For Mark who wants to tow with the '92 V6 Camry Wagon, I’d say go for it. I have a '93 4-cyl with 260k miles. I think the automatic transmissions are almost bulletproof in these cars. The V6 has power to spare in a car this size. I don’t tow with mine, but I think it would be fine to tow within the rated weight. Stay on top of the maintenance items and go for it.
What is the tow rating for a 92 V6 Camry??? Is there even a rating??? Most cars this size do NOT have a tow rating.
Towing with a tranny(worn and used) that old can throw it over the edge. A ruined tranny will send an old car like that to the scrap heap.
I had a '91 Camry. There is absolutely no way I’d ever consider towing with it. The first panic stop or sudden evasive maneuver and the towed mass would send the car completely out of control.
where is Mark’s original post??
i would tend to think that towing with this small car is likely to end it’s usefull life in a hurry. yes, you MAY tow with it on short hauls, light stuff. (like a trip to the dump with a light trailer with garbage cans,) but no more, and infrequently.
actually Mike has an interesting point. IS there a tow rating for these vehicles??? i doubt it, and if the manufacturer doesn’t reccomend it?!
Well the hitch rating is 200# tongue weight and 2000# carrying weight.
With 2000# behind me, I’d be carrying a couple of anchors to throw out the windows in case of steep hills.
Call me an old windbag, but it’s not the going that worries me ( though you’d probably kill the tranny anyway ), it’s the stopping bit that I’d be thinking about.
I goofed when I posted. This should have gone in the Second Opinion section. Mark’s original inquiry was in the Dear Tom and Ray column: http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/2007/October/06.html
The car’s rated to tow 2000#. It would be far from my first choice for a tow vehicle, but Mark’s primary concern was whether it would kill his car. My experience with the '92-'95 Camry is that they’re almost impossible to destroy. Age and miles take a toll, but if the car is in reasonably good condition and well-maintained, I don’t think the weight the car is rated to tow should be diminished with age. The tow rating has more to do with the braking power and stability of the tow vehicle. Engine and transmission power and strength are important, but it’s more important to be able to keep it between the ditches and stop than it is to have a 0-60 time <30 seconds.
The car’s rated to tow 2000#.
What’s the overall tow rating??? That’s the trailer/cargo and vehcile/cargo COMBINED…That is the defining number that tells you what you can tow. And someone is going to tow anywhere NEAR that limit I STRONGLY RECOMMEND a trailer with brakes.
where did this tow rating come from? the trailer hitch info?
just because the trailer hitch is rated for this capacity, doesn’t mean the car is rated AT ALL. since I dont know about camry’s tow capacity, i hope mark can figure this out, before he lunches his tranny.
scudder. just how would you stow those anchors so they are ready when needed (on a car of course?) and which type are recommended on asphalt? LOL
Wow, a whopping 2000 pounds total. With a trailer, that’s like, a quarter of another Camry you could be towing back there. Maybe just tow around another motor and transmission for when you smoke the first one trying to tow 2000 pounds.
scudder. just how would you stow those anchors so they are ready when needed (on a car of course?) and which type are recommended on asphalt? LOL
Well I dunno what Scudder would do, but I think Red Green could give us a few ideas. I’m guessing it’ll involve duct tape.
I doubt the car would make it to a fast enough speed to worry about a panic stop. If they’re lucky, they might be able to get up to 35 mph, downhill, on ice.