4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

[mnypitboat]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

I don't know which year Trailblazer you have but below is directly out of the 2005 owners manual. The 2wd, EXT, with the 5.3 seems to be the same each of the few years it was in production being 6,800 lbs with the 4wd version dropping down to 6,300lbs. A few of the selections differed by year depending on which engine presumably since they increased the HP over the years.

Look in the following chart to find the maximum trailer weight for your 2005 vehicle.

Vehicle Axle Ratio Max.Trailer Wt. *GCWR
3.42 5,300 lbs (2 404 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)
2WD TrailBlazer (L6 Engine) 3.73 5,700 lbs. (2 585 kg) 10,500 lbs (4 763 kg)
4.10 6,200 lbs. (2 812 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
3.42 5,100 lbs. (2 313 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)
4WD TrailBlazer (L6 Engine) 3.73 5,500 lbs. (2 495 kg) 10,500 lbs. (4 763 kg)
4.10 6,100 lbs. (2 767 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
3.42 5,000 lbs. (2 268 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)
2WD TrailBlazer EXT (L6 Engine) 3.73 5,500 lbs. (2 495 kg) 10,500 lbs. (4 763 kg)
4.10 6,000 lbs. (2 722 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
3.42 4,800 lbs. (2 177 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)
4WD TrailBlazer EXT (L6 Engine) 3.73 5,300 lbs. (2 404 kg) 10,500 lbs. (4 763 kg)
4.10 5,800 lbs. (2 631 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
3.42 5,900 lbs. (2 676 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
2WD TrailBlazer EXT (V8 Engine)
3.73 6,800 lbs. (3 084 kg) 12,500 lbs. (5 670 kg)
3.42 5,700 lbs. (2 585 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
4WD TrailBlazer EXT (V8 Engine)
3.73 6,300 lbs. (2 858 kg) 12,500 lbs. (5 670 kg)

*The Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the total allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and
trailer including any passengers, cargo, equipment and conversion. The GCWR for your vehicle should not be exceeded.

OK when my wife gets home I will scan it in.

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

444, I disagree entirely. I would be willing to bet that if the statistical data were available, more than HALF of the vehicles equipped with 4WD don't leave the pavement. Only a small percent of 4WD owners go out on trails or in muddy fields where 4WD becomes necessary. You'd be surprised at how many people with 4WD don't know when to engage it, and end up ruining their 4WD systems by running them on dry pavement/going through turns. Again, in my 3 2WD trucks over the past 20 years, I've never been stuck once. I use it to tow the boats, I've pulled a Kubota tractor out of the mud a few times (bruied belly mower), and been through some of the worst snow/ice storms Oklahoma has seen the past 3 years. 4WD is great, but is not a necessity for 95% of drivers; the other 5% get their money's worth from the investment.

i leave the pavement. did 5 miles of off road to get to my fishing hole on the mountain last friday. also....you dont need to leave the pavement to justify the 4x4. come up to ny with 2 feet of un plowed wet snow on the road with your 2wd.....youll quickly learn you dont have to leave pavement to need 4x4. but i will agree many idiots dont know how to use it!

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

Thanks for confirming what I said, LOL.
More often than not, 4wd just gets most in more/deeper trouble than 2wd.

yeah sure it does. because you dont get stuck on a wet lawn with a small grade. gotta take em in the woods and see what shes got!

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

i leave the pavement. did 5 miles of off road to get to my fishing hole on the mountain last friday. also....you dont need to leave the pavement to justify the 4x4. come up to ny with 2 feet of un plowed wet snow on the road with your 2wd.....youll quickly learn you dont have to leave pavement to need 4x4. but i will agree many idiots dont know how to use it!

We dont all live where it snows. Thank God!! All the lakes and rivers worth going to have boat ramps, so no 4 wheeling with a 20ft boat to get on a lake. Again, thank God!!

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

I have had both 2wd and 4wd. Based on my lifestyle I will never own a 2wd again. Not only do I haul a boat but I also hunt and leave the roadway frequently. In addition, with the weather in the midwest, the 4wd makes it alot easier to get around after a snowstorm. There is a noticeably difference between the two, 4wd is not a cure all, but it does help.

Ultimately I think it will depend on where you will go and how you will use the truck, with the boat and without the boat and the climate that you live in.

agreed

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

yeah sure it does. because you dont get stuck on a wet lawn with a small grade. gotta take em in the woods and see what shes got!

That is why I have toys for this purpose. I would hate to break my tow vehicle, and have to let my wife drive one of my toys to work, or worse yet, not be able to take the boat out. LOL.

