Towing Help

[DGenerate23]

Hello i am realtively new to the fourms and very new to towing. i have a friend that has asked me to a cargo trailer for him from indiana to tennesse. it is a 9 hour drive. i have on 06 LT with the L6 4.2L. the trailor he said will be backloaded over the axles mostly and will weight about 7k i was wondering if my TB will be able to handle this just one time as long we put weight distrubition bars on. i have the all stock reciever but will be the hitch that my father uses to pull his 35ft travel trailor with on his avelanche. i just want to double check to make sure that this will not put to much stress on my TB as this is the only time i ever intend to pull this much with it. the only other pulling it will ever do will be my little 500lb lawn mower trailer. I have found some places that say i can pull up to 6800 lbs and some say 7600 thanks for all your help in advance

 

[ElAviator72]

Which axle ratio do you have? With the 3.42 gears, the factory recommended limit is 5,200 lbs. It goes up from there with lower gear ratios.

Also, for a 7,000 lb. Trailer you will want trailer brakes. Our trucks have the wire installed for a brake controller, but they don't come with one. I believe there's a FAQ article ( both this site and TrailVoy.com) that tells you how to install the Prodigy 3 (probably the best on the market).

A weight distributing hitch is a must forf that much weight.

Might want to stick to factory guidelines and keep it in third gear while towing.

 

[The_Roadie]

A weight distributing hitch is a must forf that much weight.

Let me add that the WDH must be properly set up. You can't just "borrow" one that's been set up for another vehicle and trailer and move it around. It can take an hour or more to properly set up the angles and chain lengths properly, as well as some cleverness when it comes to loading the trailer you're going to tow. Too little hitch weight is highly dangerous because it tends to go into a divergent (meaning gets worse within a few seconds) oscillation (fishtailing). Too much is bad as you can imagine. A misadjusted WDH can fool you into thinking the hitch weight is proper when it's really not.

And the brake controller install is pretty easy, but buying the controller isn't free. And then the controller needs a bit of experience to quickly and safely adjust for aggressiveness and sensitivity.

Any accidents (even if the troopers don't cite you for looking overloaded without an accident) and you should expect the insurance company's investigator to discover the overloading, and then you're at risk for having no coverage.

Any chance you can borrow the Avalanche? It's probably the closest you're going to find to a plug and play solution. The Trailblazer isn't it, IMHO. And I've been towing heavy things with a dozen different vehicles for 35 years.

 

[Dad-O-Matic]

Too little hitch weight is highly dangerous because it tends to go into a divergent (meaning gets worse within a few seconds) oscillation (fishtailing)

I was following a Dodge one ton Van towing a 5x10 trailer that had just pick up a pallet of bricks from Home Depot. Evidently they were too heavy to load over the axle so he just put them on the end of the trailer. He went up the highway on-ramp and about the time he hit 40 mph started fishtailing and swapped ends. Luckily, he ended up on the shoulder so no one hit him, but that's not a scenario you'd like to emulate.

 

[DGenerate23]

there is no chance i can borrow the avelanche i wish but my dad wont let me. i was thinking of upgrading my TB to either an avelanche or full size silverado i was going to wait a little while longer. but i am thinking now that it might get done before we leave next week

 

[MDBT]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to rent a vehicle from uhaul to tow this than to buy a new truck to haul your buddy's one time load?

 

[DGenerate23]

it would but i was thinking of tradeing my TB in this summer anyway cause i need a truck cause the house we just bought has a wood burning furnace only and i will have to be cut and haul wood with. buying a new truck does seem rather drastic here but it was getting done by july anyway

 

[MDBT]

Does your buddy have experience towing? Can he drive? A 7k pound trailer with questionable loading for 9 hours cross country on unfamiliar roads doesn't sound like the best initiation to me, even with a truck that is large and capable enough to handle such a load.

If you're buying a used half ton you're going to have to pay attention to the tow ratings. They vary wildly with body style, engine, gearing and year. These 10k-11k pound capable half tons only recently came about. Half ton trucks from just five to seven years ago had tow ratings not much better than the TB platform.

 

[DGenerate23]

he has his CDL actually and has been driving semi for 10 years now and he was actually gonna pull it down while his wife drove there car down. then i get to drive home he was just hoping that my TB would do it so that he didnt have to rent a uhaul as he is between jobs right now and they are moving in with his in laws for awhile

 

[ElAviator72]

it would but i was thinking of tradeing my TB in this summer anyway cause i need a truck cause the house we just bought has a wood burning furnace only and i will have to be cut and haul wood with. buying a new truck does seem rather drastic here but it was getting done by july anyway

That's what a utility trailer is for. In fact, when I'm towing mine, I call it putting the TrailBlazer in pickup mode I bought a 4x8 utility trailer with a 3500 lb. axle for $400 (used) off of Craigslist...see my post in the what we've towed thread for a pic Much easier to tow than a 7000 lb. cargo hauler, you don't need a weight distributing hitch or trailer brakes.

 

[DGenerate23]

the cargo trailer is a one time thing i used my little trailer that has a 2500 lb axle but i had trouble at times pulling it thru 3ft drifts to cut wood. the cargo trailor is a one time pull. what i just found out today thou is that the the cargo trailer while only weighing 2500lbs empy has no brakes

 

[Mark20]

Having towed my hybrid travel trailer - about 4500 pounds - with my Envoy (I6 & 3.73 gears) and wasn't really happy. The set-up included trailer brakes and weight distribution. At 7000 lbs you will seriously over your tow capacity and if you have a problem insurance may not cover you. I know one person who ran into this.

