Project: You're Going To Die Towing With That Thing!

[Cobra4B]

Mods are almost complete on project "You're going to die towing with that thing!. For those who don't know, I inherited the truck this April when my Grandfather passed so it was pretty much a free truck. Plus, I love the looks and it gets great gas mileage for what it is.

 

The main goal of project "should have bought a bigger truck and you're going to die towing with that thing" is to safely tow 5000-6000 lbs.

 

The truck: 2004 GMC Canyon SLE

*extended cab

*2WD

*4L60E automatic (same as in the fullsizes)

*Factory tow package (class III hitch, autolocker dif, trans cooler (enclosed in factory radiator)

 

The Important Mods:

*B&M auxillary trans cooler

*Trailer brake controller

*7-pin harness upgrade (truck comes w/ 4-pin)

*Rear ride helper springs

*Equalizer hitch w/ sway control

 

Misc. Mods:

*35% tint

*Deflecta-shield bed box

*Rhino liner

*Weather-tech floor liners

 

Truck w/ liner, tint, bed box, and nerf bars removed... really cleaned up the look.

 

Air-lift ride control springs

 

Air nozzles for springs

 

Inertia switch trailer brake controller - senses deceleration and automatically adjusts braking

 

7-pin upgrade

[Cobra4B]

Trans coler installed

 

Lines protected and tied into factory return line

 

Equalizer hitch - not setup yet

 

K&N intake I just got... need to install

 

The first big test will be towing to VIR for the Mazdadrivers event September 1st and 2nd. Purchased a 18ft full deck trailer from Sweet Rivers Trailers in SC specifically constructed w/ a low deck height for Corvettes, hotrods, etc.

 

It's nice to mod something w/o the vette tax.

 

~Brian

[cmoore74]

Not trying to rain on your parade, but if you get into an accident (even if it is the other persons fault) while towing over the weight limit your insurance company may not cover you even with the modifications you have done.

 

I used to tow my 4000 lb boat with a 2000 S-10 4x4 (the S-10 had a 5400 lb tow limit, not sure why the canyon/colorado is lower at 4000 lb limit) and IMO that was pushing it for that truck. That's the main reason I now have a full-size.

[04z71steve]

what is the truck actually rated to pull?

[AcetyleneDreams]

Nice Corvette. I'll be at VIR for Mazdadays too, so I'll look for your truck.

[Zembonez]

Trans coler installed

 

The first big test will be towing to VIR for the Mazdadrivers event September 1st and 2nd. Purchased a 18ft full deck trailer from Sweet Rivers Trailers in SC specifically constructed w/ a low deck height for Corvettes, hotrods, etc.

 

~Brian

 

It's nice and the mods seem to be well thought out... but I don't think I ever want my tow vehicle to weigh substantially less than what I am towing. No amount of brakes will save you if it ever gets out of hand because sheer mass is not negotiable or forgiving once it is moving.

 

Cheers!

[bryanhunt]

I pulled a trailer designed for hauling tractors around with a standard cab 1 ton dually on top with a half ton with 6.2 diesel across I-94 in michigan once. As some might know about I-94 its a very unforgiving road and can put oscilations in almost anything. Nothing can substitute weight and weelbase for stablizing a butt mounted trailer (different story if you're going 5th wheel).

[asilverblazer]

I think common sense will be what keeps you safe. Especially with the modifications you have made. It would probably help if the trailer was spec'd out to be a lighter weight trailer. Considering it's only hauling a Corvette, which I imagine is considerably lighter than what most 'car haulers' are rated for. Acceleration will be your biggest hinderance. Barely ahead of Braking (Which if unaccounted for is your biggest problem).

[BigJayDogg3]

Your next mod NEEDS to be better brakes. Like my dad used to say ain' nuthin harder than gettin a trailer to go than gettin that Btard to stop. Those are words to live (tow?) by.

[99silverado1500]

yep just make sure you either do brakes, or do reverse jet boosters to slow that beast down. First one works better and is cheaper. Cheap insurance to make sure you dont plow through cars like snow on a road.

[Bobslob]

I'd be lookin for a s/c, or a turbo if I was you cause with 6,000 lbs behind that thing your going to have it to the wood the whole time... what was GM thinking, Inline 5

[Cobra4B]

I was expecting replies like this What makes you think your fullsize truck has better brakes? The Canyon has large disc brakes w/ large calipers and the oem pads have a high coeficient of friction. Plus my trailer has dual axle brakes and I have a valley inertia switch brake controller so the truck will be doing very little of the stopping.