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

wasnt wheeling with my powerboat. but i had the 12 footer in the bed of the truck. some of the best bass fishing ever as it is rarely fished and in a remote location.

as for snow how can you live without it!!!!!! boating is a pass time to get to snowmobile season!

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

AINT nothin better than a -10 degree morning with a little breeze, light snow....and screaming across a frozen lake at 110mph on my arctic cat. or a fresh 3 foot storm, breaking the pow in the fields or across the lake, oh man nothing better!

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

wasnt wheeling with my powerboat. but i had the 12 footer in the bed of the truck. some of the best bass fishing ever as it is rarely fished and in a remote location.

as for snow how can you live without it!!!!!! boating is a pass time to get to snowmobile season!

Ha. I would never live where I cant be on the water 12 months out of the year. If I get the notion to snowmobile, I can either go visit some relatives in NJ. I work to be able to go boating, everything I do when I am not on the water is to either prepare for or pay for our boating. LOL.

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

come up here to the adirondacks, forget nj, nothing like riding up 3000 feet in elevation in a frozen tundra in less than 35 minutes. everyone should experience it!. ill never forget when i went on my honeymoon this past feb to myrtle beach sc. i left here it was 12 degrees. i get to sc its 48 at 5 am and im in shorts and a t shirt. the lady at the gas station called me nuts. told me i was going to freeze to death, until i told her i was fine and warm. 13 hours ago i was in 3 feet of snow and 12 degrees. her jaws dropped.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

come up here to the adirondacks, forget nj, nothing like riding up 3000 feet in elevation in a frozen tundra in less than 35 minutes. everyone should experience it!. ill never forget when i went on my honeymoon this past feb to myrtle beach sc. i left here it was 12 degrees. i get to sc its 48 at 5 am and im in shorts and a t shirt. the lady at the gas station called me nuts. told me i was going to freeze to death, until i told her i was fine and warm. 13 hours ago i was in 3 feet of snow and 12 degrees. her jaws dropped.

I would still rather be someplace I can skim across a smooth patch of blue water in a swimsuit, and flipflops.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

I don't know which year Trailblazer you have but below is directly out of the 2005 owners manual. The 2wd, EXT, with the 5.3 seems to be the same each of the few years it was in production being 6,800 lbs with the 4wd version dropping down to 6,300lbs. A few of the selections differed by year depending on which engine presumably since they increased the HP over the years.

Look in the following chart to find the maximum trailer weight for your 2005 vehicle.

Vehicle Axle Ratio Max.Trailer Wt. *GCWR
3.42 5,300 lbs (2 404 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)
2WD TrailBlazer (L6 Engine) 3.73 5,700 lbs. (2 585 kg) 10,500 lbs (4 763 kg)
4.10 6,200 lbs. (2 812 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
3.42 5,100 lbs. (2 313 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)
4WD TrailBlazer (L6 Engine) 3.73 5,500 lbs. (2 495 kg) 10,500 lbs. (4 763 kg)
4.10 6,100 lbs. (2 767 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
3.42 5,000 lbs. (2 268 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)
2WD TrailBlazer EXT (L6 Engine) 3.73 5,500 lbs. (2 495 kg) 10,500 lbs. (4 763 kg)
4.10 6,000 lbs. (2 722 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
3.42 4,800 lbs. (2 177 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)
4WD TrailBlazer EXT (L6 Engine) 3.73 5,300 lbs. (2 404 kg) 10,500 lbs. (4 763 kg)
4.10 5,800 lbs. (2 631 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
3.42 5,900 lbs. (2 676 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
2WD TrailBlazer EXT (V8 Engine)
3.73 6,800 lbs. (3 084 kg) 12,500 lbs. (5 670 kg)
3.42 5,700 lbs. (2 585 kg) 11,000 lbs. (4 990 kg)
4WD TrailBlazer EXT (V8 Engine)
3.73 6,300 lbs. (2 858 kg) 12,500 lbs. (5 670 kg)

*The Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the total allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and
trailer including any passengers, cargo, equipment and conversion. The GCWR for your vehicle should not be exceeded.

OK well here it is. I was wrong, but not that far off. For some reason I seem to remember that 7300lb number, but it is actually 7000lbs. Of course I never get even close to that.

 

[444]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

I agree that most yuppies that own 4x4's really don't need them, nor do they ever venture off the pavement. In winter I drive a small fwd 4cyl stick shift car and I've only gotten stuck a few times over the years and I've always been able to get myself out. I find the 4x4 more useful for going to places I just plum couldn't go with a 2wd.

