Chevy Traverse towing

[J.R.]

I have seen a number of different tow vehicles listed here but none talk about the Chevrolet Traverse. We have pulled an 1,800 pound trailer with this vehicle but are currently upgrading to a 2,400 pound Casita. The Traverse has the factory tow package and is rated at more than 5,000 pounds combined weight so I do not anticipate any problems. I am curious however if anyone else here utilizes this vehicle or its twin, the GMC Acadia, and if so, how does it handle in mountain territory? I would appreciate all input on this subject.

[MCDenny]

The airstream forum has some people towing AS (much heavier than your trailer) with Traverses.

[Elly G]

I just bought a Traverse with towing package. Researched it for months and think it is a perfect fit for my soon to be Casita!! Can't beat the 116 cubic storage. Best in class. Just about to turn 3000 miles - no complaints. Even my 23 mpg a winner. Ask me again in Sept.

[idadoc]

We towed a new Escape 19 (dry weight 2500#) last year with a 2011 Traverse with tow package. It was the perfect combination for us. No need for weight distribution hitch etc. I have posted several comments on the Escape community forum re our experience if you want to search "Traverse" there.

[J.R.]

Appreciate the replies.

Your 23 mpg sure beats the 20-21 on our 2011 Traverse, but I am not complaining. I am scheduled to pick up our new 17' Casita May 13 and are really looking foward to a lot of miles and nights in this unit. We have looked at the Casita off and on for many years and finally decided to take the leap. The Traverse was purchased with this in mind.

"I just bought a Traverse with towing package. Researched it for months and think it is a perfect fit for my soon to be Casita!! Can't beat the 116 cubic storage. Best in class. Just about to turn 3000 miles - no complaints. Even my 23 mpg a winner. Ask me again in Sept.[/QUOTE]"

[MC1]

Denny has the good info. I too have read many post on the Airstream forum regarding the towing success of the Traverse. Enclave, etc.

Many of them have gone from large SUV's like Suburbans to the Traverse and said the ride, noise levels, and towing experience was much better. They talked about very stiff unibodies the independent suspension and the ability of the long suspension travel to really soak up the bumps.

All positive reports and realize they are towing some good sized trailers.

[idadoc]

The mileage on our 2011 AWD Traverse with the tow package was normally 22+ on the highway and 14-16 towing the 19. Ride was great and rig never felt stressed with hills or weather.

[J.R.]

I received some news late last week from my dealer that concerns me. Seems Traverse/Acadia is having a lot of problems with the steering gear at 40,000 or more miles. I looked it up through Google and discovered dozens of complaints about this along with transmission concerns. Some of the transmission problems were from people who did not have the towing package but tried to pull large trailers anyhow. A few were from people who had the towing package and still had transmission problems. Anybody here have similar experiences with the steering or transmission?

J.R.

;454264]I have seen a number of different tow vehicles listed here but none talk about the Chevrolet Traverse. We have pulled an 1,800 pound trailer with this vehicle but are currently upgrading to a 2,400 pound Casita. The Traverse has the factory tow package and is rated at more than 5,000 pounds combined weight so I do not anticipate any problems. I am curious however if anyone else here utilizes this vehicle or its twin, the GMC Acadia, and if so, how does it handle in mountain territory? I would appreciate all input on this subject.[/QUOTE]

[MCDenny]

I don't specifically know about the Traverse problems but in my internet car research I found if you google "xxx vehicle problems" you will find problems no matter what xxx is.

Also if you ask most car dealers a question they will give you the answer most likely to get you to buy a new car from them.

If you like the Traverse I'd take that info with a grain of salt.

[MC1]

I have been following the reliability reports of the Traverse since they came out and they have to date very good ratings over all.

All reviews indicate the transmissions are very good/better than average compared to other vehicles in it's class. Even the pro setup ones getting a workout towing very large triple axle Airstreams that I have been following are still running fine.

Consumer Report has them on their recommended list.

Any vehicle can have a fault or be a lemon but the the Traverse, even used as a HD TV appears to be getting top marks.

[J.R.]

That's one of the places I searched and the father of my store's service manager has had these problems with his wife's Traverse so I am confident there are problems.

Consumers seldom uses these vehicles for towing so they don't always get the entire picture and even if they did I doubt they would put 40 or 50,000 miles on the vehicle.

I just hope mine is not one of those with probems in the future.


MCDenny;456512]I don't specifically know about the Traverse problems but in my internet car research I found if you google "xxx vehicle problems" you will find problems no matter what xxx is.

Also if you ask most car dealers a question they will give you the answer most likely to get you to buy a new car from them.

