How much towing capacity does a vehicle need to tow a 67 GS400?

NZ GS 400, you stirred up a hornets nest. You shoulda just asked who had the biggest truck from the on set lol !

 

If it has the balls to PULL the load without overheating, has good brakes on the truck, as well as "good brakes" on the trailer, that will get you a long ways towards your goal. Having the trailer loaded correctly with proper geometry and tongue weight is a must. A full size spare, spare for the trailer, are a must as well. It's nice if the tow vehicle weighs more than the toad.

Traction is a must as well. The most embarrassing thing is being stuck on a hill at a stoplight in the rain with "one tire fire" and just spinning.

I remember the Pontiac Aztec was rated to tow 5000 lbs. Yeah right.

 

To compare, my 6.0 2500HD 6 speed got 13mpg around town and 17mpg on the highway fully empty.

I think your suggestion is a great one. The Colorado is by no means a “small” truck compared to years past.

 

Just seen this thread.
Apologies in advance for using French numbers but I'm at work and don't have the time or converter to put into lbs.
A couple of years ago the wife wanted a shopping short list for a new Ute. to tow the speedway car.
Holden Colorado
Ford Ranger / Mazda BT50
VW Amarok
To that I specified turbo diseasel (not a typo ) and 2wd.
You have to consider what your total weight will be 4500kg and over you need to be on a ht class 2 license. That's tow vehicle, trailer, load , tools and the wife's luggage all together - which is why I specified 2wd, why drag around another couple hundred kilos of transfer case, front diff etc. if your not going off road.
We got a 2010 Colorado and it pulls up our twisty hilly roads well loaded up for an out of town race - Gisborne to Bay View in Hawkes bay in 2 1/2 hours.
You need to consider the strength of the trailer too and it'll need good brakes.
Some feedback I've had on the Ranger in the last year or so is a lot of them are gutless unless you get them chipped which voids warranty.
Hope this helps mate.

 

Never mentioned, but as a comparison, my 2016 diesel Colorado has the 2.8L 4 cyl turbo diesel, for those that don't know.

It really isn't that small of a truck. It is comparable in size to the full size trucks from 20 yrs ago.

 

Fess up.....which one of you guys is this??

 

You obviously know it all...
As for how many 18 wheelers I have seen wrecked...I have worked for Penn Dot for 24 years and have seen hundreds wrecked. So far this year we are well over 20 truck wrecks. And,there are many,many that are driving that barely speak English,let alone can read the signs.I have a CDL license and have put more than 2 million miles on trucks for the last 39 years I have driven,including my many years plowing snow on I-80. I also pull cars,as well as many other things I haul to Jersey and New York etc..You can do what you want and buy what you want to pull your stuff but I prefer what I buy..Maybe you can't afford to buy the right truck,but I bought what I feel what is right for me.. So the second part about where he lives...They don't sell or have full size trucks there or can't buy them???News to me..

 

Logic also tells you the 1 ton has a way bigger brake system to stop harder. It also has much stiffer springs and shocks to keep the tires from unloading. It should also have 10 ply tires that won't deflect the sidewalls and 50% more road contact with with the tires to avoid locking up..... so there is no way the half ton will stop better with the same load.

 

I just towed a 1970 GSX in a 24 ft enclosed trailer from Illinois to Florida with a 4wd 2015 Tahoe with a 5.3 with no issues. I went over Mounteagle in TN at 50 mph. How you set up to tow is very important. Total weight of car and trailer about 8,000 lbs loaded.

Jim

 

Hahahaha....this is a funny thread that can be summed up thusly: If you know how to tow, and your vehicle is rated to tow the weight that you need to tow, that vehicle can tow it. A vehicle rated for a higher towing capacity can also tow it, and probably do it safer, and also tow more if needed. Whoopity doooo!

 

Yeah no joke.

 

Why don't we talk about something less controversial, like what oil is the best to use in your Buick... :^)

 

Looks like something I'd try

 

My Buchev was built specifically for towing. It pulled our horse trailer just fine, and does the same with my 16' enclosed with the Model T. With the 6.2 Diesel it ran great, but was a rolling roadblock. With 431 cubic inches of torquemonster Nailhead, it tows beautifully

 

Did you decide on which vehicle to buy?
We recently upgraded from our '10 Colorado to a '15. Longer, wider, considerably more area to Chuck gear in the back, more leg room for the back seats ( important with teenagers ) . More Torque and Power with a much better trans. The '10 is still a good truck but the '15 and up is much better IMO. We've taken it out of town a couple of times towing the speedway car and it just eats hills. Living in Gisborne it's always the first couple of hours travelling out and the last couple coming home that test the gear the hardest no matter how far you go in this beautiful country of ours.
The missus loves it as her daily runabout too

 

He is on the ragged edge of what he has available to him over there. He will always be struggling especially on hills. I pulled my 24’ enclosed trailer a bunch of times from Mass to Kentucky, Ohio and Chicago with my then 2010 Ford F-150. Had about a 9,500 lb tow limit. Trailer and car probably about 8,500 lb loaded. It did ok but going up hills could be a struggle. Jason is correct. Bigger is better. I haven’t tried it with my 16 Silverado 1500 but friends 2500 Silverado it does way better.

 

Tow vehicle brakes are another consideration. Smaller vehicles just don’t have the braking capacity of heavy duty trucks. Even with trailer brakes which I have you can induce terror very quickly in a panic stop. I give myself plenty of space when I drive. Problem is others don’t think that far ahead.

 

Tow hitches are also important. I bought a load leveler tension bar system. You set it up so truck rides level. Man those bars are under tension. I hit myself in the leg taking one off and it almost knocked me on my ass. Was sore for a while. I am always horrified when I see people on the highway with rear of trucking almost hitting the ground and nose of truck up in the air. Ya, that’s real safe.

 

I have back burnered the idea for now. As has been said, my options here are limited and expensive. I have considered a second hand flat deck tow truck, but I don't have the space for it really. I guess I will keep thinking about options.