Did a scan of the forums and didnt quite find this topic. My girlfriend ha a 97 s10 blazer and is planning on buying a yamaha wave runner. The truck does not have the tow package. What exactly needs to be done to the blazer in order to haul trailer and wave runner. What size hitch etc. It has about 102k miles on all original engine and tranny (Auto trans btw).

 

When I had to tow a uhaul with a car once, the Uhaul place installed a receiver hitch on the car for $150 that was the price of the receiver plus installation plus wiring for the trailor. I think it is called a receiver hitch, i can't think good early in the mornings or late at night. It is positioned right below the bumper and I believe that is all you need to pull a trailor, besides a blazer, gas, and the trailor itself, of course.

 

U-Haul is a good source for what you are looking for and they carry a wide variety of reciever hitches. Towing is limited by a few factors:
1. Rear suspension
2. Transmission health
3. Load capacity of the hitch installed.
Just because the hitch will hold it does not mean that you can tow it.

The Yamaha Waverunner and trailer should be fine and a fairly easy tow for the mechanicalls of the blazer.

I would look into having an aftermarket cooler added to the transmission just in case you decide later on that you want to start hauling heavier loads, there is a factory cooler built into the radiator for everyday driving and the light occasional towing with the Wave runner. It is just good insurance since a cooler goes from $30 light duty to $80 for heavy duty and you can get some that will do both the transmission and engine oil(They are over $100 though). And it is high temperatures that cause transmission failures.

Then after you get the hitch installed practice driving and most importantly backing up with the trailer this is the hardest part of learning how to tow with a trailer. Read the factory manual that comes with the truck and ask questions when you get the hitch installed. It takes lots of practice to backup a truck with a trailer attached...

Good luck and happy towing.

 

...in addition to what everyone else has already posted...

you can install the hitch yourself. u haul has them as well as most major parts stores (i got one from autozone). relatively straightforward to install, usually 4 bolts through the frame rail. if youre lucky the holes may already even be there.

wiring is easy as well, you should be able to get a trailer wiring harness that plugs into the stock blazer harness from the same place you get the hitch from. much easier and less aggrivating than trying to cut and splice the harness yourself.

 

You can use a class 2 receiver hitch (3500lb tow weight, 300lb tongue weight), due to the light weight of the wave runner and trailer. You will need a ball mount and ball to go with the receiver hitch.

For the wiring I would suggest getting the T adapter that just plugs into the wiring harness, it is water tight and simple to install. I have been told that there are wires that are taped to the wiring harness and frame that you could splice to. If you decide to go this route, use a silver content solder and double shrink the connection.

A tranny cooler is always good to have but with the weight you will be towing you shouldn't need it (unless you are driving in the dunes).

When I was installing hitches for a living we had a few choice words [:@] to describe UHAUL jobs. Remember the faster the job the more profit. Doing it yourself would be best. Drawtite makes a very good hitch which you should be able to find or order without any problems. HOPPY makes the T adapters.

 

Awesome stuff! Thank You everyone. That covered every question I had.