towing
Could I tow my 21 ft. hybrid camper with a v6 trailblazer. camper weight is 3400 lbs.
Forum Discussion
Jagtech wrote:
I would never tow anything other than a utility trailer with a SUV. Too short wheelbase, top heavy, just not stable enough. See the unfortunate results of towing with a SUV yesterday:
SUV crash
Yeah, the wheelbase on the TB is short, but it's not quite as dire as this. There is no information as to why this particular crash happened. I don't think there is rash of SUV/trailer crashes that would indicate they're particularly unsafe. I've known plenty of people who have towed with SUVs for years and never had a problem. I also know someone who crashed a full size PU pulling a trailer. It happens, and you have to be careful pulling a trailer.Rickkessler54 wrote:
Could I tow my 21 ft. hybrid camper with a v6 trailblazer. camper weight is 3400 lbs.
See if this helps you decide if you'll be within your ratings or not:
What Can I Tow?- The Trailblazer is a straight 6, not a v6. It provides plenty of HP and torque for the job. We tow a 20' trailer with our Envoy (same thing as the TB), and have no problems. We have the 3.73 rear, and towing capacity is somewhere around 5500 lbs. I too changed the rear shocks to the Bilstein HD shocks. I also changed ALL fluids and installed an auxiliary transmission cooler. We've taken many trips with our camper and have never had a problem with our Envoy or its ability to pull the trailer. Also, tow in 3rd gear, and keep the speeds reasonable (60-65). The ST tires on most trailers are only rated for 65 anyway. When we tow, MPGs go to about 11-13, but when we unhook, we get 19-21.
Good luck! - what is your trailblazer rated to tow? 3,500 lbs. 5,000 lbs. etc.? does it have the towing package, etc.? my highlander with tow package is rated to tow 5,000 lbs., without tow package, 2,000 lbs.
bumpy - We towed our C19 with a 2003 Trailblazer for 4 years.
First your trailer is going to be way heavier than you think it will be. The brochure weight on our 2005 C19 is 2,851 pounds. However the brochure weight does not include any options on the trailer, things like the battery, propane, awning, or ac unit are not included. There should be a sticker that shows the actual weight of the trailer when it left the factory somewhere on the trailer. Our C19 weighs 4,400 pounds ready to camp, without water.
Now onto your tow vehicle. Power is not a problem. The short wheel base, P rated tires, and squishy shocks are going to allow the trailer to push you around whenever someone passes you. I upgraded to Bilstein heavy duty shocks. I got the highest load capacity P rated tires I could find, nobody made LT tires in the 16” size that came on it. A good hitch helps, but nothing is going to change the fact that your wheelbase on the tow vehicle is too short for your trailer. You cannot tow with the transmission on the overdrive position, the overdrive clutch in the 4L60E transmission will not handle the load. You are going to need an auxiliary transmission cooler to keep the transmission temps under control climbing hills in 2nd gear. Have the fluid and filter in the transmission changed regularly, I had it done every spring while we were towing with the Trailblazer. And last but not least nobody makes good towing mirrors for your vehicle; we used the universal strap on mirrors.
I have seen lots of people towing trailers with midsize SUV’s. It can be done, but be prepared to upgrade your Trailblazer to be better suited to the task. I would never go back to towing a trailer with the Trailblazer.
Gary
