tow vehicle question

[GSX-PKV]

I have an open trailer that I tow my T-Type or GSX to the track with. I use my Yukon as the tow vehicle. The Yukon is getting long in the tooth and I was thinking of using my wif'e '05 Trailblazer to tow with... at least on a long trip like to Bowling Green. It's a regular Trailblazer (not the longer XL) with a 3:73 gear and 4.2 inline 6 engine. On the Chevy towing capaclty chart it says the towing capacity is 5,700 lbs. I don't know exactly how much my trailer weighs but with my car on it it's probably close to that.

Has anyone towed with a Trailblazer or Envoy equipped like ours? If so, please let me know what you think about using it as a tow vehicle.

Thanks! Paul

 

[justabuickv6]

I have an 02 Trailblazer with the 275 horse straight six in it. I was always too afraid to try it. If you do, let me know how it turns out.

The Buick should way right at 3500 without me in it, and the weight of the trailer would put it right at 5700.

 

[TurboDave]

Assuming your cars are average street cars, you can estimate their weight at around 3500-3600#. If your trailer is mostly steel (not aluminum), it probably tips in at slightly under to over 2000# so you should be OK in that respect. I used to tow my GN on an open trailer behind my Explorer (4.0 V6). Power wasn't much of a concern. And your Trailblazer should have more than enough power also.

What might be of a little concern would be making sure to get the weight distributed on the trailer just right to mitigate sway because of the short wheel base on your truck. You'll want to get the car forward enough to get a few hundred pounds of tongue weight. What you DONT want is light tongue weight, that's a sway disaster waiting to happen.

 

[GSX-PKV]

Thanks for the info. Maybe my best bet is before we go on a long trip to Bowling Green, I'll hook up my trailer and car to the Trailblazer and take it for a short trip to see how it goes. Thanks for your advice on loading the car to obtaine a good tongue weight Dave.

 

[UNGN]

Thanks for the info. Maybe my best bet is before we go on a long trip to Bowling Green, I'll hook up my trailer and car to the Trailblazer and take it for a short trip to see how it goes. Thanks for your advice on loading the car to obtaine a good tongue weight Dave.

Definitely have a Class IV hitch with load leveling bars and have a trailer with electric brakes.

You need 15% on the tongue to avoid sway above 60 mph, which is 850lbs.

850lbs on the hitch will likely drop it 3 inches, which is where the load leveling bars will come into play. You also may want to think about airbags, too, if you don't have them.

Dave's Explorer would have had leaf springs out back, which are more stable when towing than coil sprung rear ends and you can get away with more.

You should be fine for power and brakes if you keep it below 65 mph, but cross winds, semi's passing and adverse weather may give you white knuckles if it isn't loaded properly and it starts to sway.

 

[turbofish38]

850lbs on the hitch will likely drop it 3 inches, which is where the load leveling bars will come into play. You also may want to think about airbags, too, if you don't have them.

Dave's Explorer would have had leaf springs out back, which are more stable when towing than coil sprung rear ends and you can get away with more.

Trailblazer has a class 3 as standard equipment. Does anybody make a Class4 for one of these? And air leveling shocks were an option so that might help keep the rear up if it has them. I tow 6000 pounds with my Roadmaster and also have the load leveling bars on the trailer and you'd be hard pressed to notice a ride height difference with the cargo coils I have on it. I can do 75-80 on the interstate comfortibally with no sway at all although I usually stick to the speed limit of 65-70.

 

[TurboDave]

I'm not sure about what class hitch the chevy's have, but what Paul should do is look at the tag on the hitch. It'll tell him the limits he can tow to (trying to keep within the limits of the truck of course).

 

[UNGN]

A class IV hitch is a class 3 hitch (2" receiver) with a load leveling bars.

SUV's have so much suspension travel built into the rear springs, load leveling bars are a must to keep the headlights aimed on the road.

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

PAPA JOE here in KC towed his 86 GN on a open car trialer from kansas city to BG for a few years with a standard inline tblazer with the higher ratio rear end

From what i hear, it towed the load, but it was white knuckled.

Sold it for a avalanche....

I tow the same load with a dodge cummins 3500 with some type of toy in the bed and 8 coolers in the truck and trailer.

Cruise control and one finger on the wheel is all it takes to drive mine.

