Quick Question about Towing

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by honda03842

We towed a Scamp 16 or equal, fully loaded for travel for 7 years all over North America and the tail never wagged the dog.

The CRV loaded weighed about 4000 pounds and the trailer weighed about 2400 pounds, the tongue weighed 300 pounds. The trailer had brakes and was properly loaded. The rig was consciously driven at realistic speeds.

Tail wagging the dog... sounds like a mindless dog.

Before the thread gets out of hand, I wasn't suggesting that you tow with your Civic. I was suggesting you visit the Scamp Camp and talk to people who do tow with a similar sized and powered vehicle. There's much to learn there.

Mike,
You may be interested to know that a CRV has the same wheelbase as the Civic. We towed with it for 7 years in all kinds of places and never were 'wagged'.

As well the 'wagged' that started this was a F250. Certainly we don't know the details but the F250 can be a very capable tow vehicle, capable of huge loads, many big 5th wheels are towed by them.

Having a big tow vehicle can breed over confidence. I have now met two people with large tow vehicles who have lost control of their trailers, an appropriate tow vehicle is not a guarantee to what amounts to a rare situation.

Our 4 cylinder crossed mountain passes in the west and east for years ending with 250,000 miles of travel. Of course the engine reved, that's what Hondas do, it's part of their operating range and never a problem.

Of course some do not like high revs, me included, but mountain passes are a very small part of driving.

Take your time and talk to people who do what you want to do. There is much to learn and Scamp Camp is fun.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by vintagecamper

Hello Everyone. I am new here. I am happy to be here. I am looking for something that can be towed by my 2012 Honda Civic. Does anyone have any suggestions?

The lighter the better? Or should I just forget it?

VintageTraveller
MK Carr

Honda says up to 1000 lbs towing capacity with your Civic. It's actually one of the selling points of that model, because many other Hondas show no towing capacity at all. at 1000 pounds, that pretty much eliminates any of the most common small fiberglass trailers in use today.

I would second what some others have already said. Look for the TRAILER you want, and one that will meet your needs. Once you have that squared away, you can match it up with the right tow vehicle. For most people, vehicles come and go - fiberglass trailers, not so much.

[The Minimalist]

Originally Posted by MC1

I am a big fan of towing with a car because they work so well.

In many locations, generally speaking, the Civic is a top rated tow vehicle but one must beware the connection hardware and set up needs to be appropriate for the trailer size and weight.

Honda Civic | Tow Car Awards

Beware. This is a British site about European tow ratings. The 1500 kg equals 3307 lbs. The tested vehicle was diesel. Also, and I'm open to correction here, I believe European tow ratings are based on a trailer with brakes.

Note the handling characteristics listed here, particularly that the steering feels somewhat remote and that the car required constant steering adjustment in a cross wind.

You will also notice that all the cars in this test are towing a trailer with a relatively large frontal and side area. In towing with a small car, you have to consider wind resistance, more so than in a larger vehicle, not just in terms of mileage but in terms of it's effect on handling.

[The Minimalist]

You may want to be more specific in your question, say, "Is anyone towing with a 2012 Honda Civic?". Then more of the responses will be based on real life experience rather than opinion. Opinions are great, but nothing beats experience.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by MC1

Good day MK. Diesels are nice for towing but the gas powered cars work well too.

LOL yes Civic Diesels sold in the UK are great - especially as they are designed by the manufacture to tow - But equally important is that as you well know the Honda civic gas version sold here in North America IS NOT!!

Would be really nice if we could try and keep it real to North America and the accepted general towing standards that the vast majority of people follow when advising someone new to towing!

To the OP a great place to take a look at when considering what small fiberglass trailer may or may not fit your tow vehicles towing specs is the thread Trailer Weights In The Real World. Those weights are the trailers of members here who had their trailers loaded for camping and weighed.

[honda03842]

The UK version of the CRV was designed to tow and so was the UK gas version of the CRV.

It's interesting that the UK 2.0L gas version and the 1.6L Diesel version of the CRV with manual transmission both have a 1700 kg (3740 pound) rating. The 2.0L gas version with automatic has a 1500 kg (3300 pound) rating.

Note that the UK gas version has a 20% smaller engine than the North American version.

As a side note, I tried to get Honda America to sell me a UK diesel CRV.

http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/cr-v/com...0000004_200001

[Bob Miller]

Wow, has this thread ever gone sideways.


The real bottom line for towing capacity is what is printed in your owners manual and that is not a figure than can be ignored, or changed via aftermarket modifications.


If you have any real doubt about the accuracy or limitations of that number, you need only ask two people if it may be exceeded without negative repercussions, first your insurance agent and then your attorney.


And, BTW, ignore any offers of hitches that claim a higher capacity than the manual, such as this (now discontinued) one from U-Haul suggesting that 2000 lbs is allowed.
U-Haul: Hitch for 2012 Honda Civic Front Wheel Drive
The owners manuals' value trumps all others.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by honda03842

The UK version of the CRV was designed to tow and so was the UK gas version of the CRV.

]

And the relevance of the above to the fact the OP owns a Honda Civic and lives in the USA and owns a car built in the USA to US specs and not the UK?

[Mike Magee]

It the OP were thinking of replacing the Civic with something else in a year or two, it would be simple to pick out something with a higher tow rating and combine it with just about any FG trailer desired.

If the plan is to keep the Civic for many years, there are some lightweight popups under 1000 lbs. Aliner used to make an Alite 400 (available on the used market), and the larger Scout could also work. RollAHome in Hobart OK makes a nifty tent camper that weighs less than 400 lbs. So even if the OP did not feel comfortable with the weight of an egg, there are some ways to get out there camping and make some memories.

[rbryan]

Thanks Bob. Any discussion about tow vehicles usually goes sideways -- no idea why. The numbers are the numbers. Not rocket science.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[piperjim]

Oh boy......so much fun here!!

I belong to a BMW Motorcycle forum, and this thread (can I tow a ??? with a ???) reminds me of the BMW forum question, "Which oil should I use in my BMW motorcycle?" That starts an instant war, like throwing gas on a campfire! Everyone starts citing their experiences with such-and-such a bike all the way back to when they were kids, then they bring in the oil tech data sheets, BMW recommendations and oil industry literature, the oil their dealer/friend/cousin/shade-tree mechanic uses.....so much data, then so much emotion!! Everyone defending their position.

But, I have to say that this FGRV forum is much more polite and family-rated!!

I appreciate one member of the motorcycle forum who sums it up simply as this:


Good oil is better than bad oil.
New Oil is better than old oil.
Some oil is better than no oil.

Maybe someone can think of a corollary for "What can I pull with my ????"

Speaking of that.....anybody know if I can pull a 19' Scamp Deluxe with my BMW 1100 cc motorcycle.....LOL!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpwH9WeVEfU

Have a good one!

[Mike Magee]

Sure, you can tow a 19' with your motorcycle! Just screw the ball into the top of your helmet, strap the brake controller to your forearm, and you're ready to roll! Neck brace is optional.

[piperjim]

Mike:

But do you think it'll reduce my gas mileage??

Maybe here's a corollary for the BMW oil thread I mentioned earlier, applied to TVs and RVs, sort of "the universal truth" related to towing:

1. A running tow vehicle can pull an RV better than a broken tow vehicle.

2. A large tow vehicle (heavy frame and large displacement engine) can generally pull more than a small tow vehicle.

3. Under the right conditions, any tow vehicle can pull any RV. (Those conditions may include utter disregard for engine life, transmission life, frame life, safety, manufacturer recommendations, state laws, tire load or gravity).

Have a good one!