c4racer2

OK thanks - good to know - the website didn't make that very clear.

Personally I wouldn't run that tire - I only run snowflake rated tires, even if I might still run dedicated snow tires part of the winter. KO3's are at least snowflake rated - they may not be fantastic in the snow, but they are decent for at least the first half of treadwear. The OEM versions ride quite nicely IMHO. I had a set of KO2's on a Colorado and had no issues with them other than getting a bit loud as they wear past halfway. I also had the cooper 4S and won't run that tire again - not nearly good enough in the snow, and not very good at all offroad.

thanks for the welcome. I did my first mini tow over the weekend - yes, I know it's not broken in yet but I think it will survive this. Had to move a fridge so hooked up my utility trailer and drove it about 6 miles. I forgot how much I hate backing up that tiny thing - one axle. I am calibrated to a 20f dual axle car trailer and I always forget to adjust. Pulling it is fine, but backing it up I feel like I have no clue what I am doing and I can drop that car trailer anywhere without much thought!

I won't tow over those very often, but it can happen from time to time. I'll be fine with the gas. Most of my driving is around town or weekend road trips with my wife or with my music gear for my band. wasn't worth the extra $10K up front especially consdering diesel is a 25-30% premium over gas here. I had to do a quick tow this weekend, but it was just my small untiliy trailer with a fridge on it and 6 mile round trip. I think it will live. I forgot how much I hate backing up that tiny one axle trailer - I am used to a 20' dual axle car trailer and can put that anywhere but the small one axle is so different. Also - I didn't do Loveland pass proper - just the one over 70 - I don't think it's as high and it's not windy but it's sustained 8% grade so rather steep. I have done Loveland in the snow when the tunnel was close due to a big rig crash. Luckily the wife was sleeping - she would not have been amused! that's a nasty road. I would hate to tow over it - but it can be done that's the normal passage for all the haz-mat trucks.

We live at 5400. The worst grade I have experienced is Loveland Pass going from Silverthorn East towards Denver just before the Eisenhower tunnel. That one is a killer. I have done that twice with the Colorado, but not with the 2500HD - I bought it this week! With a loaded truck and car trailer @ 5500lbs the colorado struggled up that hill - basically 40mph was about all it could muster. That goes up to around 9K feet I believe - actually maybe 10K because Dillon itself is pretty much already at 9K and it climbs up from there. Even just the trailer and a 800lb exercises bike the Colorado can barely keep 55mph up, so that's about a 3K lb trailer and nothing in the truck. Anyway - plenty of passes in CO and UT that go up to 8-9-10K feet. Rockies are high!! I haven't towed anything with the new 2500HD, but I have towed plenty with a 2500 8.1 suburban and a 6.0L gen 3 2500HD long bed, so I have a decent idea what they are like towing.

new member here - just traded my 2018 Colorado long bed LT/4WD V6, lifted 2" w/ ZR2 wheels for it's big brother - 2026 2500HD LT / 4x4 / trail boss 6.6L in the same sterling gray color. I tow a 5-6Klb car trailer and moved to CO last year from CA and now have a farm property, so plenty of room and more hauling duties as well plus the mountains / elevation around here really kills the already underpowered V6 in the Colorado. I don't drive a lot, so the Duramax wasn't really necessary, and gas around here is $1 cheaper than diesel as well. This truck has well more than double the towing capacity I need anyway - I was just looking for some margin and to cover for the mountains which go up to 10K feet in some places.

Agree with keep what you have - 100%. I just spent the last 10 years in Colorado's, last one for 8 years a 2018 long bed V6 / 8spd 4x4, lifted 2". Tow rating is 7000, payload is 1550 which isn't bad. I towed a 5-6Klb car trailer quite a lot including long distance trips over significant mountain ranges. The small truck did great for a small truck, but it did make for a more stressful drive every time. I used a wt. dist hitch always. My trailer tracks really well - it's a very nice trailer and open car trailers are reasonably aerodynamic which helps too. So it was adeqate. But I was always alone in the truck - if I had passengers and cargo it would have blown up the GVWR for sure - I was near the limit on everything. The biggest issue I had was power, and since I moved to CO last year it's a real problem in the mountains around here - the poor V6 is ripping along at 6Krpm trying to maintain 45mph up the steep grades on I70. And there isn't much margin there. So while it's workable and technically within the limits of the truck, it's not ideal. I have had larger trucks including 2500 suburbans so I have a good feeling for the difference. Never really owned a 1500, but had a Nissan Titan but that thing was a beast and closer to a 2500 in ratings. I just traded in the Colorado for a new 2500HD 6.6L. This thing is a serious truck - it will tow my rig with ease. And it does give me the opportunity to consider getting a travel trailer down the road. No reason for a 3500 in my case and my kids are grown so if we did get a travel trailer it would just be for 2 of us so don't have to go nuts there at all. Anyway - just went the other direction as what you are considering and so far I wouldn't look back on my move. 3 days a week 50miles RT I would just drive it - maybe it depends where you live but assuming gas prices get back to where they were or close - we get gas for $2.5 a gallon in CO so 150miles a week or aprox 7K miles a year considering vacation weeks, etc. doesn't seem like much of an issue to me. It's not my only vehicle in my case - I have two Camaros so if it were me I would drive the 2016 all summer and the truck all winter and no biggie. How bad is the mpg on these things anyway? I would think it can pull 17 on the highway? That's not terrible at $3 / gallon.