Trailblazer and 2720SL

So far towing with the Trailblazer has been really good. It has a I-6(275hp/275 lb.-ft. of torque). Easily maintains 70mph. While most of our camping excursions have been in Nebraska and eastern Colorado, we have not attempted to pass over the mountains.

I am curious on how many trailmanor owners have a transmission cooler?
Is it recommended, for all towing? or only strenuous mountain towing?

We do not plan on trailing over the Divide but maybe once a year(if we get the chance).

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by CastleRockCamper

So far towing with the Trailblazer has been really good. It has a I-6(275hp/275 lb.-ft. of torque). Easily maintains 70mph. While most of our camping excursions have been in Nebraska and eastern Colorado, we have not attempted to pass over the mountains.

I am curious on how many trailmanor owners have a transmission cooler?
Is it recommended, for all towing? or only strenuous mountain towing?

Greetings from just down the road (Colorado Springs).

My Toyota Tundra came with an external transmission cooler as part of the factory towing package. Heat is what kills transmissions and any time your transmission's torque converter clutch isn't locked, the torque converter (TC) generates a lot of heat. I guarantee your TC clutch will be unlocked a lot of the time in mountain towing so an external cooler is mandatory there; if it tends to freqently be unlocked towing on the plains, you really need an external cooler for that towing as well.

Admittedly I flog my truck's engine pretty hard (see below) but with the external cooler, the highest transmission temperature I've seen is about 195 degrees. 195 is not terribly hard on a transmission but if I didn't have the external cooler, the temperature would have been more like 220 and that is hot enough to be very bad for transmissions.

We do not plan on trailing over the Divide but maybe once a year(if we get the chance).

I go camping on the west side of the Continental Divide about every other week with my TM (also a 2720SL) and while it's a major challenge for any tow vehicle, you have enough engine (depending on axle ratio) to do fairly well. As a point of refrerence, my Tundra has a 32 valve 4.7L V8 that was rated stock at 319 ft-lbs of torque at only 3400 RPM (240 hp at 4800 RPM) and I have 3.91 gears in the differentials. I've since added exhaust headers and a tuned-for-towing Gibson muffler and am now getting around 350 ft-lbs of torque. Even on 7% grades at 11,000 feet (like the approaches to the Eisenhower Tunnel or the west side of Vail Pass) I can achieve 60 to 65 mph and am able to not only pass all the RVs and trucks but most small cars and a lot of big SUVs as well. Going west out of Denver, I'm in the left lane most of the way!

Do you think the TrailBlazer EXT would be able to tow the 3324KS? What's your opinion of the best SUV for towing 3324KS, without overkill. I'm in Central PA and generally travel within Northern PA, VA, southern MD, and the Jersey/NY border.[COLOR=Indigo]
Thanks.
Wendy

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by amp17408

[FONT=Book Antiqua]Do you think the TrailBlazer EXT would be able to tow the 3324KS?

In the coastal plains, rolling hills, and even low altitude mountains of the central Appalachians, yes. Good torque at a usable RPM (275 @3600) and enough wheelbase in the EXT model (128 inches) to control a 24 foot trailer. But be advised that you'll be close to the Trailerblazer's GCWR (10,500)...the SUV itself (if loaded with options) comes in at around 5000 and a loaded 3124KS is going to also be around 4500 lbs which doesn't leave you a whole lot of extra capacity for a load of passengers or cargo in the SUV.

A caution: Bring that rig out to the high Rockies (especially Colorado) or Sierra and it would be working its heart out with a loaded 3124KS.

What's your opinion of the best SUV for towing 3324KS, without overkill. I'm in Central PA and generally travel within Northern PA, VA, southern MD, and the Jersey/NY border.

Define "overkill". As has been said here a gazillion times, it's where you're towing (low altitude flatlands vs higher altitude mountains) and what your performance expectations are (want to stay with the cars or just with the big motorhomes in the mountains)...and how much you bring along (people and cargo) that defines your needs.

If you can afford it, it's always wise to have a bit of extra power and wheelbase in your tow vehicle...one good concept is to buy enough tow vehicle that 80% of its so-called tow rating will exceed the weight of your fully loaded trailer. Since a loaded 3124KS (including tongue weight) could be in the 4500 to 4800 lb range, you really need a tow vehicle with at least a 6000 lb tow rating. The TrailBlazer meets this (just)..and has enough wheelbase for a 24 foot trailer. Better would be the semi-large SUVs (Tahoe/Denali, Sequoia) that have a decent V8 (for more torque) and enough wheelbase for control.

amp17408,
The EXT model has an option for the Gen IV Vortec 5300 V8. If you have the V8 it generates 300 hp and 330 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is in the Tahoe Z71 as well. I would guess it would be sufficient, but RockyMtnRay makes a point "Be advised that you'll be close to the Trailerblazer's GCWR (10,500)...the SUV itself (if loaded with options) comes in at around 5000 ", It also depends on axle ratio.

Primarily It depends on were you plan on traveling and how often in higher elevations. And what speed you are ok with sustaining. Do you want to be able to sustain 65mph on a 8-10% grades, for several miles? Are you planning on traveling to higher altitudes frequently?

I have the I-6 engine/3.73 axle ratio/shortwheel base/WDH, and probably would not go larger than a 3023, but this is primarily because I live in Colorado(generally travel within 5000 to 9000 ft in elevation), and would like to maintain speeds higher than 55mph.

CastleRockCamper

[QUOTE=RockyMtnRay]In the coastal plains, rolling hills, and even low altitude mountains of the central Appalachians, yes. Good torque at a usable RPM (275 @3600) and enough wheelbase in the EXT model (128 inches) to control a 24 foot trailer. But be advised that you'll be close to the Trailerblazer's GCWR (10,500)...the SUV itself (if loaded with options) comes in at around 5000 and a loaded 3124KS is going to also be around 4500 lbs which doesn't leave you a whole lot of extra capacity for a load of passengers or cargo in the SUV.

What I meant by overkill is that I don't want to buy ex. a Surburban if I can pull with a Tahoe, or a Tahoe if a TrailBlazer would be adequate.

I really appreciate all of your input on this subject. I wish I would have talked to you people before I bought my Explorer last year. Maybe I would've bought at least a V-8 with the factory installed hitch.

[G-V_Driver]

We have the tow package with the tranny cooler and the tow-hitch shifting. Just heard yesterday that even with that package we should consider towing in third gear rather than overdrive to keep from frying the tranny. Hadn't heard that before, so now wondering if there is any truth to it. Guys who were doing the talking are old farm/ranch hands with lots of towing experience, although I'm guessing their loads are probably heavier than the TM.

Any thoughts?

Wayne