Maintenance & Restoration

raddar · 10-21-2012, 12:00 PM

I have a scion paid off, I have towed my compact camper a few times. The car does not like it. I am considering a 2009 Matrix. I have concerns that it could have problems and I will also acquire a payment. The Matrix is rated to tow 1500 lbs. Does anyone have any experience with this? I live in upstate NY, we have mountains here. lol. I have hopes of going all over the country with this little camper. Thanks for anyone feedback. In addition I know brakes on the camper would help.

Raz · 10-21-2012, 01:36 PM

The size, torque, and horse power appear to be the same for both vehicles according to Edmunds. This leads me to believe they have the same engine. If so you might not be any better off in terms of towing. Raz

Gilda · 10-21-2012, 05:39 PM

I am biased, but I love my Subaru Legacy (manual shift) for towing our 13' Scamp. I would prefer a Subaru Outback as they seem even better suited for towing but I'll have to wait until this one bites the dust. The Subaru has all-wheel drive which gives better traction in rainy/snowy weather.

There are many other tow vehicles represented on Fiberglass RV. I'm sure you will get a ton of opinions. In any case, tow vehicles are expensive investments and should be chosen carefully.

**Frederick L. Simson** · 10-21-2012, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raddar

I am considering a 2009 Matrix. I have concerns that it could have problems and I will also acquire a payment. The Matrix is rated to tow 1500 lbs.

I am rebuilding my Compact Jr.

I have a 2005 Pontiac Vibe which is a twin of the Matrix. (They were both built in the same Fremont, California factory on parallel assembly lines) My owner's manual says it also has a 1500 pound towing limit. I would like to tow the Compact Jr. with the Vibe. Before I stripped it down I weighed the trailer at a public scale and the printout says 1420 pounds. The 1st thing I have done is to order a new 2200 pound axle (the smallest available) with 7" electric brakes.

I would not even consider towing with such a small car without trailer brakes.

I won't install the hitch receiver on the Vibe until I have a weight report on the completed frame-off rebuild. If it winds up over 1300 pounds then I'll abandon the idea of towing it with the Vibe.

raddar · 10-21-2012, 10:54 PM

Thanks for the heads up on the Vibe/ Matrix. Also looking at a 1973 f250. Scared of all the potential problems though! It does have low miles, but 5-15 miles per gallon is not that exciting either.

Carol H · 10-22-2012, 10:51 AM

Linda, you might want to also look around for a used Subaru Forester a lot of people towing 13' trailers seem to be pretty happy with their ability to tow. They also have a very good track record for reliability. Although for the later reason you might have to wait a little bit before you find a used one of the market.