Hello!

I’m driving across the country and a friend suggested a Hitch Trailer for more room for luggage. I’m wondering if this would be safe and if the car could handle it. We’re going about 1,700 miles

My Scion is a 2013 xD. Standard features. Looks like the weight capacity is 946ish

It would be 2 adults traveling with cargo.

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Curt makes a hitch for your car. There's one on ebay for $150. It's rated 2000/200. Unfortunately, your car is not designed for towing. Your brake system needs a proportional valve to adjust brake force on front and rear wheels. Also the spot welds on your unitized body and frame were not designed with towing in mind.

That said, this hitch will support a carrier that wont damage your car, so long as the carrier is no wider than your rear bumper. If any of your cargo blocks your car's tail lights, you may have to install trailer lights on the carrier to avoid tickets. If your cargo does not block your car's tail lights, you do not need carrier lights. It's still a good idea to apply reflective tape to the rear of the carrier, particularly for night driving.

The only drawback to the carrier is limited weight. The tongue weight rating on the carrier is 200 lbs. If the carrier weighs 25 lbs, you can load it up to 175 pounds. You can probably get away with more weight but this might risk a ticket. Safe travels.