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Old 08-24-2018, 06:01 PM   #1
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Newcomer question - Chevy Colorado

First, I'm sure I should be able to read the posts and figure this out but (after reading way more than I should have at work) I'm still kind of lost on how you figure out what your truck can haul and I'm SO sorry...have mercy on me.

We have a 2016 Chevy Colorado 3.6 L V-6 with a tow package. 7,000 lb tow capacity, 12,000 GCWR. We've had it about a year and it should be paid off right about the time we plan on retiring and buying a trailer and hitting the road. Literally, we plan on seeing the country for a year or so and not having a house to speak of (we have land and a cabin).

We've fallen in LOVE with the Cherokee Grey Wolf 25RL. We've looked at dozens of trailers and this is by far our favorite. I know the gross vehicle weight is over 7,000 (like 7,600), but the dry weight is about 4,777 (more or less, I've seen it at 4,500 and 4,900, but 4,777 seems to be the most commonly listed weight). Surely, we wouldn't add 2,223 lbs of stuff to that trailer!

I guess the real question is: Can we realistically tow that trailer with the vehicle we have? We've been told by some folks look for dry weight of 5,000 or less. Dealers (of course) say we can tow that trailer fine. I've seen people on here say not to look at dry weight...look at gross...but there's a HUGE difference between dry and gross in this trailer - almost 3,000 lbs. We're not loading it with bricks after all.

Do we need to just buy a new truck, or resign ourselves to a smaller, lighter trailer? We really don't want to buy a new truck and have a payment again.

Many thanks for helping out the math challenged.
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Old 08-24-2018, 06:09 PM   #2
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Payload is the number you want to pay attention to.
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Old 08-24-2018, 06:14 PM   #3
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You can try and pull it. THEN you will know for sure what to do.
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Old 08-24-2018, 06:18 PM   #4
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What is cargo/load capacity on the label on drivers door jamb?
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Old 08-24-2018, 06:53 PM   #5
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You can try and pull it. THEN you will know for sure what to do.
Thanks, but since we might decide on smaller trailer instead of bigger truck, that's probably not the way to go.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:24 PM   #6
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Mrs.Shockley, as a couple posters have already suggested, you need to know how much weight your Colorado can hold up, not how much it can pull. Remember the old Toyota Tundra commercials where it pulled the space shuttle and pulled a huge cargo container up from the edge of a cliff? Those Tundras didn’t have much weight to carry on the back end but it was impressive how much they could “pull”, eh?!

So you need to know its “payload capacity”. Open the drivers door and you should see a white and yellow sticker that says something like, “Total combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed xxx pounds”. That is the first limit you’ll exceed, not the towing capacity.

Let us know what that number is and we can provide some advice.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:26 PM   #7
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It says GVWR is 6,000 lbs. Front axel rating is 3200 and rear is 3500. It doesn't actually say the payload or cargo capacity or the weight of the truck.

The owners manual says to locate the the statement "the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX pounds" on your vehicles placard. But I've never seen any such statement.

According to the GM Authority website for our truck, a 2016 crew cab with a 6 foot 2 in bed, the base curb weight is 4450 and the base payload is 1520.

Does that make sense?
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:28 PM   #8
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Sorry I took so long. I was looking for answers.

The yellow and white sticker says the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1486 lb.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:29 PM   #9
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You can’t really go by what’s on a website because there are so many variations of each vehicle. That white and yellow sticker should be there. Here’s a picture of mine.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:30 PM   #10
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Every truck has to have that sticker. Each is unique to that truck.

Took me forever to find mine, I admit!!! I had to stand on my head.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:31 PM   #11
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If you can’t find the sticker, the other option is to fill up the fuel tank and get all your family and pets on board and take it to a weigh scale. Subtract that weight from its GVWR.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:37 PM   #12
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Every truck has to have that sticker. Each is unique to that truck.

Took me forever to find mine, I admit!!! I had to stand on my head.
Got it!
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:39 PM   #13
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The real answer is not what you can pull...

