Community Forums

richp5 · 05-24-2021, 04:21 PM

Just sold my toad (Chevy HHR) and am looking for a vehicle that weighs less than 5K, can be towed four wheels down and itself can tow 5K or more so I can tow my boat. I like the Chevy Colorado which fits the bill if purchasing a four wheel drive but would like 2wd if possible.

Any comments, suggestions or advice?

Also, I could only find the 2020 Motorhome guide with the four down choices and wondered if anyone had a 2021 version.

Thanks much in advance for any replies!

carybosse · 05-24-2021, 08:37 PM

The 2WD Colorado is not supposed to be flat towed unless you drop the drive shaft. I find that to be a tad inconvenient, as I look at the several inches of rain we have received around here in the last week or so.

I am assuming you are considering used market, the 2021 trucks are hard to come by. Of course, the used market is crazy as well, my son-in-law just purchased a 2015 extended cab Colorado with 4 cylinder gas engine, 115K miles, for $13K. New, that truck probably retailed for about $20-$22K.

The 4WD Colorado and sister Canyon V6 meet your specs. With the tow package to take you from 3500 pounds to 7000 pounds tow capacity, you get the G80 locking differential. Helpful when launching a boat, but with a 5K boat, I am thinking on some boat launches, 4WD might be helpful. I think the diesel may push you too close to your 5K limit.

Not sure if you need 4 doors, if not, the extended cab might save you a few pounds, but it also might be the elusive unicorn that everyone says exist but no one has ever seen.

You might look at the Ford Ranger, not sure of it's ability to be flat towed but expect it can be. The Nissan Frontier may be a lower cost option in the used area, not sure of the tow capacity. Toyota Tacomas are way overpriced, but should also fit the bill. All of these I assume require 4WD, but the Frontiers and Tacomas might be had with a manual transmission that can be flat towed.

I don't think the current generation Ridgeline is a great choice, I think it might barely meet your 5K towing requirement. However, it might be available in a FWD version that can be flat towed and the FWD might be better for boat launch than a RWD only vehicle. The Odyssey and Pilot by Honda have similar powertrains I believe, but don't quote me on that.

Jeep Gladiators may be too heavy, and are going to be expensive.

When I purchased my 2015 Canyon, part of my desire was a tow capacity in about the 5K range, and short of a full size SUV, the Colorado/Canyon, Tacoma, and Frontier trucks were the only options I could find. The Ranger, Gladiator, and Ridgeline were not in production in 2015.

You are looking for something that crosses the line between an optimum TOAD and a

theroc · 05-24-2021, 09:35 PM

Off the top of my head, I can't think of anything that would meet your desire for 2WD. Any 2WD pickup, I believe, would require a driveshaft disconnect.

The Ridgeline isn't flat towable as far as I know and its towing capacity in the 2WD version is only about 3,500 lbs or thereabouts. To get close to 5k towing capacity you'd have to go with the AWD version.

If you're looking for new, I'm thinking your choices would be to go with either the Colorado, Ranger, or Gladiator with 4WD as they'd need no modification and they're all approved by their manufacturer for recreational towing with all three capable of towing your boat if configured properly.

Or the full-size 4WD 1/2 tons are in that 5k curb weight range and are approved by their manufacturer for recreational towing (Ford, GMC/Chevy, and FCA) and could easily tow your boat.

richp5 · 05-25-2021, 02:09 PM

Thanks for the responses. My buddy is a CFO at a Ford Dealer and the Ranger is too heavy (6K lbs) for my gas class A. It appears the Chevy Colorado or it's GMC version with 4wd are my choices as my wife wants a new vehicle. I guess we'll have to order one due to her wanting all the bells and whistles.

theroc · 05-25-2021, 03:37 PM

Gee, I am not taking pleasure at disagreeing with a Ford expert who works at a dealership but I contend that the Ranger and Colorado are not going to be that much different in curb weight as both are under 5,000 pounds. A comparable model in a Ranger should be no more than a couple of hundred pounds heavier than a Colorado if that.

LOL, but his dealership just lost a sale, I suppose. If you really prefer the Colorado then everything is fine. It appears you're a Chevy-person and you've already stated that you'd prefer a Colorado, but if by some chance you might rather have a Ranger because of features, etc., show your buddy the factory spec sheet (HERE --and I'll attach the page with the curb weights highlighted) where it will list the curb weight of all the 2021 Ranger models. Each one is under 5,000 lbs.

