Towing with Your Yaris

[crk06c]

Before I get flamed, allow me to state my credentials.

I am a student of Physics, hence I understand the basic mechanics involved in automotive systems. I am intently focused on a Master’s in Mechanical Design. Having a 15 year old car, I have performed nearly every task a mechanic is trained for. But most importantly, I have towed with the AT Yaris LB!

Not only did I tow, but I towed a 4x8 U-Haul trailer from Florida to California, and the trailer was completely filled. A few things need to be considered when realistically evaluating the impact towing will have on a car.
First of all, the force resisting the motion of your vehicle is proportional to the trailer weight, but not equal to it. The weight of the trailer will cause friction in the wheel bearings, but this friction is much less than the weight of the trailer.

Second, your car is strong. These engines are designed to schlep you and your crap around the city, up and down hills, in what are often very unhealthy conditions for your engine.

So here’s the story:
My girlfriend of 5 ½ years graduates and moves to L.A. She owns a cute little Yaris, and wants to know how to get her car, her puppy, and all her stuff to L.A. So I bought a hitch and rented a trailer, and now I’m writing this from L.A.!

On day one, we drove 6 hours from Tallahassee to New Orleans. Warm, but humid, air kept the engine cool enough, and the transmission seemed hardly affected. Gas consumption was somewhere around 30-33 mpg. On day two, we drove 9 hours to San Antonio. Driving through the moist bayou air was great for the radiator, drawing heat away much more quickly. That was not true for day 3. We drove 9 hours to El Paso, by the end of which there was a noticeable coat of engine oil on the block. The dry, mountain air, though cool, couldn’t stand up to the heat from climbing mountains against headwinds. This leak was caused by overheating oil, which my girlfriend proposed we control by turning on the heater. Great idea. Given 8 hours to rest, day four went great. After about 15 hours on the road, there were no more oil leaks or problems of any kind.

So what can be learned? Evaporative cooling from moisture in the air gives great cooling advantages. Dry areas, even if cooler, won’t cool the radiator as well. Too bad humidity can’t be controlled. What to do? Drive slower. We saw expected changes in temperature going up to 60 mph. After 60 mph, the engine temperature would increase rapidly. If you’re towing, keep the speed down. And as far as the oil leak on day three, I estimate we lost about 0.25 quart of oil for the duration of the trip. The leak came from a preexisting problem spot on the valve cover gasket. When the synthetic oil I use heated up enough, it started to do its job: seeping into the little nooks and crannies. My advice would be to install an oil cooler.

So, if you’re brave enough to try, here’s the summary:

Get a transmission cooler
Get an oil cooler
Do a thorough check for leaks
Be sure of your brakes and tires
Don’t go more than 60 mph
If it’s hot outside, turn on the heat and open your windows
Load your trailer properly, with 9%-11% of the weight on the tongue

[Yaris Hilton]

You're right, the specific heat of water vapor is higher than that of dry air. I had to check it out. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/en...air-d_683.html

A fog would really help you, because you'd be vaporizing the suspended water droplets and getting the benefit of the much higher latent heat of vaporization.

[Kongo-Otto]

Of course i can only speak for Europe but towing is no problem with a Yaris. Its officially permitted by Toyota over here. I can provide you some numbers from over here:

Maximum tongue weight: 50kg / 110lbs
Maximum weight for trailer (no brakes at trailer): 550kg / 1213 lbs
Maximum weight for trailer (with overrun brakes): 900kg / 1984 lbs

These values come from Toyota and are considered safe here. Maximum speed for trailers here is 80 or 100km/h (50 mph 62 mph) which depends on the trailer.

[swidd]

Is there anything different about the European model's engine, transmission, bearings, structure, strength, driver knowledge/abilities or whatever, that would explain the different guidance from Toyota?

[Kongo-Otto]

Originally Posted by swidd

Is there anything different about the European model's engine, transmission, bearings, structure, strength, driver knowledge/abilities or whatever, that would explain the different guidance from Toyota?

We have different engines and transmissions here, but not more powerful ones.

