Colorado/Canyon

[TomandGloria]

Just ordered a GMC Canyon for a toad. Thanks to everyone for a great informative thread. I currently have the Blue Ox Patriot but hired of pulling out and putting in every time we use car.
My thought is to go with SMI stay in play. Towing with Gasser not Diesel so AF1 won't work for me. Anybody have any experience or thoughts about SNP? Any help before I purchase would really be helpful.
Truck should be here in 6-8 weeks. Really excited.
Thx.

[Moonshine94]

Just finished setting my Colorado up as a toad. Went with Blue Ox base plate, Alpha tow bar, Marinco battery disconnect, and Protect-A-Tow. I'm also a gasser, so no AF1 for me. After reading lots of reviews I went with the RVI Brake2, along with their breakaway kit and a 12V direct plug. Setup is super fast. Haven't taken a long trip with it yet, but so far I'm pleased.

[TomandGloria]

Moonshine 94 thank you for sharing and the photos. Nice set up. I think I ordered the same color on my Canyon. Looks good behind your Motorhome!
Any insight on now it tows behind your coach? My little Saturn is is light I have to keep looking in the rear view monitor yo make sure it is still back there. Looks like the truck is about 1000 pounds heavier.
Thank you again for the information.

[Moonshine94]

Originally Posted by TomandGloria

Any insight on now it tows behind your coach?

Pics were taken Sat when we did about a 20 mile test loop to try everything out. When I tow my boat (2100 lbs) I never know it's there without looking in the rear camera. With the Colorado (weighed at 4620) you know it's back there, but it's not a problem. No issues accelerating to highway speed, no problems holding speed on the highway, etc. I do have a 5 Star tune on my V10, but it tows quite nicely. The Colly tracks well and I can see the entire truck in the rear camera, which is reassuring. Taking a trip with it in a few weeks, but based on our test I'm not expecting any issues. Just gotta' remember, no backing up with a toad.

[Durango382]

Moonshine94 - you note you use a "12V direct plug" for your braking device. I'm not familiar with that terminology - but since cutting off the power with the Marinco battery disconnect means your 12V receptacle will have no power to it, is it safe to assume you wired in a separate 12V receptacle directly from the battery in order to plug the braking device in to live power?

[JMonroe]

When we had a 12v powered brake system I wired one of the 12v receptacles already in the dash (Jeep Wrangler) to the electrical tow harness. Thereafter it was powered by the coach. I've seen others install an auxiliary 12v receptacle pulling power from the coach.

[Moonshine94]

Originally Posted by Durango382

Moonshine94 - you note you use a "12V direct plug" for your braking device. I'm not familiar with that terminology - but since cutting off the power with the Marinco battery disconnect means your 12V receptacle will have no power to it, is it safe to assume you wired in a separate 12V receptacle directly from the battery in order to plug the braking device in to live power?

Precisely. Chevy recommends disconnecting battery power when flat towing. Rumor has it that it has something to do with the electric power steering. So the battery cutoff kills everything. But, since the brake unit needs power I wired in a plug that goes directly from the battery to the drivers side floorboard to power the brake unit.

[gerdutch]

Had a 06 4x4, with neutral transfer switch. Easy Tow, easy set up. Looking at new ones, they have same switch, which is piece of cake(easy). Besides the Crv, which I ususally tow now, its the easiest and most versatile I k know.

[Durango382]

Originally Posted by gerdutch

Had a 06 4x4, with neutral transfer switch. Easy Tow, easy set up. Looking at new ones, they have same switch, which is piece of cake(easy). Besides the Crv, which I ususally tow now, its the easiest and most versatile I k know.

GERDUTCH - You might have come in late on this discussion, but the new Colorado's are radically different from the previous generations - and have a substantially different towing requirement in that as noted by MOONSHINE94 the battery must be disconnected. This is (not rumored, but actually) due to the power steering now being electric, and as another (doubter) poster found out, there is no fuse that can be disconnected to take it out so the battery must be disconnected. (pulling the toad with the wheels turning because they're following the towing vehicle, versus when driving it where the steering wheel turns the wheels puts a huge strain on the electric assist power steering unit)

MOONSHINE94 (et al) thanks - I ended up using one of the standalone battery jumper devices - works fine and didn't have to run any wires as I just place it on the floor behind the driver's seat and plug into it. When I stop for the evening I charge it in the coach for the next day. But I like you idea as it's less "things: to have to remember!

[YC1]

Just a thought. With the transmissions in neutral, the speed sensors for the ECM may not be available and the electric steering assist may be technically crippled or confused. Removing power to it assures there will be no arguments between computer controls.

[num1dgh]

Originally Posted by majfrizz

any update on your Colorado. I am getting ready to order the Canyon, waiting for the sliding rear window to become available this month then will order. Talked to Blue Ox as of last week they still do not have a volunteer. I know GM delivery dates are really strange right now. I been reading some of the strange order problems on their forum.

Bob

We bought the GMC Canyon in March, and had the baseplates installed by Camping World in April. We were the first one that they had done, and they did a great job. It is very similar to put into neutral as the GMC Sierra, with the only exception for us being a need for a battery disconnect, probably due to the navigation in the Canyon as opposed to our 2012 Sierra. We towed it for the first time recently, and it was very simple, once we went through the process. The owner's manual had an insert which was virtually the same as the bound directions for towing, but it is supposedly updated so we used it.

[TomandGloria]

Still several weeks out from receiving my Canyon. Looked at the on line owners manual and hot a little confused on how to get the transfer case in neutral. A lot more steps than my little Saturn. Hopefully when the truck comes in, it won't be as complex as it looks.

[Moonshine94]

Originally Posted by TomandGloria

Still several weeks out from receiving my Canyon. Looked at the on line owners manual and hot a little confused on how to get the transfer case in neutral.

Unless the Canyon is different from the Colorado - Engine running, parking brake set, transmission in Neutral. Rotate the transfer case selector knob clockwise until it stops and hold it there until the N light starts to flash. Then slowly release the T case selector knob. N light will stop flashing and will glow steadily. Put trans in Park, turn engine off, and release Parking brake.

[TomandGloria]

Thanks Moonshine, that's a lot clearer than the on line owners manual. Appreciate you taking the time to explain.