Scion tC Towing Trailer
01-12-2012, 03:36 PM
#1
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Location: In a van...down by the river
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Scion tC Towing Trailer
Oh no i didn't!
A while back I installed a class 2 (200lbs tongue, 2000lbs rolling) hitch so I could carry my bike hitch. I don't have the funds for the rental+ 70 cents a mile, gas, and the destination charge due to dropping the truck off at another location. So I picked up a wiring harness for $4, installed it and went to U-haul to see my options. I decided on the open 5'x9' trailer weighing in at 700lbs, heavy for a utility trailer. Guys said their system is rating my car at 2000lbs max payload including the car's load but I had no intentions of pulling more than 1200 lbs and myself, clothing and glass tops in the car.
loaded with queen bed, desk underneath, dresser and dolly.
I made two trips during the 24 hour $18 rental period. The 2nd was for a huge 3'x8' workbench, table, chairs and tools. Overall the car handled it well. The tongue weight was around 80lbs, and brakes were solid the whole trip. I kept it at 60mph on the highway.
This is all on my '05 auto with new fluid and trans filter. Most of the trip was open highway, and the tC still managed 23mpg.
In a pinch, the tC can tow small loads. If my 5.2L Jeep wasn't a work in progress I would've towed with it. And I traded my '02 F150 for the tC years back. No regrets.
And just a heads up the receiver is like $90 on etrailer, compared to U-haul at $180 plus install.
A while back I installed a class 2 (200lbs tongue, 2000lbs rolling) hitch so I could carry my bike hitch. I don't have the funds for the rental+ 70 cents a mile, gas, and the destination charge due to dropping the truck off at another location. So I picked up a wiring harness for $4, installed it and went to U-haul to see my options. I decided on the open 5'x9' trailer weighing in at 700lbs, heavy for a utility trailer. Guys said their system is rating my car at 2000lbs max payload including the car's load but I had no intentions of pulling more than 1200 lbs and myself, clothing and glass tops in the car.
loaded with queen bed, desk underneath, dresser and dolly.
I made two trips during the 24 hour $18 rental period. The 2nd was for a huge 3'x8' workbench, table, chairs and tools. Overall the car handled it well. The tongue weight was around 80lbs, and brakes were solid the whole trip. I kept it at 60mph on the highway.
This is all on my '05 auto with new fluid and trans filter. Most of the trip was open highway, and the tC still managed 23mpg.
In a pinch, the tC can tow small loads. If my 5.2L Jeep wasn't a work in progress I would've towed with it. And I traded my '02 F150 for the tC years back. No regrets.
And just a heads up the receiver is like $90 on etrailer, compared to U-haul at $180 plus install.
Last edited by MR_LUV; 10-22-2017 at 04:15 PM.
01-12-2012, 03:42 PM
#2
It's not the fact that you can't haul with a tC, a tC isn't meant for it and you have the ability to mess up the frame. Hopefully you didn't but it's your car and you can do whatever you want with it.
Last edited by MR_LUV; 10-22-2017 at 04:16 PM.
01-12-2012, 05:37 PM
#4
The manual also doesnt say you can slap a turbo on it and make 300whp on stock block, but we all know its possible. When deciding on specifications for a vehicle it is kept well within safe margins. If towing a load behind a tC could produce some kind of failure 1 time out of 100, they will say not to tow anything with it. Manufacturers stick with the safest possible specifications so that they cant be held liable if something goes wrong when pushing the limits of what the vehicle can do. I havent seen where the hitch would mount up on a tC, however as long as the mounting points are good, the unibody tC is actually very strong, and I would imagine towing something around this load wouldnt be very dangerous. Obviously I havent towed anything with my tC as I have my Tundra for that, so this is mainly based on speculation from the limited information I have. Keep in mind youre always taking a risk when doing something with a vehicle that it wasnt designed to do, but that definitely doesnt mean it simply won't work.
01-12-2012, 05:59 PM
#5
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The manual also doesnt say you can slap a turbo on it and make 300whp on stock block, but we all know its possible. When deciding on specifications for a vehicle it is kept well within safe margins. If towing a load behind a tC could produce some kind of failure 1 time out of 100, they will say not to tow anything with it. Manufacturers stick with the safest possible specifications so that they cant be held liable if something goes wrong when pushing the limits of what the vehicle can do. I havent seen where the hitch would mount up on a tC, however as long as the mounting points are good, the unibody tC is actually very strong, and I would imagine towing something around this load wouldnt be very dangerous. Obviously I havent towed anything with my tC as I have my Tundra for that, so this is mainly based on speculation from the limited information I have. Keep in mind youre always taking a risk when doing something with a vehicle that it wasnt designed to do, but that definitely doesnt mean it simply won't work.
01-12-2012, 08:08 PM
#7
The manual also doesnt say you can slap a turbo on it and make 300whp on stock block, but we all know its possible. When deciding on specifications for a vehicle it is kept well within safe margins. If towing a load behind a tC could produce some kind of failure 1 time out of 100, they will say not to tow anything with it. Manufacturers stick with the safest possible specifications so that they cant be held liable if something goes wrong when pushing the limits of what the vehicle can do. I havent seen where the hitch would mount up on a tC, however as long as the mounting points are good, the unibody tC is actually very strong, and I would imagine towing something around this load wouldnt be very dangerous. Obviously I havent towed anything with my tC as I have my Tundra for that, so this is mainly based on speculation from the limited information I have. Keep in mind youre always taking a risk when doing something with a vehicle that it wasnt designed to do, but that definitely doesnt mean it simply won't work.
01-12-2012, 08:57 PM
#8
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Location: In a van...down by the river
Posts: 148
I thought I'd share my story. I grew up towing with our 1.7L Subaru Legacy GL wagon. Then moved up to driving full size trucks. Then when my commute increasing for school decided to buy my tC as a beater for $4200 with 80K. Needed some servicing but that's to be expected.
I'll be trailering my sv650 and a friend's R6 on track day February. Bike trailer weighs 400lbs. Like towing two jetskis. Just without the failure at the boat ramp. Any "real" towing will be using my gas guzzler V8 grand Cherokee. It's just out of commission right now.
I'll be trailering my sv650 and a friend's R6 on track day February. Bike trailer weighs 400lbs. Like towing two jetskis. Just without the failure at the boat ramp. Any "real" towing will be using my gas guzzler V8 grand Cherokee. It's just out of commission right now.
01-12-2012, 10:23 PM
#12
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Location: Cameron, NC
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I want to know what page in the owners manual it says I can`t install a turbo. Oh, and owners manuals are written by lawers not engineers. If engineers it would be full of things you can do. :-)
05-12-2012, 03:32 AM
#13
How much does your ski weigh with trailer? whats the trailer tongue weight? Is it easy to lift up? Is the rear of your scion stock height? Best way is to sit on the rear opening and see how far it goes down. Remember stopping will take longer and you need a bit more distance to stop etc. I upgraded to 14" brakes on my camaro to pull my seadoo which weighs 750 pounds plus trailer.
05-13-2012, 02:52 AM
#15
People have been towing with the xB2's for quite awhile. No one has had a problem, as long as they keep the payload reasonable, and don't try to tow anything ridiculous.
Last edited by MR_LUV; 10-22-2017 at 04:11 PM.
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