But what can you stop?

That trailer is too much for your truck.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:40 PM   #14
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As others have said, you'll need to know your payload rating for the Colorado, which should be on a label in your drivers' side door. You'll need that number to compare against the tongue weight on the 25RL. Add your truck cargo (all passengers, pets, gear) to the tongue weight. If that number is under the payload for the truck - you're a step closer to doing it.

Since I have a 20RDSE (roughly 700# lighter than yours, with a similar GVWR (7200), and have pulled it with an Envoy rated for 7000 (it had the 5.3L V8), I may be able to shed some 'real world' comparison for you...

The 20RDSE comes in at *just* under 4000 'dry' (about 22lbs, IIRC). By the time I got two 6v batteries, propane, full tank of water, some gear in the trailer, the weight of the hitch (100# on the tongue), etc. - I tipped at 5200 (via the CAT scales).

I was just fine with it until I tried to pull it up the big mountains out west on my way to Glacier NP. Then I had to reduce speed, but I made it all the way there & back, and never felt 'unsafe' (except when I had to drive 40mph on uphill grades with a 65mph limit!) I did have a WDH (which was required, above 4K, per GM), and a trailer brake controller (which felt like overkill, TBH, but I'd still recommend one). I also had brand new brakes / hardware at all four wheels, stopping very confidently. All in all, a pretty easy tow - on the flats & downhills.

IF you get a WDH w/ sway control, and don't plan on towing up big mountains, you might be able to do it. But it'll be close. I'd definitely get an auxiliary trans cooler, and either install a gauge to keep an eye on the temp, or run a smartphone app like Torque Pro, which will read it via the ODBII port (with a BT adapter you plug in).

In my case, I decided to upgrade my TV - I now have a 3/4 ton Sierra with the 6.0L and 4L80e trans. Until I get to a point where I'd 'need' a diesel, I will be good with this new truck.


On a side note - I know what you speak of re: the 25RL. I recently came across that floorplan myself, and REALLY like it, as well. RL floorplan with a curb / camp side dinette and another big viewing window - lots of light. Throw in a decent sized bath and walled off BR, and it's a nice set up. No slides make for easier maintenance.

Have you seen the new 2019s arriving at dealers? FR has all new interior / exterior color palettes on the GW series. The 25RL gets a farmhouse-style sink (still stainless), along with a couple of other new things. Interior color scheme is now 'Sedona' instead of the 'Mink', and the rear couch is now grey instead of brown. The only downside (to me) is that the fabric used for the dinette cushions looks like a downgrade, compared to previous years. The other big interior change is that the infotainment system (Furrion) is all digital media, now - gained an HDMI port, but lost the DVD transport.

I'm actually shopping for a new trailer to replace my 20RDSE - and it's between an Alpha Wolf 23RD-L and the GW 25RL for me. Granted, the 23RD-L is a few thousand more, although it's supposed to be a step up from the GWs, too.

If there was one thing I would still want in the 25RL, it would be more kitchen / pantry storage (which you tend to give up by default, in a RL floorplan). And some tank insulation (which can be added).

Other than that, it checks off a lot of boxes of what I'd like in my next TT.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:42 PM   #15
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Great. So your payload capacity is 1486 pounds. That’s actually pretty impressive for that size of truck.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:56 PM   #16
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Got it!
I have the GMC sister Canyon. 2016 4 door short bed. Mine says 1615 lbs. I don't tow my 5er.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:57 PM   #17
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I found a Cherokee Grey Wolf 25RL on the internet. It’s said to have a “dry” weight of 4974 pounds so I’d suggest you’d be around 6000 pounds when loaded to go camping. Assuming the tongue will be about 12% of that, it would be in the 700-750 pound range.

You’ll have to figure out how much other weight you’ll be putting in/on the truck. Be conservative with your calculations. The weights adds up very quickly!

