Towing with a Cavalier

Stpman

Stpman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
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376
Location
Niagara Region
My daughter will be moving to Edmonton AB (from Ontario) this summer, we are planning to move her and her things with a 5'x8' enclosed U Haul trailer and tow it with her 99 Cavalier 2.2l. I've seen anything from do not tow to it will tow 1000 lbs, will the car handle the trailer? Do I need to worry about the car?
 
I've towed a 21 foot bayliner open bow with a 1984 trans am I once had. I also dollied my 82 corvette about 150 miles with the car. It has a class1 type hitch from u-haul on it. If a trans am can do that, the cavalier should be fine with a 5x8
 
2.2L isn't that FWD and automatic?? if so, that will NOT tow that trailer, U haul/rental trailers are build like tanks, super heavy....they do that concerned with liability over their gear failing,....so they add the weight....I have done 5x8 U hauls in the dim past, I definately knew it was back there...course I was doing freeways at 60+ all the way too...at the very minimum, you are going to need the aftermarket tranny cooler from HELL in there....

:smash::eek:

I question the towing stability of something that heavy with any FWD vehicle....but will defer to others on that...

I would rent a 3/4 ton van instead....
 
It will pull it, But will it be able to STOP it? Loaded? Sounds a bit scary to me. And as mr_vette pointed out a trans cooler- those 125C transmissions are not very tough to begine with.
I think the 2.2 is the venerable "Iron Duke" tough little 4 banger.
 
TimAT said:
It will pull it, But will it be able to STOP it? Loaded? Sounds a bit scary to me. And as mr_vette pointed out a trans cooler- those 125C transmissions are not very tough to begine with.
I think the 2.2 is the venerable "Iron Duke" tough little 4 banger.
Click to expand...

the iron duke was a pontiac 2.5
 
Thanks guys

I was finding conflicting info on line. I've decided to try and find a 20 - 24 enclosed car trailer to move it all, it just means I'll have to drive both ways.
 
I'm going to try towing my SBC boat with my Neon. With a receiver hitch that I intend to build from scrap metal. But only for a few miles and I'll keep it under 35mph. Plus I have 4 wheel discs, wish me luck.
 
enkeivette said:
I'm going to try towing my SBC boat with my Neon. With a receiver hitch that I intend to build from scrap metal. But only for a few miles and I'll keep it under 35mph. Plus I have 4 wheel discs, wish me luck.
Click to expand...

make sure life insurance is up to date .......
 
enkeivette said:
I'm going to try towing my SBC boat with my Neon. With a receiver hitch that I intend to build from scrap metal. But only for a few miles and I'll keep it under 35mph. Plus I have 4 wheel discs, wish me luck.
Click to expand...

I remember 20 years+ ago when boat shopping to have fun with the kids, I bought a nice used Chebby 350 powered boat, and had a complete TPI engine ready for it, out of a wrecked '87 vette, same as my car then....but when doing the tow home and around town with my '70 Lemans vert, that car was all over the road with the load....too much on the ass....I took it back to Mitch, and he gave me another boat, same size but a Volvo 2100 engine-I/O....that was MUCH better towing....

I see guys all the time towing shit that flat looks WAY excessive than my feeble attempt, it makes me wonder....:twitch::surrender:

I just like having more on the car for a load than slinging a 800 lbs+ weight counterbalancing on back of the trailer axle....but that's just ME with the kids....:eek:
 
I've towed my car flat deck car trailer with a 2.8l 5sp Ford Ranger with fullsize cars on it but only for a few miles not anymore.
 
I'm mainly doing it so I can remove the empty trailer with my Neon when I go to paint it.

I probably will try to take it back and forth to the beach from my place (about 2 miles all surface streets). Just to see if it can handle it. Less of a pain in the ass than having to borrow my friend's Jeep all the time.
 
enk, I certainly not a OTR driver, but I have towed a bunch of shit over the years, and I got a thing about the tow vehicle being lighter than the trailer....

and if that is too much of a difference, the trailer will bottom the vehicle rear to the ground, and you have NO control over that heavy SOB.....BTDT, it was a hairy experience and not to be redone my me, anyway and that was in Maryland, hardly a land of hills in the direction I was pulling....

:eek::thumbs::twitch:
 
mrvette said:
enk, I certainly not a OTR driver, but I have towed a bunch of shit over the years, and I got a thing about the tow vehicle being lighter than the trailer....

and if that is too much of a difference, the trailer will bottom the vehicle rear to the ground, and you have NO control over that heavy SOB.....BTDT, it was a hairy experience and not to be redone my me, anyway and that was in Maryland, hardly a land of hills in the direction I was pulling....

:eek::thumbs::twitch:
Click to expand...

Sometimes the tow vehicle will be lighter, My Silverado HD2500 Diesel tips the scales at right around 7000# and my 5th wheel weighs in at about 10,000# loaded (not a big 5ver). GM says I can tow around 15,000# with my truck
 
Stpman said:
mrvette said:
enk, I certainly not a OTR driver, but I have towed a bunch of shit over the years, and I got a thing about the tow vehicle being lighter than the trailer....

and if that is too much of a difference, the trailer will bottom the vehicle rear to the ground, and you have NO control over that heavy SOB.....BTDT, it was a hairy experience and not to be redone my me, anyway and that was in Maryland, hardly a land of hills in the direction I was pulling....

:eek::thumbs::twitch:
Click to expand...

Sometimes the tow vehicle will be lighter, My Silverado HD2500 Diesel tips the scales at right around 7000# and my 5th wheel weighs in at about 10,000# loaded (not a big 5ver). GM says I can tow around 15,000# with my truck
Click to expand...

