New Tug for 5er

[Taylor Kissinger]

Time to think about a new tug to tow my Scamp 5th wheel. Looking at a Chevy Colorado 2WD with limit slip rear end. 4 banger. I want some fuel milage when not towing. I belive there are some of you out there with 5ers that tow with 4 cyl.
GM is the only company I found that sells the limited slip rear end as a add on ,every one else wraps it in a package I do not want. My 5er does not weigh enough to have a V6 Or V8. Any experience towing with a Colorado.
Taylor the Sailor

[peterh]

Time to think about a new tug to tow my Scamp 5th wheel. Looking at a Chevy Colorado 2WD with limit slip rear end. 4 banger. I want some fuel milage when not towing. I belive there are some of you out there with 5ers that tow with 4 cyl.
GM is the only company I found that sells the limited slip rear end as a add on ,every one else wraps it in a package I do not want. My 5er does not weigh enough to have a V6 Or V8. Any experience towing with a Colorado.
Taylor the Sailor

Hi Taylor

The Colorado does look like a nice ride, doesn't it? We have a Ford Ranger with a 3.0L V6, and though it does get a little doggy on steep hills (falling to 45-50 mph on hills near the Continetal Divide), it does OK. Here's how the <strike>marketing guys</strike> manufacturer specs for the Ford Ranger 3.0L V6 and Chevy Colorado 2.9L I4 compare.

================ ==HP= === Torque === MPG(Automatic) =Towing=
Colorado 2.9L I4 . 185 190 at 2800RPM . . 17/23 . . . 4000 lbs
Ranger . 3.0L V6 . 145 180 at 3650RPM . . 17/22 . . . 3860 lbs

I'm not sure whether I should be disgusted with Ford's engineers or Chevy's marketing department, but if we take these specs at face value the Colorado has more torque at lower RPM (which is more important than horsepower for towing) than the Ranger does, and gets similar MPG. If I were buying a new truck based on these numbers, I'd buy the Colorado.

[Taylor Kissinger]

Thanks Peter I was impressed with Chevrolets Colorodo. I will talk some more at the NOG. I have some home work to do but I like what I see so far.

[Joe Z]

I don't know much about a company called Mahindra but they supposedly have been in the US since the 40's and they are coming out with a diesel/hybrid that is capable of mileage in the 45mpg range and they say it has more torque and payload than a toyota tacoma.... lots of new stuff will be out in 2010.
Joe

Mahindra diesel/hybrid pickup:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/02/11/ma...ybrid-pickup-s/

[Taylor Kissinger]

Thanks Joe I will investigate. my F150 is in good shape I can wait a bit. As the old Foks song goes<These times they are a changen>

[peterh]

I'm planning to buy a new truck, too, but I'm hoping to wait out the next few years to see what kind of fuel-efficient options appear now gas is more expensive.

We're happy fiberglass regulars now, but a couple years ago we were were new to the idea of pulling a trailer and heading off to our very first gathering (the Fall '06 NOG) with a borrowed stickie trailer and tug to check things out. We were far from sure that trailer camping was the vacation answer we were looking for.

Fiberglass trailers and the people at the NOG impressed us. We particularly liked the idea of a Scamp 5th wheel, but we still weren't sure a trailer was the answer. So we bought a lightly used trailer and retired 2000 Ford Ranger "fleet" truck with 119,000 miles to pull it. We figured they'd be a good way to figure this fiberglass-trailer-thing out.

It's worked out pretty well. Well enough that now we have two fiberglass trailers, the big 5er and a smaller 14' Surfside "project" trailer, and a used Ford Ranger . . . it isn't getting any younger, but it keeps on plugging.

We know we'll have to replace the Ranger someday, but we're hoping to hold off on that for another two or three years. There are a lot of new fuel-efficient small-truck options that are in the pipeline and should be established in the market by then. Mahindra from India is bringing its diesel mini-pickup to the US, but other companies are bringing stuff in, too. Toyota's Hybrid Tacoma should be out by then, Honda has introduced a V6 CRV SUV for 2009 that shuts down three of the six cylinders when they're not needed, and Ford has decided that it's going to keep and update the Ranger instead of scrapping it for a new "F-100" pickup. In short, I think there'll be a lot more choices in fuel-efficient trucks in a two or three years, so If I our Ranger can hang on, I'll wait it out.

[Kevin K]

Get the V6
4 cyl way to small for a 5th wheel trailer.

