Suspension Enhancement for Chevy Colorado When Towing a Trailer?

Updated 01/04/2020 | Published 01/03/2020

Question:

Hi - Would an air suspension kit safely increase the max payload capacity of a Colorado? And would this then allow for a 5th wheel trailer? The payload capacity of the Colorado is about 1600 lbs. Could air suspension safely bump the capacity up to, say, 2500 lbs? If the 7,000 lb 5th wheel trailer has the usual 20 tongue weight, that would be 1,400 lbs. That plus passengers and gas should total under 2500 lbs. Would this be safe? Because the maximum trailering capacity is 7,000 lbs, and that leaves no margin of trailering safety. So Im wondering if I could switch to a 5th wheel or gooseneck and bypass the 7,000 threshold. Is this feasible? thanks up front

asked by: Mike C

Expert Reply:

To answer the essence of your question, the answer is a simple no. While suspension enhancements are strongly recommended (necessary in some cases), when it comes down to towing capacity and how it relates to your vehicle, you're always going to be limited by the lowest rated component on your towing setup. If your hitch has a 10000-lb capacity but your truck only has a 7000-lb capacity, you're limited to that 7000-lbs; adding components with a higher capacity doesn't increase the capacity of your vehicle. They won't increase your capacity, but they certainly will create a more stable, safer and more comfortable experience when towing.

With all of that being said, if you're going to be towing a trailer with your Chevy Colorado, it's always a good idea to use some sort of suspension enhancement like the Timbren # TGMRCCA. Adding Timbrens to your vehicle is going to help combat some of the rear end squat that you're going to encounter with the tongue weight of your trailer pushing down on the back end. Vehicles with rear end sag from towing are less stable and have less responsive steering and braking than vehicles that are level; the Timbren SES works to correct that and provide you with a safer and more comfortable towing experience.

Towing a 5th wheel trailer is really only recommended for medium to heavy duty trucks; a light duty truck like the Colorado is going to be better suited for towing a travel trailer that weighs 4000 to 5000-lbs (dry weight); 7000-lbs would be the maximum for a fully equipped Colorado, but you'll want to consider any weight that you might be carrying in the truck and account for gear, water, propane, etc..

I've linked a brief video to this answer that will tell you a bit more about the Timbren SES and how they're going to help make your towing experience safer and more comfortable.

expert reply by: Erik B