Will it tow the rig?

Guys,
I wanted to know what ya'll think about a Scion Xb, the newer bigger one, if it would be able to tow a 1436 fully loaded? Car/shopping cart has a 4 banger 158hp similar torque and all i have to do is make sure the hamster under the hood has water in his bottle and feed in his bowl to keep it runnin.
I've seen smaller vehicles towing 16 ft'ers no prob, just curious to see what you guys have to say. I had to sell my p/u truck to get something better on gas mileage, insurance, so on. Doesn't help much on making me look really tough though!
I do expect funny answers because I know we have a bunch of comedians on this forum.
Car is in background of pic.

I searched for the towing capacity of the car and I only found N/R (not rated) The scion may tow it but you need to look in the owners manual and see if towing is recommended. If you tow with a car that is not rated for towing and you have an accident while towing you will have a lot of problems trying to get the insurance to pay for the accident, if they even would pay for it.

I dont mean to steer you away from buying a refrigerator with wheels, but I just bought a new Honda CR-V(mini minivan) and it tows my 1448 with ease. Its rated for towing up to 1500lbs and it has a 180hp 4banger in it. I get 22-23 mpg while towing.

Those hamsters don't tow man. IF it's not rated, it's likely it doesn't have the needed transmission coolers, tow bar, etc., you would need to tow. With that situation you're likely to run into all sorts of issues you don't want. You may be able to add towing components, but by the time you do, you may spend a lot more than you're "saving" on gasoline.

Years ago, I did the same thing you did, sold a larger paid for vehicle and bought an econo box. Didn't save any money in the long run, because the cost of the vehicle more than offset any gas savings over time.

Quick, before they come and seize your man card and issue you a hamster card, trade the box in for a small truck. It'll do the job and get reasonable economy in the process.

There's also the issue of voiding your factory warranty I you tow with a vehicle that isn't supposed to tow. I agree with Daveinga. Get a small truck or a small suv that can tow. I just got my man card pulled when I bought my cr-v. It ain't that bad. Good luck bro.

unofficially it can tow 1000 pounds. Your boat should be under that fully loaded.

My wife bought a Ford Escape last summer. I've always been a Chevy guy but I really like the Escape. I think it is similar in size and price to the vehicle you are looking at. We got the V6, the four banger we test drove seemed to really struggle in that vehicle. The V6 was night and day. We get 30-32 mpg on the highway. It has a 3500 pound towing capacity allthough I have yet to tow with it. The four banger model has a 1500 pound tow rating.

Towing isnt so much the engine. Yes it plays a role, however my riding mower can tow my boat, and its a 18hp Briggs & Straton.

The biggest thing with towing is the frame, suspension, brakes. Can they handle the load safely? One key element people often forget is tires, truck tires have stiffer sidewalls compared to passenger tires. The sidewall carries all the weight, in your case the weight of the car and the tongue. Passenger tires can get real squirelly with excess weight on them. The trailer and car will swerve all over the road in the slightest wind.

As for the engine, tranny, you can add an after market cooler and that will keep the excessive heat in check. The extra load shouldnt be a problem, provided your not trying to drag race off the line. Let it get up to speed gradually. Yes, you will reduce the longevity of the engine/tranny, but generally not by enough to really notice.

I'm not sure the tires play a role other then in stopping,which is a big role,not down playing it.
Theres not much weighted added directly to the car just tongue weight approx. 200lbs probably less.
The weight is the weight thats behind you,always trying to go forward,,,brakings a big thing.
How often you going to tow?
Are you or is it insured if you tow?
I know a guy that tows a 14' with a 30hp honda with a civic,3 years now.
Again not saying it's good...just saying.

Oh come on guy's,

I towed my Alumacraft T12S that was fully dressed. Boat and trailer weighed around 530 lbs with a 1984 Diesel Chevette automatic. A whopping 40 Hp. :lol: And it pulled my rig pulled my rig all over the east coast. Sold the car after putting over 140,000 mles on it. As far as I know it is still running around up in Conn. and Mass. some place. It was such a reliable match box and I miss it.

Seriously, check the owners manual and than the dealer if you cannot find anything. Another thing to do is see if a hitch is made for your car.

