As the title says, is anyone using the Chevy Colorado with the 5 cylinder as a tow vehicle? I was thinking of replacing my old Astro van, and now my son wrote it off, so thinking has turned to shopping. There are several crew cab,I5 Colorados/Canyons on Craigslist.On paper, it has about the same HP/torque as my Astro.
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July 9, 2011 9:06 p.m. DeadSkunk HalfDork
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July 9, 2011 9:11 p.m. Zomby woof SuperDork
I tow my Swift, and a hardtop camper with my 4 cyl/5 spd without any problems.
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July 10, 2011 7:15 a.m. DeadSkunk HalfDork
Zomby, is the Swift on a trailer ,dolly,or flat towed? For my use I want to tow my current trailer, a typical 18 foot car hauler. It probably weighs 1500 lb. unloaded.
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July 10, 2011 7:27 a.m. Zomby woof SuperDork
Usually flat with a tow bar. I have a similar trailer, but have only used it a few times behind the Canyon. It pulled it OK. The power wasn't a problem for me, but it probably would be for most people. I imagine with the I5 it would be fine.
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July 10, 2011 7:48 a.m. DeadSkunk HalfDork
Oh! I read your first reply quickly and missed that you're using a 4 cylinder. I saw a 4 cyl.,crew cab, 4x4, automatic for only $5500. It's fairly local and only has 30,000 miles on it. Might be worth a look, if not for me,maybe for my son to drive.
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July 10, 2011 6:45 p.m. Gearheadotaku Dork
Many of the early 3.5 5 cyl engines had head trouble. Poke the web a bit before buying. I think the later 3.7 and the 4cly are ok though. I think a 4x4 crew might be too much for the 4 if you want to tow very much. 2wd standard cab sounds better.
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July 10, 2011 9:14 p.m. DeadSkunk HalfDork
I'll check on line for those engine issues,for sure. Don't need any ongoing headaches.The old Astro has been a pretty good vehicle and I'd like to get something just as dependable.
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July 10, 2011 9:39 p.m. Grizz Reader
My cousin has a Colorado with the 4(I think, it's a base model so I'm guessing that's what it has) and so far it's seemed to handle his abuse fairly well.
Don't know about towing, but it's been able to handle being overloaded with tools, furnaces, ac units and scrap metal. Seems to get stuck easily, but his is RWD so it sits fairly low.
You think you'd be better off buying an older Ranger/Dakota/S10 or has the used market moved along enough that there's really no price difference?
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July 10, 2011 9:48 p.m. novaderrik Dork
i don't think i'd be pulling an 18 foot car hauler with an S series truck- i don't know how much beefier the Colorado chassis is, but i know it's bigger than the S series was. what are the factory towing ratings of a Colorado with different drivelines and engines?
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July 10, 2011 10:04 p.m. Grizz Reader
novaderrik wrote:
i don't think i'd be pulling an 18 foot car hauler with an S series truck-
Yeah, missed the 18 footer thing.
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July 11, 2011 4:37 a.m. Zomby woof SuperDork
Gearheadotaku wrote:
It was valve seats, and it was the 4, and 5 cyl. Not sure about the 6. I don't think it was that many, but the dealers didn't hesitate to cover it under warranty.Many of the early 3.5 5 cyl engines had head trouble.
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July 11, 2011 7:16 a.m. DeadSkunk HalfDork
Maximum towing capacity for a Colorado is 4500 lb. My 2wd Astro was rated for 5000, and an AWD one is listed as 4500, so I'm thinking a 6 cylinder, crew cab Colorado/Canyon might do OK. I'd like to be able to seat 4 people, so I've been ignoring Rangers. I have seen a few Dakotas listed that are crew cabs,too, and you can find them with a V8..
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July 11, 2011 7:53 a.m. RossD SuperDork
My dad did some towing with his I5 3.5L H3. Mostly a 4'x8' trailer going up north with some building/camping stuff. It seemed to do alright. I know that the H3 and Colorado/Canyon share a plateform but I don't know how close...
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July 11, 2011 11:34 a.m. sachilles Dork
diesel jeep liberty is rated at 5000. Good mileage even while towing.
