I plan on buying a 26 ft, 4140lb camping trailer to tow with the Blazer in sig. Loaded, it will prob weigh 4500 at least. I plan on using a trans cooler and weight dist hitch w/ sway control. Maybe an upgraded 1-2 servo?

For tonights assignment...

Please let me know what you pull, length, weight. What year, type Blazer you have - with mods if any. What brand/model hitch and sway control you have, gear ratio you have in the rear axle, what RPM you pull at and what MPH. What tires (make model/size)and shocks you have. Any suspension add ons? And what part of the world do you tow in (mountains etc.?).

Also, please givemea general summary of your experiences/opinions on towing with your Blazer.

Thanks so much for your input, it is INVALUBLE to me and my family at this time in planning my rig!!!

- Mike, Grand Rapids, MI

 

The most I have ever towed with my blazer was 3200 lbs (my project car), and that really was not a fun trip. The only upgrade I had was a trans cooler so my tranny was good to go, but it was still not a lot of fun. I honestly would not suggest towing that amount of weight with a blazer at least not with a 6 cyl blazer. I would suggest a good old fashioned V8 work horse for that type of weight, especially since you will probably tow it more than a few times.

 

i deffinately would not try to tow that much weight with a blaer, even if it pulls it good it is going to be hard on it, i dont know the spec on towing cap. for them but i would get a full size truck for it for sure

 

The towing cap is 5000lbs for 4x4 4dr 98+ V6 Blazers. The most I have ever towed was about 4000 lbs. This was a car dolly with a car on it and it wasnt bad but I was only doing 55mph at the most. A different ball mount, one with the suspension would have been better. I dont have a trans cooler but would highly recommend it, I was only driving 20 miles with it so I figure no damage would be done. I have also towed our 21 foot power boat to the boat ramp and back a couple time, it weighs about 4200 lbs with the trailer, this was all at low speeds (below 40mph). I think they will tow alright, it just wont tow as great as a fullsize truck/SUV.

 

What type of weight distribution and sway control system were you using? How was the braking? Did you have surge brakes or electric brakes? Thanks for the input! - Mike

 

Well I was towing the car on a dolly (sp?). I had the back end up in the air so it had the heavier front end on the ground with the steering wheel locked so the tires would stay straight. So figure weight on the dolly maybe 1000-1200 lbs most of the weight was on the ground. I had no brakes on the dolly or on the trailer that was towing the jetskis.

But the 3200 lbs worth of car seemed to put more pressure on the engine than I would have liked especially for that long of a trip. While the 2500 lbs (at the most) on the jetskis was 700 lbs (or more) lighter it seemed to make a big difference in towing. It still put some added stress on the motor because there were quite a few (pretty tall) hills but it was noticeable that it towed better.

I would honestly say that for safety and longevityof the vehicle2500 lbs would be the most that I would want to tow for any greater amount of time then for about 30 mins (with a trans cooler) or 20 mins (without a trans cooler).

But then again I am a person that tends to baby my cars and they in turn always give me a lot of miles and overall use in return. If you aren't worried about beating on this blazer and already have plans in the works to get something else then by all means tow away lol.

 

3700# bass boat caused my blazer to overheat on a 105 degree day.. I even have the tow package.... I would not buy a camper that big to pull with a blazer... you will regret it... big time! they are not geared to tow that much weight on a regular basis.... the blazer is too small... even a 6 cyl full size pickup will handle the load better.... I know this because I have a blazer and a 6 cyl silverado... can't even feel the bass boat behind the silverado... the blazer doesnt tow worth a crap, honestly, my four wheeler tows a pop-up camper better than my blazer..lol

 

I understand you don't know me, but you don't need to insinuate that I'm an idiot. I'm not the one towing a 3,200lb load with no trailer brakes...While I don't have any intentions of "babying" this truck, I would never abuse my vehicle with a scenario it's notdesigned foror upgraded to handle to the point of a driveline failure. So, no, I don't plan on towing with it for the purpose of destroying it so thatI can replace it - if that's what you were saying.

I have already done my homework with towing calculator spreadsheets etc. Based on the tow rating for the blazer @ 5,400lbs, I should be able to tow 4 to 4.5k lbs safely in flatland Michigan- mind you this is all on paper. I started this thread simply tosolicit "real world" testimonies from fellow members here to get a feel for what the truck can really do in similar situations.

All in all, I have gotten some great info, be it positive or negative thanks for sharing your personal experiences in detail and keep them coming!- Mike

 

Wow.

 

time for an F-350 [8D]20,000lbs tow cap.