2014-02-09 — Keith Thelen
I think I can, I think I can…
This 1998 Chevy S-10, with its bumper hitch, anemic four-cylinder, and overloaded suspension, was clearly not up to the task of towing this 2,000-pound trailer down the road as-was. But it was perfectly capable of moving it around the lot as said trailer underwent repairs.
So, who needs a big truck? Anyone towing this trailer, that’s for sure. Get 2.5 tons of vehicle loaded onto it, and you’ll be much happier in something like this beefed up 1-ton Chevy.
But if all you need to do is scoot around yourself (and perhaps a passenger) in leather-trimmed comfort*, with a light load behind you, this little truck will do you just fine. You’ll also be much happier with the fuel economy – its five-speed gearbox can easily get you 25mpg on the highway, exactly twice what you’d see in that 1-ton with empty trailer in tow.
* Leather interior on this unit comes courtesy of a low-mile Bravada whose transmission failed prematurely. All other S-10s offer cloth bench or bucket seating. Various other owner-installed options also shown. See your dealer for details.
Still, practical as they may be, it’s hard to look cool in a little truck – as this whiteboard illustration that appeared in my office around that time demonstrates. (In the coming days, the image took on a life of its own, being subjected to a variety of comical accidents… collision with an impossibly large deer, going nose-to-nose with an Isuzu Hombre, etc.)
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