# Pulling a camper **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232 "2014-03-18T00:15:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![huddlebunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7993a0/32.png) [@huddlebunny](https://community.cartalk.com/u/huddlebunny)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/1 "2014-03-18T00:15:52Z")
Can I pull a 24 ft. hardshell camper 150 miles(mostly interstate) with my Honda element EX? ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/2 "2014-03-18T00:26:19Z")
What does this camper weigh? What’s the towing capacity of your car as listed in the owner’s manual? ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/3 "2014-03-18T00:28:00Z")
How much does the camper weigh? The towing capacity for a 2006 Element is 1500#. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/4 "2014-03-18T00:45:41Z")
24 feet? Sounds HEAVY to me. So, no. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/5 "2014-03-18T01:09:02Z")
No way. Just because a vehicle can pull something doesn’t mean it can tow something in a safe manner. Two very different animals. Remember that manufacturers often over-state the towing capacity of many of their vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/6 "2014-03-18T01:19:55Z")
The 24’ trailer I looked up weighed about 4,000 pounds. Nope. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/7 "2014-03-18T02:17:23Z")
If a Toyota pick up could pull the space shuttle, why couldn’t a Honda Element pull a measly 24’ trailer. 😉 (sarcasm intended) ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/8 "2014-03-18T02:46:32Z")
In answer to the intended sarcasm…because joe customer sees that stuff and says’’ hey that means I can pull my XX at 75 mph '' I’m sure WE all noticed the massive number of wheels the shuttle was rolling on… and we noticed how snail slow they were pulling it. There was no tounge weight. There was no steering and cornering and very little stopping . ALL huge caveats to the ‘‘towing capacity’’ of any vehicle. So the o.p. MUST realize all the compromises ( don’t know if they’ve towed anything before ) even within towing capacity that could make a temporary or occasional tow possible. Is this heavy trailer on a load equaizing reciever ? or just on the bumper hitch ? Slow going…period. Slower acceleration, just be patient. Lower top speed and slowing down for better control. Looooonger stopping distance, even with trailer brakes. Even on my 79 pickup , which could easily handle the tounge weight of my 27 foot camp trailer, I used a weight equalizing receiver to control bounce and sway. A 24 foot sounds to me too big for that car. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/9 "2014-03-18T02:53:22Z")
Sure you can probably pull it, sure you should probably not pull it, pullet for those that see the irony, via free online dictionary, “a young hen of the domestic fowl, less than one year old” ie chicken. Now I am not recommending you pull it, but that you pullet, ie chicken out! ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 8:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/10 "2014-03-18T08:58:39Z")
The tow weight capacity of these very like vehicles is low for good reason. No matter what the rating is, anything over a few hundred pounds is hard on these cars. The size and weight you are talking about can kill the car in very short order . ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 9:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/11 "2014-03-18T09:13:06Z")
A Honda Pilot or similar would be more appropriate, You probably would be close to double the tow rating of the Element with the average 24ft trailer. The Pilot is rated for roughly 3500lbs with the tow package. ---
**Author:** ![MarkM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@MarkM](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MarkM)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/12 "2014-03-18T12:32:06Z")
This sounds like a one time thing, probably a move. If so, it’s a snap to rent an appropraiate truck. If it’s a vacation trailer you want to use regularly, you need a proper tow vehicle. You do for even the one-time trip, but you don’t need to own it. If you do buy something, take into account all the people and their stuff that will be in the truck/SUV/van. They matter, too. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/13 "2014-03-18T16:46:58Z")
I believe the Honda Element was a car-based SUV. For something this large and heavy, you really need something that is built on a truck platform. However, just to be sure I’m right: -What is the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the trailer? This is the figure you need to know unless you’ve actually weighed the trailer while it is fully loaded. You can’t use the trailer’s empty weight as a guide. -What is the maximum towing capacity of the Element? It will be listed in the owner’s manual if it is capable of towing. -If you have a trailer hitch on this vehicle, what class is the hitch? If my assumptions are wrong, and the trailer’s GVWR is less than the maximum towing capacity of the Element, you’re going to need a weight distribution trailer hitch for something as large as this trailer. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/14 "2014-03-18T17:20:06Z")
A 24 foot hard shell seems to weigh in the neighborhood of a ton dry weight. At the least, you will need something with a capacity of 3500 lbs. Plenty of them out there but an Element is not one of them unless your goal is to break it. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/15 "2014-03-18T17:54:58Z")
The 24’ camper I looked up was 3,700 lbs dry. If the OP would respond they’d get much better answers from us… ---
**Author:** ![kmccune](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/kmccune/32/1237_2.png) [@kmccune](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kmccune)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/16 "2014-03-18T18:26:43Z")
NO!-Kevin ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pulling-a-camper/84232/17 "2014-03-18T18:29:59Z")
24’ hardshell? - No way - now how. I wouldn’t even attempting pulling a small pop-up with the Element.