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Old 03-25-2017, 09:45 PM   #1
gnarlyrider410
 
Drives: 2010 hatchback
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Yaris hb with trailer hitch.

Who here has towed a small trailer with the yaris. Thinking about installing a trailer hitch. What I plan to tow might be 500-650lbs including trailer weight. I have an auto trans. I see they are rated for 700 lb in Canada. How would the yaris handle this? I know it says not recommended in USA but I have seen people tow things and can imagine its only from a legal standpoint. Thoughts? Think it would beat the heck out of the car? Something along the lines of this picture.
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Old 03-25-2017, 09:53 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by gnarlyrider410 View Post
Who here has towed a small trailer with the yaris. Thinking about installing a trailer hitch. What I plan to tow might be 500-650lbs including trailer weight. I have an auto trans. I see they are rated for 700 lb in Canada. How would the yaris handle this? I know it says not recommended in USA but I have seen people tow things and can imagine its only from a legal standpoint. Thoughts? Think it would beat the heck out of the car? Something along the lines of this picture.


Fill up your car with passengers, 5 total, and loaded bags and go for a drive. That's about the same weight.

I have a hitch that I haul my bicycle around with. I went on a road trip with my girlfriend and dog and brought my bike and a few loaded bags. Not nearly the weight you're looking at but I noticed the weight difference dramatically. It could do it but I wouldn't take the highway or any slight grades. Acceleration would die and fuel economy goes out the window.

It's capable and not unsafe it's just a small engine with minimal power to begin with.


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Old 03-25-2017, 10:03 PM   #3
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fuel economy goes out the window.

That's the only reason I was considering it, because it beats spending $100 in diesel in my truck. Sounds like it might not be worth it. I loaded it up with about 250/300 lbs in the back and a passenger and drove 6 hours with varying grades through New York state. It wasn't terrible but sure noticed a difference in performance. Didn't track mpg tho.
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Old 03-25-2017, 10:10 PM   #4
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fuel economy goes out the window.

That's the only reason I was considering it, because it beats spending $100 in diesel in my truck. Sounds like it might not be worth it. I loaded it up with about 250/300 lbs in the back and a passenger and drove 6 hours with varying grades through New York state. It wasn't terrible but sure noticed a difference in performance. Didn't track mpg tho.


It's up to you. Performance and MPG are largely affected but it can haul that all well enough. My MPG with my load went down to 30, I average 38 and that was less than half load. Full load probably 25 or so.


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Old 03-26-2017, 09:10 AM   #5
dogsridewith
 
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Trailer hitch

What is the post 1 photo car?
Find informative trailer/Yaris thread here.
Empty Yaris and heavy trailer w/o much tongue weight risks jackknife.
Yaris advantage is low rear overhang, so ball can be closer to CG.
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Old 03-26-2017, 06:51 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by dogsridewith View Post
What is the post 1 photo car?
Find informative trailer/Yaris thread here.
Empty Yaris and heavy trailer w/o much tongue weight risks jackknife.
Yaris advantage is low rear overhang, so ball can be closer to CG.
That's a Renault Twingo (one of my favorite not available in the US cars).

I too have a hitch on my Yaris, which I typically use for hauling one to three bikes on a rack, but also occasionally use for haling stuff on a 4'x4' trailer. Hauling a motorcycle should not be an issue with one like the one in the first post, as the trailer is relatively light and properly balanced.
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Old 03-26-2017, 11:01 PM   #7
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I have a custom hitch for my car '05. I've pulled over 1000lbs with it. You know it's there, just like any vehicle not specifically designed for towing. I wouldn't do it every day but I'd have no issue pulling 500-600 lbs over large distances.

The safety factor has everything to do with making sure all the equipment being towed and doing the towing is adjusted properly. Tires, load balance, and adjusting your driving habits for speed and stopping.
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Old 06-02-2017, 02:36 PM   #8
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I'm planning on adding a custom re-enforced hitch on my 2007 HB to support a cargo carrier more properly. I've ordered the Curt 11050 class 1 hitch which I plan on adding an outside steel plate to the tow hook tab (to sandwich the tow hook sheet metal in between steel plates), add a brace from the tow hook plate to the main chassis to help counter torsion from the weight pushing down on the hitch. Second will be to cut off the 1-1/4" receiver tube to weld in a 2" one and add trussing to stiffen the rather slim cross tube.
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Old 06-02-2017, 03:03 PM   #9
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I see absolutely no reason to sandwich the tie down tabs.

