1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

[boxer156]

We just bought a Captiva SS 262, and planned on pulling it with a 1998 Chevy Blazer (beater car). We are ONLY pulling it around 2-3 miles from our campground to the dock. The boat is heavier than I thought (googled 4600 pounds + trailer), and the Blazer is rated to haul #4000-#5000 pounds depending on gearing.

I would ASSUME there is some fluff in those towing numbers, so I was hoping it would be OK to pull on-and-off the ramp, and the couple miles to the dock.

Any opinions?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

As long as you don't go over 5 MPH and you don't have to stop and it is absolutely flat. You are going to be WAY overloaded. You are probably going to be pushing 6000 lbs with nothing on the boat. Adding fuel/water and gear you are going to be at 7000#. Seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

 

[boxer156]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Yeah, I know I am over, but I thought since the distance is so short I *might* be OK. Guess not, LOL

 

[wifisher]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

That is beyond a little "fluff" in the tow rating. 4600lb plus 1000 lb trailer plus 500 lb gas/gear is 6k lbs. You will probably be even a little higher than this when the boat is ready for water. Are you talking about a full size blazer? The s-10 version would be severely overloaded. The full size would be overloaded, but it would not be nearly as bad.

Assuming it is a full-size, the truck will move and launch the boat. Hopefully it is 4wd, or it may have some trouble pulling up steep ramps. This does not say that it is safe or legal to drive it on public roads.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Is it private/gravel roads that are flat? If so, you will be fine. As long as that is 4x4, you can drop it into low range and crawl along at 5 mph the entire way if needed. Yard vehicles at marinas are surprisingly small, manueverability is more important than capacity in that situation.

(neighbor has a vietnam era Jeep as a tow vehicle, that thing loads and unloads all kinds of boats that are far beyond what its official capacity is. And that jeep is half the weight and half the power of your blazer! (2300 pounds, 60 horses) But again, its all low range on gravel/private roads at extremely slow speeds.)

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Are you talking about a full size blazer? The s-10 version would be severely overloaded.

Since they didn't make a full sized Blazer since 1991, its an S-10.

 

[boxer156]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

yep an S-10.......I didn't intend to buy a boat this large, but feel in love with it when I saw it! We have an Altima that we really don't want to trade out of (GREAT gas mileage), so we thought we could just use this for the couple miles to the boat dock. The problem is the 2 miles on 'public' roads are a bit hilly, and now you all got me nervous, LOL.

What about running it in 4HI the entire time?

 

[wifisher]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Since they didn't make a full sized Blazer since 1991, its an S-10.

Actually 1994 was the final production year, and they switched the name to Tahoe. Not everybody gets the model name right. GM has made a full size SUV every year since the 60's.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Well, I towed an 18 foot fiberglass runabout weighing about 2500# full towing weight 17 miles each way with a Chevy cavalier 4 cylinder. It's do-able depending upon traffic and road conditions and only 2 miles for you but ultimately, the decision is yours. Two miles can be a lifetime, especially if that 26 foot tail starts to wag the dog. Somewhere on this forum there is a photo of a mini-van towing a 26-28 footer. Now, that's crazy.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I'm more likely to take chances for such a short haul, but a 26' is a lot of boat. Is it feasible to pay someone at that campground to move it for you? Is this a daily routine, or just at the start and end of vacation? A lot cheaper than buying, insuring, maintaining and parking even another beater.

 

[boxer156]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I would be a weekend routine (we don't want a slip).....so basically we would be indebtted to someone at the campground EVERY weekend (which I would not want to do anyhow). I'm just petrified that it would not pull the boat OUT of the water on Memorial Day or Fourth of July weekend! I would then end up on YouTube, LOL.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

I would investigate hiring the campground owner/manager to launch and retrieve.

 

[ChampionShip]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Since they didn't make a full sized Blazer since 1991, its an S-10.

They made the full size Blazer until 1994. 1995-up was Tahoe, but they DID make the KBlazer until 1994. I trailered my 22' Cruisers (about 3000lbs loaded plus tandem trailer) to and from the launch in my town, about a 2 block trip one way. It was about all I care to pull with that vehicle and it seemed overloaded with just that much weight. No chance in hell I'd go anything bigger.

 

[ChampionShip]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Sell the Blazer and buy a boat lift somewhere on the lake.

 

[wifisher]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Since the blazer is your beater car, what about selling it and buying a pickup? Fuel mileage is not really a concern as it isn't your primary driver, and wil fuel prices as high as they are right now, trucks should be pretty cheap. Maybe even look for somebody on craigslist that wants to downsize their full-size truck.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

GUARANTEED that boat weighs WAY more than 4600 and the trailer weighs more than you think too. sell the s-10 beater and get a fullsize beater... You are going to need to go further than the dock anyhow.... You will want to take it to a gas station to save $1.00 a gallon on gas too.

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

Does the trailer have brakes? If the blazer just a beater and you have brakes on the trailer (that work)it might be doable. I am not going to make the decision for you but if it were me I would have to at least try it. I have pulled with a 2wd V6 Blazer, a 4 cylinder s-10 shortbed truck and a ford F-150 and of the 3 the Blazer does the best at the ramp,it has rescued the ford F-150 when it failed to get enough traction at the ramp. In fact the ford is useless for towing my largest boat.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

he's talking about a public road with hills..... jackknifing on a downhill and into someone else's vehicle and possibly killing someone is a hell of a way to find out it won't work

 

[bigdee]

Re: 1998 Chevy Blazer Pulling a 262 CaptivaSS

he's talking about a public road with hills..... jackknifing on a downhill and into someone else's vehicle and possibly killing someone is a hell of a way to find out it won't work

That is why I asked if he had trailer brakes. Being aware of the load your towing and using a little common sense can go a long way. I agree it is not the best scenario but it may be doable if he chooses to accept the risks. There are many RV travel trailers on the road with similar vehicle/trailer weight proportions.

 

[smokeonthewater]

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.