Which came first? The TV or the TT?

[StarEcho]

What about a van as a tow vehicle? Kind of a twofer then? You could actually use it for living while you were saving for the trailer and later it could be an "extra room".

 

[Brenda2016]

What year is the S10?  What size engine?

This is a very small truck, and it doesn't have a lot of towing capacity.  I found one reference online for the 2003 S10 that said the limit was 1600 lbs.  That's the limit for the trailer PLUS any food, water, clothing, bedding, etc. that you are carrying in there.  And that's only IF the trailer has it's own brakes.

Honestly, this little truck is not a good choice for a tow vehicle for almost any travel trailer.  Even the fold-out camping trailers go 1200 to 1500 lbs . . .

2002 Chevy S10 4X4 Quad Cab 4.3L 6cyl. engine, the manual that came with it says max. trailer wt. at 5200 lbs.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

2002 Chevy S10 4X4 Quad Cab 4.3L 6cyl. engine, the manual that came with it says max. trailer wt. at 5200 lbs.

5,500 lbs with the automatic transmission, 4,000 with the manual (and that assumes you have the right rear end gears)  With the 4 cyl engine, only 2,000 lbs.  As you can see, it can be all over the place.  Source:

http://www.trailerlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Trailer-Life-Towing-Guide-2002.pdf

 

[closeanuf]

Bob did a video with Randy at RTR with Randy's TT and I believe he pulls it with a GMC that is the same thing as as a Chevy S10.  
To find out axle ratio get a Chevy dealer check your VIN; they can tell you what axle ratio you have.

 

[ceejay]

So I have a Chey S10 4X4 quad cab witha tow pkg. What size TT would everyone suggest. I would like to be at next RTR. Plz I need all the input I can get. TY

what does your owners manual say you can tow ... weight wise

 

[Ballenxj]

What about a van as a tow vehicle?  Kind of a twofer then?  You could actually use it for living while you were saving for the trailer and later it could be an "extra room".

This is what I would suggest, and the reason I settled on a 3/4 ton Dodge. You could then use the TT as a base while you travel in the van.

 

[steamjam1]

having a van is like being a turtle... Your home in on your back. No problems. Its like the ultimate back-pack. You aint gotta tow nothing.

 

[Ballenxj]

having a van is like being a turtle... Your home in on your back. No problems. Its like the ultimate back-pack. You aint gotta tow nothing.

True, but a full size van is also like a truck, and you "can" tow if you want to. Options are good.

 

[ArtW]

Only thing is the vans do have less Tow cap than the same series truck
I've been obsessing about tow cap lately
Maybe the problem isn't that I have too little truck, but that I have too much trailer, lol
That Fella Randy was towing a nice sized TT with his S10, made me question how much tow cap really mattered
Then I went back to obsessing lol

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

That Fella Randy was towing a nice sized TT with his S10, made me question how much tow cap really mattered

People often get away with doing all kinds of stupid stuff.  That doesn't mean that doing stupid stuff is a good idea . . .

 

[ArtW]

I know, OP, just my Rationalization Hamster getting his daily execise

 

[Ballenxj]

Only thing is the vans do have less Tow cap than the same series truck.

My Dodge B2500 is rated at a tow capacity of 8600 lbs. I have not checked a 3/4 ton truck equivalent.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[jonthebru]

I want to echo the others who say buy the Tow vehicle first. Also, make it a van for the reason others have stated. If possible get the tow package already set up. You may be limited in what you can tow (5 or 6,000 lb?), but it will handle a trailer up to around 24 feet. And you always have the van to carry things in and do trips without the trailer. Just my opinion.

 

[ArtW]

double

 

[ArtW]

My Dodge B2500 is rated at a tow capacity of 8600 lbs. I have not checked a 3/4 ton truck equivalent.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

what year, what motor, what rear end? a 2003 D2500 with the 5.7 hemi will tow nearly 10,000, and the tow ratings go up from there
http://www.dodgeram.info/2003/load-tow/2500.html

 

[Ballenxj]

what year, what motor, what rear end? a 2003 D2500 with the 5.7 hemi will tow nearly 10,000, and the tow ratings go up from there
http://www.dodgeram.info/2003/load-tow/2500.html

2003 Dodge B2500 Cargo Van.
5.2 L (318)
Trans is the 42RE which my transmission guys said is also used with diesel engines.
Rear end gears, 3:73's equipped with Detroit Tru-Trac limited slip.
Frame mounted class 3 hitch.

The difference in weight caps may be due to 5.2 vs 5.7 Hemi?
Either way, I feel mine will handle a 24 ft TT just fine.
PS, it may not be the newest or best looking van out there, but it's paid for.

 

[ArtW]

Yours will deff handle a 24ft TT just fine, I was just pointing out that if a person wants to tow with a van, they need to be aware that the tow cap for a van is slightly lower than with a pickup, usually
I don't see the 5.2 even listed for the Ram 2500 for that year
What I do know is, in the Chevrolet lineup, vans and SUVs for a given model year have a lower rating than the pickups, given similar equipment, for example a 96 Suburban 1500 has a rating of, IIRC, 6000lb, while a similarly equipped Pickup is rated at 8000. probably the added weight of the SUV body is the problem, though it's hard to see that making 2000lb difference
Heck, maybe it's the brakes
I am all about 'paid for' and 'does the job' over 'pretty' or 'new' *fistbump*

 

[Ballenxj]

I don't see the 5.2 even listed for the Ram 2500 for that year

I noticed that too, strange. I ran the vin to get the information I got, with the exception of the Tru-Trac that I had installed.
Also strange that a van or Suburban would have a lower tow cap since that are all using the truck frame?

 

[ArtW]

I thought so too, my boss had a 99 2500 Suburban and the real world tow cap seemed to be 'whatever you can hitch to the bumper' lol

 

[Ballenxj]

what year, what motor, what rear end? a 2003 D2500 with the 5.7 hemi will tow nearly 10,000, and the tow ratings go up from there
http://www.dodgeram.info/2003/load-tow/2500.html

I suspect a lot of those ratings are arbitrary within the ball park whatever they feel like posting?
Here's a Trailer Life Guide that has my engine listed for the van, but posted a tow cap rating of 7600 to 8100 lbs? Page 6 under Ram 2500.
http://www.trailerlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Trailer-Life-Towing-Guide-2003.pdf