Chevy Colorado

[KingFisher]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

Interesting post here. For all of you folks that have been towing with your Colorado's, how did it work out in the long run. Since the original post, it's been 2 1/2 years. So, wondering how those Colorado's are still doing.

I have a 2018 Colorado (bought new), and it is rated for towing 7000 pounds, and came equipped with tow mode and a 7 pin trailer wiring connecter. I've towed my utility trailer with it, but I just can't imagine using it to tow a 7000 pound trailer.

So, for those who posted above that you've towed, how did it work out in the long haul?

I bought a 2015 Colorado new. 4x4, v6, long bed. I pulled a jayco 23rb with it, 6500 gvwr trailer. I got by. Trailer wasn't big enough so we got a sunset trail superlite 250rb gvwr 7582 pounds.

I got by but soon moved up to a half ton Silverado, the v6 in the colorado took too long to get up to speed getting on the interstate.

Then got a 2500hd duramax, now a Ram dually with cummins and a 41 ft fifth wheel.

I could have saved a lot of money if I'd went big at the start.

The Colorado didn't get any better fuel mileage loaded or empty than the silverado or the 2500hd.

[travelin texans]

Those mid size trucks, Colorado, Canyon, Tacoma, Ranger, Dakota, Frontier, along with most of the 1/2 ton trucks even with their "tow packages", were not designed for towing big tall heavy rvs. A small boat utility trailer with ATVs or snowmobiles, Yes. Anything bigger heavier they don't have the payload for, regardless of how much the manufacturer says it can tow.

[JRTJH]

Imagine this situation:

A new owner (who has never towed a travel trailer) has a vehicle, any vehicle, goes to an RV lot and buys a trailer "recommended by the salesman".. They close the loan, hitch his new trailer to his vehicle and he tows it home.

He has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to compare his towing experience... To him, it feels "like there's a trailer behind me"... He encounters sway, wind buffeting, slow accelleration, the "push/pull" of passing 18 wheelers, motorhomes and busses, and accepts that as "must be how it's supposed to tow" and goes on towing.... Occasionally with "white knucke episodes", enduring the slow accelleration, downshifts to 2nd gear on hills and 30MPH climbs with the temperature gauge approaching the red line while the tachometer is "at the red line in 2nd gear....

To him, "it's always been that way so it must be normal".....

Now, he trades his vehicle for a larger, heavier, more powerful vehicle... (pick one or two or all three)....

He hitches his trailer to the new vehicle, experiences a more stable and secure trailer response, he accellerates to "merge speed" much faster, his trailer tracks behind his new vehicle without any sway or buffeting in sidewinds, the first 18 wheeler he sees in his side mirror "barrelling toward him" passes and he only feels a slight push/pull, but the trailer is "solidly behind his vehicle"....

THE LIGHT BULB GOES ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's when he suddenly realizes what we've been telling him for the past 6 months or 6 years. His previous vehicle was "Inadequate for his size trailer" even though, it was all he's ever towed, so to him "it was normal towing"....

Only after there's "something to compare it to, will a new, novice RV'er realize what we're talking about... Until then, in his mind, he's convinced that "his vehicle" is "perfectly fine with his trailer", until

[Tennessee_Rebel]

JRTJH Your 100% correct...you don't know what you don't know. For a newb the dealer should exercise extreme caution and be much more upfront with a buyer. They're not only risking the buyer and his families safety but other potential drivers. If it wasn't for researching forums and talking to experienced folks like yourself I'd probably be rolling with a McMansion on wheels.

[flybouy]

Around here (Chesapeake Bay) there two stories that recur every year when the weather warms.

1. A boat capsizes throwing a dozen people into the water from a 17' boat.
2. Several people are injured when a 14' X 14' deck with 30 people dancing on it collapsed.

Like towing with an undersized tow vehicle, there wasn't a problem until there was a problem and it usually happens too quickly to do anything about it.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Around here (Chesapeake Bay) there two stories that recur every year when the weather warms.

1. A boat capsizes throwing a dozen people into the water from a 17' boat.
2. Several people are injured when a 14' X 14' deck with 30 people dancing on it collapsed.

Like towing with an undersized tow vehicle, there wasn't a problem until there was a problem and it usually happens too quickly to do anything about it.

As I've said many, many times in the past every single time I've had something bad enough happen to kill me, I never knew it until I woke up. When we set ourselves up for something bad to happen whether by ignorance, arrogance, taking shortcuts, ignoring rules or just "I don't care", when the "oh no!" event starts unfolding there is no stopping it. If you survive it then you get to pay for those shortcomings; sometimes for the rest of your life. Took many years to get that through my head but finally came a time I decided I didn't want to take the chance to see if I woke up.....

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Around here (Chesapeake Bay) there two stories that recur every year when the weather warms.

1. A boat capsizes throwing a dozen people into the water from a 17' boat.
2. Several people are injured when a 14' X 14' deck with 30 people dancing on it collapsed.

Like towing with an undersized tow vehicle, there wasn't a problem until there was a problem and it usually happens too quickly to do anything about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Vk4OmkbwA