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Old 06-08-2013, 12:28 AM   #1
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Hi all,

We're new to this forum and it's nice to see others who have the Zinger.

We have a Chevy Trailblazer 25RK that we just bought and will be pulling it to CA in a few weeks. It has the 3:42 axles and can tow 6,100 lbs. We did a test pull and although we at the max for the TB, it pulled beautifully.

We will have a trans cooler, weight distribution hitch and sway bars installed before we leave. Once we're in CA we're going to buy a truck instead that has more power but the TB will do the trick for now.

Has anyone had experience with towing a Zinger with a Trailblazer?

Thanks everyone.


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Old 06-08-2013, 01:04 AM   #2
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I had a 2002 LTZ that i pulled a 30' Cherokee with. 4500dry weight. That 6cyl inline has lots of torque and hp. I found the short wheelbase and soft suspension to be the only downfall.
Mine had the tow pkg with 3.73 gears, cooler, etc. Good luck!
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Old 06-08-2013, 08:47 PM   #3
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When we started looking a campers we were hopeful the 2013 Crossroads Z-1 we bought would be towable with our Trailblazer as with the WDH should pull 7600 pounds. I believe we still could in a pinch but we bought a Nissan Armada that can pull 9100 pounds with WDH (actuall the HA). So, I am curious to how well the TB would do with my TT now. I'll have to try it.....
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Old 06-19-2013, 03:33 AM   #4
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We tow ours (I responded to your PM), and it does "OK". We are at max with 3:42 gears as well.

Operative word is "OK". I would consider a larger vehicle before going as far as CA. We are happy with setup, but most trips are shorter and we will upgrade before going thru WV mountains.

(buzz kill...I know)
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Old 06-19-2013, 03:13 PM   #5
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well, Since the TT I have is the Z-1 271BH and it has a weight limit of 7700 lbs and my TB can tow 7600 lbs with * proper Weight distribution I am thinking about "testing" it out next week. I have all the hook ups on my TB as it came from the factory with the whole tow package except for the brake controller which I have never seen any truck come with one. I never overload or even bring the Z-1 close to the weight limit so It would be nice to know that I can use it to pull this in apinch locally if needed. I have an extra cable for the P2 I installed in my Armada and once I hook it up I will be able to just unplug the P@ and move it to anytruck I want and pull the trailer.



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Old 06-19-2013, 05:04 PM   #6
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My TV came with a built-in brake controller.
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Old 06-20-2013, 12:31 PM   #7
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my zinger did horrible being towed with my old armada. I was pushed and pulled all over the road and eventually I learned the meaning of having enough truck to pull it but not enough truck to stop it. I learned the last lesson coming down a mountain in VA w/ a 7% grade. It didn't have enough engine to hold the truck back even with stopping before descent and using low gears going down (lower than what was used going up the mountain). I used every trick I had learned in 20 yrs of hauling horses and still had to use the brakes enough to pretty much use them up by the bottom of the mountain. I pulled that same mountain road last fall with the new to me diesel. I touched my brakes 1 or 2 times. The engine did the rest of the work for me. huge difference. Same thing with vehicles pushing me, I went from even small cars and SUVs pushing me around to not worrying about semis (as I now get to pass them) with the change of tow vehicles. My families safety wasn't worth it. my knuckles couldn't take it Any more. The armada was gone within a couple months of the mountain in drive (and we stayed out of the mountains during that time). we finally figured out the problem, I was over on payload. My stated towing capacity was 9100 lbs but in reality the truck only had an available payload of 810 lbs once passengers, gear, pets etc were accounted for. Doing the math in reverse the 810 lb payload actually limited me to loaded trailer weight of about 6000lbs.the tongue weight of my zinger is close to 1000 lbs and The loaded weight of the trailer is 7000 lbs.

I think you will find a similar if not worse experience with the trailblazer. have you weighed your trailblazer to see where you stand? if not go weigh the TB. Take the scaled weight and subtract it from the Trailblazers GCWR to get your adjusted towing capacity. Take the scaled weight and subtract it from the trailblazers gvwr to get your available payload. Your loaded TT weight must be below the adjusted towing capacity and your loaded tongue weight (13-15% of loaded tt weight) must be less than the available payload. remember you will not tow an empty or dry trailer and therefore will not be towing a dry tongue weight. the dry weights dont even include propane or batteries let alone your gear (most tend to add 1000-1500 lbs to their tt). You mention upgrading to a new TV when you get to CA. Why not do it before the trip and have a more comfortable and safer ride?Edited by: anaro
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Old 06-20-2013, 01:03 PM   #8
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I agree with anaro 100%. I like the stopping power of the Ford diesel I have more than the pulling power. I used to pull a 34 ft. Flagstaff bumper pull with a 2007 GMC 1500 4x4. It had the 5.3L V8 and the towing package with trans cooler, but even the Flagstaff was way too much for that truck in the mountains. I traded it in on a 2008 F250 P-stroke and I've never regretted it. It's worth every penny of the extra money for the peace of mind when pulling in the mountains.
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Old 06-20-2013, 03:27 PM   #9
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Since I have installed the Hensely Arrow I have no sway and the trailer feels like it's part of the Armada. It took a few trys to get the right bar and dial it in and I still have a few trips to run before I hget it just right but I feel pretty confident that the Armada will do the job. My dry weight is shy of 6000lbs on the TT and I only carry about 20 gallons of water which is around 160 lbs. We travel very light and will be carrying about 7 people in the TV so it will be a little shy the max total. I have a 3 year extended warranty so were covered on repairs. I do wish I could find a place to weigh the rig in the monmouth county nj area so I can get the actual numbers and adjust in reality but for now I will just go with as low a number as I can go with until I can weigh it.



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Old 06-20-2013, 03:29 PM   #10
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I forgot to mention that my first hitch was the EAZlift Elite which is in my shed to keep from rusting and even with that tuned in thetrailer was all over the road....
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Old 06-21-2013, 11:39 AM   #11
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there is a catscale at the truck stop in bordentown. you can also try the local dump or feed store as they often have them.maybe a grainery near the nj horse park?
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Old 06-21-2013, 12:32 PM   #12
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If you are planning on buying a new vehicle anyway, my recommendation is to buy it before you take that trip to CA. I had a job where I changed company vehicles every 3 months, never knowing what I would get next, and I've towed my travel trailer with anything from a Cadillac Escallade to a Siverado pickup to a Trailblazer. By far the worst tow vehicle I ever hitched my trailer to was a Trailblazer. Worst maneuver was braking going into a curve. It was scary. Also the mileage was under 8 mpg. And this was just a trip from Southern Michigan to Western New York state....relatively flat. I would really worry going down any steep grades with the Trailblazer.
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