Trailer Hitch on a small car

[2o6]

I want to get a small hitch installed on the Sonic, but I don't know the first thing about hitches. Basically, I want to be able to tow a small U-haul "aero" trailer, or maybe a small wheeled box that I could put a car engine in.


I don't know the first thing about this

[CaminoRacer]

Uhaul installs hitches on most cars.

[shp4man]

Most small car owners manuals say not to install a trailer hitch. That being said, I used to tow a small sailing dingy around with an air cooled beetle, so it's all about the weight.

[giant_mtb]

Most small car owners manuals say not to install a trailer hitch.

Then why do most of them have hitch mounting holes?

[Soup DeVille]

Then why do most of them have hitch mounting holes?

Those are usually holes for the chassis to be secured onto the skuck during assembly. They just get re-purposed.

Etrailers lists a 2000 lb hitch as being available for the Sonic.

[giant_mtb]

$100.

https://www.trailerjacks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=815&language=en&currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvuDPBRDnARIsAGhuAmaOIPMkwGCTiz70swbTxKgUPaqbbYSfqw7K-D2HPpLiCPEXzakRzMgaAqlxEALw_wcB

[AutobahnSHO]

You can find various hitches at Autozone. Sign up for their rewards, every $100 you spend (in increments of $20) you get a $20 bonus.

You'll also need a light connector kit.

My '99 Caravan required removing the bumper cover, drilling holes, fishing bolts with wire through the frame, yada yada.
My '03 Odyssey and '04 Sienna had pre-tapped holes under the car, just had to move the muffler out of the way and bolt the hitch up. Never did add the light kit to either.

If you're not expecting to go super-fast a small-ish Uhaul trailer (or one of those mesh lawn equipment trailers,) would be fine with your car. The faster you go= the more drag and you could seriously overwork it.

[CaminoRacer]

Y'all don't wanna know how many $20 rewards my dad and I have received from AutoZone.

[AutobahnSHO]

Y'all don't wanna know how many $20 rewards my dad and I have received from AutoZone.

It's the best rewards out there. Although sometimes I waste $2 on something I don't really need to get up to the $20 mark.

Napa had me sign up for one but it's like $5 back for every $100 spent.

[93JC]

Then why do most of them have hitch mounting holes?

A lot of it simply comes down to liability, and not wanting to take any in the very litigious USofA.

Take my car as an example. In Europe, with a 1.6 L and manual transmission: rated to tow 1,000 kg (~2,200 lb; w/ trailer brakes). My car, w/ 2.5 L auto and a transmission fluid cooler: explicitly not rated to tow anything.

[mzziaz]

A lot of it simply comes down to liability, and not wanting to take any in the very litigious USofA.

Take my car as an example. In Europe, with a 1.6 L and manual transmission: rated to tow 1,000 kg (~2,200 lb; w/ trailer brakes). My car, w/ 2.5 L auto and a transmission fluid cooler: explicitly not rated to tow anything.

Still have that 2?

[93JC]

Zoom-zoom, Sweden.

Had it for eight years now, and still only has 76,xxx km on it. A few friends have joked that I should replace it, but I can't be arsed: it still feels barely broken in and there's nothing wrong with it.

[Rupert]

Keeping within the rating of the car, you should be fine, and I would think any regular type of car could tow a Class I trailer without issue, rated or not.

[mzziaz]

Zoom-zoom, Sweden.

Had it for eight years now, and still only has 76,xxx km on it. A few friends have joked that I should replace it, but I can't be arsed: it still feels barely broken in and there's nothing wrong with it.

You are not the adventurous type, I see. I've had like ten different cars the last ten years, although not all of them have been for myself.

[mzziaz]

Also, you drive very little, especially for living in the middle of nowhere. (Around Calgary iirc)

[93JC]

Of the eight years I've had the car I've only used it for commuting to work for three, which cuts down a lot of use. I also haven't lived more than about 10 km from my place of work, so even when when I was driving every day it wasn't more than ~800 km per month.

At this point I'm using the thing less than 10 days per month, so I've become an unthusiast and don't see any point in replacing it.

[giant_mtb]

Wait, what's your DD, then?

[93JC]

You have to drive daily to have a daily-driver.

See "What would it take for you to give up car ownership for ridesharing?":

I'm not sure what it would take to give up car ownership entirely, but mostly it would come down to cost. I'm already using "carsharing" (Car2Go) quite a bit to get to and from work. Last year I only put about 7,500 km (less than 5,000 miles) on my own car. I use Car2Go because I don't have to pay for parking. A parking spot near my office is prohibitively expensive; the lot across the street costs $399/mo. Parking on street would cost >$35/day, and I'd have to move my car every two hours. When I'm not using Car2Go I take public transit instead. I haven't touched my car since Sunday.

So far this week I've taken public transit to work and rented a Car2Go to go home every day. I haven't used my car since Saturday. I usually only drive my own car on Fridays and on occasions when I need to (meetings).

When parking is hundreds of dollars per month it becomes a lot easier to justify leaving the car at home. Last month I spent $110.07 on Car2Go, $45.50 on bus fare, and about $54 on parking & gas on Fridays; total of $209.57 (-ish). Had I driven to work every day I would have spent >$450 on parking and gas (mostly parking...).

[giant_mtb]

Ah, I gotcha.