Now my goal is to not have to have a toad, but went looking for the towing capacity of a Chevy cutaway just in case. It is listed at 3500 lbs. Just FYI the data tag has the front axle at 3900lbs, and rear at 7000 lbs. Total GW is 10000 lbs.

Chuck
1977 Class C

I was also curious about towing. I looked it up. Motor and gearing according to GM has to do with the towing capability. Most trailers being towed have their own brakes. Stopping is more important than going.

According to GM and the NHSA a vehicle can tow up to 1.5 times the weight of the tow truck. Makes sense to me.

My 1970 GMC with a 4 speed and a 350 tows my 10k# boat with no problems. It's balanced well and has great brakes. The GMC book says I can tow 12k# with 4.11 gears. Remember my GMC only weighs 4800 pounds. My toung weight is about 500#

Cheers
Meric

Let's be clear. I am not reading a class A motorhome reference I am reading a GM manual pertaining to towing capacities of trucks. The G truck Has a max GVW from the factory of 7500#

So with a 454 4.11 gears a 6000# gvan and people could tow 12,000#. Is that any clearer?

Cheers
Meric

your MH likely will come with either a Class III hitch (max tow rating of 5000-lbs) or even a Class II hitch (max tow rating 3500-lbs). in order to safely tow nearly 6000-lbs you'll need a Class IV hitch (max tow rating 10,000-lbs) plus a towbar capable of handling 6K.

This was in a GM archive

I was seriously considering a 1999 MH, powered with Vortec Chevy engine. I spoke with Chevy medium truck rep. He ran the VIN#. Up shot of this was the MH was built on a P series chassis. Dont know which one, he couldnt tell me. But the most telling item was that the chassis was designed to accomodate 19500 Lbs. Thats the GVWR quoted. He then told me that that was also the GCWR. In other words, it can't safely pull a toad. The mfgr spec said almost the same thing. GCWR (21000) - GVWR (19500) = 1500 lbs towing capacity. Needless to say, that won't do!!

For the P30 series, the combined weight depends on the engine, trans, and axle ratios.

For all the chassis, the ultimate weak link appears to be the transmission. (see note at bottom of chart) They are also assuming trailers over 1000 lbs will have brakes.



This is from the 97 GM Motorhome Guide.

Great pic. Very descriptive.

Here is an example of a triple tow. Not for me but some people do this...

quote:

triple tow

have seen it a number of times with fifth wheel trailers

I Know this post has bee3n up for a long time but I read the title "Class C towing capacity" had to ask about it. I have a 1975 class c and have taken it in to the machine shop where I work with the intent of putting a hitch on it so I could tow my car on a dolly. I put it up on the lift and hooked up the hydraulic torque machine we use to find out body flex when working on truck frames. My barth did not have a hitch already because of the extended overhang off the back end of the short wheel base van. That's where the bathroom is. What I found out is that the torque from towing a car with the hitch extended 4' off the back end of the "van frame" would act as a leverage point and could twist off all support structure for the bathroom. effectively ripping the camper in half. Being that it only had 2 3/16" thick tubing and 1 sheet of 3/4" plywood supporting the back end. at that point I gave up because the math told me that even if it worked it would not work for long. Have any of you completed this? if so what was the outcome? did you have to reinforce the frame up to the drivers door? if so how? do you have Photos of the work? or could you take some? I would love to be able to tow my car but I don't want to rip my back end off doing it. How did you over come the downward pressure problems not to menschen the twisting problems that would happen every time you turned a corner? Also for every foot of leverage added to the back end of the van with the barth extension, does that not cut down your towing capacity dramatically from the factory ratings? Chuck you have a 1977 class C barth? do you have photos up I could look at? and do you have any of the underside of the frame at the back end? if yours already had hitch from the factory I would love to see how they worked all that out in a class C. is yours a 16' or a 22'?
Thanks a lot guys any info on this you could give me would be grate! thanks.

Full timer, thanks for the post, I was thinking I must have been seeing things. I too looked at the chassis intending to put on a hitch, and saw that thin (to me at least) tubing and said no way. The tubing is butt welded, not a pretty weld either, to the frame, with a small triangular bracket, will take a pic today.

So I thought about "sistering" a plate or a thicker tube to the existing and trying to see if I could weld it to the side of the chassis frame. I would not do the welding, I have a friend who is an artist with the torch. I also have an issue, the black tank drain is right on the cl where I want the hitch. How much flex do you think would be imposed by a hitch the way it is presently designed A?

Not sure how long mine is, will measure later.

Chuck
Barth class C

My 21' Class C has a hitch. I will try to get some pics this weekend and post. I have towed 3500 lb. enclosed trailer with no problem. I agree the butt joint worries me and I plan on adding a plate between the factory and Barth added tubing. The Barth floor framing does have 2" tube that I believe will support the coach body. I think some of my hitch support might be coming from the coach body.

My black tank is c/l with hitch. I will post photos to show the custom work some one engineered for my hitch.

Although not the frame of the p30 Reagal, I like my G30 Class C.

I can't wait to see all the photos! I have a few of my own as I am a bit of a shutter bug when it comes to my projects. It helps me to remember later how things went together. I take them as I'm working on things and taking things apart. then just look at them when I need to put things back together. Also it helps me to talk to others so I can get intelligent input. helps keep people on the same page. And I just like to look back on all the things I've done
Anyway the flex I got before adding anything (as I have not started yet) was tremendous!! 3 of the structural engineers where I work told me that "Because this is your home we are talking about, and not just some pleasure vehicle, I would not be willing to help you with this. The stress on the frame would work angst itself and in time would brake down. In other words it could take a day or a month or a year but in time the frame would twist and collapse would fallow. but before then most likely it would become undriveable safely at speed. one turn to many and the frame bends and the next thing you know your in an accident. I'm sorry".
Now I do need to temper that with the fact that I had only been working there for a few months at the time. There is a possibility that they just didn't want to put the time into it because it was a big job and not an easy way to do it right. witch in all fairness I could totally understand.
But if I had to guess I would say both are true.
Now at this point I have to also point out that I don't give up that easily! that's the reason they hired me in the first place. well maybe one of the reasons. ever after that day I have looked into other options.
As for the tank cleanout that is an easy one. I was going to mount mine off the back bumper behind the cleanout. I have planned to rap the tubing in steel all the way back to the van frame. then build cross members and gussets. to this end I have razed the back end 12" (2' off the ground) so the weight of the steel would bring it back down to normal. I did this by adding springs from an F350 ford. 11 springs all together. But that still does not solve the leverage problem pulling down (tong weight) or twisting in a turn. Then I started doing research and found the "supper hitch" hitch extender. and have been thinking about doing something like that off of the van frame with a 4' extender. Now I'm thinking of building something that marries both ideas.
the only problem has been getting the shop time to build it.
I have even thought of adding helper wheels.


















Well let me know what you guys think.
Cheers

Sounds like an ambitious project! Keep us posted, we don't have many Class C coaches in the group. Unfortunately that means you are the one reinventing the wheel this time.

Good luck!

Well I went into the shop on Monday and took my design drawings. the same people who told me they would not help me before said that the new idea could work. they have told me that as of the first of the year I could have some shop time to build the project. And they even said they would lend a hand with it if I needed one. So I guess things are moving forward. they also looked at a few other of my ideas and gave the go ahead for those as well.
I would still love to see Chuckd and Doorman's photos if possible. Do most Barth's have such a weak back end or was it just the Class C's?
Cheers