Pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid

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R.J. Babin - 28 Apr 2008 00:56 GMT

Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I have a
400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear with. Anyone
have some feedback?
R.J. (Bob)
Babin

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Jeff - 28 Apr 2008 01:18 GMT

> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I have
> a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear with.
> Anyone have some feedback?
> R.J. (Bob)
> Babin

Look in your owner's manual for the towing limits. I think the limit is
1000 lbs. However, keep in mind that the car is not meant to tow stuff.

jeff

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jim beam - 28 Apr 2008 04:57 GMT

>> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I
>> have a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Look in your owner's manual for the towing limits. I think the limit is
> 1000 lbs. However, keep in mind that the car is not meant to tow stuff.

i gotta say, as someone that's lived in europe for a while, the concept
we have here of needing a honking great truck to pull a tiny little
wheelbarrow is just bizarre. in europe, the exact same vehicles as we
have here have up to 3 times the rated towing capacity, same
transmission, engine, everything. and what do we see? europeans
hauling honking great trailers with tiny little cars. the hybrid will
tow a trailer just fine. just look up the towing capacity on an
european or even japanese website.

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James Sweet - 28 Apr 2008 05:03 GMT

>>> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I have
>>> a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear with.
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> trailers with tiny little cars. the hybrid will tow a trailer just fine.
> just look up the towing capacity on an european or even japanese website.

I've towed a ~2500 lb boat and trailer behind my 2950 lb Volvo 240, it
handles fine, though you certainly can feel something is back there. The
hitch design has more to do with it than the vehicle. You don't want to
exceed the rated towing capacity though, if an accident does happen, it will
be a legal nightmare. A 400 lb utility trailer will be towable by pretty
much any car on the road no problem.

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jim beam - 28 Apr 2008 05:26 GMT

>>>> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I have
>>>> a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear with.
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> handles fine, though you certainly can feel something is back there. The
> hitch design has more to do with it than the vehicle.

and whether the trailer has brakes - again something we don't do much
over here. i think it's pretty much compulsory in europe.

> You don't want to
> exceed the rated towing capacity though, if an accident does happen, it will
> be a legal nightmare. A 400 lb utility trailer will be towable by pretty
> much any car on the road no problem.

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Zeppo - 28 Apr 2008 20:31 GMT

>>>>> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I
>>>>> have a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> and whether the trailer has brakes - again something we don't do much over
> here. i think it's pretty much compulsory in europe.

I think you hit the nail on the head with that one. Your capacity is much
greater and you are much safer with a trailer that can stop itself.

I towed a 1500 lb. popup camper behind an '81 Civic sedan 5 sp. once a year
and it pulled just fine. No harm to the engine or clutch.

Stopping was another matter altogether. A panic stop from 30 mph at a short
yellow light in a drizzle took me most of the way through the intersection.
Dropped the trailer right off at the dealer to have brakes installed.

Jon

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Tommy - 08 May 2008 14:43 GMT

> I've towed a ~2500 lb boat and trailer behind my 2950 lb Volvo 240, it
> handles fine, though you certainly can feel something is back there. The
> hitch design has more to do with it than the vehicle. You don't want to
> exceed the rated towing capacity though, if an accident does happen, it
> will be a legal nightmare. A 400 lb utility trailer will be towable by
> pretty much any car on the road no problem.

I tried to do th

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Dan C - 29 Apr 2008 14:01 GMT

> i gotta say, as someone that's lived in europe for a while, the concept
> we have here of needing a honking great truck to pull a tiny little
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> tow a trailer just fine. just look up the towing capacity on an
> european or even japanese website.

Sure, as long as you don't care about the warranty being invalidated.

You're as ignorant as the OP.

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Dano58 - 29 Apr 2008 14:58 GMT

> > i gotta say, as someone that's lived in europe for a while, the concept
> > we have here of needing a honking great truck to pull a tiny little
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> You're as ignorant as the OP.

I suspect it has more to do with liability issues here in our
litigious society. I mean, 75 pounds for the roof of a CRV? Come on,
that's ridiculous. It can certainly hold more than that. But our
society being what it is, sue-happy, manufacturers have decided to put
artificially low limits for carrying and towing. So we don't hurt
ourselves or do stupid things like the Internet picture of the Jetta
with 1000 pounds or so of sheetrock on it's roof.....

Dan D
'07 Ody EX
Central NJ USA

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bi241@scn.org - 02 May 2008 09:19 GMT

> >> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I
> >> have a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> tow a trailer just fine. just look up the towing capacity on an
> european or even japanese website.

That's true! And in South East Asia, a Honda Cub 50cc moped can haul a
water buffafo on the passenger seat

But like a wise man once saith "When not in Rome, DO NOT do what
Romans do"

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jim beam - 04 May 2008 16:48 GMT

>>>> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I
>>>> have a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> But like a wise man once saith "When not in Rome, DO NOT do what
> Romans do"

dude, in europe, if you go to honda.co.uk for english, you can read the
towing specs for the same cars we have here. the fit [jazz over there]
is rated at 1000kg. that's 2200lbs. they have 1.2l and 1.4l engines,
both rated at 1000kg. the civic is rated up to 1500kg, that's 3300lbs.

the tow ratings we have here are bullshit designed to con us into buying
honking great [and much more profitable] suv's. just like we can't buy
the accord wagon here because they want us to buy the much more
profitable suv's or minivans.

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Dano58 - 28 Apr 2008 13:26 GMT

> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I have a
> 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear with. Anyone
> have some feedback?
> R.J. (Bob)
> Babin

Roof rack? Seems crazy to have a trailer that weighs more than the
gear you're towing.

Dan D
'07 Ody EX
Central NJ USA

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delbert brecht - 28 Apr 2008 21:18 GMT

Dano584/28/08
8:26301a67b8-f7cc-42b2-970a-c0d216c41540@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com

>> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I have a
>> 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear with. Anyone
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Roof rack? Seems crazy to have a trailer that weighs more than the
> gear you're towing.

My 2000 CRV has a factory roof rack with a factory decal on it that warns to
NOT load it with more than 75 lbs evenly distributed. The OP was talking
more in the range of 200 to 300 lbs. That would be pushing it pretty hard.

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jim beam - 04 May 2008 16:40 GMT

trailers are much more efficient.

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Tony Hwang - 28 Apr 2008 14:58 GMT

> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I have
> a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear with.
> Anyone have some feedback?
> R.J. (Bob)
> Babin

Hi,
In what terrain? Sea level? Mountains?

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rb - 29 Apr 2008 05:55 GMT

> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I have
> a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear with.
> Anyone have some feedback?
> R.J. (Bob)
> Babin

I just got a 08 Civic Hybrid and the owners manual says that you can not
tow a trailer with the car. It states that if you do you void the warranty.
RB

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Tony Hwang - 29 Apr 2008 15:54 GMT

>> Anyone out there attempted pulling a trailer with a Civic Hybrid? I
>> have a 400 pd trailer that I pull 2 to 3 hundred pounds of kayak gear
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> tow a trailer with the car. It states that if you do you void the warranty.
> RB

Hi,
Makes sense considering power train and body structure.

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MAT - 02 May 2008 02:57 GMT

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