1982

8/24/2011 8:56:56 AM

this is relevant to my interests, but my garage noobery requires that i ask:

do y'all think something like a mazda3 5-door or ford focus 5-door could tow a trailer with a ~650cc motorcycle? or a small u-haul? i haven't been to a dealership to see if they even offer a towing package on these cars...

8/24/2011 9:13:22 AM

^yes.

Quote :

"God someone is fucking stupid and its not me this time Have you ever seen a cv joint or a frontwheel drive transmission."

What the fuck does that have to do with anything? Until the previous post nobody had even really asked anything about FWD towing. And besides, CV joints are cheap

8/24/2011 9:16:32 AM

^^
http://www.etrailer.com/

Use the hitch finder to see what is available and check out the installation instructions before you buy. I've bought several from this company.

8/24/2011 10:27:17 AM

I just received a hitch for my Z06 from e-trailer. Prob install it tomorrow.

8/24/2011 11:28:47 AM

have you ordered a small bike trailer and sportbike yet?

8/25/2011 7:56:42 AM

Ready to tow your double-wide... BAM!

8/25/2011 3:45:46 PM

The Outback is an awesome tow vehicle for normal uses. The 6x12 UHaul trailer was a little hairy and definitely not something I'd do on a regular basis. The trailer weight was approximately the car weight (3500 lbs) and it often felt like the trailer was driving the car. With a tall trailer swaying was also an issue. A 5x8 UHaul I can barely even feel. Also, my friend's 17' SeaRay (3000 lbs) tows comfortably although it's noticeable. Usually I'm towing a small sailboat on a jon boat trailer (~500 lbs) and can only tell it's there because of bouncing on the well-maintained interstates of Hampton Roads.

8/27/2011 11:17:47 AM

I've been looking into this a little more because, as I mentioned before, I'd love to sell my Civic DD and 4Runner tow vehicle and get a single car that can do it all. My interest was renewed when I saw this 6-speed 530i on Craigslist: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/2536666434.html

From what I've learned about BMWs it seems that they offer a tow package in Europe that they simply don't offer here. You cannot get it from BMW in the states and if you bought it overseas it would be roughly $2500 + shipping. It replaces the entire rear bumper assembly including the aluminum bumper beam and gets rid of the shock absorbing struts and replaces them with solid steel. That price would be for the hitch assembly only and does not include a wiring harness for your trailer lights.

If you look at the hitches that are available here they're all Class 1 hitches with a 2000 lb max capacity. They require removal of the bumper and drilling through the trunk area, so installation is hardly a simple job.

So, while you could tow ~4500 lbs with a 530i, there are probably only a handful of properly equipped 5-Series cars here in the states. The practical limitation is going to be in the 2000 lb range.

Curt and Draw-tite both make a Class II hitch (3500 lb cap) for the Volvo S60R, so I'm thinking that would be my best option if I wanted to ditch my current rides. I haven't towed my boat more than 1/8th mile from my house to the boat ramp in the past two years, so that might be a good choice for me. I'm not too worried about accidents or liability since it's a neighborhood boat ramp and all, but the last thing I want is to rip the rear subframe off a luxury car and end up on Youtube or something.

[Edited on August 31, 2011 at 4:24 PM. Reason : s]

8/31/2011 4:18:52 PM

If you are towing with a sedan or wagon and an auto transmission, then its generally a good idea to add an additional transmission fluid cooler. I have a volvo 240 with close to 300k on the original tranny, pulling a 17' sailboat for close to half the mileage. The transmission cooler will also reduce the load on the radiator, and decrease the chances of overheating.

9/2/2011 11:02:50 AM

I'm still really tempted to get a 530i or 545i and just use it to put my boat in and out of the water. I know I shouldn't since the boat on a trailer with a driver is probably 3600 lbs, but my neighborhood boat ramp is one of the least steep ramps I've ever seen (nice flat Coastal Plain ground) and I'm literally 1/8th mile away on a flat road. It would be a disaster if the trailer hitch ripped out of the body of the car, but damn I'm tired of driving and maintaining two boring vehicles.

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 2:31 PM. Reason : s]

9/2/2011 2:29:08 PM

^buy an old lawn tractor, a 14hp a pre mid-70s cub cadet/John Deer/Sears with some rear wheel weights would be fine.

9/5/2011 9:13:02 AM

Not a sedan or wagon, but I towed my GPR from New Bern to Pensacola this weekend with my Z06.

9/13/2011 12:45:49 AM

Quote :

"I'm still really tempted to get a 530i or 545i and just use it to put my boat in and out of the water."

screw that. go all out and retrofit a hitch on E39 M5. it will be sexy

9/13/2011 2:56:27 AM

9/13/2011 10:18:04 PM