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Colorado / Canyon

841 views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  florida4x4 
#1 ·
I've been trying to settle on a pull vehicle for my 72 jimmy. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say the pull weight is 7500-8000 with gear and all that. I pretty much decided on an avalanche 2500 but since I will only pull 2-4 times a year it seems overkill and the gas mileage will generally suck for a daily driver. Yeah I know overkill is good and I'd like to do it, I just think I'd be unhappy with it anytime I'm NOT pulling. Another problem is I want to move away from the full size vehicles because I just don't have to have the extra room (the trailer makes up for that).

The GMC Canyon quad cab looks like a nice truck but it isn't worth much in stock form. My Jimmy is way overbuild for the local trail running I do and it would add some fun to get back out there on something running 35" tires. I have a 1990 suburban that I'm getting ready to part out so I could conceiveably take a 2x4 Canyon, SAS it and run full size axles with a 5.3L / 4l80e that I have in the garage. So if I took all this and put together a mild wheeling / daily driver, how do you think it would pull 8k on those rare out of town wheeling adventures? It's a stupid amount of work for sure but if there is nothing wrong with the weight and length of the vehicle, I'd like to consider it. Any thoughts?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Your post seems to imply that you think a crew-cab Canyon with a V-8 turning 35" tires is going to get substantially better or even noticeably better fuel-mileage than a 3/4-ton Avalanche. Or that you'll save money building up the Canyon over buying and fueling said Avalanche. Or that the Canyon modified as you describe would be a tow-rig equal to the Avalanche.

Of course, none of those will even be close to true.

But if you want to build up another trail-rig out of a Canyon with parts you have, and use it to tow your big trail-rig as well, then go ahead and do it. Just don't try to justify it by imagining it will save you money or tow your big trail-rig as well as the Avalanche.

If you want to be sensible, focus on wheeling your current trail-rig, buy a 3/4-ton Avalanche to tow it and to drive daily, recognizing that anything you would use to tow your rig would cost as much or more.

If you just want to build a Canyon and tow with it, then go ahead and do that, being prepared to spend the money and deal with the compromises that come with a dual-purpose rig.
 
#3 ·
I wouldn't even think of pulling 8K (total) with any mid-sized truck.

Even a 1/2 ton would be marginal, however some of the tow ratings of some of the new 1/2ton's is impressive.

*I*'d be looking at a 3/4T or better, longer wheelbase rig to tow your wheeling junk. Sounds to me like you need to find a cheap, occasional tow rig that will sit most of the time, then pick up a Canyon and do your SAS and such for a DD.

Roll the towrig onto some sort of "non-use" insurance so its cheap to keep around. I know with my policy(s) I can roll them down to "comprehensive only" when I'm not using them, then call and have the whole policy activated when I want to use them. Saves me a BUTT load of $$ on rigs that site 11 months out of the year.

If you were towing a Zuk, that would be different and the Canyon would probably be OK, for a fullsize *I* wouldn't.
 
#4 ·
I appreciate the replies. I knew it was a crazy idea so I needed a sanity check. I need an 8 car garage and a better paying job. I'll stick to getting an Ave for now :beer:
 
#5 · (Edited)
So the Avalanche will be a DD as well?

What about just getting a 1/2 ton one and modding it.

Add 6.0l 4l80 and D60/14bt. And Air bag the rear. Or leave it IFS and upgrade the brakes etc. and small lift.

The 6.0L will tow that just fine and still get 15+ mpg with the 4l80.
 
#6 ·
yeah I'm pretty much thinking about getting a 2x4 Ave, swapping the axles and tcase from the burb which are 8-lug FF and calling it good. I had a quick look at the frame and it looks like they were thinking SAS from the factory. I think the 5.3 will do the job with some tuning and maybe a cam swap. I gotta get a tape measure out and do some calculating...
 
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