ONE HUGE difference, you have a 5th wheel and springs to take the load, I bet if you weighed the rig, which I did with my simple shit, (after all it WAS my kids along).....you will find that the trailer puts a huge load on the tow vehicle rear end....if the springs are sifff enough, and rubber enough on the road, it's fine....I suppose I should have said....weight loading as on the road,

no way a Peterbuilt weighs as much as 53' worth of concrete/whatever....
what the hell is the weight limit on them things now?? 60-80K lbs??:bump::nuts:
 
Stpman said:
mrvette said:
enk, I certainly not a OTR driver, but I have towed a bunch of shit over the years, and I got a thing about the tow vehicle being lighter than the trailer....

and if that is too much of a difference, the trailer will bottom the vehicle rear to the ground, and you have NO control over that heavy SOB.....BTDT, it was a hairy experience and not to be redone my me, anyway and that was in Maryland, hardly a land of hills in the direction I was pulling....

:eek::thumbs::twitch:
Click to expand...

Sometimes the tow vehicle will be lighter, My Silverado HD2500 Diesel tips the scales at right around 7000# and my 5th wheel weighs in at about 10,000# loaded (not a big 5ver). GM says I can tow around 15,000# with my truck
Click to expand...

Yeah but big difference is the 5th wheel distributes weight. With say 70% of the braking on the front of a vehicle and say a boat trailer on a small car thats front wheel drive that will alter the braking distances greatly to an already weak braking system. Your 5 th wheel I imagine would have trailer brakes as well!
 
JeffP1167 said:
Stpman said:
mrvette said:
enk, I certainly not a OTR driver, but I have towed a bunch of shit over the years, and I got a thing about the tow vehicle being lighter than the trailer....

and if that is too much of a difference, the trailer will bottom the vehicle rear to the ground, and you have NO control over that heavy SOB.....BTDT, it was a hairy experience and not to be redone my me, anyway and that was in Maryland, hardly a land of hills in the direction I was pulling....

:eek::thumbs::twitch:
Click to expand...

Sometimes the tow vehicle will be lighter, My Silverado HD2500 Diesel tips the scales at right around 7000# and my 5th wheel weighs in at about 10,000# loaded (not a big 5ver). GM says I can tow around 15,000# with my truck
Click to expand...

Yeah but big difference is the 5th wheel distributes weight. With say 70% of the braking on the front of a vehicle and say a boat trailer on a small car thats front wheel drive that will alter the braking distances greatly to an already weak braking system. Your 5 th wheel I imagine would have trailer brakes as well!
Click to expand...

Check out the rating for the truck with a regular trailer, if I remeber correctly it still around twice the weight of the truck
 
Stpman said:
JeffP1167 said:
Stpman said:
mrvette said:
enk, I certainly not a OTR driver, but I have towed a bunch of shit over the years, and I got a thing about the tow vehicle being lighter than the trailer....

and if that is too much of a difference, the trailer will bottom the vehicle rear to the ground, and you have NO control over that heavy SOB.....BTDT, it was a hairy experience and not to be redone my me, anyway and that was in Maryland, hardly a land of hills in the direction I was pulling....

:eek::thumbs::twitch:
Click to expand...

Sometimes the tow vehicle will be lighter, My Silverado HD2500 Diesel tips the scales at right around 7000# and my 5th wheel weighs in at about 10,000# loaded (not a big 5ver). GM says I can tow around 15,000# with my truck
Click to expand...

Yeah but big difference is the 5th wheel distributes weight. With say 70% of the braking on the front of a vehicle and say a boat trailer on a small car thats front wheel drive that will alter the braking distances greatly to an already weak braking system. Your 5 th wheel I imagine would have trailer brakes as well!
Click to expand...

Check out the rating for the truck with a regular trailer, if I remeber correctly it still around twice the weight of the truck
Click to expand...

NOT with the trailer setting on the 5th wheel.....most of the weight is on the truck axles then....I think they got a term for it....distributed weight?? something like that, all I know is that 4100 lbs Lemans/GTO was not enough for the V8 20' boat, just too unstable, no matter how I adjusted the loading on the hitch....going to the lighter boat/trailer at 2900 lbs helped a LOT, never had a issue....that's the rig I had....

Used to call the pair, boat and goat, up I 70 west of Fredrick Md, going toward I 81? is a hill called South Mountain, and another one next to it, used to take the kids water sporting on the Potomac up near W. Va.....a place called 4 Locks, or Lock 4...where the Canal joined up with the Potomac river and the river was Dammed by Geo. Washington in the canal construction, the river is realllllllly deep in spots off the limits of the depth finder at over 480 feet....there is about a ten mile stretch of river there, several hundred feet wide in spots.....GREAT fun....:rofl:

so anyway, I would go into these mountains at about 80mph, and start pulling about 10% grade for about 4 miles pretty straight going uphill, just to hear the engine MOAN with that throttle body open wide, and the dual pipes screaming....topped 100 at the crest, then lifted, ...:rofl::D
all that is traffic permitting, obviously......:tomato:

Used to have a 455 Pontiac engine in the Goat, and on the back as a toss off to the imports and the letter game.....I had CDLV on the trunk in the usual spot....that's roman numerals for 455......:D:ghost:
 
I don't see how having a heavier vehicle has anything to do with towing safely. I'd trust my 3K lb Vette with 4 wheel discs and fat Z rated tires over your 4K lb Le mans with drums and SUV tires (I'm guessing) any day.

A heavier car is just going to put more load on your controlling tires and brakes. I could see if the car was light enough and the tires were thin enough (or if it was a truck with no load on the rear tires) that braking too fast could cause a jack knife. But with a decent amount of weight on the rear and a decent amount of tire more importantly, a 3K lb car should be fine.
 
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