Quick Question about Towing

[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

[Borrego Dave]

Welcome to the site. What does your manual say about towing specs? I've had a few Civics over the years and personally, I wouldn't use that for any TT.

[Cathi]

Hi, MaryKay,
Welcome to Eggland.
You need to go look at trailers and figure out the one you want. That could take a while. Tow vehicles are plentiful but fiberglass trailers, not so much. Your Civic is unlikely to work but that's all right. By the time you decide on a trailer, you will want something that can tow it.

[Don W.]

welcome! When I first became interested in Egg Campers I had a Honda Civic. The manual then stated DO NOT TOW! Those small vehicles are not made to handle it. Now, there are some members here who tow with a Honda CRV and love it. That vehicle is made differently. But me personally, I would never tow one of these Egg's with a Civic or similar vehicle.

[honda03842]

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

My suggestion is to attend the Scamp Camp in February held at Highland Hammocks, FL. There is a nice couple there who has towed a Boler 13 with a Honda Fit.

[Cathy P.]

If you can't upgrade your vehicle and you still want to travel with something and it doesn't have to be a molded fiberglass, you might look at motorcycle trailers and utilitoy which might be light enough.

Oh, I thought of something that is molded fiberglass and light: Roughneck Adventure Trailer - Compact Expedition Trailer - Outdoor Sports Cargo Camper a teardrop of sorts.

[vintagecamper]

Thank you Dave, Honda, Cathi, Cathy and Don for your great answers. I will check out the Scamp Camp Honda03824. I have come to realize that I simply need more information about tiny campers. And Cathi, I think you are right about finding the trailer first and then the tow car.

[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

[vintagecamper]

Thanks MC1, my civic is not diesel so I had better choose a camper first and then the vehicle.

[MC1]

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

[Newbie]

You're probably looking at something more like a micro trailer, such as a mini-teardrop. Anything more than that likely exceeds your towing capacity. BTW, just because the manual gives you a maximum capacity doesn't mean it's enjoyable to tow something at the max weight. Good luck!

[Mike Magee]

It's always nice to have some cushion (spare tow capacity) when towing. That way, one is not on the ragged edge and taking chances. (Been there, done that, was lucky.)

[Julie N]

Thanks to info & advice from this website we purchased a 13' Scamp to pull with our Honda CR-V & it works great, but wouldn't want to use anything smaller. (The Scamp 13' is very light). We may trade with a friend for a Honda Odyssey to have more storage space & more power of we go out west & through mountains. Good luck!

[Uplander]

Towing can be safe only if you do not exceed the towing capacity of your vehicle.
Trying to tow with a Honda Fit or Civic can be hazardous to your health.
The expression "tail wagging the dog" describes the situation when you take a sub-compact, lightweight vehicle with an engine designed for maximum MPG and ask it to do something any engineer would caution against ever attempting.
Just because someone else has done it does not make it safe or right.

Select the travel trailer that works for you and then trade in that fine Honda subcompact automobile on something with the correct towing capacity to do the job safe and right....don't be a fool trying to push the envelope.

Happy and safe camping!

[Roger C H]

It is not only if it can, it is if it is allowed. An overweight trailer can easily take control of the TV and then if someone is injured...

Proper Tow Vehicles A Must!


#8 - Apparently that is a European site. We all know in Europe, customs and laws are completely different than the US.

[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.

[Mike Magee]

The 2012 Civic is about 3000 lbs with a 103" wheelbase, and either 140 HP or 200 HP depending on engine. The larger engine would be well capable of towing a 13'er. The wheelbase is rather short, so a longer trailer than that would be unwise.

The big limiting factors IMO are:
1. the sufficiency of the transmission and the cooling system
2. the strength of attachment between hitch mount and the vehicle's underside

A hitch bolted to thin sheet metal, when subjected to repeated stresses from towing, can fatigue the sheet metal and start to tear it. Attachment failure could lead to a detached trailer careening across traffic (worst case scenario, killing someone). We had a report here from a member (I forget who) who discovered the sheet metal on his Jetta was tearing, and he promptly upgraded to a larger vehicle. However, a custom-fabricated hitch receiver with more and better attachment points could overcome this issue... but such an installation is not cheap.

200 HP is plenty, and even 140 HP (although marginal) would do ok in the flatlands with a 13'. But HP tells us nothing about the torque rating of the transmission. Also it tells us nothing about the sufficiency of engine and transmission cooling. Auxiliary coolers can be added aftermarket, but an owner should do his homework about what to add and whether the tranny can handle the load.

Brake size on the tow vehicle is another issue, but I personally feel that trailer brakes would minimize or negate the issue. Trailer brakes would be a must-have. Since many 13'ers have been built without brakes, a person buying a used 13 should either look for one with brake mounts on the axle or else plan to replace the axle with a new one including brakes.

[Darral T.]

As someone mentioned about tow capacity, I pull a 1750lb Scamp with a Nissan Frontier 4cyl with a cap of 3500lbs. NO WAY would I pull more than the 1750 I'm pulling now. Why? First of all, I live in the "hills of Tennessee". And if you've never pulled up long grades around here, you have NO idea as to how your TV will have to rev to pull some of these roads. It's nothing for me to drop to 3rd gear and have the engine revving for extended periods. Again, that's towing nearly HALF of my TV's rated "capacity".

Pulling the same with an automatic small car like the Civic? I wouldnt mistreat a vehicle THAT badly. I have a Corolla rated at 1500lbs. I believe the Civics are around 1000 lbs. You're not going to pull much of a trailer with that rating. Dont forget your luggage, passengers, etc?

We know it's not what you want to hear, but your best bet is to check out the area on this forum (cant remember where it's at) and check the specs that are listed. Quite phenomenal (thanks to Norm who started it) of the data collected! You can make some really good comparisons off of that information. My final advice is, over-rate your tow vehicle but NOT what you're going to be pulling....it CAN be dangerous.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

#8 - Apparently that is a European site. We all know in Europe, customs and laws are completely different than the US.

???????

There is a blog about a guy who owned a BMW 3 series sedan and towed a 22' trailer in Europe. He moved to North America and imported his rig with him. He reported that there was no differences in towing in NA from Europe.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

As someone mentioned about tow capacity, I pull a 1750lb Scamp with a Nissan Frontier 4cyl with a cap of 3500lbs. NO WAY would I pull more than the 1750 I'm pulling now.

Thnxs for your post and data Darral. It goes to show that the tow rating is a very inaccurate way of measuring a vehicles towing prowess/abilities.

I have found through research and experience that some of the best tow vehicles are ones with the "1,000 lb" tow rating. Many just seem to have "the right stuff". Note these vehicles many require special towing options and or special set up.