Greetings! I am brand new to this forum as it is my first time on any forum. I hope you can all be patient and kind with me (I know some people can be mean on forums) as I start my research before my wife and I retire and bite the bullet and purchase a travel trailer. I will describe to you my plan and hope that you can point out any flaws to my plan and maybe offer up some suggestions. To start I was looking at the midsize Chevy Colorado duramax diesel. The reason is because we do plan on traveling a lot but didn't want a large truck for when we are not towing and I figured the diesel is better gas mileage and would take us further without refueling. The tow capacity is 7700 and the trailer we were looking at was the 4 season Lance 1685 with Gross Dry weight 3805 and GVWR 5500. I honestly don't even know if the truck would be powerful enough. Please let me know your honest thoughts. So now I have what might be a really dumb question. Can a travel trailer be pulled in the snow? If yes.. do you need chains for the trailer as well as the truck??? Thank you for your help! God bless!

I prefer diesels also, but that's just my preferences. As for range, look at the size of the fuel tank also. Some come with awful small tanks.Yes trailers can be pulled in snow, you just need enough truck weight to control the trailer. The truck may pull it, but will it stop it? Think of all the trucks pulling large enclosed four place snow machine trailers. The ones I see having problems are the lightweight 1/2 ton shortbeds with crappy all season radials, with no weight in the bed, that can't control the trailer especially in the corners.No I wouldn't put chains on the trailer unless you absolutely had to travel on glare ice. But you should just stop wherever you're at and wait it out.Bill

What is the payload capacity of the truck. That is a very important item. While the rig may be capable of towing 7700 lbs it may not have enough payload to support 10-15% of the weight of trailer plus you and the wife and whatever else you put into the truck.

Don't pay a lot of attention to advertised towing capacity. You'll run out of payload before you get close to that number. When manufacturers calculate towing capacity, they don't allow any weight for aftermarket accessories, passengers, or cargo. As you load accessories, people and cargo, your available payload and max towing capacity are going down, pound for pound.Your true towing capacity is limited to the weakest link in the combined ratings on the truck. That weak link is normally payload. A weight distributing hitch and trailer tongue weight are counted as cargo weight on the truck.When you look at trucks, open the drivers door and check the tire / loading sticker. It will show a number for max occupant / cargo weight (payload). That is the truck's capacity to carry everything and everybody you put in it or on it. That number will vary from one truck to another, depending on installed options. Example:Say the sticker says max occupant / cargo weight is 1200 lbs. If you have 500 lbs of people, 200 lbs of tools and stuff in the truck bed, and 100 lbs of weight distributing hitch, you only have room for 400 lbs of tongue weight. That would limit loaded trailer weight to about 3000 lbs. The same truck with only a 150 lb driver and the WD hitch would have room for 950 lbs of tongue weight.Check the rating on the hitch receiver. It will have max weights with and without a weight distributing hitch. The closer you get to max weight on payload or towing capacity, the more unpleasant the towing can be.

The Colorado has pretty darn good payload for a midsized, just over 1,500lbs for a Z71 diesel crew cab long box. That's plenty for a 5k wet trailer as long as you don't have 4 big adults and a bed full of stuff. As far as power, TFL towed 7,000 over the Ike gauntlet with the diesel and it was slower than the v6 but made it just fine. Personally unless I was driving long miles with the truck empty I'd save the money and get the gasser.

Buy at least 3/4 ton truck diesel. You will regret having a truck without enough power and capacity to tow safely and comfortably. The difference between driving around town in a 1/2 vs a 3/4 ton is minimal and IMHO is not worth the trade. I have owned a 1/2, 3/4 and now 1 ton Dodge and the difference is minimal but when towing with my 1 ton, it is safe and comfortable. Towing weight is only 1 part , the ability to keep the trailer stable in winds and passing 18 wheelers and really important is stopping the trailer and truck.

1st of many questions to come | Good Sam Community

rbpru
Explorer II
Sep 06, 2017
The larger trucks do cost more. They are more expensive to own and to operate. True if you are handy and do the oil, brakes, and other maintenance yourself, the cost difference is reduced. That is until you need the diesel serviced.

If a few hundred dollars in maintenance is out weighted by bigger and stronger, go for the big guy.

If your lifestyle is better served my a smaller vehicle and you can live with its cargo capacity, stay with what will do the job.
CO-traveler
Explorer
Sep 06, 2017
Even if the OP chose a larger model Lance I think the Colorado diesel 4x4 can tow it safely. If the Lance has a GVWR of 6000#, careful loading of the TV should yield enough payload to handle the TW with a WD hitch.
2012Coleman
Explorer II
Jul 05, 2017
GrandpaKip wrote:
2012Coleman wrote:
GrandpaKip wrote:
Trailer Life did an article on the diesel Colorado pulling a Lance not too long ago. Search the google for Trailer Life Diesel olorado

The article you refer to is from the July 2017 Trailer Life. The TV in the article is a 2017 Nissan Titan XD Pro 4X4 with a 5.0L Cummings Turbo Diesel V8. The trailer featured was a 2017 Lance 2375.

