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Car Forum / Chevrolet / Chevrolet Malibu / December 2004Towing
I recently installed a hitch on my 02 Malibu. Hats off to Hidden hitch for engineering a nice setup. The hitch bar insert is the only part seen from the rear. When its removed there is a cover. I'll run the wiring module this weekend. If anyone has towed with their malibu, please let me know of any tips. I don't plan on pulling much just a small trailer for weekend trips, like camping. My fullsize vehicle doubles the gasoline costs of any road trip. >I recently installed a hitch on my 02 Malibu. Hats off to Hidden hitch for > engineering a nice setup. The hitch bar insert is the only part seen from [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > trips, like camping. My fullsize vehicle doubles the gasoline costs of any > road trip. Can you post links and let me know how to do the same, I wanted to put a back carrier on my Malibu but don't like the trunk attaching ones and a hitch set up might be the way i want to go. >>I recently installed a hitch on my 02 Malibu. Hats off to Hidden hitch >>for [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > back carrier on my Malibu but don't like the trunk attaching ones and a > hitch set up might be the way i want to go. ack, bike carrier not back, heh sorry. It was pretty easy. Just remove 2 small end bolts on the frame (to the bumper). Hitch replaces the bolts with 2 new ones and 2 larger ones that go at the front of the hitch (or towards the front of the vehicle). I got the class I which required no drilling like the class II. It looks like the class II hitch has 6 bolts where it extends farther forward and needs 1 hole drilled on the passenger side of frame. The class I has a tongue weight of 200 lbs and is a flat bar, while the class II hitch has a 300 lbs and a small square tube (not the larger one). The class II will protrude farther down and will be more visible, although not by much. I have seen some where they go under the ball just above the hitch bar. I think that would be the only one you could add to the class one setup. but you be close to teh 200 lbs limit with 2 bikes. I will send pics if you have email. I haven't had time to post them to this website. Best of luck. It was pretty easy. Just remove 2 small end bolts on the frame (to the bumper). Hitch replaces the bolts with 2 new ones and 2 larger ones that go at the front of the hitch (or towards the front of the vehicle). I got the class I which required no drilling like the class II. It looks like the class II hitch has 6 bolts where it extends farther forward and needs 1 hole drilled on the passenger side of frame. The class I has a tongue weight of 200 lbs and is a flat bar, while the class II hitch has a 300 lbs and a small square tube (not the larger one). The class II will protrude farther down and will be more visible, although not by much. I have seen some where they go under the ball just above the hitch bar. I think that would be the only one you could add to the class one setup. but you be close to teh 200 lbs limit with 2 bikes. I will send pics if you have email. I haven't had time to post them to this website. Best of luck. Here are the stats of my 1st road trip: One way without a trailer, fully loaded with travel gear -- 30.9 mpg at about 72mph (rpms hoovered at 1900). I was able to get all gear into the car without a trailer. Return trip with a 4x8 uhaul closed box trailer with all travel items in trailer and some stuff in malibu trunk. -- 19 mpg. at 72 mph(rpms were above 2100). -- 20.5 mpg at 65 mph(rpms were around 2k). Weight of trailer = 800 lbs. Estimated Gear weight = 800 lbs. (inc. gear in trunk) From the initial looks of it, the stats don't look good, but alot of times other vehicles got in the way and the rpms would have to go up around 3k sometimes 4k to get back up to speed. This was only in cruise control mode. Normally I never see 4k or 3k on highway driving. So, pulling a trailer with more than 1500 lbs requires gradual acceleration to avoid wasting gas. I think its possible to get better milege with a hitch gear carrier (less gear of course) and/or a open and lighter trailer. In conclusion, my full size truck would have carried the same gear but would have ran about 15mpg at 72mph both ways. I conclude I'm still better off with the malibu. MORE: I'll have to get a tranny cooler and maybe an oil cooler. The factory engine temp. gauge was up slightly, but not by much. If I install them, spending 100-150 will definitely help the car. I'll probably do 3-4 trips a year with a trailer, but plan to drive the 2002 until it dies (hopefully another 10 years)! By the way the driving wasn't in mountain areas just small humps/hills/overpasses. |
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