Henry

When I was young my father used his F-100 pick-up to tow a tractor-trailer 30 miles one time. The truck was grossing 50-60,000 pounds. It did not hurt the pick-up. Just do not try to drag race it off the line and run 100mph and you should be OK. Keep in mind that your brakes have to be able to stop the load while it is moving. A tin boat that grosses 1000 pounds is like having four men (250 lb each) riding in the vehicle. Take it smooth and it will work.

hwew said:

Oh come on guy's,

I towed my Alumacraft T12S that was fully dressed. Boat and trailer weighed around 530 lbs with a 1984 Diesel Chevette automatic. A whopping 40 Hp. :lol: And it pulled my rig pulled my rig all over the east coast. Sold the car after putting over 140,000 mles on it. As far as I know it is still running around up in Conn. and Mass. some place. It was such a reliable match box and I miss it.

Seriously, check the owners manual and than the dealer if you cannot find anything. Another thing to do is see if a hitch is made for your car.

Henry

Click to expand...

Not to debunk ya.... but that was when they still had a little bit of frame to em'. The vehicle in question dosn't even have a rating to tow.... if it did, it would state so.

Man, glad I have my F-250 with a 7.3 but at times wish I had Mustang, don't figure...

Even if the car WOULD tow, if you are in an accident WHILE towing in a vehicle not rated to tow the insurance will try to say the accident was caused by the fact you were towing unsafely and they WILL NOT pay for the damages. Its going to be A LOT bigger of a loss than a 1984 chevette or a 30hp honda civic if this poor guy wrecks his brand new car and gets no insurance money out of it because people here are giving illegal advice.

Unofficially it may tow 50,000 lbs but I can't find a legal tow rating for it so officially you cant tow anything at all with it.

First time in my life I heard someone praising that piece of crap Chevette.......
However, towing is a moot point, I see in the picture you allready have the vehicle. I would by a cheapo truck, just for towing ( not what you want to hear)

That piece of crap Chevette had a true Isuzu diesel engine with a Turbo 200 Trans. They used these Trans. in full size cars with V8's for a while. The drive train could hold up to anything the little 40 Hp. diesel would put it through. I would not own a gas powered Chevette. They fell apart just looking at it. :shock: And while towing I still got in the high 20's. Just driving around town it got in the 30's.

Just to let you know the Turbo 200's did not hold up to V8's power and torque. But mated to the little 40 Hp. diesel they lasted a long time.

Henry

I have an '06 Audi A4 and a Sylvan Sea Snapper with floors. My car pulls it like nothing is back there. The only "issue" I have is on bumpy roads the boat will shake the car pretty good. But on the highway and smooth roads, it has no problems. Plus I like seeing all the double takes of people seeing a red Audi pulling a fishing boat. Classy

This might help.

https://newscionxb.com/do_it_yourself/diy_hitch_install-t1448.0.html

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=scion+xb+hitch&aq=0&aqi=g1g-m2&aql=&oq=scion+xb+hit&gs_rfai=&fp=1e686e6151f88d2a

Henry

hwew said:

This might help.

https://newscionxb.com/do_it_yourself/diy_hitch_install-t1448.0.html

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=scion+xb+hitch&aq=0&aqi=g1g-m2&aql=&oq=scion+xb+hit&gs_rfai=&fp=1e686e6151f88d2a

Henry

Click to expand...

It doesn't matter if there is a hitch available. Hitches like that are used for all kinds of things such as bike racks.

My prior point is still valid. If the Scion has no tow rating it CANNOT legally tow anything. It may tow the boat, not saying it won't but I know I wouldn't risk being involved in an accident and insurance denying the claim because i was illegally towing.

ITs a simple call to the insurance company.

The manufacture has no legal obligation to list a tow rating. They have no skin in teh game if there is an accident. They are not responsible for the manner in which the vehicle is operated.

Sorry, however I dont see how an insurance company can deny a claim, especially if you have a rider covering towing. Call your insurance company.


As for the weight rating of the tires, they do play a huge role in vehicle safety. 200 pounds in the trunk, or back seat is a lot different load than 200 pounds on teh bumper. The weight in the cab is over both axles, the weight off the bumper is on the rear axle alone. The rear suspension acts like a lever, lifting the front of the vehicle up, so not only are you adding 200 pounds to teh rear your adding more weight from the load shift due to the center of gravity change from front to back. So the rear tires get loose (sidewalls) and the front tires loose traction, and steering ability becuase they no longer have all the weight on them. Im not advocating buying truck tires for the scion, just make sure they are in good shape and properly inflated. If you have any sidewall cracking, replace them.