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- 2006 Mazda 5 GT 5spd
Medicman said:
Having lights is one thing - Having FUNCTIONING lights is a whole new ball game!!
Trailer Hitch
- Thread starter mazdaFIVEmike
- Start date
Having lights is one thing - Having FUNCTIONING lights is a whole new ball game!!
I get a kick out of people that seemingly hook in the plug backwards, so when their car is signalling left, their trailer is signalling right. However, athough somewhat humerous, it can be a dangerous situation for those that don't realize what's going on.mazdaFIVEmike said:
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- 2006 Mazda 5 GT 5spd
Medicman said:
Any luck???
Add this strip to protect rear bumper from hitch attaching errors
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123637633
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123637633
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- 2006 Mazda 5 GT 5spd
A few comments/questions about the towing issue. I'm looking to purchase a Europeen style trailer tent which will weigh approx 800 lbs (much less then North American pop-up which weigh a minimum of 1200 lbs). The trailer also comes with brakes.
Notwitstanding the no-towing mention in the manual, I think I would be OK and I say this for the following reasons:
1. I assume that the mention "not rated for towing" simply means that Mazda has not tested for towing here in North America, therefore cannot give a rating as opposed to the car simply not being able to tow anything.
2. All Mazda cars in NA are rated the same way (the 3, 5 and 6). If the reason why the 5 cant tow is due to the fact that it has the same specs as the 3 but is a bigger car, than logically the 3 should be able to tow something ...
3. The 5 in all EU countries indicate a 600kg tow capacity without breaks and 1300kg with brakes (and that's with a smaller petrole engine of 2.0 litres)
4. I will not be towing with a car full of overweight adults! just my wife and I and two small kids that weigh a compined of 70 pounds! I don't expect to carry more than 100 pounds of stuff.
I understand I may be taking a risk as far as warranty but it's one I'm willing to take. After a few local trips, if I see that this isn't working I will likely trade in the car for something like a Kia Rondo (which has a towing capacity of 2000 pounds with similar 2.3 160hp engine!) I have an open lease on this one so I can turn it in at anytime.
Regarding hitch, i called two places and both can install a class 1 (Curt or Reese) on the vehicule no problem, for somewhere around 300$ (with electricity for lights)
...so any comments?
Notwitstanding the no-towing mention in the manual, I think I would be OK and I say this for the following reasons:
1. I assume that the mention "not rated for towing" simply means that Mazda has not tested for towing here in North America, therefore cannot give a rating as opposed to the car simply not being able to tow anything.
2. All Mazda cars in NA are rated the same way (the 3, 5 and 6). If the reason why the 5 cant tow is due to the fact that it has the same specs as the 3 but is a bigger car, than logically the 3 should be able to tow something ...
3. The 5 in all EU countries indicate a 600kg tow capacity without breaks and 1300kg with brakes (and that's with a smaller petrole engine of 2.0 litres)
4. I will not be towing with a car full of overweight adults! just my wife and I and two small kids that weigh a compined of 70 pounds! I don't expect to carry more than 100 pounds of stuff.
I understand I may be taking a risk as far as warranty but it's one I'm willing to take. After a few local trips, if I see that this isn't working I will likely trade in the car for something like a Kia Rondo (which has a towing capacity of 2000 pounds with similar 2.3 160hp engine!) I have an open lease on this one so I can turn it in at anytime.
Regarding hitch, i called two places and both can install a class 1 (Curt or Reese) on the vehicule no problem, for somewhere around 300$ (with electricity for lights)
...so any comments?
Philster said:
If you dont surpass the Gross Weight rating on the 5 (located on drivers door or seam) then your ok....
If you have ever towed and lost breaks due to overloading and overheating breaks, it is one hell of a feeling not to able to stop your car.
I don't know why EU and NA cars have diff ratings....
FYI I have a hitch
Zoom5Zoom said:
So if I get this right, you take the Gross weight (4572 lbs according to what I fond on the internet) minus the Curb weight (3389 lbs for the grand-Touring) = 1183 lbs. I'm guessing this should include passengers, cargo and trailer? (I'm going to be cutting it close).
Zoom5Zoom said:
Finally I called my Mazda dealership and asked to speak to the head mechanic. I asking him point blank. I told him I was looking for his opinion as an experienced mechanic and not the Mazda official line. The answer: no problem up to 1500 pounds.. Look's like I'm getting the hitch installed this weekend!
So who dunnit?
I'm from Victoria. Can you be more specific about where you got the leaf? You can e-mail me if you like.
Where in Vic are you? The area in your pics looks familiar. Some of my family are in Mill Bay & Sooke as well.
Johnny
I'm from Victoria. Can you be more specific about where you got the leaf? You can e-mail me if you like.
Where in Vic are you? The area in your pics looks familiar. Some of my family are in Mill Bay & Sooke as well.
Johnny
mazdaFIVEmike said:
the Gross Vehicle Weight would only need to include the tongue weight of the trailer not the entire trailer weight. Then when you get into how much weight you can tow, it depends on the sturdyness of the tow vehicle and its engine tranny capacity. I've done a good amount of towing in my time, and my gut tells me 1000-1500lbs could be ok, but bare in mind braking ability, hills, and how much stuff will be in the 5 while towing. The length and width of the trailer can play into how well the 5 will do also.... tracking wise.
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- 2006 Mazda 5 GT 5spd
Check out U-Haul - I got mine installed for $210 CDN in Victoria including taxes and installation.
