 5607# on the curb that GM says it does.

Now add:

31 gallons of gasoline @ 6.15 lbs/gallon= 190.65
You don't mention family makeup, so if we just add generic lbs for Mom, Dad, and two kids = 450
The Family Labrador Retriever = 80
Snacks, drinks and ice to keep it all cold for the ride = 15
Entertainment for the kids = 5
Hitch drawbar and ball = 65

We will assume that you have no other cargo in the truck, so far our vehicle wgt is now at 6412.65, rounded up to 6413, and we haven't hooked up the trailer yet.

Now add the tongue wgt of the trailer = 900 (I using that because that is the loaded tongue wgt of my 32BHDS, very similar to your 312BH) and we get 7313, which is 113 over the trucks GVWR. Have any add-on's to the truck that were not factory installed like step rails, or a bumper guard? How about a bike or ski rack on the roof? Those need to be added in too. Are you still running factory wheels and stock tires? If not, the differences need to be figured in.

What nobody else is mentioned yet, but I will is the wheel base of the truck versus the length of the trailer. This plays a dramatic role. The basic rule of thumb, 20' of trailer length for 110" in tow vehicle wheel base, with an additional foot of trailer length added for each additional 4" in tow vehicle WB. The 'Burb has a 130" WB. Based on these numbers, the 312BH is about 5' too long for the 'Burb. Of course, this is a rule of thumb, and I believe is based on NO sway control.

As far as the engine, I towed a 26RS with an Avalanche with the 5.3L engine, and hated it, which is why I ended up with the Excursion. The 6.0L Vortec is better suited for towing.

Just my two cents.


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## echolewa63 (Mar 28, 2012)

We purchased a new 312bh last summer and towed it with a 2007 Durango with the 5.7L hemi. We understood we were overloading the Durango which had a tow rating just a bit less than your Surburban. But we intentially tried to lightly load it. Did not fill water tanks, waited until we got to the site to go grocery shopping, minimal "extras", etc. We kept our trips short, couple hours max and stayed on relatively flat terrain in Michigan and Ohio. The Durange could pull it but it definately wasn't a fun ride. I would never take it across country or in the mountains. Never felt too comfortable behind the wheel.

We recently bought a 2009 F350 Crew Cab, 6.8L V10, 4.10 gears. World of difference. Barely notice the trailer behind us now.

Bottom line. For short trips on a temporary basis you could probably get away with the Suburban. But I would look to upgrade your tow vehicle soon.

Absolutely love the 312bh, great for families. kids have their own little world in the back. Outdoor kitchen is fantastic, love having an outdoor fridge. Plenty of room for the 4 of us. Looking forward to being able to bring along the bikes now, load up groceries (and beer) ahead of time and bring anything else we may need instead or worry about weight anymore.


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