I'm moving across province at the end of the month, roughly 728km/452mi in distance, and renting a truck is not an option. I'm planning to get a Class I trailer hitch installed real soon (this is what I've been told I need), but before I do so I wanna make sure that the ol' Fit can tow a small U-Haul trailer. I'm driving a 5 speed manual, 2013 DX model. My terrain isn't overly hilly, a few here and there, but nothing mountainous here in Newfoundland.

I've been researching it a fair bit and I'm seeing a lot of yay's and a lot of nay's. Just looking for anyone who has any experience or opinions regarding this situation. I'm guessing the 4'x8' trailer weighs about 850lb, and the 5'x8' is about 950lb. There's no way I will accumulate close to a thousand pounds in cargo. I'll be bringing along a double mattress (no box spring), small bookshelf, electronic drums, 2 guitars, 2 flat screen tvs, coffee table, armchair, and a light road bike. Those are my heaviest items and I am able to deadlift them all (I'm only about 110lbs myself). Of course there will be other random items like books, clothes, dishes, but nothing intense.

So what do you guys think? Give 'er a go?

 

Do a search -there is a thread here by someone who towed a uhaul trailer across the US.

 

Here you go:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...ailer-fit.html

One good thing you have going for you is that yours is a manual, so you won't have to worry about the tranny overheating.

-Dustin

 

I've seen the abovementioned thread - very helpful indeed. But her experience was with an automatic and she had overheating concerns, etc. I'm not TOO familiar with cars, so I'm not sure what kind of advantages/disadvantages I have going into with with a manual.

Any pointers for what gear and speed I should keep it at on hills? The TCH here in Newfoundland is often very vacant at any time of day, so traffic and switching lanes are not a big concern of mine.

Thanks!

 

Manual transmissions run much cooler than automatics, so transmission overheating isn't a concern. Engine overheating shouldn't be a problem given the cool weather and relatively flat terrain. On the Fit, at least, the manual is probably a bit better for towing than the automatic, certainly as it comes from the factory.

The biggest concerns for towing are weight (and tongue weight), proper trailer balance, and braking. Braking distance will be noticeably longer than usual, and the brakes have to do a lot more work particularly on hills. Definitely downshift to use engine braking on long hills, and keep the speed down, and pull over and let the brakes cool down if it's a very long hill that needs a lot of braking. When brakes overheat, they become ineffective, and that's not a good combination.

Generally speaking, the best overall rule is to take things easy and give yourself lots of room. It's hard to give exact recommendations on gears and speeds, but the general idea is to use lower gears and lower speeds than you normally would...unless you're a dangerously slow driver to begin with, which is unlikely.

Do make sure you learn how to properly load the trailer so that there's sufficient weight on the tongue, but not too much. An improperly balanced trailer (in particular, one that's tail heavy) can get dangerously squirrelly at speed, doubly so when it is heavy in comparison with the tow vehicle. Do go slowly especially in situations where there may be cross-winds. Do chock the trailer when parking on an incline (and it isn't a bad idea at other times). Do make sure to lash your cargo in position securely so it doesn't shift and alter the balance of the trailer when you least expect it.

You probably would be well advised to determine exactly what would and would not be covered by your insurance while towing (and possibly getting some insurance from U-Haul if appropriate).

Just out of curiosity: why is renting a truck and a tow dolly for the Fit not an option? I think it would end up being easier all around—certainly loading and unloading your stuff would be easier, and I would guess that the overall cost wouldn't be all that much more once you include the hitch and installation for the Fit.

 

Thanks so much for all that info!

The cost of a smaller uhaul truck is around 500 bucks, plus gas. So easily looking at $700 or more! And I honestly don't have enough stuff to fill it. The cost of hitch+installation is around $270 and the trailer itself is $85-$100 for two days (not bad). So it seems like my cheapest option is indeed the trailer. I just wanted to hear some feedback from a few people before I made my decision.

The guys at Honda said towing 1500lbs shouldn't be a big problem, permitting I don't drive like a lunatic and the majority of the drive is flat. And also that back in the day, Civics weren't supposed to be towing and now all of a sudden they are able to tow. But again, all this is at my own risk.

Again, thanks for the feedback!

 

Plus you'll be able to use that hitch for towing trailers, a hitch mounted bike carrier, etc. in the future. I use my Fit to tow a 4x8 utility trailer at least once a month for runs to get lumber, haul furniture, haul the riding lawn mower, etc.

-Dustin