 

The truck is 3500lbs and the car on trailer will be right at 5000lbs. For 2008 the Canyon/Coly is rated to tow 5500lbs and the S10/Sonoma was rated at 5600. GM put a softer rear suspension in the Coly/Canyon for ride comfort and lowered the tow rating.

 

My good friend tows his C6Z06 all the time on his full deck trailer w/ his new Tacoma... no mods, no WD hitch and has zero issues.

 

People say they wouldn't tow with something substantially less than what they're towing... what about a semi? What about a horse trailer etc... they're far heavier than a fullsize

 

Acceleration will be fine... truck will make around 200 rwhp/tq w/ the tune etc. A few weeks back I towed 4000lbs of furniture in a 6x12 U-haul before I put on any of the mods, the trailer had surge brakes and it was like the trailer wasn't even there. I was able to set cruise at 73 and get 14.1 MPG... it was a good test for the truck.

 

I'll report back after VIR in a few weeks.

[bryanhunt]

I was expecting replies like this What makes you think your fullsize truck has better brakes? The Canyon has large disc brakes w/ large calipers and the oem pads have a high coeficient of friction.

 

Its a physics thing.

 

When your tires are rolling the amount of braking force you can maximally apply is limited by the coefficent of static (yes I know you are moving, however the tread on the tire isn't sliding against the surface of the road) friction and the amount of weight you have. If you increase your breaking power, without the weight, you're just going to lock up the wheels.

 

So while you have to think about the weight of the pulling vehicle, that weight also helps in the amount of braking force you can actually apply to the wheels and keep them rolling.

 

People say they wouldn't tow with something substantially less than what they're towing... what about a semi? What about a horse trailer etc... they're far heavier than a fullsize

 

Half the weight of the trailer while being towed is located directly above the driving wheels of the semi. That is why earlier I mentioned that fifth wheels were a different story than ass mounted trailers. Have you been in a truck when a horse in the trailer starts to act up? Without much effort they can make a small truck switch lanes.

 

All of that being said, in your case I think you'll be fine depending on how much extra you decide to put on the trailer, you aren't really trying to pull all that much weight, and with a properly set up load leveling hitch you'll be placing weight on your trucks brakes to help out with how much you can apply.

[Paul58]

People say they wouldn't tow with something substantially less than what they're towing... what about a semi? What about a horse trailer etc... they're far heavier than a fullsize

 

Half the weight of the trailer while being towed is located directly above the driving wheels of the semi. That is why earlier I mentioned that fifth wheels were a different story than ass mounted trailers. Have you been in a truck when a horse in the trailer starts to act up? Without much effort they can make a small truck switch lanes.

 

All of that being said, in your case I think you'll be fine depending on how much extra you decide to put on the trailer, you aren't really trying to pull all that much weight, and with a properly set up load leveling hitch you'll be placing weight on your trucks brakes to help out with how much you can apply.

 

 

Bryan,

 

Are you saying you can tow more weight with a 5th wheel than a trailer? I'm asking because we're considering trading our Travel Trailer for a 5th wheel and I'm concerned because the owner's manual states I can tow up to 7700 lbs with my truck, but then a note under that says the limit is 6800 lbs with a 5th wheel or gooseneck trailer. So, I interpret that to mean you can't tow as much in a fith wheel configuration as you can in a standard trailer. The 5th wheel we considering is right at 6000 lbs empty and rated to carry 8200 lbs (not that we'd ever have it that full).

[bryanhunt]

Bryan,

 

Are you saying you can tow more weight with a 5th wheel than a trailer? I'm asking because we're considering trading our Travel Trailer for a 5th wheel and I'm concerned because the owner's manual states I can tow up to 7700 lbs with my truck, but then a note under that says the limit is 6800 lbs with a 5th wheel or gooseneck trailer. So, I interpret that to mean you can't tow as much in a fith wheel configuration as you can in a standard trailer. The 5th wheel we considering is right at 6000 lbs empty and rated to carry 8200 lbs (not that we'd ever have it that full).

 

This is where things get fuzzy. They make a few assumptions about tongue weight and suspension related stuff. I think they're setting the limit on how much the rear suspension can handle. Generally the construction of a 5th wheel RV trailer put a lot of the weight above the trailer axles though so I so the specification in the manual might be a bit generalized, I think what you need to look at is combined vehicle weight and your axle weight (a % of your 5th wheel weight).

 

This is all about suspension (especially with standard axles which do start to bend with too much weight applied, which puts undue strain on the berings, which is why larger weight rating axles are "full-float") a pickup isn't built the same way as a semi, although you have been able to get some pickups with special trailering ratings "camper specials", "tow boss", etc.