Question I NEED TO TOW A SMALL UTILITY TRAILER WITH A DIRT BIKE ON IT USING A '01 ECLIPSE, I SEE THAT THERE IS NO TOW RATING AND I AM WONDERING WHAT YOUR OPINION IS? I HAVE NOT PURCHASED THE TRAILER YET, BUT THE BIKE IS AN '00 HONDA XR250R AND I AM NOT SURE OF THE WEIGHT. I WILL BE TOWING THE BIKE WITH THE CAR FROM CALIFORNIA TO BC, CANADA, ONE WAY ONE TIME.
THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR TIME, I APPRECIATE YOUR EXPERTISE.
KYLE.
AnswerThe reason a vehicle won't have a tow rating is usually because the manufacturer has determined that there isn't excess capacity in some part of the vehicle, maybe many parts, usually the transmission, but also the brakes, suspension and body/frame
From a little research, the bike can weigh about 250 pounds, and a small trailer for it could weigh another 200-300 pounds. so you are well under 1000 pounds. Don't take my word on those weights though, get the actual weight of the bike and the trailer you plan to buy.
See if anyone offers a decent frame hitch for your car, don't depend on temporary hitches. Reese and Draw-tite are two to count on. Also, U-haul does sell good frame mounted hitches, but I have found their installation quality to vary all over the place. The rental location in my area has been good, but others we have used have been poor to lousy, so supervise any installation you have done if you don't do it yourself.
If you can get a hitch for your vehicle, then chances are you will be OK with about 500 pounds total, but remember, the vehicle isn't made to tow, and don't be mad at me if your transmission or other parts fail! I highly recommend that if the total weight for some reason goes much over 500, that you consider another alternative.
Also, make sure your brakes are in top condition with a quality Ceramic style brake pad, don't rely on cheap auto parts store pads, put on new disks, and new quality pads OEM or better quality. Be a good idea to flush the brake fluid totally with the manufacturer recommened fluid. Old fluid can boil and let the pedal go soft. You will be going over some tall mountains! Remember to slow down going downhill and downshift BEFORE you get in trouble!
Go over the car in addition to the brakes, put in fresh anti-freeze and a tranny fluid flush/fill is also in order. Why take chances over a couple hundred bucks worth of maintenance that probably needs to be done anyway.
Don't cheap out on the bike trailer and tie-downs either. if you can get electric brakes on the trailer, that would be a good thing, but sometimes very small trailers don't offer them.
You might consider renting a small truck instead of buying or renting a trailer that is for one-time use. The rental of a truck might be cheaper or the same cost, and safer in the long run? Something to consider.
Don