When you tow with the motorhome, you'll of course want to have the toad as close to curb weight as possible. Therefore, not loading anything into a Ranger or a Colorado, you'll still be under the 5,000 pound capacity of your motorhome and hitch. Both the Ranger and Colorado should be able to tow your boat.

eta: sorry, I accidentally highlighted the 2WD models too. We know they can't be flat-towed without a driveshaft disconnect of some manner.

.

77Travco · 05-26-2021, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richp5

Just sold my toad (Chevy HHR) and am looking for a vehicle that weighs less than 5K, can be towed four wheels down and itself can tow 5K or more so I can tow my boat. I like the Chevy Colorado which fits the bill if purchasing a four wheel drive but would like 2wd if possible.

Any comments, suggestions or advice?

Also, I could only find the 2020 Motorhome guide with the four down choices and wondered if anyone had a 2021 version.

Thanks much in advance for any replies!

A Ford F-150 regular cab short bed 4X4 can be found that weighs under 4300 lbs... 4275 lbs to be exact. They are out there.

richp5 · 05-26-2021, 12:23 PM

Thanks for the information. I was standing over his shoulder at the Ford dealership when he pulled up the Bronco specs (only tows 3,500 lbs) and the Ranger weighing in at 6K lbs. The specifications you listed dispute that so I sent him the info for his reply. Hopefully both our eyes were wrong and the Ranger will do the job.

Thanks again!

theroc · 05-26-2021, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richp5

Thanks for the information. I was standing over his shoulder at the Ford dealership when he pulled up the Bronco specs (only tows 3,500 lbs) and the Ranger weighing in at 6K lbs. The specifications you listed dispute that so I sent him the info for his reply. Hopefully both our eyes were wrong and the Ranger will do the job.

Thanks again!

You know what, I think he was looking at the GVWR. The GVWR of a Ranger is 6,050 lbs. (go HERE to the Ford website under the Ranger specifications "Payload -- Maximum Payload Capabilities")

As you know, the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is not what a vehicle actually weighs. It is the maximum weight the vehicle should not exceed according to the manufacturer. It's a "rating" and is a static measurement that is assigned to that vehicle.

Therefore, the actual weight of the Ranger will (or should be) well below the GVWR.

The "practical weight" should be somewhere between the curb weight and the GVWR. The Ranger will therefore weigh somewhere between 4,354 lbs (approximate curb weight) and 6,050 lbs (GVWR).

So that's why I mentioned previously, you'll want to keep the Ranger (or the Colorado for that matter) as close to curb weight when towing it behind the motorhome and by doing so, you'll most likely be under 5,000 lbs. In other words, don't load a whole bunch of stuff in the toad when you're towing it.

Also, if choosing a Ranger, be sure to order it or choose one with the optional "Trailer Tow Package (53R)" as without it, the Ranger is only rated to tow 3,500 pounds(?). It goes to 7,500 lbs. with the tow package (wow!).

But again, the Colorado is going to be fine for your purposes too so it's your choice. From this post, you probably can guess that I prefer Ford over Chevy, LOL. Ideally, though, I'd want a Tacoma if it could be flat-towed without modification.

ETA: Here's a VERY comprehensive and interesting towing guide for Ford products. It covers just about everything you'd want to know about RV towing including toads and towing trailers:

2021 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide -- Equipment|Weights|Technology |Capability

TFell · 05-26-2021, 08:02 PM

I’d do the Canyon AT4...best looking of the bunch in my opinion. Nice powerful V6, as opposed to a powerful turbo 4 in the Ranger. Also has auto 4wd option which the Ranger does not offer (I know OP doesn’t care about 4wd). Auto 4wd is a must for snow in a pickup truck after years driving Silverados with the feature. My $.02

I looked into them but the midsize trucks are too small for a family of four to be comfortable on a trip.

77Travco · 05-27-2021, 06:33 AM

Be careful when looking for certain 4WD's as a toad. A 4WD "Auto" type transfer case will not be flat towable. Research vehicle to determine if flat towing capable.

TFell · 05-27-2021, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 77Travco

Be careful when looking for certain 4WD's as a toad. A 4WD "Auto" type transfer case will not be flat towable. Research vehicle to determine if flat towing capable.

The GM transfer cases are mostly two speed with an option for Neutral and Auto, as is the case with my Silverado. The new Silverado’s have the two speed case as an option but Auto is on both transfer cases. It’s great. In the F150, you can’t get the auto case until you get into the Lariat package, but those also have the neutral option, I believe.

In short, on trucks, I’ve not seen an auto option that does not have a neutral option.