Bought A Tbss Can I Pull It With My 1500

pchrist · September 20, 2010

like it says i bought a new to me trailblazer ss need to make a 5 hour trip to pick it up. Can i pull it home with my 1500 extended cab shortbox??

Any suggestions. Haven't pulled a lot but willing to do it!

250motorsportz · September 20, 2010

I don't see why not. I'd highly recommend a brake controller. What kind of trailer are you hauling with? I hauled my 69 Camaro with no problems.

Wingnut · September 21, 2010

TBSS weighs close to 5k lbs...Depending on your trailer weight...You should be fine.

Stevens03 · September 21, 2010

Call a dealership, due to AWD, I'd check with them.. or you can look in your owners manual

redvett · September 21, 2010

No you cannot flat tow a AWD must be trailered or driven.

Diesail · September 21, 2010

Yes it will tow it. Go to uhaul.com and plug in your data. It will verify that they will allow the combo of your truck and vehicle to tow. For that distance you can pick it up there and drop it off at home for about $160 bucks. Trailer has surge brakes so no need for any brake controller on your truck.

Nick The Great · September 21, 2010

Yes it will tow it. Go to uhaul.com and plug in your data. It will verify that they will allow the combo of your truck and vehicle to tow. For that distance you can pick it up there and drop it off at home for about $160 bucks. Trailer has surge brakes so no need for any brake controller on your truck.

I pulled a 94 Grand Prix over Labor Day weekend. Not quite as heavy as the TBSS but a little weight. The uhaul tow dolly pulled wonderfully. My truck didn't even know it was back there. Now getting the car on the dolly when it wouldn't start, THATS another story . . .

But I digress. The TBSS, AWD wouldn't work on the dolly. I suppose you could disconnect the drive shaft?

Depending on where you're going, may it be cheaper/easier to rent a car (one-way), drive down, and drive the TBSS home? I live in a rural part of the country, so I could understand why this won't work!

Doug_Scott · September 21, 2010

No you cannot flat tow a AWD must be trailered or driven.

Having zero experience with an AWD vehicle, why is it different to any other vehicle? Does it have some device other than the trans (that all other vehicles have anyways) that has some pump driven off of the engine or something? If that is the case, why not just idle the vehicle in neutral all the way home?

Or are you saying you cannot flat tow any automatic trans vehicle that does not have a rear pump in it?

redvett · September 21, 2010

Read this.

http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/output.cfm?id=205435

redvett · September 21, 2010

Read in the owners manual about towing. AWD has a fluid coupling in the transfercase and cannot be towed. Why not just drive it?

No you cannot flat tow a AWD must be trailered or driven.

Having zero experience with an AWD vehicle, why is it different to any other vehicle? Does it have some device other than the trans (that all other vehicles have anyways) that has some pump driven off of the engine or something? If that is the case, why not just idle the vehicle in neutral all the way home?

Or are you saying you cannot flat tow any automatic trans vehicle that does not have a rear pump in it?

Diesail · September 21, 2010

No you cannot flat tow a AWD must be trailered or driven.

Having zero experience with an AWD vehicle, why is it different to any other vehicle? Does it have some device other than the trans (that all other vehicles have anyways) that has some pump driven off of the engine or something? If that is the case, why not just idle the vehicle in neutral all the way home?

Or are you saying you cannot flat tow any automatic trans vehicle that does not have a rear pump in it?

Most AWD or Full Time Four wheel drive vehicles have a viscous coupling in the transfer case that transfers power between the front and rear. If you tow them on a dolly then it will believe the rear tires are slipping and try and transfer power to the front. Since the front is locked into the dolly it will cause the rear tires to lock as well. You can flat tow one with all four tires on the ground but that is depend on having a neutral setting on the transfer case and a popper tow bar on the vehicle. Doing a one time tow this is must much easier on a trailer with all four tires off the ground.

Also, IMO the trailer is just simply better as you have brakes on the trailer and no concerns over damage to the vehicle.

c4cruiser · September 21, 2010

Yes it will tow it. Go to uhaul.com and plug in your data. It will verify that they will allow the combo of your truck and vehicle to tow. For that distance you can pick it up there and drop it off at home for about $160 bucks. Trailer has surge brakes so no need for any brake controller on your truck.

While the online U-Haul towing deal may show that it is a safe combination, the big U-Haul franchise dealers may not allow you to tow the setup with a half-ton pickup. They will try to force you to rent one of their box trucks. That way they make more money on renting a second rig and an extra per-mile charge plus you get hit for horrible gas mileage.

But if you go to a self-storage place that has U-Haul trailers, they usually don't ask what you are going to tow. And the U-Haul dealer stores may not rent a car trailer for a round-trip. I tried to rent a small cargo trailer from my local U-Haul dealer for a day and they said they only rent them for one-way deals. They didn't want to risk not having enough units available. This was for a Saturday and they had 26 of the damn things on their lot.

For just a 5-hour drive, can't you get a buddy or family member to go with you and drive the other rig back?

pchrist · September 21, 2010

Well bad news guys the guy sold it out from under me!!!! Don't have to go to mn anymore!!!! In the hunt for another one. Contacted my local dealer and he is hunting too. Feeling pretty shitty about the deal going south. My bank talked to his bank all was set just had to set a date. Then i got an email that said sorry i sold it.

I think if i get another one out of town i might just do the drive it back with someone. IDK heres to finding another in a couple of weeks!!!!

Doug_Scott · September 21, 2010

No you cannot flat tow a AWD must be trailered or driven.

Having zero experience with an AWD vehicle, why is it different to any other vehicle? Does it have some device other than the trans (that all other vehicles have anyways) that has some pump driven off of the engine or something? If that is the case, why not just idle the vehicle in neutral all the way home?

Or are you saying you cannot flat tow any automatic trans vehicle that does not have a rear pump in it?

Most AWD or Full Time Four wheel drive vehicles have a viscous coupling in the transfer case that transfers power between the front and rear. If you tow them on a dolly then it will believe the rear tires are slipping and try and transfer power to the front. Since the front is locked into the dolly it will cause the rear tires to lock as well. You can flat tow one with all four tires on the ground but that is depend on having a neutral setting on the transfer case and a popper tow bar on the vehicle. Doing a one time tow this is must much easier on a trailer with all four tires off the ground.

Also, IMO the trailer is just simply better as you have brakes on the trailer and no concerns over damage to the vehicle.

I can understand not being able to pull it with one set of wheels locked, but flat towing to me means using a tow bar, with all 4 wheels on the road. In that case it is no different to any other vehicle out there. You should not tow any automatic trans vehicle with the drive wheels on the road for a long distance. The option of the neutral position on the transfer case would allow you to flat tow it since you can actually leave the trans in park with the transfer case in neutral. That too makes complete sense.

I was just questioning the universal "can't do that" answer that actually applies to all automatic trans vehicles, not just AWD ones. And I also agree that a trailer is the best way if you can't just drive it. I see the OP did not get the vehicle, so this is just a discussion in general now.