missleman, I don’t agree that pulling a trailer and load of reasonable weight will damage a small car’s drivetrain, at least a manual transmission in my experience. I have pulled small tent camper trailers for thousands of miles with small cars with no apparent drive train problem. I have also towed dozens of loads of materials for a house to a work site a hundred miles away from home with a compact car, also with no drivetrain problem. Can’t speak for an automatic trans. Imagine that a car pulling a trailer on flatland is working like a car without a trailer is going up a hill or into a headwind continuously.
A driveline may or may not have problems. But the problem I have with vehicles towing something more then something they rated for is a safety problem. To the driver and to other drivers on the road.
You also have to consider insurance. If you get in an accident while towing something beyond what it’s capable of…you may be denied a claim.
Wha Who?..you are entitled to your opinion but I have over 30 years experience with travel trailers. A front wheel drive vehicle with a small engine is a poor candidate as a tow vehicle. As MikeInNH has already stated…a VW Jetta is just too small to tow a trailer safely. In fact, most tow vehicle ratings are usually 25-50% overrated anyway. A vehicle that weighs 3K can move a load of 4k but when it comes to stopping…bad things are going to happen.
Thanks to all you guys for your generally excellent answers/opinions. Actually, I have a lot of experience pulling a trailer, a great big custom draft horse trailer pulled by a Dodge Ram Van. I know how to handle them, and I do prefer a manual for hauling, but needed an automatic car while my left leg can’t be bent at the knee. That, and the fact that goats are hard to horse up on the back of my Dodge Ram 2500 pickup for hauling is why I asked. I live in the hills, so I guess it’s not worth the chance of damaging a car that gets awesome diesel mileage for the occasional hauling of bikes or goats.
Now. . . about putting a sidecar on my Helix to carry my dog. . . .
I know how to handle them, and I do prefer a manual for hauling,
Automatics are the way to go for towing…Besides being easier…they are also STRONGER. Look at the tow ratings of trucks that still come with an manual…Last two I owned…the manual was rated a Class-II…while the automatics are rated a Class-III (same engine…same HP).
I am the last person to say a fwd is much of a tow vehicle because of the dynamics involved. But to put things in perspective, if you can carry 800 plus pounds of people and gear, the drive train can certainly handle a light, less then 1000lbs, trailer and load. I would go so far as to say that towing a weight, correctly, is easier on the car then carrying the same weight inside.
If you don’t believe me, check vehicles that are tow rated and compare their tow ratings to their capacity rating. Think a three quarter ton truck rated for 10,000 lbs tow coukd take 10,000 lbs in the bed ? Hardly.
It makes sense that more weight can be towed than carried because you’re adding another axle & wheels.
Carrying a 800lb load is far different then TOWING a 800lb load.
@MikeInNH
I would argue that except for wind resistance, it’ s the same for the drive train. It’s much easier to tow for the suspension system, tires and steering response. The braking demand is the same except as the loads increase relative to weight, control during braking does favor " in house" loading if you will. So the system it affects the least IMO , when comparing the two, is the drive train. A load distribution hitch also minimizes the real horrible attributes of fwd on hills. Fwd stinks for both heavy loading and towing IMO, regardless.
It’s simple to check. Do a 0 to 60 with a load of 800 lbs in tow compared to one carried. I tow a lot with 2 and 4 wd and subjectively, I find little difference…except for windage at high speeds. That’s why I always add, drive slow, when towing with fwd cars. I come to this conclusion because when towing a tractor on a flatbed with a total weight of ten thousand pounds with a one ton dump, I can’t imagine carrying that weight without the added benefit of an extra set of suspension components.
It's much easier to tow for the suspension system, tires and steering response.
True…but the main problem is the back end being pulled and pushed around by the trailer. I do a LOT of towing. And the trailer I pull is well within the acceptable range of my 4runner…but I still feel it push and pull on the back of my truck. And with fwd…it’s even worse. You have little control of the back wheels…where as with a rwd vehicle I can get the back end under control by simply accelerating. I don’t like towing with ANY fwd vehicle…Even a mini-van that’s rated a Class II.
I could not agree more. And I second that fwd cars cannot handle any substantial tow weight safely. But, we are talking about less then the weight you would normally carry in the car. The feeling like your being pushed around is a different consideration then " can the car actually do it" . Personally, I have serous doubts about a fwd minivan being rated to tow over 2000 lbs. which I have been told, some are. With fwd, I would stop at half the weight of the vehicle, even if it were rated higher. (Chrysler Town and Country is rated 3800 lbs properly equipped) guess they figure the transmission will fail in 50 k miles no matter what you do.
I have towed very successfully with fwd cars. But the weights were well less then 1000 lbs, I drove slowly accelerated and braked conservatively. We are talking small sailboats or aluminum boats or utility trailers with trash…all light hauling. Mechanically, the cars did not mind it at all. Again, the drive train doesn’t careif it’s 800 inside or being towed and the suspension and tires thank you. Awd cars like Subarus and Ravs have done very well in the 1000 lb range. But, I would not do it often.