I have a V8 Chevy Trailblazer with (GCWR) of 12,000lbs. & TT (GVW) of 4950lbs. Both added together is 17,450lbs. Is this too much weght? How much lighter should I go to be safe? There is a max. tow vehicle wt of 6500lbs. Am I adding the right weights together?
53 Merc said
09:44 AM Mar 16, 2011
Nope, you are adding apples and oranges. GCWR is Gross Combined Weight Rating and GVW is Gross Vehicle Weight. Look on the door post of the trailblazer for curb weight. The weight of the TT should be found on the tongue on a sticker. Remember, that is unloaded, no proane, no water, no clothes, etc. The Trailblazer owners manual should give a towing capacity. That all depends on gear ratio, engine size, cooling capacity etc.
flyone said
11:35 AM Mar 16, 2011
FRITZ--AS 53 Merc says, GCWR is the amount of weight your vehicle will move (safely). One must take into account the weight of the vehicle, full tank of gas, people, bikes, whatever else one may have loaded--including the trailer weight and everything in it, of which the Max can be 4,950 lb. If your blazer weighs (and this is just a guess to illustrate) 6,500 lb fully loaded and your trailer is 4,800 lb. fully loaded then you would be at 11,300 lb which is below your 12,000 lb GCWR.
Flyone
Bill and Linda said
11:54 AM Mar 16, 2011
As Ken said, the only way to know for sure is too look in your owner’s manual.It depends on factors beyond the V8 engine.Such as, what is the rear axle ratio – 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive, etc.
We have a V-8 Trail Blazer.My manual says the trailer can weigh from 5,400 to a maximum of 6,400 lbs depending on the rear axle ratio and if the vehicle is 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive.The total weight of the loaded trailer and the loaded truck we own, together, can weigh up to 10,000 to 11,000 lbs depending again on the trucks rear axle and 2 or 4 wheel drive configuration.
With all that said, only the manual and information for your specific vehicle will tell you the facts.Anything else said, IMO, is just speculation.However, in the speculation department: The Trail Blazer may be able specification wise to tow a 4,950 lb trailer, but from my experience it will be pretty much at its limit. Engine and transmission cooling may be a factor if mountain towing is envisioned.BTW, this is not limited to Chevrolet.These light duty SUV’s are really not designed to do a lot of long distance or mountain towing, especially the transmissions.It may be just fine, but they really are limited vehicles for RV’s.That’s an opinion from one who owns one of them.But as I say, Your Mileage May Vary.
Hope this helps and safe travels.
Bill
Terry and Jo said
11:59 AM Mar 16, 2011
Fritz,
If your post means that the combined weights of both your Trailblazer AND the trailer are 17, 450 lbs, then you would be overweight on the Trailblazer's rated GCWR by over 5000 lbs, based on your statement that the GCWR is 12000 lbs. Verify with Chevrolet what the GCVW (or GCWR) is for your Trailblazer. They need to take information from the data tag on the door post to see how your vehicle is equipped. That information refers to what 53 Merc mentioned in the form of gear ratio, engine size, etc.
GCVW is the total of both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle with all fluids, passengers, cargo, etc. included. If the weight of both vehicles exceeds the rated GCVW of the Trailblazer, you would be exceeding the rated weights.
While it would not be "likely" that an officer would stop you and check your weights, depending on the states and communities you are in, if you are overweight, then it will be hard on your vehicles drive train and it would be more difficult to stop. Also, depending on the tongue weight of the trailer, you could have receiver issues on the towing vehicle if it exceeds the rated weight.
Ratings for tow weight capacity are good for a "rule of thumb", but one should still not exceed GCVW, even if the tow weight rating is sufficient for the trailer. As for what to reduce, a lot of RV'ers like to have anywhere from 10% to 20% weight cushion, meaning that the combined weights need to be between 1200 lbs to 2400 lbs less than the 12000 rating. But, if 17,450 is the true weight of both vehicles, something is seriously overweight.
