It's easy to get going, it's harder to get stopped.

Are you planning on not putting anything in the car and only putting stuff in the trailer?

That's also a big limiting factor...if you're already piling weight into the vehicle (of which the capacity is something like 850lbs, minus the driver, so say around 700lbs) you're at increased risk of overloading your car. Then you have to factor in tongue weight, then you have to factor in the trailer weight, plus the weight of the cargo you're putting into the vehicle.

Figure all of that out, then see if it's even feasible to haul that much stuff. Hopefully you ordered the right sized hitch..

 

I mean, it's whatever you want to do. I don't see why you're even asking us anything. You have all the answers including the fact that you've already installed an aftermarket trans-cooler in a Civic, when you can't get a rental truck.

To hell with the logistics. I say st this point, since ask the based are covered, try it and see what happens. Fun, fun, fun on the road. :-)

 

(he most likely installed the aftermarket cooler because the radiator likely didn't have the provisions for the auto trans)

 

Ok.. I haven't owned an automatic transmission vehicle since 1992, so outside of an Allison transmission, I never cared.

 

I do find it peculiar that he can't afford the rent of the truck at $400 but he can buy a tow hitch...which isn't exactly cheap.

 

precisely my point. But,heh, whatever. Ain't my car. I know how to move

 

The hitch was $130 on Amazon and my friend has a 4x8 trailer that I can use for free. And the truck rental is $650 with the 1 way fee and car carrier, plus the fuel. Big difference.

 

So is a new transmission if you're wrong. But you seem like a gambling man.. Go for it, and let us know how it goes!!

Less yappin'.. More Packin'!

 

you can usually rent a pick up truck from u-haul for like 20 bucks a day, just saying

 

This was stated on page 1 with an entire list of logical reasons why it is more prudent to do so....

 

when i renovated my house, i used my civic and a 4x8 harbor freight trailer to haul off the old debris. I filled that thing to the brim each time, i'm guessing around 800+ lbs, and it pulled it no problem. make sure you put the heaviest stuff over the wheels of the trailer, and that the weight on the tongue on the trailer is not more than 200 lbs. accelerate slowly and give yourself extra braking distance to stop incase of emergency.

 

Awesome! Is your Civic a manual or auto? Mine is unfortunately an auto. I imagine a manual would be much more durable than an automatic for towing,

 

just remember if you have an accident you will most likely be held at fault no matter what as you have exceeded the tow rating of your vehicle.

 

Another question- What tire pressure should I run? I normally run the tires at 38 PSI, but I think I should fill the rear tires to their maximum pressure of 44 PSI so they can handle the tongue weight of the trailer and leave the front at 38. Thanks

 

That's a great way to cause your sidewalls to overheat and burst. You realistically should stay within 5psi of the vehicle's specification.

 

Thank you very much for letting me know. Just curious- How does running the tires at a higher pressure cause them to overheat? Don't tires overheat from being underfilled because the sidewall flexes? Just trying to understand.

 

When you add increased external forces in terms of pressure (such as adding weight to the car), you'll increase the amount of outward force within the tire itself. This will put outward pressure on the tire, and in a properly inflated tire it'll be a manageable amount of air pressure fluctuation and the delta of sidewall temperatures will be within the specifications of the tire manufacturer. Since you would have a higher pressure in the tire already, you're generating increased outward forces on the sidewalls to begin with. Adding weight will just compound the amount of outward pressures, and depending on the condition/make/model of the tire, they could burst, delaminate, break a belt... and a plethora of other scenarios.

 

I had a 2" receiver hitch installed on my 2003 Civic HX coupe with a 5 speed to tow my teardrop lookalike motorcycle trailer. The trailer weights right at 500 and the MC was just under 650. It was fine and I kept the top speed at 60-65 max here on So Cal freeways. No brakes on the trailer so I had to drive smart. I would not have done it with an automatic. Good luck.....