What is the largest camper i should tow before i buy?

Just dont wanna get something too big that will destroy my Avy on the way home

From what I have seen on this site is around 25 feet. I would worry about the weight loaded.

I'm guessing you have a 1500 and remember you have a 15 plus year old truck so you want it in top shape.

I would stay under 20 feet

What gears do you have?
where do you live and tow this thing?
hilly?

Do you want to use weight equalizer hitch?

5K wet weight you can tow any where and at limit of tongue weight (500lb) so no Weight equalizer hitch.

http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/resources/information-by-model-year/2002/specifications/2002-chevrolet-avalanche-1500-4x2-5.3-liter-v-8.htm

Scroll down to towing capacity.... this is 2wd truck.

If you have 4x4 and/or 2500 click link on page below.
http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/resources/information-by-model-year/2002/specifications/

How come the 2500 specs out at 17,000 GCWR
Curb weight is 6642 and with tow capacity of 12,000 would be 18,642 if you added nothing.
What am I missing ?

Actually, they are a lot of variables to determine the GCWR.

The 02 and 03 2500 came with 3.73 gears and 2WD also. Then in 04 GM stopped offering 2wd.

That 19K sounds a little better 

All depends on your gear ratio.  the 2007 and above Avys with the tow package that are 4WD are rated for 8000 lbs towing, 8100 lbs if its a 2WD.

In theory a good rule of thumb for towing so you dont feel overloaded or underpowered, is 75% of the towing capacity.  So a 6000 lb loaded trailer is 75%

Payload as well factors in too, how many passengers, etc.  But that doesnt affect tow rating, but your GVWR of the truck.  You can be under your two rating but over for the truck loaded with depending on the amount of passengers and what you have in the bed.

I struggled with this for a long time before getting some real world numbers, doing some math and making a spreadsheet with all the info..

Our trailer now I feel is to heavy, because loaded full we are almost 7000 lbs (according to the weigh scale) and it defintly makes us do shorter trips because it just working to hard to keep up to the speed limit

As well, a good weight distribution hitch is key.  Equal-i-Zer has hitches that people swear by, but are more expensive.  Since the Avys have different suspension that regular trucks, sway becomes a bigger deal to.

Ive been towing and camping with ours for the 6th summer now. Loading your cargo in the trailer is key as well.  To much behind the wheels, not enough weight on the hitch, which makes the back end of the truck lighter.  To much in front of the wheels, to much on the hitch, makes the front end to light.

And your would be amazed how much a hundred pounds in the wrong spot can affect your trailer level.  It takes practice and time, and stopping the wife from over packing the trailer

spidey said:

and stopping the wife from over packing the trailer

Click to expand...

Yeah... good luck with that one

In my mind the weak link in the gen 1 Avy is the POS 4L60E that is not suited to dragging around a 6k lb truck, much less the truck plus a trailer. Keep the trailer weight low if you go this route, and at least add a Corvette servo and a big transmission oil cooler.

MyBigToy said:

In my mind the weak link in the gen 1 Avy is the POS 4L60E that is not suited to dragging around a 6k lb truck, much less the truck plus a trailer. Keep the trailer weight low if you go this route, and at least add a Corvette servo and a big transmission oil cooler.

Click to expand...

X2 they could at least put the 4L65E in them.