Trailer Hitch
- Thread starter Barnold
- Start date
sbpphoenix
New member
AndrewGS
Ultimo Hombre
Cadillac promotional photo:
The Fleetwood was rated to tow up to 7,000lbs. The Sonic is rated to tow up to 1,800lbs. outside of North America, but unfortunately, most people have the viewpoint you do, including GM and their panel of litigators. It wasn't so long ago that seeing cars towing trailers was a common site in America, it has always been common in the rest of the world. I think with the price of fuel where it is this will become a bit more common going forward.
I'm thinking of getting a hitch and a small utility trailer to haul stuff when I need to because I no longer have a pickup.
Last edited:
My trailer and bike is lighter then carrying 3 adult passengers.... maybe you need a truck to carry friends
Attachments
-
IMAG0696.jpg
Got the hidden hitch/draw tite hitch from etrailer. They are the same because the hitch has logos for both brand names. I got the rhode gear 4 bike rack. I also have a pickup and I can mount the rack on it as well. The rack comes with a shim to fill up a 2" reciever, making the bike rack compatible with both sizes. There is a screw that secures the shim to the bike rack. I am going to tap a hole in the shim so that the screw can be stowed in the shim to prevent losing the screw.
I for one would not use the Sonic to pull a trailer. The car is light weight, drum brakes on the rear, an I think you are just asking for trouble. I have hauled many tailers and all varius weights, and that is one reason why I kept my 2500 HD truck. I can see a bike rack, but a trailer with some lenght an weight to it, no way. What are you going to do when the trailer starts weaving on you? If you want to haul a triler, get a truck, or borrow someones. I loan mine out quite offten. (if the price is right)
Just my $.02 worth.
Just my $.02 worth.
most trucks even today still have drum in the rear so i don't see the point there... I pull about 700lbs behind it with about 80lbs tongue weight... it is very stable actually imaybe even better since this car is kinda fron heavy. someone on here said something about an class III which would be ridiculous.
I mentioned the drum brakes becasuse they are real small on the Sonic, as the should be...no weight. I am not cutting down drum brakes and I realize many vehicles still have them, but, if you are going to tow behind a Sonic, you better have a very light load or you are going to have a rude awakening due to brake fade due to heat. I have not taken the brakes apart but judging by the size of the drum, I've had bigger brakes on some of the motorcycles I've had.
i do agree with you... i would keep the lbs under a 1000lbs including trailer on the high side... yes the bike in the picture has 50 more HP and more brakes lol. I would be hauling dirt or concrete with this car... i do have a Z71 for that but like this trip for my job 450 miles away for 90 days. the sonic got 34 MPG pulling the bike around much better then the truck and still had plenty of power left over... most all highway very little brakes
To my mind there is little difference in pulling a 1500 lb trailer with a 3000 lb car and a 3000 lb trailer with a 6000 lb pickup in terms of safety and control. Since I have pulled a 10,000 lb bumper hitch trailer with a 7,000 lb truck before with certain precautions, I think a light trailer behind a car is no problem.
If the car is rated for 1100 lbs in other countries, then the structure of the car is sufficient to tow that weight. If I were approaching the weight limit, I would reduce my speed accordingly. Higher speeds mean higher forces and the car frame is probably the weakest link where the hitch bolts on.
If the car is rated for 1100 lbs in other countries, then the structure of the car is sufficient to tow that weight. If I were approaching the weight limit, I would reduce my speed accordingly. Higher speeds mean higher forces and the car frame is probably the weakest link where the hitch bolts on.
For some, a pickup truck is not feasible... long commutes, expensive insurance rates, long commutes, expensive gas, small or limited parking. Up where I live some are paying $360 month just for an extra parking spot. A pickup as a primary vehicle simply isn't a good fit for many.
While there are bike rakes that do not require a hitch, the hitch ones are far better designed in my opinion. Some swing out of the way to allow access to hatch without removal of the bikes. You keep a certain of space between the bikes and your vehicle. There's also the option of attaching the cargo carrier for a little more storage on longer trips.
For me, life changed and long commutes made the Sonic an ideal replacement for my Jeep. The same Jeep that hauled everything I owned on a flat trailer from TX to NJ. The Jeep is gone but I still have the trailer and find myself needing it once in a while to haul things to and from my home. Nothing heavy and usually less than 20 miles but certainly stuff that simply won't fit inside. Mine looks identical to the one pictured by gsxr1000 except I added removable sides.
Last edited:
sbpphoenix
New member
if the trailer is weaving, you're driving too fast
RichieRocket
New member
I definitely plan to tow! 
Why drive a gas pig when the Sonic will do lite towing just fine?
If you click on my garage. I used to tow with my '98 Civic with over 200K miles. Between 2007-2009, I towed that bike 8000 miles, no problem. Up to NH, west to OH, and down to SC several times. And I averaged 32 mpg with the trailer...
Why drive a gas pig when the Sonic will do lite towing just fine? If you click on my garage. I used to tow with my '98 Civic with over 200K miles. Between 2007-2009, I towed that bike 8000 miles, no problem. Up to NH, west to OH, and down to SC several times. And I averaged 32 mpg with the trailer...
LOVE THE PICS!! Summer is upon us, my knee is recovering, and I am now ready to commit to buying my long-awaited trailer hitch and rear-mounted bike rack. If you don't mind sharing, what type of hitch and bike rack did you get and where did you get them? I will mostly be transporting 1 bike but will occasionally need to carry 2 downhill bikes. If you, or anyone, has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it!