diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a015a2d..95825ec 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -34,3 +34,11 @@ nosetests.xml
 .mr.developer.cfg
 .project
 .pydevproject
+
+# vim
+[._]*.s[a-w][a-z]
+[._]s[a-w][a-z]
+*.un~
+Session.vim
+.netrwhist
+*~
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 8238066..d1bbf8a 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ extras_require = {
         'docutils>=0.10',
         'flexmock>=0.9.7',
         'psycopg2>=2.5.1',
+        'pytz>=2014.2',
+        'python-dateutil>=2.2',
         'pymysql'
     ],
     'anyjson': ['anyjson>=0.3.3'],
diff --git a/sqlalchemy_utils/types/timezone.py b/sqlalchemy_utils/types/timezone.py
index 43ebb47..0fc51cd 100644
--- a/sqlalchemy_utils/types/timezone.py
+++ b/sqlalchemy_utils/types/timezone.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class TimezoneType(types.TypeDecorator, ScalarCoercible):
             timezone = sa.Column(TimezoneType(backend='pytz'))
     """
 
-    impl = types.CHAR(50)
+    impl = types.Unicode(50)
 
     python_type = None
 
diff --git a/tests/types/test_timezone.py b/tests/types/test_timezone.py
index 3f6c67d..fe5e0c8 100644
--- a/tests/types/test_timezone.py
+++ b/tests/types/test_timezone.py
@@ -4,21 +4,18 @@ import sqlalchemy as sa
 from sqlalchemy_utils.types import timezone
 from tests import TestCase
 
-
-try:
-    import dateutil
-
-except ImportError:
-    dateutil = None
+import dateutil
+import pytz
 
 
-@mark.skipif('dateutil is None')
 class TestTimezoneType(TestCase):
     def create_models(self):
         class Visitor(self.Base):
             __tablename__ = 'document'
             id = sa.Column(sa.Integer, primary_key=True)
-            timezone = sa.Column(timezone.TimezoneType)
+            timezone_dateutil = sa.Column(timezone.TimezoneType(
+                                          backend='dateutil'))
+            timezone_pytz = sa.Column(timezone.TimezoneType(backend='pytz'))
 
             def __repr__(self):
                 return 'Visitor(%r)' % self.id
@@ -27,13 +24,17 @@ class TestTimezoneType(TestCase):
 
     def test_parameter_processing(self):
         visitor = self.Visitor(
-            timezone=u'America/Los_Angeles'
+            timezone_dateutil=u'America/Los_Angeles',
+            timezone_pytz=u'America/Los_Angeles'
         )
 
         self.session.add(visitor)
         self.session.commit()
 
-        visitor = self.session.query(self.Visitor).filter_by(
-            timezone='America/Los_Angeles').first()
+        visitor_dateutil = self.session.query(self.Visitor).filter_by(
+            timezone_dateutil='America/Los_Angeles').first()
+        visitor_pytz = self.session.query(self.Visitor).filter_by(
+            timezone_pytz='America/Los_Angeles').first()
 
-        assert visitor is not None
+        assert visitor_dateutil is not None
+        assert visitor_pytz is not None