Trailblazer as a tow vehicle

[garyl62]

I'm looking at a different vehicle for my wife (she has the 07 Trailblazer with the inline 6) and I'm debating about getting rid of that, or maybe dumping my '10 Silverado instead. Dollar wise I'm better off dumping the truck and keeping the Trailblazer for a year or maybe 2. If I do that, I'll be driving the Trailblazer. I don't mind that for almost everything but the question becomes pulling the trailer to the UP. I know it won't pull like the truck so that's a given, but in reality I make 2 trips pulling the trailer at most per year so I'm wondering how hard it will be to manage it for a year or two. I've got the 22' NEO inline and normally only have 2 sleds in it. Total weight will be about 3,100 lbs, (3700 if I put 3 in there) which is well within the 5,200 rating, but the length of the trailer to the wheelbase of the Trailblazer is what I'm concerned about.

Anyone have some experience with a set-up like that?

 

[steelhead]

One thing to keep in mind is the Trailblazer's rated payload. (this is the total of passengers, gas in the tank, luggage, tools, tongue weight of trailer etc.)
Many times even 1/2 tons max out on payload before maxing out on "rated tow ratings". It may seem insignificant but if you are in an accident and it is proved that you exceeded maximum payload you could find yourself in trouble.

example:
2 passangers = 300 to 400 pounds
tongue weight (15% of 3700) = 550 pounds
20 gallons of gas = 140 pounds
tools, gear, luggage etc. 200 lbs
total 1190 to 1290 lbs.
I don't know have official payload capacity for that Blazer but I would guess it is between 1,000lbs and 1,200 pounds.

 

[whitedust]

Doable but will labor just depends on you and how heavy a foot you have? 2 trips no big deal for Trailblazer just don't push it probably will be difficult over 60mph & RT39 is now 70mph to Wausau so others will be 75mph or more. Stay right & you will be ok.

 

[jedoyle]

Used to own a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer. At the time I towed an open 3 place trailer with 3 sleds loaded. Went to northern WI from Iowa a couple of times. It worked but looking back now it was far from ideal especially when you hit any sort of hill. And the trailer with 3 sleds loaded on it really seemed to "push" the SUV. I personally can't imagine that same SUV pulling our current 23' enclosed NEO trailer. Between being borderline on power and the narrow wheel base I just wouldn't want to do it but maybe that is just me. Jim

 

[pippy_b]

Watch out for those side winds with that short wheel base!!! Never get caught in 2 wheel drive with a side wind and ice patch!!!

 

[groomerdriver]

We had an 06 Trailcrapper (as a GM mechanic friend calls it) but it had the 8 cyl and pulled very well but it was an 8 cyl. My USAF son has an 07 with the I6 but he's never pulled anything of significance.

Another friend had an 05 era TB with the I6 and he said when he pulled a 2 place open trailer that you wished you had an 8 cyl going up hills but once you were on the level it was fine. The I6 motor makes its advertised HP and torque at what....6000 RPM? Who tows at 6000 RPM for an extended time?

I dunno.....for a couple of times a year? You'd get more money for your 10 Silver wouldn't you considering how insane used truck prices are now? Used TB's aren't worth a damn....not a lot of demand vs. pickups, Subs, Tahoes, etc.

Just my .02 but I am right in the middle of (forced into it) large SUV shopping right now. God I HATE shopping for a car!

 

[garyl62]

Thanks guys. Starting to lean toward keeping the TB and selling the truck. Even debating about selling the sleds and trailer and just renting from Chad for a couple years. Who knows, lots of talk, very little action.... hopefully I'll have a plan in a day or two so keep chiming in if you have any thoughts.

 

[whitedust]

Always less expensive to rent than own for 2 weekends a winter you are right on with that concept. Sell everything take money to the bank rent 2 weekends & walk away.....no worries just pay as you go.

 

[mezz]

Unless that TB is the extended version, I would not recommend it, now that doesn't mean it's not "doable". IMO, that is too much trailer (loaded) for the standard TB plus the mileage would be the same as your Silverado.-Mezz

 

[zimmer1310]

make sure it has a tranny cooler! lot of weight and shifting in that distance. I know it is only twice a year but have been with groups who have burned out a tranny to the UP and back. I think it had something to do with no proper maintenance in this instance as I asked how often he changed his tranny oil and I got a blank stare....

 

[G]

Trailblazers not too popular around here. They are the new Bronco 2. Too short. They tip over real easy. With some vehicles a person gets a second chance on ice. Not so much with a trailblazer.

 

[Hoosier]

Always less expensive to rent than own for 2 weekends a winter you are right on with that concept. Sell everything take money to the bank rent 2 weekends & walk away.....no worries just pay as you go.

Last time I tried to figure this out I think riding 8 days/year was the tipping point financially - of course there are a lot assumptions going into that. Renting has hassles too - can't really chase snow since you need to book in advance, sometimes get crappy sleds (maybe not an issue if you find a reliable dealer), hard to insure a rental, etc. I only get out about 6-10 days a year, and I think the only way I'd switch to renting is if I wanted to spend more time in the West.

