What damage if any could come of towing something that exceeds the tow rating of your car? I'm not talking about towing a boat or another car, but just exceeding the rating by a couple hundred pounds.

The tow rating for my car is 1500lbs, but I imagine the trailer I'd be towing is going to hold a bit more than that. Am I looking at permanent damage to my car if I tow say, 2000? 2300lbs?

8/20/2010 10:42:18 AM

Possibly. It's a good way to overheat an automatic transmission for one thing. On the other hand it may be fully suited to towing in all ways except that the vehicle might be too light or with too short of a wheelbase to safely stop that much weight. It really depends on the car and the reason for it having a low towing capacity.

It also depends on how far you need to tow it and what kind of terrain. There's a big difference in towing at highway speeds down flat stretches of I-40 in Eastern NC and towing at slower speeds in western NC.

Year/Make/Model?

[Edited on August 20, 2010 at 10:50 AM. Reason : l]

8/20/2010 10:49:01 AM

2009 Toyota Corolla

Heading over the mountains (ack)

I know the 09 got a wider wheel base....

8/20/2010 10:57:25 AM

If this is the Corolla we talked about, I'd probably be very cautious towing that much weight. I've been known to grossly exceed towing ratings, but it is definitely an accident waiting to happen, and it's really hard on the vehicle.

In this weather, I think towing with an automatic transmission is a sure way to hasten its death, though the Corolla automatics are pretty robust. A transmission cooler is a MUST.

Skack is dead on about everything. In all reality, I don't think I would tow that much weight with that car, not unless you have no other choice and you have a lot of towing experience. And not unless it's across relatively flat land with no big hills.

There is NO way I'd tow that much weight with that car in the mountains.

[Edited on August 20, 2010 at 11:00 AM. Reason : Mountains.]

8/20/2010 10:58:55 AM

Eesh, that is not what I was hoping for.


So what about going really slow, and only towing the max of what I can... 1500lbs.

I have NO experience towing a trailer, and I'm kind of nervous about the entire ordeal.

I dont really have any other way of moving all my crap 1200 miles across the country. Suggestions?

8/20/2010 11:05:12 AM

Don't do it. Your best option is to just rent a truck and tow the car behind that if you need. Or fly back and pick up the car. Or any other option other than towing a trailer with a toyota corolla, esp an newer one. You dont want to fuck up your new car. and you will not enjoy a 1500 mile ride going through mountains with a trailer to push your small car around. If you were moving across town you could get away with it.

I saw a guy on I40 last week towing a 15 ft trailer with a push mower and a riding mower with a Lexus SC 300 or something similar. Did not look safe at all. He didnt have chains attached and the trailer was wobbling all over the road.

8/20/2010 11:13:36 AM

I wouldn't tow with a corolla. period. rent a truck and haul stuff or pay someone to pull it for you.

8/20/2010 11:18:19 AM

Not even if I'm under the rated towing weight?

It's only a 4x8' trailer. It's pretty small. :/



The price difference between renting a trailer and renting a truck is astounding. I think it was around 1200$ to get a full uhaul truck.

[Edited on August 20, 2010 at 11:20 AM. Reason : dammit]

8/20/2010 11:19:13 AM

Quote :

"So what about going really slow, and only towing the max of what I can... 1500lbs."

It's still going to be really hard on the car. Going slow is worse than going fast...No airflow to keep the transmission cool and the car will have to shift gears a lot more.

I'd probably go with a U-Haul and a towing dolly. It'll be worth the cost IMO and you'll have more than enough room for all your stuff. You have to consider the cost of the transmission cooler, trailer hitch, wiring, and trailer rental.

[Edited on August 20, 2010 at 11:23 AM. Reason : s]

8/20/2010 11:21:43 AM

Not in the mountains. Seriously. Ryder and UHaul have pretty decent deals that will be MUCH cheaper than having your car pushed to the failing point (or over the side of a mountain).

Especially if you have NO towing experience. Many of us here have had very close calls and even a few accidents.

Put it this way: I've been towing for over 20 years here and there...driven everything from a motorcycle to a Mack truck...and still towing puts the fear of God in me, especially in the mountains. Most of the time, it's not getting moving, it's trying to maintain stability and stopping.

8/20/2010 11:24:38 AM

yeah you guys aren't doing anything to reassure me. I'm going to go do a little more homework on renting a full truck. blah.

Thanks for the advice.

8/20/2010 11:26:40 AM

This is the garage...We would sell the Corolla, buy a 2500 series pickup truck, buy a trailer, move our stuff, sell the truck and trailer, buy a nicer car, and end up making $1000 in the process.

8/20/2010 11:33:33 AM

What are you hauling? and to where? There are people on here with trailers and trucks that would charge FARRRR less than 1200 to move things for you.

8/20/2010 11:34:39 AM

Good lord man, do not tow your stuff cross country behind a Corolla! That's asking for death, either yours or the cars...or both.

If you can't afford to move all your stuff sell everything you don't need.

8/20/2010 11:36:34 AM

^^^ Truth!

Definitely DO NOT try towing through the mountains with your Corolla. You are just asking to fry your transmission. If you're moving that far, maybe you should consider getting a POD? A few friends just moved out west and found that it was much cheaper than renting a full sized truck. Or if you aren't too attached to your stuff, just sell it on Craigslist and pack what you can into the Corolla. Depending on where you are going, driving stamina, and time for moving - you could rent a van drive it out and back and then take your Corolla. Renting from a car rental location with unlimited mileage tends to be cheaper than the whole UHaul thing if you pick your days right - the only catch is that your price often skyrockets if you don't return the car to the original location. Also, that's factoring in a lot of gas, but wouldn't require you towing at all potentially. Or rent SUV with unlimited miles, uhaul car dolly, and turn in at your new location. All of these options just require you checking out prices and being a lot more creative with your options. Find out if somewhere near where you are going needs UHauls - you could get lucky and get a dramatic price drop like we did when we moved to FL.

8/20/2010 1:04:06 PM

I think the plan is going to be -

Rent a small truck, fly back after Dcon, drive my car out.

On that note:

Anyone need a 1.25" hitch, 2" ball, and a custom hitch for a 09 corolla?

Also -

http://brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=600753

8/20/2010 1:08:56 PM

I have some coupon codes for Budget truck rental if you need them, sir.

8/20/2010 2:49:52 PM

Keep the hitch and buy a similar 4x8 trailer once you get there. They're great for moving a couch across town or something. I've got one behind my car and use it all the time. Then again I'm not towing more than about 1000 pounds, I have good disc brakes all around and I'm not going cross country through mountains or across the desert.

Anyway, towing is nothing to be afraid of. Take it to an empty parking lot and get someone to teach you how to back it.

You can also rent a tow-dolly to tow your car behind the rental truck, but again you'd want to get someone to show you how to load it and back it.

8/21/2010 2:01:21 AM

Quote :

"This is the garage...We would sell the Corolla, buy a 2500 series pickup truck, buy a trailer, move our stuff, sell the truck and trailer, buy a nicer car, and end up making $1000 in the process."

haha, sounds about like me...sold my Evo IX, bought the big V-10 Ram and a trailer, towed my stuff across the country and netted about $8000, and could probably sell both the truck and the trailer even now for a small profit. Bought an S2000.

8/22/2010 12:55:02 AM