Towing a pop up with 4cylinder SUV

[kjmiller127]

My current lease on a 6-cylinder Chevy Equinox with factory towing package is up soon and I'm thinking about getting another Equinox.

I got the 6-cylinder (able to tow up to 3500lbs) to tow my pop up camper (2006 Forest River Flagstaff 206ltd, 1,450bs)

I'm thinking about getting a 4-cylnder Equinox now (can tow 1,500lbs) because I only camp 3-5 times a summer, no longer than 3 hours away, and mostly on highways and back roads, rarely up and down big hills. The 6-cylinder and more power costs decent amount more money and I only need it for towing my pop up.

Can I get by with the 4-cylinder model of the equinox? Thanks!

[Dadoffourgirls]

Your new Colorado will definitely pull the camper with ease. I towed a 16 ft stock trailer on a 600 mile round trip, with nearly 3k of pork on the return trip with a Colorado V6 with 8 sp. It hauled it great.

And yes, the 2016 AWD V6 Equinox did not get good gas mileage.

[kjmiller127]

Hey all, Original poster here.

In case anyone wants to know, I actually went ahead and just bought a 2018 Chevy Colorado. They were giving out great deals on them so I went ahead.

One thing I didn't realize or think about. The 2018 Colorado, v6 engine with 4wheel drive will actually get me BETTER gas mileage than my 2016 v6 AWD Equinox! , While neither are great on gas, I failed to realized how shitty mileage I was getting on my equinox.

Either way though, thanks for the information. I got a good deal on a truck, and it will far and above be able to haul my camper when needed.

[Dadoffourgirls]

I ask, has anybody driven the all-new Equinox with the 2.0 and 9sp transmission?

There is 252hp, 260 torque. It is a 9 speed transmission, so it shifts.

It gets over 30 mpg, even in AWD trim (AWD can be turned off). The tow package comes standard.

My 2001 Venture had 180hp, 205 torque, and had a tow rating of 3500lbs and 4sp transmission.

I would tow this popup across the US with an Equinox.

[mkirsch]

Adam H wrote:
If you are within those parameters and someone gets pissed behind you, so be it.

That's all well and good until they totally lose their $ h i t and go full road-rage on you. As they harass you over the next 100 miles, pulling in front and slowing down, or tailgating so close you can't even see their headlights, or worse. You never know what kind of nutcase you're going to inadvertently incite these days. Might even have a gun. Maybe you do too, but not everyone does.

That doesn't even include the ones that just plow straight into you because they "DIDN'T SEE IT" or think you're moving at the same speed as they are.

It's not your fault, but the road rager or idiot who plowed into you isn't going to see it that way. Plus it's YOUR rig that gets wrecked, YOUR trip that gets ruined, YOUR insurance rates that go up. If none of that bothers you and you just want to go out there and be a target, go for it. I will not, and I will not recommend anyone else to it.

[blt2ski]

I do not have moderating ability in this area. I also do not have issues with opposing views, and do not personally delete posts accordingly in the area I do moderate.
after rereading my initial sentence, I was trying to point out, that the tow specs the automotive engineers have speced out, the minimum speeds on freeway grades are 5-10 mph LOWER than typical state minimum speeds. State of washington is 40, so the 35mph minimum for rigs over 15-20K lbs total is too low. Under the minimum is 40. Michigan per another poster, the minimum speed on a freeway/interstate is 45 mph. so upwards of 10 mph too low. Just because you meet the minimum manufacture tow specs, does not mean you will not get a ticket! you may be illegal per local laws.

Having spec'd multiple trucks for multiple uses, along with other machinery etc, one learns, that factory ratings may be a good or bad thing to follow! How you personally need things to operate and where, you may get away with using something over manufactures ratings, then again, you may have to use something at 50% of the ratings, and still destroy the unit WELL before it should be worn out etc.

Marty

[blt2ski]

Adam,
Issue with states minimum speeds, is they are 5-10 mph LOWER, yes lower, than the tow specs that the ASAE came up with! So you may fall with in this warranty/rating number, you co you I'd still get a impeding traffic ticket! BUT officer, I within the manufactures ratings!!!!! Officer Friendlies response ; here's your ticket, have a nice day!"......
So, question is still, as BenK points out, to trust or not trust the ratings!
You can be under manufactures weight/warranty ratings, yet be unsafe, due to an improperly loaded trailer that sways side to side too much.....
It is still, always be, up to the driver to.make sure they meet legal, warranty and what.many of us would call basic safety rules. If you do not, Murphy will get you!
Do I pull, weigh over manufactures warranty ratings, YES! Am I worried about it? NO! As I go thru many steps to make sure I am legal per state and federal laws! I would suggest you all do the same. Manufactures, engineer societies like ASAE do not make laws! Only warranty ratings!

Marty

[Adam_H]

It has a 9 speed transmission, who cares if it drops out of the top gear or 2 into a headwind, my V10 Excursion has done that without a trailer attached... If he follows the advice from Dad of 4 Girls, who has some experience with these vehicles, he should be fine towing within his weights.

Regardless of what is spewed her, a person is required to drive a minimum speed on the highways in the U.S. This is different from the speed limit and there is no law that states you have to haul @ss because everyone else is. If you are within those parameters and someone gets pissed behind you, so be it.

Still waiting for the 1 ton dually suggestions for that little pop up.

@SweetLou, sorry to hear your pop up years were your stupid years. They are the best of mine.