If you like the Traverse I'd take that info with a grain of salt.[/QUOTE]

[J.R.]

I have serious doubts that a Traverse can pull a triple axle Airstream. the double axle has a dry weight of 8,200 pounds and the triple axle is much more. This is way more than the maximum towing weight of a Traverse. Now a Tahoe could handle that weight.

Originally Posted by MC1

I have been following the reliability reports of the Traverse since they came out and they have to date very good ratings over all.

All reviews indicate the transmissions are very good/better than average compared to other vehicles in it's class. Even the pro setup ones getting a workout towing very large triple axle Airstreams that I have been following are still running fine.

Consumer Report has them on their recommended list.

Any vehicle can have a fault or be a lemon but the the Traverse, even used as a HD TV appears to be getting top marks.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by J.R.

I have serious doubts that a Traverse can pull a triple axle Airstream. the double axle has a dry weight of 8,200 pounds and the triple axle is much more. This is way more than the maximum towing weight of a Traverse. Now a Tahoe could handle that weight.

One of my pals towed with a Yukon (same as a Tahoe) for years and upgraded to a Traverse. Here is his positive story re the change and why it works so well....
My new (to me) Chevy Traverse! - Airstream Forums

Here our local towing specialist started a thread. If you review the contents you will read that he has set up over 20 Enclaves (same as Traverse) as TV's and that was 4 years ago. Someone suggested that number is now over 100 . Many are towing 34's. There is also a lot of info that explains why the Traverse is so good.

An Eclectic Group of Airstreams - Airstream Forums

Good luck with your research. Knowing all you can about the ins and outs/capabilities of your tow vehicle is a good thing.

[J.R.]

I only pointed out what I have found in questioning local dealers and items posted on the Internet in various areas, then I asked if anyone else had experienced these problems. Why do some people think that it is their responsibility to "flame" others for asking a simple question about a factory standard vehicle?

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by J.R.

I have seen a number of different tow vehicles listed here but none talk about the Chevrolet Traverse. We have pulled an 1,800 pound trailer with this vehicle but are currently upgrading to a 2,400 pound Casita. The Traverse has the factory tow package and is rated at more than 5,000 pounds combined weight so I do not anticipate any problems. I am curious however if anyone else here utilizes this vehicle or its twin, the GMC Acadia, and if so, how does it handle in mountain territory? I would appreciate all input on this subject.

I recently purchased a 17 ft Casita Spirit DLX The listed factory weight was 2480 Lbs as you stated . Mine with options weighed in at over 2600 lbs when I left the factory. When loaded up for camping, some water in the fresh water tank and propane in both tanks the trailer weighs well over 3100 lbs. I am towing my Casita with a 2011 Ram 1500 with the 5.7 liter Hemi V8 and a towing capacity of 8550 lbs . I am not questioning your choice of vehicle but the weight you quoted is not a real world weight . Many will tell you that you won't even notice the trailer towing with a traverse but all I know is that even with my full size pickup , I notice that I am towing a 3200 lb trailer

[J.R.]

Unfortunately for me we had the Traverse before selecting our trailer which we decided only after owning the Traverse for more than three years. I fully understand and agree with what you said about feeling the trailer or any trailer as it is towed and if I have a problem with the Traverse will look for a stronger vehicle. I have towed trailers for more years than I care to count and I never felt safe and secure if I was not aware of it behind my vehicle. Not "feeling" a towed vehicle is behind you could tend to let a driver become overconfident, but that is only my personal opinion. Your Ram could be among the ideal vehicle of choice for this size trailer. Thanks for the response.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by J.R.

I would appreciate all input on this subject.

No problem. There is lots of good information out there on the subject of the Lamba platform and it's towing abilities. Hopefully with the info supplied here in this thread you have accumulated some valuable data, or at least, food for thought.

Best of luck with your Traverse. Thinking you have a very good tow vehicle.

[J.R.]

"I was given this website in response to my original post below and found it quite interesting about the Traverse/Acadia. Dozens of complaints are listed and a class action lawsuit has been filed. Scary and I just hope I do not experience these same problems with my Traverse but people may be interested in reading this web site

General Motors named in class action lawsuit over faulty steering system in GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles | Got a Class Action?

Originally Posted by J.R.

I have seen a number of different tow vehicles listed here but none talk about the Chevrolet Traverse. We have pulled an 1,800 pound trailer with this vehicle but are currently upgrading to a 2,400 pound Casita. The Traverse has the factory tow package and is rated at more than 5,000 pounds combined weight so I do not anticipate any problems. I am curious however if anyone else here utilizes this vehicle or its twin, the GMC Acadia, and if so, how does it handle in mountain territory? I would appreciate all input on this subject.