Of course, TL doesn't mention the payload capacity of the Nissan - just the tow capacity which is meaningless. Towing/Solo MPG is listed at 13/18.5. Hitch capacity is not mentioned as well. Here is the real kicker - the base MSRP is $52230, and as tested in the article, $60,250. You can get a slightly used 2016 - 2017 Ram 3500 in that price range. I've been looking.

The Lance in the article has a very low cargo carrying capacity at 310 lbs.

I would spend the money on a used 3/4 ton. Good luck to the OP!

Ummm...no. May 3, 2016 Colorado and Lance 2155

Well, I was thinking of something a little more recent
K-9_HANDLER
Explorer
Jul 04, 2017
To the OP, welcome aboard and congrats on the pending retirement. Very wise of you to do your research before buying. Everybody was new here at some point. Ask as many questions as you like, theres no charge.
krobbe
Explorer
Jul 03, 2017
GrandpaKip wrote:
Trailer Life did an article on the diesel Colorado pulling a Lance not too long ago.
Search the google for
Trailer Life Diesel Colorado

Trailer Life Article
Since I have a couple kids, I would look at the Chevy Colorado Duramax combined with the Lance 2185 with bunks. Looks like an outstanding combination for a lighter weight setup.
GrandpaKip
Explorer II
Jul 03, 2017
2012Coleman wrote:
GrandpaKip wrote:
Trailer Life did an article on the diesel Colorado pulling a Lance not too long ago. Search the google for Trailer Life Diesel olorado

The article you refer to is from the July 2017 Trailer Life. The TV in the article is a 2017 Nissan Titan XD Pro 4X4 with a 5.0L Cummings Turbo Diesel V8. The trailer featured was a 2017 Lance 2375.

Of course, TL doesn't mention the payload capacity of the Nissan - just the tow capacity which is meaningless. Towing/Solo MPG is listed at 13/18.5. Hitch capacity is not mentioned as well. Here is the real kicker - the base MSRP is $52230, and as tested in the article, $60,250. You can get a slightly used 2016 - 2017 Ram 3500 in that price range. I've been looking.

The Lance in the article has a very low cargo carrying capacity at 310 lbs.

I would spend the money on a used 3/4 ton. Good luck to the OP!

Ummm...no. May 3, 2016 Colorado and Lance 2155
_1nobby
Explorer
Jul 03, 2017
Lwiddis wrote:
My review of Colorado's 2017 specifications shows a payload of 1,401, not your 1,500.

Good grief.
2012Coleman
Explorer II
Jul 03, 2017
GrandpaKip wrote:
Trailer Life did an article on the diesel Colorado pulling a Lance not too long ago. Search the google for Trailer Life Diesel olorado

The article you refer to is from the July 2017 Trailer Life. The TV in the article is a 2017 Nissan Titan XD Pro 4X4 with a 5.0L Cummings Turbo Diesel V8. The trailer featured was a 2017 Lance 2375.

Of course, TL doesn't mention the payload capacity of the Nissan - just the tow capacity which is meaningless. Towing/Solo MPG is listed at 13/18.5. Hitch capacity is not mentioned as well. Here is the real kicker - the base MSRP is $52230, and as tested in the article, $60,250. You can get a slightly used 2016 - 2017 Ram 3500 in that price range. I've been looking.

The Lance in the article has a very low cargo carrying capacity at 310 lbs.

I would spend the money on a used 3/4 ton. Good luck to the OP!
myredracer
Explorer II
Jun 30, 2017
The question I would answer first is, are you absolutely certain that a TT of that size (20'-9") and layout is going to work for you? The first TT we bought was the same size and when we bought it we thought it was going to be our forever TT. But it only lasted a year before we discovered it was just way too small and cramped for the two of us. We ended moving up to a longer one with a slide, sofa, walk-in shower and full walk-around bed and we lost a ton of money on selling the old one. This should be more of a consideration for anyone planning to do lots of travelling.

If you perchance do end up finding the TT too small and want to think about something larger, you wouldn't want to find that your new TV isn't enough for a heavier TT. Then you could end up not only losing a bundle of $$ selling your original TT, you could also lose $$ on having to upgrade to a more capable TV. Maybe you could find a CG that has rental TTs to get an idea of what it would be like in a TT the size of the Lance 1685.
camp-n-family
Explorer
Jun 30, 2017
Lwiddis wrote:
My review of Colorado's 2017 specifications shows a payload of 1,401, not your 1,500. See: http://www.gmfleet.com/chevrolet/colorado-small-truck/features-specs-trims-dimensions.html

Payload is vehicle specific depending on options, it could very well be 1500+lbs.

I see 1508lbs as the max for the diesel version.

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