Newby questions re mods for towing

[noraebong]

I have an 07 yaris sedan...everything stock..auto transmission. And I know very little about mechanics, although I am rapidly trying to expand my knowledge of what I have discovered to be a fascinating subject.

I realize that my car will not pull a 5th wheeler, but I would like it to be able to tow more than 700 lbs ...and I don't want to buy a larger vehicle with a larger engine and all that comes with it.

For you Yaris/mechanic experts out there, what kind of towing performance could I reasonably expect to get out of a Yaris, and what kind of modificiations would such performance require? . I am guessing tires, tran cooler, some form of boost, suspension mods?? Not to mention a tow bar... And my budget isn't limitless...

Is 1200-1500 pounds towing weight too much to expect? is 2000 utterly insane?

Any constructive feedback would be appreciated. And once again, I am very much an auto neophyte so don't go too hard on me!!

Thanks very much for any info

[Sodium Duck]

You want to add new tires, a trans cooler, upgrade suspension, install a hitch, AND buy a turbo?? -- on a limited budget? And I'm assuming you would need to pay someone to install all this?

Anyways, I've read around that the Yaris can tow something like 2,000ish pounds with a braked trailer, and 700ish pounds unbraked. Maybe like 70 pounds of tounge weight max. Would I try either? No way. If you need to tow that much weight -- even just 700 pounds -- you need a bigger vehicle. Don't push your luck.

I wouldn't put more that 200 pounds on my trailer. Because the load + trailer + hitch + receiver and ball = a lot more than just 200 pounds. I figure in total it's equivalent to having 2 adults in my back seat. Oh yea, and I wouldn't tow that much with more than me and a co-pilot in the car.

And this is a hot topic on the boards. Prepare for a flame war about liability, legality, lawsuits and differing manual recommendations...

That's me, fully loaded. I hate stinky trash.

[noraebong]

Thanks for your reply. I like my Yaris and was curious as to what would need to be done to enable a Yaris to tow something like a teardrop trailer, or other lightweight camper..or a small sailing dinghy with a couple passengers. I don't intend to install all the mods mentioned in my post..just wondering how far the Yaris envelope could be pushed.
I like the upgrades to your vehicle...sleeper must come in useful on long hauls.couldn't find it on any of the Yaris accessory sites though! ;-)

[Sodium Duck]

I just saw this... I'm not even going to bother looking up the towing specs on the Smart, but I can just tell this is a bad idea. The trailer weighs 490 pounds, with 50 pounds of tongue weight. You could get a motorcycle teardrop trailer, some of those are in the 200-350 pound range. A small sailing dinghy you could prolly get away with too, good luck at the boat launch though if it's a steep one haha.

[nemelek]

Originally Posted by noraebong

is 2000 utterly insane?

Yes. However, I am sure that it has been done before. Some factors depend on the type of towing that will be done. 25 miles to a lake is one thing. Pulling a 6% mountain grade is another. 2000 lbs means 10% tongue weight of 200 pounds. Although a Class 1 hitch barely meets those specs, I would get a Class 2 hitch. Extention mirrors would also be needed. As noted, insurance liability would be an issue.

For me, I would pick up a 10 year old truck or SUV to use for towing.

[noraebong]

Thanks for all the weigh ins! I bought the Yaris for specific reasons that did not include towing. All my research has brought me to the same conclusions. However, I thought I would post the query on the offchance there might be some relatively inexpensive mods that could enable toowing to a level of that of the Corolla, which is supposed to be 1500 lbs. For anyone interested, I did come across a light weight trailer at http://www.kamparoo.com
I came across someone who said he could pull it (the base version of the trailer) with his Echo.

Thanks again. I think I will stick to hypermiling for now!

[fmicle]

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17058

[noraebong]

Originally Posted by fmicle

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17058

Good info. Thanks.