Chevy Colorado Diesel towing

[Jack3]

Has anyone had any experience towing a 6000lb trailer with the new diesel Colorado?

[Normal_Dave]

A recent discussion here:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f45/the-l...ld-387887.html

[tuffr2]

Is 6,000lbs the GVWR of the trailer or the dry weight. I would not want to tow a 6,000lb. trailer with a little mid sized truck.

I tried to tow a 5,000lb trailer with a Honda Ridgeline. That did not work. I had to buy a F-150 which towed the trailer much much better.

What is the Occupant/Cargo capacity of your little truck. The tongue weight of a 6,000lb trailer will be around 700 - 900 lbs. Add 125lbs for a WD hitch and sway control.

A full sized truck is really needed to tow a 6,000lb. trailer comfortably and not be white knuckle while driving.

[raineman]

Originally Posted by Jack3

Has anyone had any experience towing a 6000lb trailer with the new diesel Colorado?

No, but I don't think it would be a comfortable drive. I would imagine the trailer would push the truck all over the place

[Dropthejacks]

[Cumminsfan]

Looks like it's good for at least 5000 lbs.
Overachievers | www.trailerlife.com

[VernDiesel]

tuffr2, 6k as presented by OP should be the estimated wet weight not dry or gvwr. The TW should be between 10 & 15 percent ie 600 to 900. Last when using a WDH TW includes the weight of the hitch itself. A WDH makes it dynamic weight not static weight.

Why do you think this truck would be a white knuckle driving experience with a 6k TT? Any scale slips, statistical data, experience towing with this truck?

The guy in the link seems to have towed a 5,500 TT safely and comfortably with the same truck. Not an armchair quarterback but the guy who actually owns the truck and trailer and did it and in the mountains none the less.

Raineman, What would make you imagine the trailer would push the truck all over the place? The Colorado with driver would weight at least 5,000 add likely 700 TW from the trailer that is 5,700 on the truck axles. Transfer 700 from the trailer to the truck leaves only 5,300 on the trailer axles. No reason the tail should wag that dog unless hitch and loading was done extremely poorly and then that would be a hitch and loading problem not a fundamental problem from the size & weights of the truck and trailer. IE concretely correctable via adjusting WDH and weight distribution in both the truck and TT via scale results.

Guys its not voodoo. No reason to try to spook someone. Simply replace your unloaded steer weight. Make sure your drive axle weight is below max axle rating. Make sure your TW is in the 10 to 15 percent range. (With a WDH actual TW is found by subtracting unloaded TV combined axle weight from loaded TV axle weights.)

Set this via your scale results and you will concretely know that with all numbers meeting Mfg spec she will tow that TT safely with stability and full braking power.

[tuffr2]

I do not think so. The wheelbase on a mid size truck will not be able to control a 6,000lb trailer.. A diesel engine will eat up a lot of the cargo capacity.

Next Tuesday I will be at a Chevy dealer. I will see if I can check the cargo capacity of a diesel Colorado.

I stand by - for 6,000lbs a Colorado is too small and really need a full sized truck. Both the redesigned 2019 Ram and the Chevy 1500 will be built withbs longer wheelbase. The 2019 Ram 1500 is a super nice truck and so will the 2019 Chevy/GMC 1500. Both will have a stiffer frame and be able to tow better.

If the OP already has a diesel Colorado, then sure try it and see for yourself. But if he does not have a truck yet, I strongly recommend a half ton truck.

[NevadaNick]

If wheelbase is the big problem, explain the mobile home transporters.

[raineman]

Originally Posted by VernDiesel

Raineman, What would make you imagine the trailer would push the truck all over the place?

Physics. That is just way too much weight for that truck. Some people refer to is a white knuckle driving. In order to stay centered in a lane the driver is going to be squeezing hard on the steering wheel, often with both hands to keep things straight. Then add a gust of good crosswind and a semi passing, and the setup will be all over the road. And then try going up a steep grade....slow. Not a fun way to travel in my book. I like to enjoy the drive instead of worrying about my setup and being pushed around while driving.

Personally, I don’t care for a setup that is ‘just within specs’. I would rather have a setup that is ‘more than capable’ of towing my rig. As many have said here before, if you are splitting numbers and hairs to try to squeeze into a towing setup, there is either too much trailer or too little truck in the equation.

[plasma800]

Originally Posted by NevadaNick

If wheelbase is the big problem, explain the mobile home transporters.

Completely different dynamic...

truck and trailer = front wheel to back wheel to HITCH to trailer wheels to overhung weight. That's the dynamic, the trailer and hitch are included as the overall wheel base

Home transporter = front wheel to HITCH OVER REAR AXLE to (long distance) trailer wheels to very little overhang. Not to mention the semi truck has two very stiff rear axles with 2 tires each... some mh transport trucks have one axle with 4 tires on rear axle, but surely the half a mobile home is no where near the capacity of the transport. and the hitch crooks up and straight down right at the axle. I also cannot speak to the suspension setup of a mh transport trailer, but most I've seen have 3 or more axles and slow speeds. But I can say that most travel trailer suspension is pretty terrible.

