Colorado Duramax thread

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Toyota, at least in 2008 still, was explicit on how to load a camper in your truck. How feasible it is to stay within GVWR isn't mentioned.

tacoma_camper_pg1.png

tacoma_camper_pg2.png
 

Dalko43

Explorer
Toyota, at least in 2008 still, was explicit on how to load a camper in your truck. How feasible it is to stay within GVWR isn't mentioned.

Well considering the weights (dry and wet) of the campers that some of those Tacoma's are carrying around, I don't understand how it's feasible either.

An A/T habitat camper shell I think it is perfectly feasible for this category of trucks. Anything heavier is better off in a 1/2 ton or larger.
 

rickc

Adventurer
Dalko43's right. Same goes for grossly overloaded roof racks and toppers. It is interesting to note that EarthCruiser's GZL200 is designed for Tacos and Colorado/Canyons yet in it's base form weighs 1000lb; with goodies 1200lb. As stated earlier, my Colorado is rated for a total weight of 1330lbs. A base GZL300 leaves only 330lb of load; minus me at 180lb leaves 150lb, only enough for one more (light) adult and very little gear. Doesn't take much to exceed the payload.

Warranty is one issue but safety is far more critical. I would think that a revised rear suspension maybe with air bags would be required to make the truck ride better.
 

Clutch

<---Pass
Pffft....not this "people exceeding payload" again! ;) :p


Face it fellas, people are going to do what they are going to do. They and the camper manufactures don't really care.
 
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Dalko43

Explorer
Pffft....not this people exceeding payload again!


Face it fellas, people are going to do what they are going to do. They and the camper manufactures don't really care.

I agree. I'm just pointing out that, despite the different word choice in the OEM manuals, the Colorado and Tacoma both have payload ratings that would make them unsuitable for carrying most bed campers.
 

superbuickguy

Explorer
ZR2 wheels on a Teardrop?? Advise please.
Hopefully someone here can steer me in the right direction. I have recently bought this used Lead Dog Hiker Teardrop. The original owner had a Jeep so he had it built with Jeep wheels (5 on 5).
My tow vehicle is a 2018 Chevy Colorado ZR2 which has a 6 on 5 hole pattern. I went to the local Trailer source store to try and find matching trailer hubs and I was told that trailer hubs are only available in 6 on 5.5". Someone else mentioned that there might be an aluminum adapter available to install an actual Chevy hub on a trailer axle but couldn't help me locate such an animal. Anyone have any ideas how I could match my Chevy wheels on my teardrop ?

For reasons only known to GM, they switched to a 120mm x 6 bolt pattern. Most aluminum adapter folks can make an adapter that goes either direction (from 6 on 139 to 120 or 120 to 139). This is my plan for wheels on mine - I'm going to 139 because it's nearly impossible to find correct offset wheels for a lift that don't require at least one arm and one leg....
 

superbuickguy

Explorer
Pffft....not this "people exceeding payload" again! ;):p


Face it fellas, people are going to do what they are going to do. They and the camper manufactures don't really care.

not just that but can you imagine the fight over whether or not a camper shell is a slide-in camper? I think GM is more concerned about top-heavy rather then payload - many camper-special trucks have pretty stout rear sway bars.

and finally, it's not a slide-in if it doesn't have jacks attached...
 

superbuickguy

Explorer
An A/T habitat camper shell I think it is perfectly feasible for this category of trucks. Anything heavier is better off in a 1/2 ton or larger.

that's funny because the payload capacity of a 1/2 ton Silverado is 500 lbs LESS then the payload capacity of a Colorado.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Depends of course on config and options, but looks like a 1500 without trailer package has max of 1,760 lbs payload and Colorado is 1,574 lbs.
 

Clutch

<---Pass
Depends of course on config and options, but looks like a 1500 without trailer package has max of 1,760 lbs payload and Colorado is 1,574 lbs.

If you order the bed delete on the Collie, IIRC it goes up to 2200 lbs, though 4WD goes away when you do that...
 

Dalko43

Explorer
Depends of course on config and options, but looks like a 1500 without trailer package has max of 1,760 lbs payload and Colorado is 1,574 lbs.

Dang, not much of a difference there. It kind of reaffirms my personal view that it makes sense to either go ultra-light and compact with a midsized platform (Tacoma, Colorado) or go all out with a 3/4 ton.

The engine options on the 1/2 tons are decent enough, but they seem extremely neutered in terms of payload (I'm sure as an appeasement towards the truck bro crowd which drives these things around empty 99% of the time).
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Dang, not much of a difference there. It kind of reaffirms my personal view that it makes sense to either go ultra-light and compact with a midsized platform (Tacoma, Colorado) or go all out with a 3/4 ton.

The engine options on the 1/2 tons are decent enough, but they seem extremely neutered in terms of payload (I'm sure as an appeasement towards the truck bro crowd which drives these things around empty 99% of the time).
It all depends on outfit, but the Colorado chassis appears to max out at 5,900 lbs GVWR and the 1500 it looks like can be uprated as high as 7,600 lbs with HD tow packages and the right engine and gear ratio combination. It's not really as close as the retail truck numbers when you look in the fleet & commercial tools. You can option a 2WD 1500 6.2L V8, 3.23 ratio, even still with a box, to have a payload of 2,000 lbs with a 7,400 lbs GVWR.
If you order the bed delete on the Collie, IIRC it goes up to 2200 lbs, though 4WD goes away when you do that...
That puts you into the upfitter calculated payload but I think it retains the same 5,900 GVWR and removing the box would obviously cut a few hundred lbs from the curb weight. The best I could do is an extended cab V6 with 5,900 lbs GVWR and stated curb of 4,335 lbs with the box still. Payload for that is 1,532 lbs so I guess it gets closer without the sheet metal.
 
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vintageracer

To Infinity and Beyond!
All the shell and RV manufacturer's care about is that the weight of "their" product is LESS than the payload GVWR capacity of the vehicle for which their product is designed when installed on the that vehicle.

If sitting your Fat ****** in your vehicle overloads the payload GVWR capacity of your vehicle it's not product manufacturer's fault as their product was designed and manufactured at a weight that does not exceed the payload weight rating for that vehicle. The fact that YOU the vehicle owner overloaded your vehicle is not their fault!

YOU own the vehicle therefore YOU should know better! ;)
 

Dalko43

Explorer
It all depends on outfit, but the Colorado chassis appears to max out at 5,900 lbs GVWR and the 1500 it looks like can be uprated as high as 7,600 lbs with HD tow packages and the right engine and gear ratio combination. It's not really as close as the retail truck numbers when you look in the fleet & commercial tools. You can option a 2WD 1500 6.2L V8, 3.23 ratio, even still with a box, to have a payload of 2,000 lbs with a 7,400 lbs GVWR.

Yeah, I understand that you can option some of these 1/2 ton's have payloads of 2k lbs or higher. But when you account for the way most of these trucks are actually optioned (4wd, smaller bed, ect.) the payloads are limited to around 1.5k-1.6k lbs, which is pretty neutered especially when you consider what some midsized trucks are rated to carry here and overseas.

Ford I know has a payload upgrade package for the F-150...I wish more OEM's would offer that.
 
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