Terry
fritz said
12:30 PM Mar 16, 2011
Flyone -Is 1,050 lbs. below the (GCWR) 12,500lbs. too close or am i safe with this. Another point is my Blazer has 102,000 mi on the engine, is this too many miles for F/T? I have all kinds of questions on F/T travel. Just want to cover all the bases on F/T, want to be very safe. I'm gathering as much knowledge as I can about this. Thanks 53 Merc & Flyone.
fritz said
01:19 PM Mar 16, 2011
Bill - We would be part time. not real far, NE area, no mountain climbing. Could go for a lighter trailer. But i will look around for another vehicle. Any thoughts on a tow vehicle that would match the trailer. Ford f-150, 250 etc. Thanks for the information from everyone,want to be safe than sorry .
53 Merc said
01:33 PM Mar 16, 2011
There is no such thing as "Too Much Truck". (Well,almost so such thing).
Seriously, if you are looking at full time, you would be well served to go for a much heavier tow vehicle. Towing all the time is hard on a vehicle, and being close to max is not a pleasant experience.
Like someone said, stopping is important. With a larger tow vehicle, you do get larger and more capable brakes. The trailer should be able to stop itself, given an appropirate brake controller, but having larger braking capacity on the tow vehicle never hurts.
Your comment about full time and NE brings up another question. By NE, do you mean northeast, or Nebraska? I am sure you are aware of the heating requirements in either area, but a TT light enough for a Trailblazer would not be heavily insulated or belly enclosed with heated holding tanks. You really need to do some serious research before jumping into full timing. (This forum is an excellent resource)
fritz said
01:52 PM Mar 16, 2011
53 Merc - Thank you for the info again. I will do more research.
Bill and Linda said
02:04 PM Mar 16, 2011
fritz wrote:
Bill - We would be part time. not real far, NE area, no mountain climbing. Could go for a lighter trailer. But i will look around for another vehicle. Any thoughts on a tow vehicle that would match the trailer. Ford f-150, 250 etc. Thanks for the information from everyone,want to be safe than sorry .
All this is personal preference, but if it were me it would be a Chevy 2500 (or Ford 250) for any towing.That said, the 5,000 lb trailers really don’t need that much truck, but as was commented, it is almost hard to have much truck.For a small trailer you really don’t need a Diesel.
Look, back when cars were “real cars" we towed 10,000lb Airstreams with Buicks.But that was when cars had 454CID engines in them. Now, IMO, and I emphasize in my opinion, pickup trucks (or Chevy Suburbans) are the only real tow vehicles.For me, if I didn’t want a pickup or the wife didn’t want one due to a lot of reasons, I would go with a Chevy 2500 Suburban properly equipped engine wise.It has the same basic towing capabilities as the 2500 pickup (basic I said, not the same) as pertains to smaller trailers.They would do double service as a daily driver and as a weekend camper.I have driven a Suburban – have one now - and RV’ed in the past with one - for the last 30+ years.They have given excellent RV service and also a fine ride. As a family we used them for RV towing beginning in about 1975 and they have never failed me or my family. That’s my 2 cents since you asked.
Bill
Penny and Paul said
11:13 AM Mar 17, 2011
Ed, check your private messages. I have something you might be interested in.
Paul
flyone said
11:54 AM Mar 17, 2011
Fritz---Like Terry said you would be wise to keep a safety factor, (althought I would bet money Chevy Engineers put in a safety factor when they assign tow weight ratings). IMO you would be alright as long as you stay below all tow weight ratings. Now about the mileage, the blazer might be alright to start out with (ask your mechanic) but with that many miles it probably would not last long. I used to tow with a truck that had over 100k, but the tranny went out about 132K. I would not count on it long term, but it may get you by for a year or so. Good Luck with what ever you decide.
Flyone
As Ken said, the only way to know for sure is too look in your owner’s manual. It depends on factors beyond the V8 engine. Such as, what is the rear axle ratio – 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive, etc.
