Economical Tow Vehicle

[DonFromTexas]

I can imagine there will be those that claim you need a V8 to tow with, but with a little ol Scamp all you need is - an econobox Honda Fit. Follows along like there is nothing back there, pretty good wind today too.
[IMG][/IMG]

[honda03842]

Great choice.

Does your Scamp 13 have brakes?

What mileage do you get?

Is it a manual or automatic?

[Rocker]

Nice setup, I wish I had an awning on my 75 Ventura. Have fun.

[DonFromTexas]

The Scamp has brakes.

[idiotsniff]

Don, I asked in another thread about your fits engine size, but forgot to ask if its standard or automatic?

thanks for your time,

[ruscal]

My Honda Fit is powered by dual hamsters. They don't eat much.
Russ

[Raz]

Has Honda made changes since 2009?

2009 Honda Fit Sport: What the Manual Says About Towing

[841K9]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

Has Honda made changes since 2009?

2009 Honda Fit Sport: What the Manual Says About Towing

No, they haven't.
The Fits shipped to other countries have a towing rating of 1,000lbs.

Remember, towing isn't just the pulling part. It is tracking straight, turning, and stopping.

[honda03842]

In the UK the Fit/Jazz rating is 1000 pounds unbraked and 2200 pounds braked. In the UK the engine is 1.2L; in the USA it's a 1.5L engine.

[Ed Harris]

Here we go again!?

[Bob Miller]

I think that the part that sez "May void your warrantee" is the decisive part. This suggests that the transaxle is right at it's limit with just the weight of the vehicle.

[honda03842]

To add a little perspective, Don is building an airplane, an RV12 for those in the know, and has a marvelous blog about his building process covering more than a year of posts.

I read every page of his building blog last night because I had wanted to build a plane. When you read it you'll find that Don is an amazingly careful guy.

The plane will use a Honda Fit engine modified for flight.

This man is an unusual person and I was very impressed by his blog.

[David Tilston]

It is my OPINION that the US tendency to litigate makes the auto industry much more conservative in their specifications. I do not believe that the laws of physics are different in Europe.

This born out on this web site. One of the most common reactions to someone proposing to tow above the rated max load, or European limit, amounts to "if you get into an accident, then you will be in trouble in court".

While this may be true, and it is good reason to stay under the limits, being safe from lawyers is not the same as safe on the road.

If the load is safe and legal in Europe, I would feel safe doing the same thing in North America. But, I live in Canada, where the lawyers are not quite as aggressive, YMMV.

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

It is my OPINION that the US tendency to litigate makes the auto industry much more conservative in their specifications. I do not believe that the laws of physics are different in Europe.

This born out on this web site. One of the most common reactions to someone proposing to tow above the rated max load, or European limit, amounts to "if you get into an accident, then you will be in trouble in court".

While this may be true, and it is good reason to stay under the limits, being safe from lawyers is not the same as safe on the road.

If the load is safe and legal in Europe, I would feel safe doing the same thing in North America. But, I live in Canada, where the lawyers are not quite as aggressive, YMMV.

Dave
If your assumption that the vehicles in Europe and in the U.S. are identical is true it is tough to argue your broader point about the relative safety.

Your "Opinion" though does seem to imply that you assume that they are indeed identical.
From what I can tell you have no actual facts to back that up?

Plain and Simple,no amount of deflection and distraction can validate this one point.
We do not know that the vehicles are the same.

Aside from that,why does it even matter if the rules are mandated by law and/or the manufacturers ratings that also is plain and simple.

[Bob Miller]

Add to that, most smaller vehicles sold in Europe are standard transmission diesels and they also have different towing rules. For example, the max towing speed in the UK is 60 MPH, here it is as high as 75 MPH and Honda will want to use the worst case scenerio for setting limits. Here's a link to towing in the UK:
Control of the vehicle (117-126) : Directgov - Travel and transport

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Ed Harris

Dave
Your "Opinion" though does seem to imply that you assume that they are indeed identical.
From what I can tell you have no actual facts to back that up?

Aside from that,why does it even matter if the rules are mandated by law and/or the manufacturers ratings that also is plain and simple.

No facts, just pure conjecture. That is why I called it OPINION.

While I am not a legal expert either, I have noticed that vehicles that are not rated to tow anything, like the Pontiac Firefly, do in fact tow trailers. There is even an add in the archive of Fiberglass RV's For Sale showing a Firefly towing a Trillium. If this was strictly illegal, this guy would have been pulled over. So, I assume, (no facts or research) that this is not explicitly illegal. I personally think it is a bad idea, but not my call. I also doubt that the manufactures mandate anything. They just adhere to the applicable standards and make recommendations. So it appears to me that some decision making is left to the operator of the vehicle.

I also think that the European cars, while not identical, would likely be very similar to their North American counterparts, (once again, pure conjecture).

[Bob Miller]

No one said anything was "Illegal", but intentionally driving/towing in an unsafe manner is illegal in most juristrictions. When the manufacturer sez Do Not Tow, or words to that effect, and you are involved in an accident, "unsafe manner" may well raise it's ugly head, even if the accident was the other drivers fault.
A lot of this stems from waaaay back to the first Corvairs when owners and dealer chose to ignore GM's stated tire pressures and helped them become "unsafe at any speed". In court, incorrect tire pressure was GM's #1 defense, and it worked well in many cases.
Beyond that possibility, is that a Honda dealer's service writer may well take note of that trailer hitch on a Honda Fit and make note of it in the master record for that vehicle as a hedge against future warranty issues.

[841K9]

Originally Posted by honda03842

The plane will use a Honda Fit engine modified for flight.

An unusual choice, but I would love to see it.

[Greg H]

As long as he's not using a Honda transmission it will probably fly. If you were meant to fly you would have wings on your back.

[honda03842]

I've gone to the web site for the Honda airplane engine after reading the blog. It's interesting to read, Honda makes very reliable engines.

VIKING AIRCRAFT ENGINE USING HONDA ENGINE FOR LIGHT SPORT AIRPLANES