1.0 petrol, 1.33 petrol and 1.4 Diesel. There are small differences between their "towing capacity" but all of them are allowed to tow trailers.

But these models have no oil cooler (transmission or engine). Driver knowledge in Germany (i cant speak for other countries) is usually higher than in the US. It takes much more time and money to get a license here.

[2009BBPliftback]

Toyota canada rates the yaris at 700lbs for towing.. is this just a legal thing in the U.S?

[BailOut]

Originally Posted by 2009BBPliftback

Toyota canada rates the yaris at 700lbs for towing.. is this just a legal thing in the U.S?

Please read "The Great American Anti-Towing Conspiracy":

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/the...ng-conspiracy/

It's not a legal issue but an ethical one - on the part of the manufacturers. It's all about pushing folks to buy larger, more expensive vehicles that they have a higher profit margin on.

It's an easy sell in a country that believes you need 200hp to get groceries, or 300hp to bring the kids home from soccer practice.

[suckerface]

Great thread, it was all VERY informative. I'm hoping a move from WI to CA sometime soon myself, and it's good to know that, if need be, a small U-Haul trailer will be a possibility.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton

You're right, the specific heat of water vapor is higher than that of dry air. I had to check it out. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/en...air-d_683.html

A fog would really help you, because you'd be vaporizing the suspended water droplets and getting the benefit of the much higher latent heat of vaporization.

Seems like if you riged a water spray on the radiator from a tank of water that would help also!

BTW I towed a kinds of things, boat, woodsplitter, motorcycle trailer, utility trailer with my ECHO (albeit for short distances >20 miles) 5 speed no problem.

[talnlnky]

I would love to tow a truck around.... on a flat bed trailer... maybe a H2... that would be hilarious.

[nemelek]

Originally Posted by crk06c

So, if you’re brave enough to try, here’s the summary:

Get a transmission cooler
Get an oil cooler
Do a thorough check for leaks
Be sure of your brakes and tires
Don’t go more than 60 mph
If it’s hot outside, turn on the heat and open your windows
Load your trailer properly, with 9%-11% of the weight on the tongue

I would add to change the oil at 2,500 miles instead of the 5,000 mile mark. The Dodge I tow with has schedule A & B for the miles driven.

I don't have the credentials you have, however, I have towed our trailer close to 60,000 miles. Rule #1. Always remember you are towing. Rule #2. Don't forget Rule #1. Turn radius, stopping distance, blind spots are things forgot about after a few hours.

As far as towing with the Yaris across the country, I probably won't do it. I would rent a truck and tow the Yaris behind it. I plan on keeping my Yaris for a long time and would rather that the hard miles go on someone elses vehicle. For me, the extra cost would be off set by the long term gain.

[swidd]

how much does a new transmission cost?

renting a truck for across the country moves is not a cheap option.

[yarrr]

I love the fact he blew a seal and people still say its ok to tow a trailer. Pre-existing my ass, I haven't lost a drop of oil out of a seal with over 80k miles. Oh and I'm sure you wouldn't take care of a leaky gasket or anything before towing a trailer cross country... rofl

Originally Posted by swidd

renting a truck for across the country moves is not a cheap option.

1000 bucks for more room, minus the hitch price, minus the trailer rental, minus a head gasket job(or more). Oh and even using canadian standards, the 4x8 empty is still 150 lbs over load. Going European you could pack a whopping 300 lbs.

Oh by the way, as you discovered, towing through US deserts is a little different than towing in the frozen north. Highest temp ever recorded in canada - 114 F in 1937. Average temperature in july in vegas - 106, every year. 106 happens to be the highest ever recorded in germany too. I'm sure none of that has to do with anything though, and its all just a huge conspiracy.

[Kongo-Otto]

Originally Posted by yarrr

I love the fact he blew a seal and people still say its ok to tow a trailer. Pre-existing my ass, I haven't lost a drop of oil out of a seal with over 80k miles.

My last car had a towing hitch too and it wasnt more powerful neither heavier than the yaris. When i sold it it had 225.000km with the first clutch, first engine, first transmission and no leaks whatsoever. I used it quite often to tow a twin-axle trailer. There is no "blew a seal" if you are towing.

