Towing trailer
- Thread starter Seatec
- Start date
What would you be towing? If anything more than the passenger capacity of the vehicle, I would advise against it. There's probably a reason that Chevy hasn't listed a towing capacity...it isn't meant to tow.
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chevyguy
New member
I had a trailer for my Smart car believe it or not.....It was a Motorcycle cargo trailer fiberglass and weighed around 250 lbs and a Smart car is only a 70 Horse, 3 cylinder.
laborsmith
New member
The Sonic is not designed for towing per the owners manual.
I do not think it has anything to do with power or torque, for example, the Corvette is not designed for towing per the owners manual. Unless you are willing to believe the Corvette does not have the power to tow a trailer.
I used to put a hitch on most of my cars, and these were cars such as the Pontiac J-2000. Draw-tite used to provide hitches that allowed trailer towing in a safe manner that did not harm the car and I imagine still does. These days as well as for the last ten or twenty years I keep a pickup with hitch although I rarely use it anymore.
And I have seen Corvettes and Camaros with trailer hitches so I suspect in days to come I will see a Sonic so equipped.
Laborsmith
I do not think it has anything to do with power or torque, for example, the Corvette is not designed for towing per the owners manual. Unless you are willing to believe the Corvette does not have the power to tow a trailer.
I used to put a hitch on most of my cars, and these were cars such as the Pontiac J-2000. Draw-tite used to provide hitches that allowed trailer towing in a safe manner that did not harm the car and I imagine still does. These days as well as for the last ten or twenty years I keep a pickup with hitch although I rarely use it anymore.
And I have seen Corvettes and Camaros with trailer hitches so I suspect in days to come I will see a Sonic so equipped.
Laborsmith
chevyguy
New member
RichieRocket
New member
I plan to tow with my Sonic. I wrote about that in a previous thread a while back: http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/t179/
See my garage picture of my civic with the motorcycle trailer.
Since my original post, I learned my civic has a Vechicle Capacity Weight is 850 lbs. So my weight with trailer is actually still less than the rated gross weight. Of course it's not the same as all the weight inside the vechicle, there could still be stability issues (like jack-knifing under hard baking while turning) with the trailer. But with the total weight, I feel confident it is not an issue if you drive conservatively, that the towing is beyond the braking or stability limits.
I was surprised our 2004 Mazda 3s Hatchback owners manual said not to tow. The car is a 3000 lb, compact car, not a 'sports car' like a corvette. I purchased a hitch and did "lite" towing with a 250lb utility trailer like moving a washer/dryer, etc and a couple times hauling a snowmobile up to VT...
See my garage picture of my civic with the motorcycle trailer.
Since my original post, I learned my civic has a Vechicle Capacity Weight is 850 lbs. So my weight with trailer is actually still less than the rated gross weight. Of course it's not the same as all the weight inside the vechicle, there could still be stability issues (like jack-knifing under hard baking while turning) with the trailer. But with the total weight, I feel confident it is not an issue if you drive conservatively, that the towing is beyond the braking or stability limits.
I was surprised our 2004 Mazda 3s Hatchback owners manual said not to tow. The car is a 3000 lb, compact car, not a 'sports car' like a corvette. I purchased a hitch and did "lite" towing with a 250lb utility trailer like moving a washer/dryer, etc and a couple times hauling a snowmobile up to VT...
I am also interested in towing a trailer.
Currently my choice for a new car is the Sonic Hatchback, or VW TDI Golf.
The golf has a rated trailer towing weight of 1000Lb.
The TDI Golf gets a lot better mileage on the highway, and if the Sonic can't tow a trailer without voiding the warranty, I won't have any choice but go get the Golf even though it is more money. I can't afford two cars.
Currently my choice for a new car is the Sonic Hatchback, or VW TDI Golf.
The golf has a rated trailer towing weight of 1000Lb.
The TDI Golf gets a lot better mileage on the highway, and if the Sonic can't tow a trailer without voiding the warranty, I won't have any choice but go get the Golf even though it is more money. I can't afford two cars.
RichieRocket
New member
Hey wharvey, it's difficult to compare apples-to-apples, the Sonic to the Golf TDI on multiple levels.
The golf is really a "compact" or c-class sized car, a few hundred pounds heavier and larger in dimensions. The Sonic is a sub-compact or b-class car. The VW competitor in the sub-compact class is the Polo, but we can't get that in the US.
The biggest difference for me was that the TDI is about $4-5K more than the Sonic and it really does not get that great mileage for being diesel (Not sure how you got the Golf TDI as "a lot better mileage", 42 mpg versus the Sonic's 40 mpg?). Looking purely at fuel mileage, you'll never save enough fuel to make that back.
LorbeerTLC posted the Sonic manual as a 'sticky' thread if you want to look it out. I'm pretty sure the manual says "Do not tow", you can check...
http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/t185/
Like I posted above, I towed a 600 lb trailer load with a '98 Civic (much smaller than today's civic), and I will tow the same load with my Sonic. I would definitely be uncomfortable towing 1000 lbs with the Sonic, that's pushing it. You may need to spend that extra $5K and get the larger car.
The golf is really a "compact" or c-class sized car, a few hundred pounds heavier and larger in dimensions. The Sonic is a sub-compact or b-class car. The VW competitor in the sub-compact class is the Polo, but we can't get that in the US.
The biggest difference for me was that the TDI is about $4-5K more than the Sonic and it really does not get that great mileage for being diesel (Not sure how you got the Golf TDI as "a lot better mileage", 42 mpg versus the Sonic's 40 mpg?). Looking purely at fuel mileage, you'll never save enough fuel to make that back.
