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anyone use a blazer as a tow rig.......

AJMBLAZER said:
We need to sit down and figure out the tow ratings on these things. I keep vacilating between like 4500lbs and 6000lbs.

I know a year or so ago when I moved south I pulled a trailer that weighed at most a ton total and had the interior loaded with myself, my two dogs, and the back jammed to capacity. The truck was working and a few times it wasn't fun on the road. I can't imagine, even with a weight control hitch, towing anything close to 6000lbs.

Good hitch and towing setup, anything under 3000lbs and I'd do it all day.
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it's actually less than 5K with a weight distributing hitch (i've been reading wrong)......so says the factory here when you do the math. the hitch they use is overrated for the truck.

http://coloradok5.com/brochures/1986/jimmy6.jpg

i'm pretty sure the GVWR is 6100 lbs.....don't leave you much when it maxes out at a combined limit of 11,000 and you include the tongue weight onto the truck. imo...5,000lbs is heavy for a K-5 to tow safely.

here's one from '89: http://coloradok5.com/brochures/1989/blazer2.jpg
 
stumpjump said:
nuff said...

IMG_5685.jpg
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That Blazer looks like it should have some fat slicks in the back so that it can pull wheelies at the track:pimp:
 
Cornfield creations said:
On the movie twister, weren't those suburbans with dually rear axles? They used the inside as a command center.
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It was a black suburban dually. I loved that truck, now it's twister turd.

For anyone with a Chalet or camper, this is the best setup. SuperHitch with Supertruss 4' extention. I've only towed ~3500 pounds behind it. It is super heavy, dual square tubes connected together, solid for about 1' at receiver. With chains and turnbuckles on either side.
22065.jpg

pismo
 
shovelbill80 said:
it's actually less than 5K with a weight distributing hitch (i've been reading wrong)......so says the factory here when you do the math. the hitch they use is overrated for the truck.

http://coloradok5.com/brochures/1986/jimmy6.jpg

i'm pretty sure the GVWR is 6100 lbs.....don't leave you much when it maxes out at a combined limit of 11,000 and you include the tongue weight onto the truck. imo...5,000lbs is heavy for a K-5 to tow safely.

here's one from '89: http://coloradok5.com/brochures/1989/blazer2.jpg
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Yeah, 12,000lbs definitely doesn't leave any more than 6k on the outside as a towable load.

I think in a world where modern half tons can tow 11,000lbs and 1 tons are almost in the realm of commercial vehicles people forget it wasn't that long ago that towing 7,000lbs was considered a lot...or that these trucks were basically designed in 1970-72.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
Yeah, 12,000lbs definitely doesn't leave any more than 6k on the outside as a towable load.

I think in a world where modern half tons can tow 11,000lbs and 1 tons are almost in the realm of commercial vehicles people forget it wasn't that long ago that towing 7,000lbs was considered a lot...or that these trucks were basically designed in 1970-72.
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very true, very true.....a '90's 2wd 3/4 ton Suburban was rated for a whopping 9,500.

i just have a pet peeve for towing as i've seen lots of dead people in my old profession due to improper and unsafe towing practices.......wasn't always pretty.
 
Towed like a dream from North Charleston S.C. up 77 to Alliance Ohio.
4th005.jpg


The Back of the 'Burb is full of my wife's boxes of books from the front seats to the barn doors.
The trailer has my Fender Mender 250, 1991 V-8 S-10 and 1968 Simplicity Yeoman 616. I hadn't put the load bars on yet.
 
Didn't the K5s come with the tow option from the factory? Some had the tow bar installed I think.
 
my '90 came with the optional tow package.....what exactly this means i have yet to find out, i'll assume the 3.73's, tranny cooler, oil cooler. this is the hitch the factory installed, has 4 wire connector too......

0206111518a1.jpg
 
Wazzabie...

That was called the "Trailering Special" and on the K5's a badge was placed on the tailgate.
The GVW was also on the badge. I still have mine in a box somewhere.
 
Not in the later years, probably 80's on?

My '89 has the Z82 trailering package that specs out like shovel mentioned. It does mean you get the bigger rear drums as well. THINK it means you get the higher GVWR and rear springs or it might be assumed that package came with Z82 as well.

Even with the factory towing package I wouldn't tow some of the weights and/or lengths/sizes of trailers guys have talked about towing. I wouldn't touch 7000lbs with a stick with this thing. Too short, not enough brakes, and a design from the early 1970's.
 
I tow my boat approx 4k lbs with an 87 blazer and I have 35" tires.

If you have the stock 10 bolt you will likely break the gears, I did.
I replaced my axle with a 14 bolt and 5.13 gears and it works great.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
Even with the factory towing package I wouldn't tow some of the weights and/or lengths/sizes of trailers guys have talked about towing. I wouldn't touch 7000lbs with a stick with this thing. Too short, not enough brakes, and a design from the early 1970's.
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If you are relying on the factory brakes to stop you don't tow anything with a stock blazer. These trucks must have trailer brakes on the trailer, ones that work well.

I will let you guys know how my jimmy pulls Horton around this summer, I will only be doing short tows but some highway will be in the mix.

I am more than likely around 7k with Horton and the trailer, so that will be more than the max but like I said short distances and heck the jimmys a diesel so I doubt I will be going more than 55
 
y5mgisi said:
I am in full on love with that Chalet!!!! I would trade every vehicle in my arsenal for that!!!

And that dually blazer, i know its wrong but it feels so right!!!
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Is it becuase it looks so nice or because you like the chalet look?
:whistle:
I could deliver mine to you for my asking price.
Needs some cleaning and a better paint job, but has zero rust and original 90k miles.:thumb:
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279941

I would even toss in the 27 spline 205 with adapter I got for it
 
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