I really do not recommend towing that much weight for that distance.

 

[ElAviator72]

. what i just found out today thou is that the the cargo trailer while only weighing 2500lbs empy has no brakes

I would reject the tow on safety grounds, then With 7000 additional lbs., you would not be able to safely stop the vehicle at freeway speeds in an emergency situation. I'm pretty sure that in most states, trailer brakes would be required for that much weight.

 

[The_Roadie]

Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee are united in their law that trailer brakes are required over 3000 pounds.

Walk away from this request.

 

[DGenerate23]

we are going to tow the trailer with my TB it weighs 4567 according to a certified cat scale while his wife drives the car and another friend of ours with an S10 pulls the Uhaul trailer (that me and the other friend payed for) with furniture. he has installed the trailer brakes on the Cargo trailer and the brake controller is going in to my TB tonight. i am hoping that this should meet all the requirments. my question is with me and him weighing 250 lbs apiece and the trailer at 4600 will we still be under the 10500 GVWR

 

[The_Roadie]

If the trailer is really 4600 and not 7000, and you install and adjust and test the trailer brakes properly, and install the WDH properly and get the hitch weight to be 15% of the trailer weight to make it stable and don't overheat the transmission because you don't have a cooler or a way to read the tranny temp, and make sure all the lights work, then you might not violate any law.

 

[DGenerate23]

He had a certified trailer shop install the brakes and brake controller they also said to swing by before we leave and the get everything situated so that we will be within the manufactuer specs of the TB i just wasnt sure what my TB would weigh empty with a full tank of fuel

 

[ElAviator72]

He had a certified trailer shop install the brakes and brake controller they also said to swing by before we leave and the get everything situated so that we will be within the manufactuer specs of the TB i just wasnt sure what my TB would weigh empty with a full tank of fuel

An empty TB with a full tank is about 4200 lbs. I think you'll be fine. Glad to hear it is all working out now

 

[ElAviator72]

By The Way,

post some pictures of the tow when you're done

 

[DocBrown]

we are going to tow the trailer with my TB it weighs 4567 according to a certified cat scale

I'm confused. Is this the trailer weight, or the TB weight. If its the trailer, was it weighed loaded or empty?

 

[DGenerate23]

We weighed the trailer loaded at 4600 the total weight is coming in at just under 10100 lbs we are leaving tommorrow aftrenoon I will post pics after I get home thanks for all your help guys i am a little worried about not having a tranny cooler to haul this trailer what can i do to help make sure that it doesnt get to bad since i wont have time to get one installed before we leave tommorrow

 

[Regulator]

We weighed the trailer loaded at 4600 the total weight is coming in at just under 10100 lbs we are leaving tommorrow aftrenoon I will post pics after I get home thanks for all your help guys i am a little worried about not having a tranny cooler to haul this trailer what can i do to help make sure that it doesnt get to bad since i wont have time to get one installed before we leave tommorrow

Stay out of D, keep the truck in 3rd while towing. That is probably the best thing you can do to maintain your temps.

What part of Indiana are you from?

 

[DGenerate23]

I live in Warsaw

 

[jrSS]

Hey so does regulator.

 

[Regulator]

I live in Warsaw

Very cool, we will have to get together sometime. I am pretty easy to spot so flag me down sometime.

 

[DGenerate23]

yea you should be LOL but it does seem like there must be like 800 TV in town ever since i bought mine it seems like every where i look i see one. there ate 4 alone parked in the Little Crow lot on any given day

 

[jrSS]

Mini-meet?? Booya

 

[03envoy]

Mini-meet?? Booya

Lmao. I always see trailblazers everywhere... If I ever get a lift or lower kit. I may just pop down to Indy to have you and Regulator give me a hand?Hahaha but that doesn't look like it would be anytime soon!

 

[jrSS]

That'd be a blast!! Just bring a new pickle fork for reg. Its getting a lot of use. Lol

 

[03envoy]

That'd be a blast!! Just bring a new pickle fork for reg. Its getting a lot of use. Lol

Haha that would Next year though... but yes I will keep that in mind lmao that's funny!

 

[Regulator]

Lmao. I always see trailblazers everywhere... If I ever get a lift or lower kit. I may just pop down to Indy to have you and Regulator give me a hand?Hahaha but that doesn't look like it would be anytime soon!

I do happen to have a full set of lowering springs, I am sure we could reach a reasonable agreement.

 

[DGenerate23]

we made it down amd back just fine TB pulled it like a dream. only had one little hiccup when one of my bars didnt quite snapped a dropped off an hour in. i will get pics posted when i get a chance this weekend i head back to work tommorrow. now just out of curiousty and hypotheticals. if i had all the WDH set up tranny cooler guage and the brake controller along with experienced driver could my TB have handled the 7k load i am just curious to know what it could handle if it had to. like just last month i pulled a semi and trailer with 42k on trailer out of one of a huge hole in the lot with my TB so i know it can pull somewhat

 

[03envoy]

I do happen to have a full set of lowering springs, I am sure we could reach a reasonable agreement.

Well if you still have them when i decide to lower I will let ou know. Rightnow isn't looking to good because I have to get through some deep snow, and lowering wouldn't help lol. But sometime in the future