Germany is in Europe, but Europe is not Germany. Think of Spain, Portugal, Turkye etc. They all are allowed to tow, too.

[crk06c]

Originally Posted by yarrr

I love the fact he blew a seal and people still say its ok to tow a trailer. Pre-existing my ass, I haven't lost a drop of oil out of a seal with over 80k miles. Oh and I'm sure you wouldn't take care of a leaky gasket or anything before towing a trailer cross country... rofl



1000 bucks for more room, minus the hitch price, minus the trailer rental, minus a head gasket job(or more). Oh and even using canadian standards, the 4x8 empty is still 150 lbs over load. Going European you could pack a whopping 300 lbs.

Oh by the way, as you discovered, towing through US deserts is a little different than towing in the frozen north. Highest temp ever recorded in canada - 114 F in 1937. Average temperature in july in vegas - 106, every year. 106 happens to be the highest ever recorded in germany too. I'm sure none of that has to do with anything though, and its all just a huge conspiracy.

Did you read what I wrote? I never said I "blew a seal," nor did I say that it was head gasket. Why don't you go learn to read and come back later.

And It wasn't about discovering the desert heat. I left from North Florida, which is notoriously damp, hot, and stagnant (that means still, since I know you can't read). The moisture content of the air in Florida (and elsewhere near the coast) is beneficial to your cooling system below a certain ambient temperature, since water is denser than air and can more effectively move heat away from your radiator. But raise the temps up over 100 deg, and suddenly its not so helpful.

And lastly, why would I lie about a pre-existing leak? Just because your car hasn't shit on you yet doesn't mean nobody's car has. We're at 48500 with our Yaris, and I can assure you, the **valve cover** (not head) gasket has been leaking for at least the past 5000. Specifically, two oil changes ago I noted a 2 inch length of the seam where the head and valve cover meet that showed signs of a mild leak. It's on the alternator side, and the nearby metal has been slightly darker and glistening for some time. I knew about it when I left Florida, and I expected that, after a hot, 2400 mile drive through bayous, mountains, and deserts, the leak would be worse. But why fix a slight leak right before embarking on a drive that could potentially cause more? The way I see it, if I'm not losing more than a trickle of oil, it'd be a waste of money and effort to fix a leak twice. And was I right? Absolutely! The car is here, its in the same condition as it left Florida in (excluding, of course, the bit of tire tread and brake pad that we spent driving), and instead of having to redo the same job in a one week span, I am only replacing this $20 gasket once.

[crk06c]

Originally Posted by swidd

how much does a new transmission cost?

renting a truck for across the country moves is not a cheap option.

Transmissions (and rented trucks) are far more expensive than my $40 tranny cooler from Hayden. This thing rocks and if you stick your hand down to where you mount it, you can feel an enormous difference between the inlet and outlet temps on the cooler. Even if you don't tow, I highly recommend it for hilly terrain and hotter regions where you sit still a lot (like the Hollywood Fwy here!)

[yarrr]

Originally Posted by crk06c

Did you read what I wrote? I never said I "blew a seal," nor did I say that it was head gasket. Why don't you go learn to read and come back later.

Originally Posted by crk06c

I am only replacing this $20 gasket once.

how about I just don't come back... I don't think there will be much point anyway

[Zaphod]

Originally Posted by crk06c

Transmissions (and rented trucks) are far more expensive than my $40 tranny cooler from Hayden. This thing rocks and if you stick your hand down to where you mount it, you can feel an enormous difference between the inlet and outlet temps on the cooler. Even if you don't tow, I highly recommend it for hilly terrain and hotter regions where you sit still a lot (like the Hollywood Fwy here!)

Manual transmissions are the more economical option all the way around, and give you an edge with compression braking as well

My primary concern would be with braking and damage to the uni-body frame.

It's all about lawsuits though, sure you can go over you tow rating all you want, but if you get involved in an accident while doing so it's just the first place the lawyers are going to look when the finger pointing games begin.