LorbeerTLC posted the Sonic manual as a 'sticky' thread if you want to look it out. I'm pretty sure the manual says "Do not tow", you can check...
http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/t185/
Like I posted above, I towed a 600 lb trailer load with a '98 Civic (much smaller than today's civic), and I will tow the same load with my Sonic. I would definitely be uncomfortable towing 1000 lbs with the Sonic, that's pushing it. You may need to spend that extra $5K and get the larger car.
Incendiary
Banned
Go for it
Really quick and dirty calcs say:
Euro curb weight 1117kg... 2457.4 pounds
US curb weight 2650 pounds
Euro towing capacity with trailer brakes 1000 kg 2200pounds
no trailer brakes 500kg 1100 pounds
US trailer capacity = 0 (lawyer-driven chickenshyt wimpout)
Euro engine 1398 ccm 74 kW@6000 rpm 130 Nm@4000 rpm
Euro engine is 1.4L 101HP and 96 lb-ft
US engine is 1.8L 135hp and 123 lb-ft torque
tires 195/65 R15
US vehicles (and drivers) are 10% heavier and 30% more powerful
towing capacity should be same or higher
maybe 500 no balls, 1200 no brakes, 2350 with trailer brakes
Really quick and dirty calcs say:
Euro curb weight 1117kg... 2457.4 pounds
US curb weight 2650 pounds
Euro towing capacity with trailer brakes 1000 kg 2200pounds
no trailer brakes 500kg 1100 pounds
US trailer capacity = 0 (lawyer-driven chickenshyt wimpout)
Euro engine 1398 ccm 74 kW@6000 rpm 130 Nm@4000 rpm
Euro engine is 1.4L 101HP and 96 lb-ft
US engine is 1.8L 135hp and 123 lb-ft torque
tires 195/65 R15
US vehicles (and drivers) are 10% heavier and 30% more powerful
towing capacity should be same or higher
maybe 500 no balls, 1200 no brakes, 2350 with trailer brakes
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Incendiary
Banned
Trailers Hiotches
Most small popup/tent campers should tow OK
Like
Lee-Sure Lite 11 foot, 255 pound, 25 pound hitch weight, <$4,000
and
Coleman Switchback, 13 foot, 850 pound, 100 ball weight, ~$4,000 used only
even
Adventure Trailer <1300 pound <$5500
but maybe not an AirStream 13' 2200 pound $20.000 combo hard/tent.
You decide on these compact standup fiberglass travel trailers ~$15,000+
Scamp 13foot, 1,000 pounds equipped empty, 85 LB hitch weight, shower, built in Minnesota
Outback, 13foot, 1,400 pounds, no inside shower, built in Canada
Ponderiosa, 12’6”, 1,480. 180 hitch weight, shower, Colorado
Casita, 13 to 17feet, 1880-2200 pounds, ~250 hitch weight, Texas
Hitches @ eTrailer et al
>>>DrawTite Receiver opening: 1-1/4" x 1-1/4" Rating: Class I Maximum gross trailer weight: 2,000 lbs Maximum tongue weight: 200 lbs Limited lifetime warranty upNover model Code: 24876 Retail:$187.91 Price:$129.95
straight bar, Class 1, Code: 24876 Retail:$187.91 Price:$129.95
>>>Hidden Hitch, upNover, Class 1, Code: 60295 Retail:$210.45 Price:$164.95
>>>CMFG, 1, bar with Uspace, ExteriorPowder Coated Steel Manufacturer Part Number532373 $150
Most small popup/tent campers should tow OK
Like
Lee-Sure Lite 11 foot, 255 pound, 25 pound hitch weight, <$4,000
and
Coleman Switchback, 13 foot, 850 pound, 100 ball weight, ~$4,000 used only
even
Adventure Trailer <1300 pound <$5500
but maybe not an AirStream 13' 2200 pound $20.000 combo hard/tent.
You decide on these compact standup fiberglass travel trailers ~$15,000+
Scamp 13foot, 1,000 pounds equipped empty, 85 LB hitch weight, shower, built in Minnesota
Outback, 13foot, 1,400 pounds, no inside shower, built in Canada
Ponderiosa, 12’6”, 1,480. 180 hitch weight, shower, Colorado
Casita, 13 to 17feet, 1880-2200 pounds, ~250 hitch weight, Texas
Hitches @ eTrailer et al
>>>DrawTite Receiver opening: 1-1/4" x 1-1/4" Rating: Class I Maximum gross trailer weight: 2,000 lbs Maximum tongue weight: 200 lbs Limited lifetime warranty upNover model Code: 24876 Retail:$187.91 Price:$129.95
straight bar, Class 1, Code: 24876 Retail:$187.91 Price:$129.95
>>>Hidden Hitch, upNover, Class 1, Code: 60295 Retail:$210.45 Price:$164.95
>>>CMFG, 1, bar with Uspace, ExteriorPowder Coated Steel Manufacturer Part Number532373 $150
JimmyBuckets
New member
Generally European people are smarter, that is why. :sadbanana: Also at least on them there Turbo models towin could raise exhaust gas temps if the car isn't kept out of boost.
Smartdave
Member
Has anyone put a wiring harness on? Specifically the tow-ready 118555 plug and play harness? I have put one on my sonic and the trailer lights are not behaving as I would expect. When the tail lights are on it lights the brake lights as well. looking to chat with someone who has the harness on their sonic
The sonic is a strange beast.... the turn signal and tail light are on the same wire (same filiment of bulb) even though there are two.i just took four diodes two per side and placed them on turn and brake then connected them together and that went to left turn on the trailer then repeat for the the right no need to even connect the tail light (brown wire) then ground it to the body all for less then $6.00
corbetts67
New member
Garry can you post a picture of what the hitch looks like mounted to the car?