misty77
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Post by misty77 on Feb 7, 2018 22:29:56 GMT -8
Does anyone know if a Blazer S10 4.3Lr 4wd can tow a 3300 lb 19 ft camper? I am not sure if its a v6 or v8 but I read somewhere the tow capacity is 5500 lb. The guy said there is a tow package on the vehicle. I am not sure if I should buy it or not but I need to find something to pull my camper before spring. Any suggestions would be appreciated.. Thanks..
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Post by vikx on Feb 7, 2018 23:14:03 GMT -8
I have doubts. The camper weighs more than that when loaded. Do some serious searching online.
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jukebox
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Post by jukebox on Feb 8, 2018 7:30:58 GMT -8
Some people call a tow package slapping on a hitch and trailer wiring. There is more to it than that. Do your research as allready suggested. Actually asking here is doing some research. That is a short vehicle as well. The 4.3L has decent power but you are wanting to tow a heavy trailer and even heavier when loaded. If you are looking at purchasing a vehicle and don't require 4WD then you may consider the full size truck C1500 that was also available with a 4.3L in that era. the C1500 was available with a factory tow package. These tow options would include a transmission cooler, different automatic transmission calibration and sometimes larger brakes as well as the hitch and wiring.
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misty77
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Post by misty77 on Feb 8, 2018 10:11:59 GMT -8
The blazer has a receiver hitch and tow package.. the guy that owned it pulled a trailer with snowmobile sleds up northern Mn. and has hauled a 14 ft camper with it. Its not a hitch on the bumper. The camper is 3400 lbs. I think the manual states 5500 lb capacity on those 4wd SL10 blazers. Can the tranny handle it is my question and I am not planning on taking it up mountains or going a very long distance really.. maybe 2-3 hrs max one way for a trip.. so maybe that might always something to consider too when towing anything. Any feedback here is very helpful and appreciated.. Thank you.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Feb 8, 2018 11:01:20 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2018 11:18:42 GMT -8
That Blazer was a very heavy duty truck. You should have some model year between 1994-2005. Is that correct? The 4.3L Vortec engine was stout and produced around 200 HP in that era. The tranny is even stouter and pretty much bulletproof in my opinion. It would be what GM referred to as the 4160-E and had a large torque converter ideal for towing. That same transmission was upgraded only very slightly to the 4165-E and matched to the 6.0L Vortec used in full-sized trucks. The 4160-E was a proven tranny and used for quite a few years. There are millions of them out there still on the road.
So in my opinion, you will have no problem towing up to a 6000 pound rig with that setup. Of course the engine will labor a bit in the hills SE of Rochester, but the rest of the upper Midwest, as you state, is relatively flat. Best of luck - sounds like a great choice to me!
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misty77
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Post by misty77 on Feb 8, 2018 13:05:23 GMT -8
Thank you... so much for the feedback.. Yes this is a 2000 SL Blazer with a 4.3 Lr engine. I just didn't want to end up getting something and then get down the road and have the tranny give out. The radiator was replaced a couple yrs ago thats like brand new along with the front end work that was done as well. NADA said the tow weight for that truck is 5500 lbs but wasn't sure what that all included. Thanks again for explaining things in layman's terms..
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Post by vikx on Feb 8, 2018 21:21:39 GMT -8
I have to chime in here. My Trailblazer (bigger than the S 10) is a V8 5.3 and rated around 5000 lbs. tow capacity. I've been VERY happy with it.
My friend bought a V6 Trailblazer and she is NOT as happy, even tho it is also rated at 5K. Her trailer is a 22 foot canned ham, so a little lighter in weight than your trailer. The V6 struggles most of the time. (I'm thinking she also has a large amount of camping gear)
The trick would be to test drive the Blazer and tow your trailer. If it doesn't have a factory tow package, it won't have the transmission cooler, but you can add one. Try it on the freeway with semis passing. You'll know.
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misty77
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Post by misty77 on Feb 9, 2018 8:19:59 GMT -8
Thanks for the input on this.. I wish I had option but its winter here, its parked and snow covered roads. My camper is 3400 lbs and the Blazer is rated according to the manual, at 5500. Its pulled a 14/16 ft camper and snowmobiles on a huge trailer no problem the guy said. It has a tow package on it so thats a plus.
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Post by bigbill on Feb 9, 2018 9:11:10 GMT -8
I had a 1996 C10 short bed P/U with a v6 5 Speed with a 3:73 rear gear and it would pull 6000 lbs on my equipment trailer in flat country, but it wasn't Great at pulling a 3000 lb camper trailer, two different animals. After I retired I took a hard look at what I needed to pull, gas mileage, comfort, and cost of owning one vehicle instead of two or three. I debated this with myself for a long time then finally purchased my Silverado LT extended cab with a tow package. This has proved to be a very wise decision except for one problem, my wife likes it so well that is all we drive her Honda CRV just sits in the garage and gathers dust. The only thing she like to use the Honda for is grocery shopping.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2018 10:54:17 GMT -8
Everyone is making excellent points on their towing experiences. In my opinion it kind of comes down to the best choice for your answer to the original question. This is what I understand is your situation...please correct me if I'm wrong:
- You will be towing an amount something less than the actual tow rating of the vehicle.
- You have a factory or approved aftermarket tow package already installed.
- You will be towing on relatively flat ground fairly infrequently and fairly short distances.
- The powertrain in this vehicle was made for many years and again "in my opinion" is relatively bulletproof. Especially the transmission as it was used on larger vehicles than yours.
I think we all agree that towing anything over 3000 pounds will definitely labor the vehicle somewhat. You have to decide if the inconvenience of that is offset by something relatively inexpensive and trustworthy.
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Post by vikx on Feb 9, 2018 11:27:03 GMT -8
It is not the tow capacity that determines whether you can tow safely. It is the STABILITY of the vehicle. Things like wheel base length and weight really do count. In other words, just because a car "can" tow so many pounds without damage to the vehicle, it doesn't mean it will be safe towing. That big trailer will yank the Blazer all over the road.
I think the Blazer will be a costly mistake.
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turbodaddy
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Post by turbodaddy on Feb 9, 2018 15:43:56 GMT -8
I agree with vikx, if you're going to actually travel frequently with the camper, you need a bigger and safer tow vehcle. If you're only bringing it home, or to a nearby permanent location it'll probably be OK as long as you take it easy. I brought our 17' 3200lbs FAN home 200 miles with a GMC Sonoma w /the same engine and tranny you're considering. It wasn't too bad, but I'm much more comfortable with an extended cab Sierra V8 6.0 L.
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