Adam

[SweetLou]

Dadoffourgirls wrote:
As I recommended, the 2.0 4cyl turbo comes with the trailer package standard, is rated for 3500lbs towing, and has 1100lbs payload.

You would be under all the ratings for this this vehicle.

The OP stated that the extreme usage was 3-5 times a year, and no longer than 3 hours. I would agree that this usage falls within the version I identified.

I drive the exact 4 cyl he is talking about at work. I have owned a very light and small pop-up trailer before in my stupid years. This car under cruise control can't keep up with out downshifting in a small headwind or little hill. I wouldn't tow anything with it when it can't tow itself up a hill. Even the limited amount of camping or pulling he might do would hurt that vehicle. Not worth it

[mkirsch]

Driving conditions are also much different than they were 20-30-40+ years ago.

If you're not keeping up with traffic, you're in the way, and people just plain don't care anymore. They will plow straight into the back of you and claim "I DIDN'T SEE IT!" or try to pass and plow head-on into oncoming traffic, again blaming you for being a road hazard.

[BenK]

Then there are many advising to go ahead and ignore OEM specifications...and okay to exceed those OEM spec’s, ratings and limits...

Add that many just want to hear that kind of “sure you can exceed those ratings”...

[blt2ski]

Another to remember and think about if towing. "ASSUMING" your new tow rig barely meets the new tow rating, ie min grade pulling is 12%, 13% you have stalled out. How well will you do in Yellowstone National park where there are 15% grades to go up? Yep, you may be at or slightly under the tow rating, but you will not go up that hill! To fetch a pail of water, only fall down and break your crown.

I learned this lesson MANY years ago, to never trust a tow rating to meet the spec "I" need a rig to do. You can find formula's online that can tell you based on torque, gearing in trans, axle, tire diam and road surface the speeds, % grade you can go up. Then figure out if a given rig will meet or not meet YOUR personal performance standards.

The N-Ga-Neer specs per manufactures, suck! Too slow on a 6-8% grade by 5mph, and less than a 1/3 of the min grade I have needed to pull! Do I trust them, sorta kind a, but not really. With the newere 6-9 speed transmissions, lower overall low gears in trans, most rigs today are better than the ones I blew up 20-30 years ago when starting out pulling trailers. I still have not figured out why my 81 GM C2500 with a 292 I6, muncie 4 sp was rated GCWR wise at 8500 lbs, but was in an 8600 gvwr truck. You could find the same drivetrain in a 1 ton dually at 10K gvwr. It could pull 12K up a 20% grade. Meanwhile the 89 R3500 dually with an almight 454, th400 auto trans, stalled out on that 20% grade at 12K lbs, with a 16K gcwr! C2500 went down the driveway, hooked a chain to the R3500, pulled it up that hill. The next day the R3500 got a new trans at 35K miles, first of 3 that were replaced every 30-35K miles like clock work!

Just because it has a higher rating, may not mean it is the truly better tow rig!

Marty

[DutchmenSport]

All I did was ask the OP to "Think" about that statement, I did not say which way to choose. In the end, the decision is his. blt2ski is correct, "At the end of the day, ANYTHING can pull a trailer, how well it does, depends upon your person performance needs on a given day."

[blt2ski]

Another way to look at Mr Murphys way of thinking.....

If towing at 20K lbs lets say. you have three engine options, a sb V8 rated at 18K gcwr, a BB V8 rated at 20K lbs, and a TD rated north of 22K lbs. You T-bone someone and kill the driver. Is the driver more dead because you had a SB8? dead due to a BB8? Or less dead due to you being way under rating with the TD?

My 6.5 TD in above post, I could pull 20K lbs in 1st gear up a 30% grade. My 05 Dmax with double the gcwr could only pull 20K lbs up a 24% grade before stalling out. Which is the better TV? Yet on a 3% freeway grade, the dmax would go 55mph, the 6.5 around 40 in the gear below direct. The dmax was in direct, both doing around 2700 rpm! Obviously I hope, the extra HP the dmax had, allowed it to go faster up a lower % grade. But the overall lower gearing the 6.5 had, along with all of 200 ft lbs less torque, allowed to to pull a steeper grade before stalling out. My Navistar with a 174/330 non turbo IDI 7.3 V8 diesel, can do 30K lbs up a 30% grade. Then again, with 4.33 gears, a 10.08 low first gear......
At the end of the day, ANYTHING can pull a trailer, how well it does, depends upon your person performance needs on a given day. For me, the above three trucks, the dmax was the worst one! it stalled out once, the others have NEVER stalled out on a grade. Yeah it went faster up a freeway grade, but it did not get to the camp or job site if the grade is steper than 25%! The others get their!

marty

[blt2ski]

I'd do it! Then again, I towed at 15-16K lbs with my old GM 6.5td that had a whopping 12500 GCWR due to having the NV4500 vs the POS 6l80e auto trans! ANy way......If as "dad" mentions, the new version have a higher number of gears in the trans, a turbo etc......you might find you are faster, better towing etc than your current 6 cylinder. With a turbo, you're ready for higher elevations vs a non forced induction motor, that loses 2-3% of it HP per 1000' above sea level you are. Many turbo'd rigs give you se level HP to 10K'!
Of course, this is a person thinking of trading in his 250HP 350 V8 4 spd auto/4.10 gears for a 300HP 4.3 V6 with a lower and taller geared 6 sp auto and 3.42 or 3.23 gears........I'd give the 300 pony rig a better chance of pulling a given hill faster than the 255HP rig. Both have about the same torque!

marty