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Old 06-02-2017, 04:38 PM   #10
David C
 
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I see absolutely no reason to sandwich the tie down tabs.

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Because it stiffens them up a lot more than just a bolt and washer.
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Old 06-03-2017, 08:57 AM   #11
dogsridewith
 
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Toyota Yaris trailer hitch rear tow hooks jack point

If doing that much mod on a hitch, with a-below-the-bumper-cover architecture, might consider tying in that laughable jack point (see owner's manual) just to the right of center.
(Is that Curt hitch for Yaris? If not, what about it makes it good for a starting point?)
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Old 06-03-2017, 11:22 AM   #12
David C
 
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The Curt 11050 is for the Yaris. It's really about the tabs and placement that I didn't wanted to bother with starting from scratch. Plus there's isn't much room to fit a bigger square tube over-under the exhaust tip and bumper tabs from the look of the installation videos. With a $20 mail in rebate, it comes down to $68 for the hitch, so it's not bad as a good starting point. I'll do most of the work myself and take it to a fab shop to do the full welds after I tack everything together with my own welder.

Hooking it up to the jack tab is something I didn't thought about, I'll check it out. Thanks.
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Old 06-03-2017, 12:01 PM   #13
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I have the 11050 installed on mine. I don't really fathom what it is you are trying to do and why. I have far exceeded recommended tongue weight using a cargo carrier traveling from the GTA to Moncton and back several times. That sucker did not budge a hair.

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Old 06-03-2017, 12:21 PM   #14
dogsridewith
 
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Curt 11050 trailer hitch toyota yaris

Tow points, generally, can be strong. Not saying anyone else should, but I used all four on Tercel and Corolla to floor-jack up a corner. These spot welded Yaris rear points don't visually scream "strong." Consider that the hitch bolts would help hold them together, and adding plate could crush edge lip detrimentally, if plate is not kept to the area where the stampings touch.(There's also a stamped in drain channel you might not want to crush?)
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Old 06-03-2017, 12:26 PM   #15
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Mostly for cargo carrier application. I may be loading over 200lbs plus the carrier weight itself, and also wouldn't mind using the carrier as a bench for service calls.

Looking at the owner manual that says max 300lbs tongue weight (pretty sure it's more about keeping enough weight on the front wheels than the body strength), class 1 hitch claims max 200lbs (static 200lbs load can easily reach 600lbs on big bumps), so I don't wish to rely solely on a basic class 1 hitch to handle everything I might want to dump on the back of the car. Also I really want a 2" receiver since our other cars have 2" ones and all the hitch accessories we have are 2" already.

I'll start by bolting in the hitch as is since I'm having it delivered to my beach house where I'm heading for a week tomorrow and also ordered a cargo carrier and hitch adapter.
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Old 06-03-2017, 12:35 PM   #16
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I understand the want to convert it to 2". A word of warning, that much weight and bumps = blown shocks. Experience speaking here.

And again, there is nothing to gain by sandwiching the tie downs.

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Old 06-03-2017, 12:41 PM   #17
David C
 
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I understand the want to convert it to 2". A word of warning, that much weight and bumps = blown shocks. Experience speaking here.

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Yup, that's another concern. I've loaded several hundreds pounds in the back without problem many times, but it was mostly over and forward of the rear axle beam. Now it's gonna be behind the rear axle, no weight to be carried by the front wheels. I don't think I'm gonna be loading more than 200lbs often at all, mostly 50-100lbs. However I want it to be stiff and to possibly handle a light duty snow plow or winch/pulling up to a 2000lbs rolling weight.
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Old 06-03-2017, 12:50 PM   #18
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Keep in mind as well that tongue weight specs for the receiver exceed specs for the car 3 fold. There is a huge difference between 200lbs sitting above the axle and 200lbs 3-4 ft aft of the axle.

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