Honda Car Forum

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

R.J. Babin wrote:
> 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

Jeff wrote:
> R.J. Babin wrote:
>> 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.
>

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.

"jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
news:_5udnQjHmeeB1ojVnZ2dnUVZ_hmtnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
> Jeff wrote:
>> R.J. Babin wrote:
>>> 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.
>>
>
> 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.
>

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.

James Sweet wrote:
> "jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
> news:_5udnQjHmeeB1ojVnZ2dnUVZ_hmtnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
>> Jeff wrote:
>>> R.J. Babin wrote:
>>>> 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.
>>>
>> 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.
>>
>
> 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.

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.
>
>

On Apr 27, 7:56 pm, "R.J. Babin" <rba...@comcast.net> wrote:
> 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

R.J. Babin wrote:
> 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?

"jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
news:zpKdnd6ngNBvzIjVnZ2dnUVZ_sHinZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
> James Sweet wrote:
>> "jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
>> news:_5udnQjHmeeB1ojVnZ2dnUVZ_hmtnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
>>> Jeff wrote:
>>>> R.J. Babin wrote:
>>>>> 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.
>>>>
>>> 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.
>>>
>>
>> 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.
>
> 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

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

> On Apr 27, 7:56 pm, "R.J. Babin" <rba...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> 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.
>
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.
--
Pickleman
halfsour@roadyourpantsrunner.com
Please remove "yourpants" to reply
1998 Civic HX MT with 142K
2000 CRV EX MT with 98K

R.J. Babin wrote:
> 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