1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

[wifisher]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

the problem with your logic is that on public roads the public would ALSO have to accept the risk.... they do not.

If his blazer had been a fullsize I would have leaned toward saying it could be done but with extreme caution.... an s-10 blazer however has no business on the front of that boat on a public road.

x2 s10's are not good tow vehicles. Especially for something that is twice as heavy as the truck.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I'd also say, sell the blazer beater and buy a 1/2 or 3/4 ton pickup beater. Thats a lot of weight for a lightweight, short wheelbase vehicle.

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

FYI I just checked the ratings on my 03 blazer......max trailer weight=5700lbs. Max combined weight is 9500lbs.....your close. Also that blazer will outpull a regular ford F-150 at the ramp. I have both vehicles and the ford will not get enough traction to come up the ramp but the the blazer does it with ease.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

FYI I just checked the ratings on my 03 blazer......max trailer weight=5700lbs. Max combined weight is 9500lbs.....your close. Also that blazer will outpull a regular ford F-150 at the ramp. I have both vehicles and the ford will not get enough traction to come up the ramp but the the blazer does it with ease.

Pulling it out of the water isn't really the issue. I've got a 94 2.5L wrangler that would pull a houseboat out - the road driving is the real issue.

If the question was - I need to do this once and then the baot stays in the water for 6 months, I would probabally just drive really slow at an off hour and do it. But every weekend, sooner or later something bad might happen.

 

[security6]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Pulling it out of the water isn't really the issue. I've got a 94 2.5L wrangler that would pull a houseboat out - the road driving is the real issue.

If the question was - I need to do this once and then the baot stays in the water for 6 months, I would probabally just drive really slow at an off hour and do it. But every weekend, sooner or later something bad might happen.

I'm with oldjeep on this one. If it was just twice a year, you could do it on Sunday at 6 AM when nobody is on the road and there wouldn't be much risk. However, doing it every weekend is risky - especially since you will be towing at home after a day on the water and you will be tired. First time you have to brake hard because you weren't paying close enough attention (not uncommon when people are tired) you will regret towing with the blazer.

If you are willing to give up 4wd, you can get 3/4 ton 2wd pickups of about the same vintage for 2 or 3 thousand.

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

The TRAILER BRAKES is the key to towing safely....a long bed pickup will jack knife more readily than a SUV unless the bed is loaded down. The blazer will also provide better traction. Unless its a F-250 there is very little weight difference between the blazer and a 2wd pick-up.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I beg to differ. I used 2002 model year as references since they would be the same as 1998. The difference between a 4x4 S10 and a 2002 extracab Silverado is around 1000lbs. 3200 vs 4200.

Wheelbase between the 2 is also huge.

I have towed the exact same 21' boat with a s10 blazer and a 1/2T Chevy pickup. Towing with the Blazer was just plain scary. The OP's boat weighs probably 3000# more than what i was towing.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

The TRAILER BRAKES is the key to towing safely....a long bed pickup will jack knife more readily than a SUV unless the bed is loaded down. The blazer will also provide better traction. Unless its a F-250 there is very little weight difference between the blazer and a 2wd pick-up.

LOL
My 2wd Ram 1/2 ton weighs 5800lbs, which means that it outweighs a blazer by a full ton.

As for the brakes, yes - but surge brakes on a load that outweighs the tow vehicle are fairly useless. With a lightweight tow rig you really need the oh **** lever capability that you get with electric brakes.

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I beg to differ. I used 2002 model year as references since they would be the same as 1998. The difference between a 4x4 S10 and a 2002 extracab Silverado is around 1000lbs. 3200 vs 4200.

Wheelbase between the 2 is also huge.

I have towed the exact same 21' boat with a s10 blazer and a 1/2T Chevy pickup. Towing with the Blazer was just plain scary. The OP's boat weighs probably 3000# more than what i was towing.

I didn't plan to turn this into a debate. I am just stating what my experience has been between my blazer and a 1981 F-150. I appreciate you sharing your experiences, yours may have been different than mine but that is what this forum is all about.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I didn't plan to turn this into a debate. I am just stating what my experience has been between my blazer and a 1981 F-150. I appreciate you sharing your experiences, yours may have been different than mine but that is what this forum is all about.

And that may be true, but an 81 F150 is hardly the hallmark of the modern 1/2 ton - I've got a Kia that will out tow an 81 F150. At lease an 02 blazer vs an 02 F150 would be a relevant comparison. (I owned a 2wd 02 F150, and towed an 8K loaded car trailer with it frequently)

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

LOL
My 2wd Ram 1/2 ton weighs 5800lbs, which means that it outweighs a blazer by a full ton.

