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Re: Towing a trailer?
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:35 am
by willwren
I disagree completely. I've towed with both cars for years. Never had an issue with either. That load should be no problem for him with a trans cooler.
Re: Towing a trailer?
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:35 am
by 00Beast
Spydog, I see no problem, as long as the hitch is properly attached, and the load is properly placed on the trailer. 850lbs is 4 big guys in the car. Class I/II hitches are designed for up to 1500 lbs. I understand you like having your truck to haul things, I do too, but as long as he is careful he should have no issues. This isn't about your opinion, it's about what he can do, and most of us agree that he can haul them with his car.
Re: Towing a trailer?
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:15 am
by Jrs3800
spydog, these cars especially the year he has had an option from the factory for towing... The only real difference here is this will not be a GM installed hitch , with the wiring.... It will be aftermarket and chances are better, as well he will be adding a Trans cooler... He will be perfectly fine to tow his Bikes with no issues... If he was trying to tow 3000 Lbs then I would have a problem with it...
Re: Towing a trailer?
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:29 am
by RJolly87
spydog wrote:you should tow them with a truck never a car if the bonny was ment to tow things it would of come factory with a tow package i am on my 4th bonny and would never think of putting a hitch on it that is wy i bought my GMC K3500 1 Ton dualy to pull thinings around can the bonny handle pulling it? YES i would strongle recomend finging another way to get your bikes down there tho
First off, I have no idea what you just said, but I suspect you are not a fan of towing anything with a Bonneville. With that in mind, you don't NEED to have a truck just to tow things. The concern comes from the capabilities of the tow vehicle. Is the drive train able to handle it? Are the brakes able to slow everything down? Is the tow vehicle going to be stable pulling the load that you are asking it to pull? Keep in mind that, in stock form, even in the owners manual, the Bonneville is rated to tow 1000lbs with a properly installed and appropriately rated hitch. This number is drawn with many considerations, including owner competence (or lack there of), varying conditions, vehicle options, etc. He will be under that number. Now, taking into account the weakest links of the vehicle (transmission, brakes), some owners of modified vehicles confidently and safely pull double that, but they do that at their own risk, and they don't do it blindly either.
Now, with that being said, if you plan on hauling your 27' Bayliner cross country, then yes, get a truck.
Re: Towing a trailer?
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:16 am
by clm2112
Ditto to Don and Randall. The Class I and Class II hitches that are comercially available fit the Bonneville just fine and transfer the load to the car's uni-body properly. Follow the instructions for mounting and do not exceed rated load & tongue weight of the hitch (which two sportbikes and an open trailer will not exceed) and of the vehicle total (little more lattitude based on the trailer design.) With an actual load near the Class I limit of 2000lbs GW/200lbs GTW I would definately want to have a tranny cooler. Probably a good idea for any of us based on the past history of the transaxle.
Class II loads (3500 GW/350GTW), a tranny cooler would be a must. I'd also want trailer brakes on the trailer's axle and air bags in the rear springs to support the higher GTW. Beyond that, I'd rent a truck.
Re: Towing a trailer?
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:51 am
by spydog
i never sead he could not tow it i sead the car could handle it all i was sawing is i my self would never tow with a bonny seice i have a 1 ton truck i didnt mean to ofend anny one who tows with ther bonny i was more or les trying to say i wouldnt do it and that the car can handle it but to be carfull
Re: Towing a trailer?
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:02 pm
by RJolly87
No offense was perceived, however we do have difficulty understanding your posts between the grammatical and spelling errors. Not saying anybody is perfect, but when the intention of the post is clouded in a giant run on sentence that nobody understands, people jump to conclusion <myself included>.
With that being said, to the OP, tow the bikes, have a good time, take pictures, and videos would be nice too.