[Bill MacDermod]

I agree with Kevin K, the V-6's are not that far behind the 4 cyl in mpg but much more power. As far as waiting to see what comes out for alternates as far as I figure it will be a pay me now or pay me later thing. The price difference from fuel to hybrid would buy a lot of fuel. The Mahindra company has had a few farm tractors in the USA, I've only seen one and as I remember it was much bigger and bulkier than comparative tractors already in this country. As for vehicles we will have no idea of any kind of predicted reliability they will have for a few years after they arrive. Remember the Yugo??????
The Toyota Tacoma 4 cyl is a horse compared to many of the 4 cyl engines out there but we followed one of our friends with one and it did real well until we hit the mountainous regions then it struggled a lot, they seem to be satisfied and thats where it counts. good luck in your choice

[Roger C H]

Unbelievable truck. A man at our church drives a (I think) 1976 Chevy Luv. He has not been in the engine, and about a year ago, he had 413,000 miles on it.

[Darwin Maring]

Check out the Chevy site. The 2009 Colorado comes with a 4, 5 or V8.

[Coach George Jessup]

Unbelievable truck. A man at our church drives a (I think) 1976 Chevy Luv. He has not been in the engine, and about a year ago, he had 413,000 miles on it.

Chevy Luv of that era is actually an Isuzu rebranded. Isuzu if im not mistaken is the oldest oriental diesel maker in the world. Unfortunately they had few diesels come to the US in the domestic market.

[Herb Sutton]

Unbelievable truck. A man at our church drives a (I think) 1976 Chevy Luv. He has not been in the engine, and about a year ago, he had 413,000 miles on it.

The LUV trucks were built by Iszuzu and badged as Chevys. Nothing to do with present offerings.

[Dwight Pyle]

I have an 06 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab with the 3.5 liter 5 cylinder engine that tows the Fiber Stream. It has ample power for the hills in our part of Texas. I am able to maintain 60 mph without trouble. I was a bit disappointed with the fuel mileage of about 15 mpg while towing. I run in 3rd gear because there is just to much down shifting in overdrive. Just normal driving I get 20 to 23 mpg. It has a tow rating of 4000 lbs but I see the new ones have a higher tow rating and a larger engine.

I have had it just a little over three years and I am very pleased with it. It has had some minor problems, burned out lights and a back door glass track that was loose from the factory causing the glass to bind and you had to help it up. These were repaired under factory warranty. Over all I am very pleased with it. It fits in my small garage, it is easy to park and you can carry four adults and two children comfortably.

Dwight P

[Taylor Kissinger]

Thanks Dwight
I do like the looks of the Chevy Colorado 5cyliner 2wd with limit slip rear end.

[Linda R002]

We had a Chevy Silverado Hybrid for three years. Sounds great but we got rid of it and got a regular jeep with the life time warrentte. Figured they can replace the tranny and engine if they don't live up to what we put it through. We may have to duct tape the windows but won't have to worry about the driving part of the TV.

The problem with the hybrid was that replacing even the power steering fluid was expensive and had to be ordered from back east. Each time a warning light came on when we traveled we had to educate the nearest repair place about the hybrid. Many Chevy places said, "we sent a man to the school but this will be the first truck he as ever worked on" As the warrentte ran out it was predicted that we would need $6000 for batterie replacement. Power steering unit was over $900 just for the part. Too many problems even after two years with the new tech.

When we got the Jeep, we actually got better milage on the highway than with the hybrid silverado. About 2 1/2 mpg better on our last California trip of 1800 miles so it really added up. Maybe around town we would have gotten better but we don't usually pull our trailer around town.

My rabbling point is that two years may not be enough of a wait to see how the new trucks preform.

[peterh]

My rabbling point is that two years may not be enough of a wait to see how the new trucks preform.

<sigh> Yea, you may be right. But there is change coming . . . and since I have a TV that's runs fine . . . it ain't pretty or luxurious . . . but it gets the job done. So I can wait.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Just a quick note, but it isn't how many cylinders the engine has, it's how big and efficient those cylinders, and what's attached to them, may be -- One has to look at the numbers to know the full story (as Peter H did, comparing the two trucks).

[SeaBeeBill]

We use an '05 GMC Canyon crew cab as the tug for our '05 5er. Doesn't do too well on really steep grades but on moderately rolling terrain at 55mph I don't know its back there!
Bill

[peterh]

We use an '05 GMC Canyon crew cab as the tug for our '05 5er. Doesn't do too well on really steep grades but on moderately rolling terrain at 55mph I don't know its back there!
Bill

Which engine does your Canyon (The GMC version of the Chevy Colorado) have?

[SeaBeeBill]

Which engine does your Canyon (The GMC version of the Chevy Colorado) have?

Peter,
It has the in-line 5 cylinder (not sure of the displacement) with auto transmission.
Bill
Hope to have some mileage figures posted on the Yahoo Scamp forum soon.