 

[whitedust]

Last time I tried to figure this out I think riding 8 days/year was the tipping point financially - of course there are a lot assumptions going into that. Renting has hassles too - can't really chase snow since you need to book in advance, sometimes get crappy sleds (maybe not an issue if you find a reliable dealer), hard to insure a rental, etc. I only get out about 6-10 days a year, and I think the only way I'd switch to renting is if I wanted to spend more time in the West.

IDK but when you sell a tow SUV or truck ,trailer,2-3 sleds & discontinue insurance payments & have no maintenance on any of that anymore seems sled renting is a small amount compared to all the ownership costs. 2 trips to UP a year not much for rentals provided you don't wreck them. The difficult part would be the cost of getting back in with new stuff sleds alone $12-14K!

 

[indy_500]

IDK but when you sell a tow SUV or truck ,trailer,2-3 sleds & discontinue insurance payments & have no maintenance on any of that anymore seems sled renting is a small amount compared to all the ownership costs. 2 trips to UP a year not much for rentals provided you don't wreck them. The difficult part would be the cost of getting back in with new stuff sleds alone $12-14K!

Exactly the maintenance, all the registrations/trail permits and the insurance on a sled is enough to pay for 5 days of riding a rental.

 

[Hoosier]

IDK but when you sell a tow SUV or truck ,trailer,2-3 sleds & discontinue insurance payments & have no maintenance on any of that anymore seems sled renting is a small amount compared to all the ownership costs. 2 trips to UP a year not much for rentals provided you don't wreck them. The difficult part would be the cost of getting back in with new stuff sleds alone $12-14K!

I was comparing apples to apples, and this was 5 years ago. Indy 600 is $7k, and most rentals are fan cooled and cheaper (or were 5 yrs ago), not $12k.

If you have to buy a truck then game over obviously. I definitely agree the argument to own is getting harder every year. Used prices are nuts too. If the guys I ride with wanted to rent, I would probably do so too, and just drive a car up.

 

[garyl62]

Well I only make 2 trips a year with the trailer because I leave it up there mid-season. For the past 4 years I’ve been making 3 or 4 trips, but I’m only going to the Keweenaw now so chasing snow is no longer an issue. As far as payback, I’m not really sure where that point is, and I’m not sure that would be a deciding factor. As far as quality of rentals, I’d probably only rent from Chad. Last year he had new XF 6000’s and Yamaha Vipers. I know he’ll have new sleds this year so riding a $12,000+ four stroke will sure beat the 07 f8 I’m riding now.

After talking things over with my wife, I’m pretty sure I’ve decided to sell the Silverado and liquidate the sleds and trailer. She has agreed to still having no problem with me taking as many trips as I want and renting. I had actually been debating last year about taking less trips because I go solo every time except for a weekend in February and honestly it’s been getting less enjoyable to drive up and back alone and always look for someone to hook up with on the trail. Last season I was fortunate, I rode with people every day, but that’s not always going to happen. One of the other main reasons I’m leaning toward selling, is that there is still some value in my equipment so I’ll put some decent money aside. If I don’t like the way it works out after a year or two, I’ll look for a new sled and trailer then.

I ride 6 days for sure, but no more than 8 days a season with an occasional couple hour ride on my arrival day. My son comes for 2 of those days. I’ve got a ’07 f8 and a ’09 Crossfire 800 Sno-Pro Limited that I haul in my ’14 3-place inline NEO. That’s a decent amount of cash invested for just 10 days of riding and now if I only take 2 or 3 trips that will drop to 6 or 8 days at the most. I don’t know that snowmobiling is ever something you look at with an ROI in mind so I’m not thinking of selling because of that. I’m just wondering if I’m at the stage in life where I’d enjoy it more to just have a new sled waiting for me whenever I want to ride, instead of doing all the prep, maintenance, off season storage and towing things back and forth that goes into owning my own.

Anyone interested in anything? J I’ve also got those ’72 Panthers I picked up this spring, on second thought, maybe I’ll hang onto them for a project to keep my itch satisfied.

 

[Hoosier]

Well I only make 2 trips a year with the trailer because I leave it up there mid-season. For the past 4 years I’ve been making 3 or 4 trips, but I’m only going to the Keweenaw now so chasing snow is no longer an issue. As far as payback, I’m not really sure where that point is, and I’m not sure that would be a deciding factor. As far as quality of rentals, I’d probably only rent from Chad. Last year he had new XF 6000’s and Yamaha Vipers. I know he’ll have new sleds this year so riding a $12,000+ four stroke will sure beat the 07 f8 I’m riding now.

After talking things over with my wife, I’m pretty sure I’ve decided to sell the Silverado and liquidate the sleds and trailer. She has agreed to still having no problem with me taking as many trips as I want and renting. I had actually been debating last year about taking less trips because I go solo every time except for a weekend in February and honestly it’s been getting less enjoyable to drive up and back alone and always look for someone to hook up with on the trail. Last season I was fortunate, I rode with people every day, but that’s not always going to happen. One of the other main reasons I’m leaning toward selling, is that there is still some value in my equipment so I’ll put some decent money aside. If I don’t like the way it works out after a year or two, I’ll look for a new sled and trailer then.