I use the 4x4 more for recreation than anything else. But it's one of those things that when you do need it, it's great to have. Like last year when I took my parents 2wd chevy to the lake and got the empty, unloaded truck stuck on a patch of wet grass. Or the spring prior when I got a call on my cell that they got the truck stuck on gravel trying to pull a small, empty horse trailer. I pulled them out with my big block powered muscle car without even spinning tires. Then there was all of last winter where their truck couldn't make it out of their plowed back lane access because they would get stuck and I had to bring my jeep over to give them a pull.

I'm not saying everyone out there needs a 4x4 truck. I've never spun tires at the ramp when in 2wd, but then my boat + trailer only weighs in at around 2000 lbs. I don't forsee myself ever buying another 2wd truck.

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

you cant sell a 2wd truck up here! when i traded in my s10 for the ram they gave me 2k for it, i was like really that low? he said well i was going to give you 4k til i saw it was a 2wd. we have no use for that truck! gee thanks! i had no luck selling it either once people found out it was 2wd

 

[americaneagler77]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

your dedicated. i get bored

I would still rather be someplace I can skim across a smooth patch of blue water in a swimsuit, and flipflops.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

When I lived in NW PA I had 4X4 trucks from 1976 until 2003. Moved out of that God forsaken cold area and left the ice and snow behind. Have had 4 DOOR Dodge trucks with a Hemi and 2 wheel drive. The state ramp is steep, very steep but I keep the truck wheels out of the water when loading & unloading the boat. Never a problem-- but knocking on wood so I don't jinx anything now! Never going to 4X4 again.

 

[CV16]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

I'm with Americaneagler77, boating is just something to do til the snow flies! I'd take temps from 20 to -20 on the farenheit scale all year if I could talk the wife into moving to a place like that. I don't know about the Arcticscrap though, I like Yamaha myself.

Oh, and I'll never be without a 4x4 ever again. I just had to use it to get my boat out of a lake on Sunday! Not to mention getting back to my hunting areas and the winter fun to be had!!!

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

I'm with Americaneagler77, boating is just something to do til the snow flies! I'd take temps from 20 to -20 on the farenheit scale all year if I could talk the wife into moving to a place like that. I don't know about the Arcticscrap though, I like Yamaha myself.

Oh, and I'll never be without a 4x4 ever again. I just had to use it to get my boat out of a lake on Sunday! Not to mention getting back to my hunting areas and the winter fun to be had!!!

I am glad there are people like you guys. Otherwise Florida would be way too overcrowded for me. LOL. I will stick to my boating all year round. When my daughter is out of the house I will live on a boat with my wife. I love my daughter to death, but cant wait. LOL.

 

[drrpm]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

Most of the 4x4's I see are being driven by mommies dropping their kids off at school or at the local grocery store and they've probably never even been on a dirt road. I can see the point if you live in a mountainous area that sees real winters or you're really into offroading, but otherwise its a waste. I grew up near Lake Michigan and the only people who had 4x4's were farmers. Now I live in the sunny south and my 2WD truck with an LSD has never had a problem on a ramp or on dirt roads. I was even one of the few people at my work place that made it in on time the last time we had a snow storm here. Tires can be far more important in gaining and maintaining traction than 4WD.

 

[jkust]

Re: 4 vs. 2 WD and Tow Vehicle Recommendations

Most of the 4x4's I see are being driven by mommies dropping their kids off at school or at the local grocery store and they've probably never even been on a dirt road. I can see the point if you live in a mountainous area that sees real winters or you're really into offroading, but otherwise its a waste. I grew up near Lake Michigan and the only people who had 4x4's were farmers. Now I live in the sunny south and my 2WD truck with an LSD has never had a problem on a ramp or on dirt roads. I was even one of the few people at my work place that made it in on time the last time we had a snow storm here. Tires can be far more important in gaining and maintaining traction than 4WD.

Here, in just the last 3 or 4 years most of the mommies have gotten rid of their fully capable, body on frame, suv's for the crossovers. There are still a batch of hangers on but many of them have lake homes so tow a boat and maybe some snowmobiles. It's a little depressing to see all of the car based cross over's knowing that the hay day is over. I'm of the opinion that you don't own a truck or a body on frame suv if you don't actually need it. If for no other reason v8's suck a lot of gas and there is more stuff to break. I love to sit up high but the gas is really a killer. I know I wouldn't go near one if I didn't have so many reasons to own one. If you don't tow anything in winter, fwd has almost never let me down. Usually when fwd gets you stuck like say in a car or minivan it is because the vehicle is too low and the snow hangs you up, not because of lack of 4 wheels spinning.