Yaris Towing 1000 lbs?

[jayeh]

As for the original post... This was the first thing that came to mind..

Originally Posted by agent00ry

I towed this motorcycle (plus gear , we're talking about 600 lbs) from NY to CA, averaged 28 - 35 mpg with zero issues, just slip the clutch when starting, keep the RPMs a little higher on acceleration and be smart about braking downshifting (think driving a mini semi) and you'll have no problems, I used the bolt on curt hitch. I want a truck but it's hard to justify when you have a perfectly good trailer and can get mpg that a pick up can only dream of.

Which Route did you take?

[padre1964]

Been towing this trailer for several years. First with my 09 yaris and now with my 2012.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I am just about spellbound by what they are doing. I have one friend who has traveled 'off the beaten path' as much as they have, but by the time they are finished they will surpass him. Plus my friend did very little driving during his trips. The driving the Herbie couple did appeals more to me. I (at some point) want to look at parts of their path (in a map scale that shows far more re specifics) and emulate some of it. I think a rare combination of the girl, the car, the languages they speak (I would imagine both speak English and German and she might speak Arabic (and one of them might speak one romance language, which would help with the others. I would also guess that he is probably pretty handy re fixing air cooled and probably other VWs all contributed to their safety and ability to continue. I wonder if they got permission fron Disney? Somehow I doubt it, but I think Disney would garner negative publicity if they went after the couple.

Last night I read the text on the 'Herbie's World Tour' site (rather than skimming it ). The marked routes on the maps the couple highlighted show Herbie's entire journey, but not the couple's entire journey during that period. For example, they sent Herbie on a boat from Chennai, India to Melbourne, Australia and they backpacked through Southeast Asia while Herbie was on the boat.

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by padre1964

Been towing this trailer for several years. First with my 09 yaris and now with my 2012.

I like how your wheels and stripes match the trailer.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by CTScott

I like how your wheels and stripes match the trailer.

Ditto. Just needs (IMO) Clazzio covers to cover up the light colored seat inserts.

[BIGTAZ351]

Exactly what I'm planning on putting behind mine w/600lb Quad on the trailer...Prolly still get mid 30's (at 37-40 now)
So what brand hitch?
I like the Curt's mounting better than the Drawtite's, what do ya think?

I'm gonna Paint My trailer Blazin' Blue (or as close as I can)

Looks nice,
I'd Paint the white wheels on the trailer black w/red accent stripe and some chrome or stainless lug nutz...Hell Yeah!

[CrankyOldMan]

Originally Posted by BIGTAZ351

So what brand hitch?
I like the Curt's mounting better than the Drawtite's, what do ya think?

The Draw-tite style is MUCH harder to install unless you have tiny hands and a ratcheting 13mm wrench. I'm not sure what structural difference it makes, since they're both attached to the same basic points on the car. The Curt style indicates that you have to use additional straps for a bike or cargo rack, so there could be some torsional issues with the Curt style.

[BIGTAZ351]

I was curious, as the Curt attaches to the transport tie downs (vertical tabs running parallel with the car), and the Draw-tite looks like it attaches to the rear bumper shocks...Its the shearing of a bolt vs. stretching a bolt theory? (The DT looks like it would be a PITA to install too) Probably the steel of the car that would fail before a bolt, LOL

[6273909]

Here is my 2007 Yaris towing our 1989 Skamper Pop Up camper. I also added a bike rack to the camper. You can see from the photo, if you look close, I had to add some extra weight to the tongue of the trailer to reduce sway. The bikes take too much weight off the tongue. The car is packed for the camping trip too. It tows great but on big hills I drop it down into "3" for some added power. The car likes to go 70 but the trailer likes 60 better. I tow this trailer in the middle of summer, 99 degrees, up to 150 miles without any problems. Their are not a lot of hills in South Alabama and North Florida, I wouldn't want to take it into the mountains. I have a Draw-Tite Hitch and it was easy to install. I plan to add two kayak racks for two kayaks to the top of the camper this summer. I have no idea how much the camper weighs but I tested it hard locally before making a long trip. When the wind is blowing or it is raining I keep it at 55mph or less. On our last trip we averaged exactly 25 mpg. Oh, and it tows so easy I sometimes forget it is back there.

[jayeh]

Originally Posted by 6273909

Here is my 2007 Yaris towing our 1989 Skamper Pop Up camper. I also added a bike rack to the camper. You can see from the photo, if you look close, I had to add some extra weight to the tongue of the trailer to reduce sway. The bikes take too much weight off the tongue. The car is packed for the camping trip too. It tows great but on big hills I drop it down into "3" for some added power. The car likes to go 70 but the trailer likes 60 better. I tow this trailer in the middle of summer, 99 degrees, up to 150 miles without any problems. Their are not a lot of hills in South Alabama and North Florida, I wouldn't want to take it into the mountains. I have a Draw-Tite Hitch and it was easy to install. I plan to add two kayak racks for two kayaks to the top of the camper this summer. I have no idea how much the camper weighs but I tested it hard locally before making a long trip. When the wind is blowing or it is raining I keep it at 55mph or less. On our last trip we averaged exactly 25 mpg. Oh, and it tows so easy I sometimes forget it is back there.

