I have not bought an xB yet, but I am seriously interested in the car. I am curious what the cargo weight capacity of the car is. All I can find is the curve weight which is not helpful.

My concern is the cars ability to handle heavy loads on long hauls and how well it will handle a growing family. My hobby is re-enactment. On weekends my wife and I pack up our gear which includes a 60 lb pavilion, poles for the pavilion and about 200 - 400 lbs of gear.

I’m thinking of adding a 2 ft deep removable extension platform to the rear bumper similar to the platforms that slide into a trailer hitch. The width would be the same as the bumper. What that would give me “Bumper Back Pack” and the roof to load with camping gear freeing up the back seats for a child seat or two along with the family pet.

So how much can an xB really carry?
Can the car deal with hills now?
Is there an option to reinforce drive train and suspension?
Or should I just get a mini van?

-David Fulton

 

900 lbs payload capacity. That includes passengers and gear. Don't forget, it's not just "can it move it", but also, "can it stop it"

As an owner of an xB and a minivan, the thought of taking the xB on a camping trip seems like a LOT of hassle compared to pulling the seat out of the minivan and haviung lots of space. A roof rack would help depending on how much gear and stuff you expect to pack. To bring the majority of our camping gear wouldn't leave much room for passengers...

 

Perhaps a Honda Element would make more sense for you. I can definetely tow and have a AWD option.

 

I'm trying avoid towing. It slows you down on many road systems. I do realize that a heavy car requires stoping distance. My concern is hill climbing and if the car can take the stress.
-David Fulton

 

re-enactment???? you and your wife????? something sounds kinda kinky here.......

 

So how do you open the liftgate with that "backpack" on there?. I have a Sienna van and an xB. I would think the van would suit your needs better with more horsepower to haul the load. There are some pretty good deals on new vans in the showrooms now that aren't all that far off from a "loaded" xB...

 

It wouldn't be a good idea to try to hang that much weight off the back (not to mention how dumb it would look). A roof rack with an attached egg would serve 2 purposes. Keep your cargo dry and keeping the weight centered where it belongs. Besides, 400 lbs is just like carrying 2 adults in the back seat. The springs will sag but would still be safe.
Have you thought about taking what you need to carry to the dealer and seeing how it would fit or if it would even fit.

 

I've had 5 full size adults in my car and my sub box in the back and it gets a bit doggy but still goes ok. From what you are asking about I wouldn't be able to say it would fit your needs with any confidence. It probably would as long as you weren't in a tremendous hurry.

 

Most peeps are not overwhelmed with the idea of carrying what you suggest. Putting a lot of weight behind the rear wheels is going to make your steering very light. I think it could also tranfer some of the brake work to the rear brakes. I would say love the xboxcar. But love it for what it is and play it safe. Muchpeace.

 

if you really want to put that much wieght in the back, look into stiffining the spings and shocks on the rear, because it might have sagging issues, im just saying, because i have never had that much wieght in mine, but i have had 5 full grown dudes in mine, and it did sag a little

 

There is a reason the towing rating is so low and the fact that no one make a hitch for the xB. Don't forget about upgrading your tires for the extra load carrying capacity.
Either keep it inside or on the roof. Never out back!

 

I read the roof could take 150-175lbs the rest would go on the tail rack. The comments to place the weight inside removes the room for the kids. It does sound like the car does not have the power to really haul 900 lbs the manufacture says the xb can handle. This explains some complaints on other parts of the list about lack of passing power. I may just have to take my camping gear shopping with me to test the cars.

-David Fulton

 

Hmm,

150lbs X 5= 750
200lbs X 5= 1000

I'd say you have had that much weight in yours...

 

^^teah after i was done, i realized how retareded the whole post was, but im too lazy to edit it

 

what, may I ask, is re-enactment?

sounds heavy.

 

After having 3 kids, all the things I've done over the years, and hauling the equipment in my minivan and then moving to an xB... I'd say, go with the minivan. Especially if your kids are still little. You're just not going to be happy with the amount of room you have. Now, if your kids were in their own cars and it was just you and your wife, you might be ok.

 

One of my club members made a trailer for his so he and the other 4 people in his family could go on road trips tegether. It pulls it just fine and he has no problems stopping.

 

Re-enactment is basically recreational craftwork, cooking and camping with a focus on how things were done at some period in the past. Some focus on the civil war era, some on mountain man period of the west, some on Rome, some on 1066 English invasion, and many others.

My focus is the time period of the middle ages. I have a suit of armor that I wear when practicing Western European martial arts ( 80lbs with shield and sword ). We camp in a canvas pavilion ( 100 lbs with canvas, poles and iron stakes ) Then there is the clothing, bedding, wooden bed frame & futon, camp chairs ( wooden of course ), camp table, & cooler. As you can see reenactment camping is not as light as modern camping gear.

It takes about an hour to set up camp and the rest of the time is just a fun time interacting with like minded people. I find it a nice mental & physical break from my studies in business and computer engineering.

I think the Scion xB might be good for just my wife and I. I like the low roof of the xB it would make loading poles easier. When we have kids we will need to upgrade to a van for the space, carrying capacity and engine size.

-David Fulton

 

If you really want the xB and still intend on carrying the heavier loads, you may want to factor this into the cost of the xB.

First you are probably going to want a little bit more power out of the xB. Without going overboard you will want to add an intake, header, exhaust and lightweight pulley. Giving you a "high side" estimate I would guess around $750 not including tax, shipping or installation. You can probably get all of those parts shipped and installed for that price if you are a frugal shopper. With this you could probably expect to see a conservative 8-10 hp increase. It doesn't sound like much, but it is a 10% increase in power.

Even then, you have an issue of load capacity. As many have mentioned adding weight behind the back wheels is not the best idea, but it is one of the only options for the xB. To aid in the load capacity of the car you will want to look into an airbag suspension for the rear. A company called FBI http://www.fbimini.com makes airbag brackets for the rear of the xB. You will also need a pair of bags (Firestone and Slam Specialties are good brands), a small compressor (Viair is good), at least two valves (SMC works well), airline, fittings, electrical and controls.

All in all I would estimate the rear suspension retro fit to cost you about $575. Again, this is a "high" side estimate for parts that does not include shipping or labor. The install is pretty straight forward. And if you are mechanically inclined, you could probably pull it off in an afternoon.

You can also look into a "Coil-Rite" supplemental air system from Firestone. I know they make one for the rear of an Echo. It is part number 4118. This could probably save you quite a bit of money compared to completely swapping out your rear suspension.

Hope that helps.

 

^ He's right about the 'helper bags' as those coil rite systems are - i just recently went on a ski trip w/a full car + cargo and a roof box w/some luggage

i have full air so it was very nice to be able to bring the back up so as to 'pull' the center of gravity a bit more forward and not hav the sag, i'd probably reccomend the trailer idea if it fits for you, as the suspension might take less of a toll - though i know you mentioned not wanting to; but consider this, on some semi steep hills (10% grade) the xB was pulling 5ppl (smaller size 100-140lbs; gear etc) and the uphill rate was 65mph - and falling