we just bought a uplander 2009 that came with a heavy duty radiator and transmission cooler. I have a class 3 hitch with levelling torsion bars. I am planning to buy a travel trailer in the range of 18 to 20 foot weighting around 3000 to 3200 pounds. Most of my trailering will be on level highways. I would like the opinions of other uplander van owners who are pulling a trailer of this size with their vans. My trailer will be tandem axes.

 

WHere did you get a class III hitch for your Uplander at?

 

I'm no weight policeman I'm just going to point out some things to think about. Something to think about is that your towing rating is 3500# and that is with only the driver. Add your family and gear and you will rapidly approach your maximum. Where it get complicated is the rear axle weight rating on your van. The tongue weight plus passenger weight can quickly overlaod a rear axle rating. I don't know what yours is but you can find that on your door sticker.
General comment here that most tow vehicles when towing at or very near their max rating don't perform very "briskly" for lack of a better term and they also tend to have premature drive train problems. In the case of towing travel trailers it isn't even the weight so much as it is that large frontal area that you are dragging through the air.
Do you go on any camping forums? I belong to a few and can reccommend a couple to you where you can get some good feedback on this type of question. Feek free to PM me.
Bob

 

I got mine on-line at J.C. Whitney. About $100 if I remember right. A "Hidden Hitch", quite easy to install.... made for the Uplander.

 

I have a GMC K3500 for anything heavy, but I don't want to buy 1.25" shanks/ball mounts if there is a way to use 2".

 

You can find a class 3 hitch for the uplander at several stores like united auto part (napa) also u-haul has the hitch. There are 3 main brands you can buy like Reese, hidden hitch and drawtite. All these hitches are manufactured by concept towing and all are of the same quality. These hitches fits perfectly on the uplander. The only part you see is the ball mount.It takes about 40 minutes to install and the prices in Canada goes between 180$ and 250$

 

Because I stow a full-sized spare (17" 6 lug) tire underneath (I don't like "donuts"/Temporary) I couldn't fit any of the available hitches from the companies mentioned above. I tried installing a Hidden Hitch 87410, but it wouldn't clear the tire. Our local Cole/Mavis Muffler shop, J.C. Whitney consultants, and a Curt Engineering rep helped determine what hitch would work for us. I found that the Curt 13336 hitch which they suggested, is made for this purpose (it's a Class III, the Class II equiv is 12336), and it fits fine with 1/2" clearance behind my spare tire. Curt lists it only for the "long wheelbase" 121 inch vehicles, though. These representatives that helped advise us were very helpful, patient, and courteous. The internet "e-trailer" how-to hitch-install videos were quite helpful as confidence builders since I hadn't done this before.