Do you have brakes on that trailer?

[6273909]

No trailer brakes. It stops fine but I don't tailgate.

[screenprintr]

Wow that's amazing. Little cars can go.

[CKaelin]

Originally Posted by padre1964

Been towing this trailer for several years. First with my 09 yaris and now with my 2012.

Is that the Norther Tools 4x8 trailer? http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...6493_200356493

I'm thinking of getting it to use with the Curt hitch.

http://www.hitchanything.com/2008-To...and-56175.html

[padre1964]

Originally Posted by CKaelin

Is that the Norther Tools 4x8 trailer? http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...6493_200356493

I'm thinking of getting it to use with the Curt hitch.

http://www.hitchanything.com/2008-To...and-56175.html

[CKaelin]

I ended up going with the Lowes 5x8 utility trailer and the Curt hitch. So far so good. Also ordered a wheel chock and plan on putting plywood down and mounting the chock. I will report back and post picks once I pick up the new Honda CRF250X and do some towing.. =)

[racerb]

Planning on buying this hitch for my Yaris, mostly to tow a 4'x4' autocross tire trailer......
http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitc...eid=2010203616

And this is the trailer I'm planning on getting for use as the above mentioned autocross tire trailer, maybe Track Day event use too!
http://www.harborfreight.com/870-lb-...res-42708.html

racerb

[CrankyOldMan]

Originally Posted by racerb

Planning on buying this hitch for my Yaris, mostly to tow a 4'x4' autocross tire trailer......
http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitc...eid=2010203616

And this is the trailer I'm planning on getting for use as the above mentioned autocross tire trailer, maybe Track Day event use too!
http://www.harborfreight.com/870-lb-...res-42708.html

racerb

That's the exact setup I'm using, but with the 12" tires. A few words of advice:

- Get a 13mm ratcheting box-end wrench for installing the hitch. The clearance between the bolt heads and the rear bumper beam is too small for a socket wrench. Have someone with VERY small hands start the threads.

- Finding a ball mount can be tough if you don't have a dedicated trailer store nearby. I found a solid 1-1/4" bar with a 5" rise and that makes the trailer pretty level with a 2" suspension drop.

- If you plan on running tires over 205 width and/or rims over 7" wide, you will need to mount the tires above the trailer frame. I have 205's on 7" wheels and it just barely clears the bolt heads on the rear of the suspension after mounting the bolts with the split pins facing out.

- Seriously consider the 12" wheel model. Larger tires = lower bearing speeds.

- Remove the bearings from the hubs so that you can clean and re-pack them. It took me the better part of 2 hours to do that because I didn't have a solvent tank or a suitable brush to get at the "grease" they shipped with.

- Remove at least the bottom leaf from the springs. Even with tires and a full tool box, the trailer jumps like a scared rabbit on sharp bumps. I'm considering removing the remaining captive leaf over the winter, but it requires a bit of engineering to replace the locating pin for the axle.

- Get about 10 star washers for the frame bolts. The ground connection is through the frame for the lights, but is non-existent because of the paint. Put a star washer on each side of the joint (bolt -> washer -> frame -> frame -> washer -> nut) to get continuity. You only need to do this on one bolt per rail joint, e.g. between the tongue and front rail, between the front rail and each side. The alternatives to this are to grind down to bare metal at the joints or run a separate ground wire loop.

- Tool boxes are a matter of preference and/or cost. I went with a 37" aluminum truck box from Tractor Supply Co. that just barely fits between the rails. I've found the box available online, but shipping was more than the cost of the box!

I should probably do a separate thread on all of this, no?

[racerb]

I'm doing mostly short distance tows, so really the 8" wheel/tire combo will work fine for me. I plan on breaking the hubs down, cleaning them in my parts washer, and re-packing them with synthetic bearing grease.

As for hitch, I'm just re-using the one I had for my '98 Rav4, it has just the right rise to it for my needs.

When it comes to the storage box, I bought a plastic storage locker from Wal-Mart a while back that will hold my aluminum race jack, jack stands, and a small toolbox. I plan on making a separate tie down setup for the air tank, mostly cause it's pretty big.

Thanks for the heads-up on the tire width issue, but I plan on running 205s max and maybe smaller at times.

To handle the grounding thing, I was going to tack weld the entire frame once assembled and squared up, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

I really kinda hate to buy another trailer, but for just hauling tires this makes the most sense. Right now I've got a 5'x8' utility, a 7.5'x 14' car hauler, and my 8.5'x20' enclosed race trailer, but hey what's one more!!

racerb