BW

 

[sdteb]

well if you had a dmax bw you could have driven with your eyes closed and no fingers

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

well if you had a dmax bw you could have driven with your eyes closed and no fingers

If i had a dmax, then i would have a truck payment! Mine was 31K brand new in 02, 4x4 ext cab 3500 dually ect. You want to put a chain between our hitches, my .........

My 02 cummins is just fine, doesnt leave me stranded on the side of the road when a oring blows out and a fancy sensor says ding fries are done:wink:



230 for upgraded injectors, no cores for mine, what cha got? Buddy?


BW

 

[turbov6joe]

well if you had a dmax bw you could have driven with your eyes closed and no fingers

Amen Brotha!

 

[turbov6joe]

In reference to what BW stated above, my dad pulled his FULL weight GN with his T-Blazer and it was pulling for all its worth. It constantly was dropping into passing gear and was wrapped out the entire trip...full economy suffered greatly because of this! Yes the T-Blazer can pull your car/trailer, but you have to ask youeself...is it pushed to its limits? My answer is YES. The way I look at things like this is: If you have a little more then you need as far as a tow rig is concerned, your not beating the thing to death on the trips. Do I really need my dually below to pull my enclosed...not really. But then again, it jerks it down the road NO PROBLEM and it pulls it effortlessly with almost no input from me. I'm not fighting it when the semi blows by me, or the cross winds pick up. The truck doesn't even know the trailer is back there nor does it down shift to pull the hills...best of all I average ~15 mpg with a CGVW of 16,000+.

Kinda off the subject here, but BW above got a hand calculated 25+ mpg with his Dodge last year running behind me without a trailer....I did the math myself with the calculator

 

[TurboDave]

In reference to what BW stated above, my dad pulled his FULL weight GN with his T-Blazer and it was pulling for all its worth. It constantly was dropping into passing gear and was wrapped out the entire trip...full economy suffered greatly because of this! Yes the T-Blazer can pull your car/trailer, but you have to ask youeself...is it pushed to its limits? My answer is YES. The way I look at things like this is: If you have a little more then you need as far as a tow rig is concerned, your not beating the thing to death on the trips. Do I really need my dually below to pull my enclosed...not really. But then again, it jerks it down the road NO PROBLEM and it pulls it effortlessly with almost no input from me. I'm not fighting it when the semi blows by me, or the cross winds pick up. The truck doesn't even know the trailer is back there nor does it down shift to pull the hills...best of all I average ~15 mpg with a CGVW of 16,000+.

Kinda off the subject here, but BW above got a hand calculated 25+ mpg with his Dodge last year running behind me without a trailer....I did the math myself with the calculator

I would have to agree. I also may be a bit "over trucked", but being able to effortlessly pull my 24' enclosed anywhere, anytime is a comforting thought.
When I had my explorer, granted it would pull the GN on an open hauler, but was working hard to do it, and only got a best of 8mpg.

Now I've got many times the towing power and pull down 14mpg pulling that big 24' brick through the wind.

 

[GSX-PKV]

Thanks for all the input guys. My "old reliable" 100k Yukon will go to Bowling Green with us once again. That way I won't risk grenading my wife's Trailblazer! Hope to see you all in Bowling Green! Paul

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Kinda off the subject here, but BW above got a hand calculated 25+ mpg with his Dodge last year running behind me without a trailer....I did the math myself with the calculator

Well heck i forgot about that. I cleaned out the DVD's out of my dodge just last week and found this piece of paper on the bottom.

Actually, it was 20 MPG driving like a fool in town for 100 miles, then drove 200 on the highway.

I was dumbfounded with 20mpg and drove 55-60 on the highway and got the following.

Original tires, so the miles werent off... I even had to ask Joe what his miles were from the last fuel stop.


BEST EVAR!!

 

[sandmann]

i pulled a fox body mustang to virginia, unloaded it, and drove back with my 87 T to clarksville, tn with my 05 fx4. my average was about 14-16mpg.

 

[strikeeagle]

This very topic is discussed extensively here:

Chevy TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy Forum, SS LT LS LTZ SLE SLT XUV DENALI

I've concluded that "heavy" towing with a TB is risky, and for that and other reasons will continue to tow with my 150K miles F-150.

IMO, having a towing set-up that only works under ideal circumstances is an invitation to disaster. Anyone who's towed appreciates that, now and then, the weather, terrain, and idiots on the road make for some very uncomfortable, if not extremely dangerous circumstances, even with the best towing set-up.

strike