I ride 6 days for sure, but no more than 8 days a season with an occasional couple hour ride on my arrival day. My son comes for 2 of those days. I’ve got a ’07 f8 and a ’09 Crossfire 800 Sno-Pro Limited that I haul in my ’14 3-place inline NEO. That’s a decent amount of cash invested for just 10 days of riding and now if I only take 2 or 3 trips that will drop to 6 or 8 days at the most. I don’t know that snowmobiling is ever something you look at with an ROI in mind so I’m not thinking of selling because of that. I’m just wondering if I’m at the stage in life where I’d enjoy it more to just have a new sled waiting for me whenever I want to ride, instead of doing all the prep, maintenance, off season storage and towing things back and forth that goes into owning my own.

Anyone interested in anything? J I’ve also got those ’72 Panthers I picked up this spring, on second thought, maybe I’ll hang onto them for a project to keep my itch satisfied.

What does he charge for the xf600's? It is nice driving a car up and no trailer...

 

[garyl62]

What does he charge for the xf600's? It is nice driving a car up and no trailer...

I’m not sure but if I remember correctly it was $225 last year. I think the Viper was the same.




So you guys had me trying to figure out a break even number last night (when I should have been trying to fall asleep) so here’s what I came up with for my 2 sled and trailer.

$414, Annual Insurance
$90, MI Trail Passes
$20, IL Registration ($30 for 3 years per sled)
$58, Trailer Plate
$212, Added gas cost based on MPG difference pulling a trailer or not, 2 trips a year, @$2.65 per gallon
$1,050, $350 per item of either lost value or maintanence

$1,844 Total for a year.

If I divide that by $225 per day it works out to 8 days. All of those numbers except the last one are firm figures. I know that everything loses value each year. I’m pretty sure my stuff drops $350 per year or more until it hits low point then it may taper off and stay flatter for a while, but if that happens it doesn’t take much now to spend $350 or more on repairs or replacement parts. Like I said before, I don’t look at this to determine if I’m making a good investment, it’s a hobby and that cost’s money. For right now though, at least I can look at it and say renting for a couple years won’t cost me any more than I’m already spending.

 

[whitedust]

Well I only make 2 trips a year with the trailer because I leave it up there mid-season. For the past 4 years I’ve been making 3 or 4 trips, but I’m only going to the Keweenaw now so chasing snow is no longer an issue. As far as payback, I’m not really sure where that point is, and I’m not sure that would be a deciding factor. As far as quality of rentals, I’d probably only rent from Chad. Last year he had new XF 6000’s and Yamaha Vipers. I know he’ll have new sleds this year so riding a $12,000+ four stroke will sure beat the 07 f8 I’m riding now.

After talking things over with my wife, I’m pretty sure I’ve decided to sell the Silverado and liquidate the sleds and trailer. She has agreed to still having no problem with me taking as many trips as I want and renting. I had actually been debating last year about taking less trips because I go solo every time except for a weekend in February and honestly it’s been getting less enjoyable to drive up and back alone and always look for someone to hook up with on the trail. Last season I was fortunate, I rode with people every day, but that’s not always going to happen. One of the other main reasons I’m leaning toward selling, is that there is still some value in my equipment so I’ll put some decent money aside. If I don’t like the way it works out after a year or two, I’ll look for a new sled and trailer then.

I ride 6 days for sure, but no more than 8 days a season with an occasional couple hour ride on my arrival day. My son comes for 2 of those days. I’ve got a ’07 f8 and a ’09 Crossfire 800 Sno-Pro Limited that I haul in my ’14 3-place inline NEO. That’s a decent amount of cash invested for just 10 days of riding and now if I only take 2 or 3 trips that will drop to 6 or 8 days at the most. I don’t know that snowmobiling is ever something you look at with an ROI in mind so I’m not thinking of selling because of that. I’m just wondering if I’m at the stage in life where I’d enjoy it more to just have a new sled waiting for me whenever I want to ride, instead of doing all the prep, maintenance, off season storage and towing things back and forth that goes into owning my own.

Anyone interested in anything? J I’ve also got those ’72 Panthers I picked up this spring, on second thought, maybe I’ll hang onto them for a project to keep my itch satisfied.

Yep you are fitting the renter profile I have seen with buds that are casual weekend riders. They didn't want to invest more money in their equipment were 4s riders & wanted to ride new 4s sleds when they did ride & just walk away when done. Lots of Doo 4s Aces for rent in Vilas handle good & easy on gas good rentals for twisty northern WI. For larger 4s Pats & M&M just up the trail & we have done lots of biz with them. To me the key to rental is when you start looking at overall sled ownership costs ride a couple of weekends & just want to walk away when done....the walk away factor was huge with my buds that sold everything. None of them own now just pick a weekend & rent & don't worry about snow Vilas & UP always has enough.

 

[Woodtic]

One option you may not have considered. Sell big truck and trailer,rent a storage unit from Kip or who ever. There are a lot of peaple doing this.