Tow with Nissan Versa?

[B.Hart]

I guess the fwd's do a better job than I thought. I tow with a JEEP and every says ( JEEP forum) do not tow with it. I know every one who tows a COM-PAC will be extra careful out there.   HAPPY TOWING      BILL

[Salty19]

Mercrewser-You're right, hauling 1,000lbs of sand in a Saturn was not so smart!

My concern for the small car owners isn't so much about tongue weight as the dead weight being towed.  Tongue weight is important for vehicle handling and sway control. But the "dead" weight is quite a bit for an economy car, IMO.

GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) is the max allowable weight a vehicle can tow including GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).

So GCWR-GVWR=max weight allowable of people,  trailer, boat, boat gear, hitch if not factory equipped, aftermarket accessories, cooler, etc. 

I figure around 1850lbs with a CP16/I, 200lb captain, 140lbs first mate, cooler, lines, misc boat items, trailer, outboard,  etc is the number we'll want to stay under for max allowable weight.  YMMV.

[hobnob]

Personally I wouldn't.  The first issue I would think of is your transmission.  The Versa has an optional CVT and CVTs just really aren't designed to pull any kind of load.  Second is whether or not you can actually get a decent hitch for the Versa.  I was looking at putting one on my Audi A4, but the only kind that was available bolted through the sheet metal of the spare tire well instead of actually attaching to anything structural.  Lastly the Versa only has a 1.8L engine which would likely be on the anemic side for towing the CP16.

[Salty19]

Wow, hobnob..bringing this one back from the dead?

Trip report:  Towed my Cp16 395 highway miles each way from Columbus, OH to Carlyle, IL last weekend for the midwest rendezvous.  2005 Toyota 4runner AWD V8.  65-75mph.   This is sport version with big brakes.  Piece of cake, towed like a dream. 
Transmission still feels brand new, and I tow with it often-sometimes with 3,000 lbs loads on it. 

Wet mossy ramps are no problem with AWD and Bridgestone Dueler Revo tires. In fact, I can climb fairly steep hills on ice/snow and not have a problem, so boat ramps SHOULD be easy.  I also sometimes use a rural dirt/mud ramp at a lake.  Still no problem, it's soft mud the whole way down the ramp. 

Last month had a camping trailer on it packed full of camping stuff for a week, climbing the mountains of West Virginia on highways, backroads, and mud/gravel roads.  Piece of cake too, but heavier feeling. 

Now for all those V8 SUV haters..I understand why--but keep in mind some of us have them for good reasons.  Like towing boats and trailers in the mountains, winter driving (real winters, not "Carolina snow"), hauling crap from home depot, and off-roading. A car cannot get me to my camping spot, nor can it haul a weeks worth of gear for camping. 

Towing in flat Florida for a few miles is probably not that big of a deal.  Provided the weight rating is not exceeded.

[Paul]

Salty:

LOL about "Carolina Snow."  I live in the foothills of NC.  I don't think we even got any snow this past winter.  Maybe a dusting, but that closed the schools anyway.   Any excuse, I guess.

Yes, an SUV is handy, when it's used for it's intended purpose.  Glad you guys had a good trip.