Paul,
Thanks for the article.
We have towed with a Honda CRV for 7 years with about 7% tongue
weight, presently a
Scamp 16 at 2600 lbs including 200 lbs of tongue
weight. We have enjoyed the reliability of the Honda CRV and its excellent towing miles per gallon. To me this article justifies towing with the CRV.
Using Utah's speed limit as the justification for the low tow rating in North America is using the extreme as reasoning.
Utah has just about the highest towing speed in the USA, where many states have a 55 mph limit and few have a limit over 65 mph. We don't drive over 65 mph, typically 62 mph on Interstates. We drive to not exceed the 65 mph rating of our
tires.
I do recognize that there are people who tow at high speed, well beyond the ratings of their
tires, legal speed limits and reasonable speeds for conditions but do not feel I should be limited by their folly. No more then I should have to drive a big truck to protect me from drunk or drugged drivers, virtually infinitely more common than swaying trailers.
To me this article confirms that small tow vehicles can handle trailers our size, typically under 3,000 lbs when properly loaded and driven at reasonable speeds.
Improperly loaded, ill prepared tow vehicles, out of control drivers using tow vehicles of any size can and do have problems. Definitely a larger tow vehicle can reduce the chances of failure but does not guarantee success. To me the first and most important component of the trailer/tow vehicle is the driver.