VS the very squishy and soft light rear end of a light duty, mid sized pickup truck.

I think it's important to keep in mind that the job of the rear suspension of any truck is to control the trailer by use of physical opposing force. A leaf spring is designed to return a truck from a dip or bump, and consequently to help return the trailer and keep the trailer from over rebounding. If the leaf spring is already at or near maximum capacity, it loses it ability to be a spring. At that point, the trailers leaning can exert enough force to over power the trucks ability to return. Then when the trailer returns, it forces the truck instead of the other way around.

Then you combine a short truck, with a leverage point behind the rear axle and springs you end up with a see saw controlled by the trailers dynamic weight shifting from the point of the hitch. To this end, most drivers prefer very strong rear ends, very strong front ends, and a longer truck that resists pivoting. A rear end strong enough to positively control the trailer in the multitude of driving situations one encounters, which are numerous.

Now, if you were only going back and forth to your local state park 30 miles away twice a year.. maybe not as big a deal. However, if one truly plans to travel many miles, the situation is always improved by a tow vehicle described above, which changes based on the trailer. An F150 max tow package is a strong rear end for a small trailer. A 2500 series rear end is a great, even stronger rear end package for a 6000, 7, 8000 lb trailer that I would feel very confident in it's ability to control a trailer in all but the most dire dynamic situations.

In disclosure, I know absolutely nothing about the Colorado rear end.. might be a great rear end.

[tuffr2]

Agree with Plasma:

If the OP wants to tow a few times a month to the local state parks that is a lot different than getting on the freeway with semi trucks traveling 70 - 75 mph for several hundred miles.

My Honda Ridgeline was ok for local travel. It was my 1st 300 miles trip on the freeway that was white knuckle. 5,000lbs maxed out the Ridgeline.

Again the exact same trailer with the exact same WD hitch set the exact same 3rd chain setting towed great behind a F-150. Was able to tow from Ohio to Florida at 65 to 72 mph or faster if needed as a non-event. I would never attempt the same with the Honda Ridgeline.

[Abnmarine]

A lot of comments from those who haven’t tried it. That’s my link posted above if interested.

I tow in the mountains of Colorado and just passed through the Eisenhower tunnel on I-70 last week. I easily maintained the 60 mph speed limit and the exhaust brake kept me at a safe speed coming down. I tow no faster than 65 mph on I-25, same as I did in my Ram 2500 CTD. I use a Equalizer hitch and experienced no sway at all with winds or trucks passing me.

I averaged 14.6 mpg towing my camper (hand calculated) and 32-33 mpg when empty. My Ram saw 11-12 mpg towing the same camper here.

The truck is rated for 7,400 lbs. I don’t have an issue with my camper. It’s within all specs as well. No white knuckle experiences from me. Sure my Ram towed it easier but was more truck (yes I said it) than I needed when most of my driving was just commuting.

[VernDiesel]

CC Colorado wheelbase 140.5" CC 4th gen Ram 1500 5.7 box or QC with 6.4 box 140". Base length day cab single axle semi 140".

What the Colorado does have against it when towing a long tall boxy TT is its slightly narrower wheelbase. Which is one reason why I always say the diesel Colorado is ideal for towing a boat. But just because I would prefer and choose a 1500 doesn't mean a Colorado isn't up to do the job and safely when set up properly.

raineman not to be a dic but then you should study them physics as GM has. Did the linked post Colorado owner describe a white knuckle experience towing the same size TT? No he did not. It sounds to me like you need to learn how to set up a rig properly. Nothing more. Certainly a heavy diesel dually makes it easy to skip learning this until you tow something at what its rated for.

I'm not talking actually loading the Colorado to the bleeding edge GM has already made sure there is plenty of safety margin loaded to its max rating when properly set up to be within all specs. But there is only so much a Mfg can do to idiot proof something if people don't understand physics nor use the specs they can will and have put themselves in harms way. Certainly you can deal with something more than one way. You can load and join it properly using WDH (per GM recommendation here) Mfg specs and scale or buy a truck dramatically bigger than necessary for the particular job. Both work.

Tuffr OP should be able to tow that across the county on hwys with semis safely & reliably according to GM per its rating. Naturally set to meet all specs. Been doing it daily for three TT Mfgs the last four years and 430,000 miles with my efficient small diesel truck.

Do you have scale slips from your white knuckle Rideline trips? If so we likely can quickly determine why it was white knuckle. Again its not voodoo. Per your post if you set up the same trailer with the same hitch on the same setting then either your Ridgline or your 150 was almost certainly set up wrong. Guess which one it was or compare scale slips and see it in print.

BTW none of this stuff is about whos right its about whats right. Nothing here personal in any way to me. We all learn from each other.

EDIT I must have started my post before Abnmarine. Its well said.