The other cosiderations are:
- pulling power - you only have a V6 and I presume it doesn’t have a turbo?
- length of trailer vs. Wheelbase of your truck. The ad said its 27’8” long which is VERY long for a Colorado with a short 128” wheelbase.

Honestly, I would tend to side with the folks telling you to look for something that’ll be in the 5000 pound range when loaded (so something like 4000 pounds “dry”) and maybe around 23 feet long.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:58 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Reprise View Post
IF you get a WDH w/ sway control, and don't plan on towing up big mountains, you might be able to do it. But it'll be close. I'd definitely get an auxiliary trans cooler, and either install a gauge to keep an eye on the temp, or run a smartphone app like Torque Pro, which will read it via the ODBII port (with a BT adapter you plug in).

On a side note - I know what you speak of re: the 25RL. I recently came across that floorplan myself, and REALLY like it, as well. RL floorplan with a curb / camp side dinette and another big viewing window - lots of light. Throw in a decent sized bath and walled off BR, and it's a nice set up. No slides make for easier maintenance.

Have you seen the new 2019s arriving at dealers? FR has all new interior / exterior color palettes on the GW series. The 25RL gets a farmhouse-style sink (still stainless), along with a couple of other new things. Interior color scheme is now 'Sedona' instead of the 'Mink', and the rear couch is now grey instead of brown. The only downside (to me) is that the fabric used for the dinette cushions looks like a downgrade, compared to previous years. The other big interior change is that the infotainment system (Furrion) is all digital media, now - gained an HDMI port, but lost the DVD transport.

I'm actually shopping for a new trailer to replace my 20RDSE - and it's between an Alpha Wolf 23RD-L and the GW 25RL for me. Granted, the 23RD-L is a few thousand more, although it's supposed to be a step up from the GWs, too.

If there was one thing I would still want in the 25RL, it would be more kitchen / pantry storage (which you tend to give up by default, in a RL floorplan). And some tank insulation (which can be added).

Other than that, it checks off a lot of boxes of what I'd like in my next TT.
Well shucks. That's what I've been worried about. I do love mountains. Our son lives in Colorado so it's a fair bet we'll go there regularly.

I do love the 25RL. First one we saw was actually a patriot edition, not a grey wolf, but same
floor plan. The first trailer we looked at was a Rockwood Mini Lite 2503S, but it's 4739 dry weight and that's just as bad! Besides, not sure what we think of the kitchen slide. If that was gross, I'd go for that...

Guess we'll have to buy a new truck or a mini trailer.

It will be very hard to find a trailer we like I think. We have certain items that are "deal breakers". We want a walk around bed and we want a larger bathroom than we're seeing in most.

I appreciate the input greatly.
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Old 08-24-2018, 08:08 PM   #19
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No problem. It’s always best to find the trailer first and then get a vehicle that can tow it, but we’ve all done it backwards when we started out. BTW, the Mini Lite 2503S is a nice trailer. I really liked the large bathroom but my DW didn’t like the idea of a Murphy bed. So you can see from my signature what we ended up with - a 32’ TT that I had to upgrade my truck to pull!
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Old 08-24-2018, 08:10 PM   #20
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I found a Cherokee Grey Wolf 25RL on the internet. It’s said to have a “dry” weight of 4974 pounds so I’d suggest you’d be around 6000 pounds when loaded to go camping. Assuming the tongue will be about 12% of that, it would be in the 700-750 pound range.

You’ll have to figure out how much other weight you’ll be putting in/on the truck. Be conservative with your calculations. The weights adds up very quickly!

The other cosiderations are:
- pulling power - you only have a V6 and I presume it doesn’t have a turbo?
- length of trailer vs. Wheelbase of your truck. The ad said its 27’8” long which is VERY long for a Colorado with a short 128” wheelbase.

Honestly, I would tend to side with the folks telling you to look for something that’ll be in the 5000 pound range when loaded (so something like 4000 pounds “dry”) and maybe around 23 feet long.
So, what kind of truck should we be considering if we decide to upgrade?
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