We have a V-8 Trail Blazer. My manual says the trailer can weigh from 5,400 to a maximum of 6,400 lbs depending on the rear axle ratio and if the vehicle is 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive. The total weight of the loaded trailer and the loaded truck we own, together, can weigh up to 10,000 to 11,000 lbs depending again on the trucks rear axle and 2 or 4 wheel drive configuration.
With all that said, only the manual and information for your specific vehicle will tell you the facts. Anything else said, IMO, is just speculation. However, in the speculation department: The Trail Blazer may be able specification wise to tow a 4,950 lb trailer, but from my experience it will be pretty much at its limit. Engine and transmission cooling may be a factor if mountain towing is envisioned. BTW, this is not limited to Chevrolet. These light duty SUV’s are really not designed to do a lot of long distance or mountain towing, especially the transmissions. It may be just fine, but they really are limited vehicles for RV’s. That’s an opinion from one who owns one of them. But as I say, Your Mileage May Vary.
Hope this helps and safe travels.
Bill
If your post means that the combined weights of both your Trailblazer AND the trailer are 17, 450 lbs, then you would be overweight on the Trailblazer's rated GCWR by over 5000 lbs, based on your statement that the GCWR is 12000 lbs. Verify with Chevrolet what the GCVW (or GCWR) is for your Trailblazer. They need to take information from the data tag on the door post to see how your vehicle is equipped. That information refers to what 53 Merc mentioned in the form of gear ratio, engine size, etc.
GCVW is the total of both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle with all fluids, passengers, cargo, etc. included. If the weight of both vehicles exceeds the rated GCVW of the Trailblazer, you would be exceeding the rated weights.
While it would not be "likely" that an officer would stop you and check your weights, depending on the states and communities you are in, if you are overweight, then it will be hard on your vehicles drive train and it would be more difficult to stop. Also, depending on the tongue weight of the trailer, you could have receiver issues on the towing vehicle if it exceeds the rated weight.
Ratings for tow weight capacity are good for a "rule of thumb", but one should still not exceed GCVW, even if the tow weight rating is sufficient for the trailer. As for what to reduce, a lot of RV'ers like to have anywhere from 10% to 20% weight cushion, meaning that the combined weights need to be between 1200 lbs to 2400 lbs less than the 12000 rating. But, if 17,450 is the true weight of both vehicles, something is seriously overweight.
Terry
Another point is my Blazer has 102,000 mi on the engine, is this too many miles for F/T?
I have all kinds of questions on F/T travel. Just want to cover all the bases on F/T, want to be very safe. I'm gathering as much knowledge as I can about this. Thanks 53 Merc & Flyone.
All this is personal preference, but if it were me it would be a Chevy 2500 (or Ford 250) for any towing. That said, the 5,000 lb trailers really don’t need that much truck, but as was commented, it is almost hard to have much truck. For a small trailer you really don’t need a Diesel.
Look, back when cars were “real cars" we towed 10,000lb Airstreams with Buicks. But that was when cars had 454CID engines in them. Now, IMO, and I emphasize in my opinion, pickup trucks (or Chevy Suburbans) are the only real tow vehicles. For me, if I didn’t want a pickup or the wife didn’t want one due to a lot of reasons, I would go with a Chevy 2500 Suburban properly equipped engine wise. It has the same basic towing capabilities as the 2500 pickup (basic I said, not the same) as pertains to smaller trailers. They would do double service as a daily driver and as a weekend camper. I have driven a Suburban – have one now - and RV’ed in the past with one - for the last 30+ years. They have given excellent RV service and also a fine ride. As a family we used them for RV towing beginning in about 1975 and they have never failed me or my family. That’s my 2 cents since you asked.
Bill
Fritz---Like Terry said you would be wise to keep a safety factor, (althought I would bet money Chevy Engineers put in a safety factor when they assign tow weight ratings). IMO you would be alright as long as you stay below all tow weight ratings. Now about the mileage, the blazer might be alright to start out with (ask your mechanic) but with that many miles it probably would not last long. I used to tow with a truck that had over 100k, but the tranny went out about 132K. I would not count on it long term, but it may get you by for a year or so. Good Luck with what ever you decide.
Flyone