As for the brakes, yes - but surge brakes on a load that outweighs the tow vehicle are fairly useless. With a lightweight tow rig you really need the oh **** lever capability that you get with electric brakes.

Good point, electric is the only way to go....I never really understood the usefulness of surge brakes. Electric brakes can be pretty aggressive but they work very well after you dial them in.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Good point, electric is the only way to go....I never really understood the usefulness of surge brakes. Electric brakes can be pretty aggressive but they work very well after you dial them in.

Surge brakes are fine as long as they are working properly. What is good about surge brakes is that they are pretty much self regulating so you can't screw up like you can with electric. If you have the electric set too low, you can be really screwed. For example, you launch your boat and dial down the gain on the electric brakes so you aren't skidding your tires with the empty trailer around the parking lot. If you forget to set them back up when you load the boat back on, you will have little braking power when you have to stop next.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Surge brakes are fine as long as they are working properly. What is good about surge brakes is that they are pretty much self regulating so you can't screw up like you can with electric. If you have the electric set too low, you can be really screwed. For example, you launch your boat and dial down the gain on the electric brakes so you aren't skidding your tires with the empty trailer around the parking lot. If you forget to set them back up when you load the boat back on, you will have little braking power when you have to stop next.

What is bad about them is that they will never be stopping 100% of the trailer load, they are useless if you are trying to bring back a fishtailing trailer and that they require the towing vehicle to be providing a force to actuate them. That being said, I run them on my 4K boat trailer - that I can stop without the aid of the trailer brakes.

I'd never again run them on a heavy trailer - loaded car trailer with surge brakes tried to pass me on an icy downhill and started fish tailing one winter. Only way to save it was to accellerate and hope. That was the last heavy trailer I owned with surge brakes.

All of this is moot since the blazer isn't rated to tow the kind of weight the OP is talking about regardless of the type of brakes on his trailer

 

[wifisher]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

What is bad about them is that they will never be stopping 100% of the trailer load, they are useless if you are trying to bring back a fishtailing trailer and that they require the towing vehicle to be providing a force to actuate them. That being said, I run them on my 4K boat trailer - that I can stop without the aid of the trailer brakes.

I'd never again run them on a heavy trailer - loaded car trailer with surge brakes tried to pass me on an icy downhill and started fish tailing one winter. Only way to save it was to accellerate and hope. That was the last heavy trailer I owned with surge brakes.

All of this is moot since the blazer isn't rated to tow the kind of weight the OP is talking about regardless of the type of brakes on his trailer

I think the problem here is passing on an icy road with a loaded trailer more than the type of brake actuator.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I think the problem here is passing on an icy road with a loaded trailer more than the type of brake actuator.

My trailer tried to pass my truck - I wasn't passing anyone.

 

[wifisher]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

My trailer tried to pass my truck - I wasn't passing anyone.

OK that makes more sense. Sorry for my misreading.

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I pulled a race car hauler across north carolina with my blazer and with the electric brakes dialed up I did not even need the brakes on the blazer!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

What is bad about them is that they will never be stopping 100% of the trailer load.

Is 99.9% enough for you? Do you happen to understand how surge brakes even work? The force required to push in the coupler to actuate the master cylinder is very low. The force that is applied at the coupler is low if the brakes are working properly.

As far as fish tailing trailer on an icy road, electric brakes would probably make that worse, not better. If your car was starting to swerve on an icy road, would you slam on the brakes? No...you wouldn't do the same on a trailer either.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Is 99.9% enough for you? Do you happen to understand how surge brakes even work? The force required to push in the coupler to actuate the master cylinder is very low. The force that is applied at the coupler is low if the brakes are working properly.

As far as fish tailing trailer on an icy road, electric brakes would probably make that worse, not better. If your car was starting to swerve on an icy road, would you slam on the brakes? No...you wouldn't do the same on a trailer either.

The force is very low, but it is always pushing on the tow vehicle - electric brakes will actually tug on the vehicle.

Electric brakes would make it worse? Hitting the brakes manually on a trailer is like the tail on a kite - straightens everything back out.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

People are forgetting he is driving TWO MILES. Wagging the dog and stopping distances aren't much of an issue when you are doing 10 MPH tops, with the 4 way flashers on...

Common sense... He isn't driving 75 mph down interstate with this. Treat it like a slow moving agricultural vehicle, take your time, and be cautious. Sometimes people get scared of their own shadow.

(disclaimer, grew up on a farm, towed everything imaginable with pretty much every imaginable vehicle. Zero incidents. Tons of experience towing. Its 90% driver, 10% tow vehicle. I would trust a good operator driving this unit more than some first time boat owner with no trailer experience with a 1 ton duelly and a jonboat.)