Chevy Trailblazer tow vehicle

There are plenty of sub-5000lbs hybrids out there that you should be able to tow. I also have a 6000lb tow rating and currently tow a X23B that is 4026lbs dry according to the sticker on the trailer, and 4950lbs gross. That's about as big as I'd go, but it's plenty roomy for our family of 6.

Look at these LivinLight.

Since you are already used to the open feel of a pop-up you will love a hybrid. We bought our second one last year after having our first for 10 years. The Trailblazer is a great tow vehicle for the right trailer.

We towed a 3500# hybrid for 8 years with a 2003 Trailblazer, tow capacity 4900#. The configuration I had was I6, 3:42 gears, EXT, 4WD. It towed that little trailer beautifully, including mountains. When we bought our X20E (4750# GVWR) last year it towed fine in the flats of WI, but I was really pushing all the capacity numbers. I would not have towed this trailer through mountains with the Trailblazer. Our Sierra on the other hand, handles it like they were made for each other.

Are you sure your TB has a 6100# rating? What engine (I6 or V8) and gears does it have (3:42, 3:73, or 4:10)? I would not tow a trailer longer than 21'-22' if its not an EXT. If you really do have a 6100# TC, as kvangil says, look for something that has a sub 5000# GVWR trailer. Check your door sticker also for the payload. Its not real high on SUVs.

Another thing to consider is the care of your transmission. The 4L60E is a fine transmission if its cared for properly. With my light trailer I never put an axillary cooler in it, but I did with the bigger trailer. So an axillary cooler is something to consider. It's cheap insurance. Use only DEX VI when changing the fluid. Its a blended synthetic and runs cooler than the old Dex III which is what your trans came with from the factory. My Trailblazer had 160k original miles on the transmission and it was as strong as ever when I sold it.

A good web site to get more real world perspectives on towing and maintaining your GMT 360/370 is GMT Nation. Great bunch of very helpful folks and lots of good info on your platform.

you need to stay with a hybrid 19' or less, preferably less.
the biggest issue will be payload also. SUVs/CUVs Achilles Heel is low payload and soft suspension.
i also question the 6100lbs. towing capacity. that's only for a TB with all the right towing equipment.

warning, many Trailblazer owners have been on this Hybrid Forum and other such forums, complaining about how towing a hybrid with their TB was a white knuckle or just plain lousy experience.
they generally get a better tow vehicle.

Hum, I towed at about 700 lbs of payload with my TB and had no trouble at all. Didn't like the P tires but it sure wasn't anything even remotely close to white knuckle.

We've been towing our 22' Coyote Hybrid with a 2005 Envoy for 6 years, which is similar to a Trailblazer. Our trailer weighs 4100 lbs dry. Up until last summer it towed wonderfully , up hills no problem. But now that its getting older there doesn't seem to be as much power. I've had to replace all the bearings , ball joints, shocks , struts and brakes.
My point being where your vehicle is also a 2005 and the strain of towing more weight might be too much for it. Maybe stick to short trips til you get a new tow vehicle.
I'm sure you can find a hybrid under 4000lbs. Ours has 3 pop out beds, we have 3 kids and usually a few extra on trips. We love our hybrid , it's ideal with plenty of living space.

Billbeat wrote:
Up until last summer it towed wonderfully , up hills no problem. But now that its getting older there doesn't seem to be as much power.

Its not the strain. Ours never lost power, and it had 160k on it when I sold it. A couple of thoughts on that. Clean the throttle body. These are notorious for getting gummed up and killing both mileage and power. If you are mechanically inclined it is easy to take apart and properly clean. Are you over 100k? If so change the plugs if you haven't. Only use what GM recommends. Some folks try to put performance plugs and cause themselves nothing but grief. Change your thermostat. They typically go bad at 100k. A bad thermostat can make it run a bit cold, which causes the PCM to make it run rich, which in turn can melt the inside of your catalytic convertor. Clogged CATs are very common on GMT360/370s between 75 and 120k. Symptoms are loss of power and using more gas, and they won't throw a code either. My CAT went bad at 110k. The only test for a CAT is a pressure test. Find a good shop that will work with you. Most never consider a bad CAT when there is loss of power on a Trailblazer/Envoy. Search for "catalytic convertor" on http://gmtnation.com/. A bad thermostat can also cause your engine to eat more gas.

My I-6 Envoy (twin to the TB) made a marginal but workable tv for the 21SSO HTT we had. IIRR the HTT came in at 3850# unloaded and it was DW & me, no kids. With a Reese Dual Cam there was no sway despite the short wheelbase.

Get the biggest external transmission cooler you can along with a temp gauge.

X2 as for what Bikedan and Campfire Time had to say.

I have a Kodiak 195 and originally towed with a 2007 Trailblazer. I did but an auxiliary tranny cooler in and when ever there was hills I would not push it too hard. With the short wheelbase on the Trailblazer, I would highly recommend a sway controller like the equalizer or reese dual cam. I have the dual cam. I hardly notice trucks passing me with it. At first without it, one truck passing wasn't bad, but if there were two or three in a row, it got hairy. Like you possibly, I did upgrade the TV after a few years, and noticeably better, but the Trailblazer will get you through until you decide to upgrade. Just watch your weights for loading. The Trailblazer has a low payload capacity so most has to go in the trailer.

I've used my wife's trailblazer for towing when I couldn't use my truck. For our Roo, it pulls it ok for short trips but I wouldn't use it to pull 6K anywhere out of the area. It is a good solid daily driver and if I had a pop up or a 4500k or less camper I'd feel much better about towing.