Another Hitch Thread But With A Twist

I'm looking at Hitches and don't like that only class I 1.25" hitches are available for the Mz5. Have read about what the OM says vs. overseas model and think this is just legal issues. I can understand hitch manufacturers are reluctant to make a class II/III hitch as it would violate Mazda's claims and put them in a litigious situation. The Mz5 hitches that are available have weak mounting holes but I guess if they are shooting for Class I, that is enough.

I started to wonder if something else in the Mazda family might fit. Started looking into CX7 which has Class II/III 1.25" and 2" hitches and obviously mounting points are different. Scaling the pics and overall constructions of the hitches via internet images with my super accurate eyes, I get the feeling they might work but possibly require a little extra DIY drilling effort (unsure about bumper differences). I know the CX7 is not based on the same platform (modified version of the Mz6) but it should be somewhat similar. CX7 is rated to tow 2,000 lbs. Isn't this the same rating that is given to overseas Mz5s? Anyone looked into this? Anyone here own a CX7 and willing to take some pics and measurements to help confirm?

Then I realize there's an even closer kissing cousin, the new CX5. This is a Mz3/Mz5 wearing a different suite + sky stuff. Long and behold, IT IS rated to tow 2,000 lbs. Unless it has something super special build in the chasis, there's no reason to believe the Mz3/Mz5 can't tow that (assuming trans, engine, suspension are similar enough, which I believe are same). I can't wait for hitch manufacturers to start making a Class II/III 2" hitch! Here's to hoping bumpers are not so drastically different and we can squeez one in

Since a class I hitch is rated @ 200lb tongue / 2000lb gross trailer weight, why would you need anything higher, especially considering your CX-5 comparison???

Also, since the 5 still technically can't tow here, I'm glad we at least have the option to because of the class I hitch.

Once more, if we ever decide to tow with ours I would install some air helper springs for the rear regardless of load, mainly because of the crappy shocks.

It’s really the limited tongue weight that is my concern. I have 3 bikes now but anticipate 4 soon. I would rather carry them all on one rack and not have two on the rack and two on the roof ($ for roof carrier and think it may be an unnecessary pain to get too. I am not 7' tall). Class I hitches seem to have weak mounting points, rightfully so as they are not meant carry much. The Hidden Hitch and Draw Tite have TWO mounting bolts (bottom up) to the frame + a U clamp... I would not trust much tongue weight on that. Though, the Curt’s Class I seems better engineered as it has FOUR mounting bolts (bottom up and both sides) and may meet my needs. 4 bikes is not a lot of total weight but the extended weight beyond the pivot concerns me.

Class I hitches are limited to 1.25” receivers. I 'may' be able to get away with Curt hitch and meet my immediate need but why not have a larger hitch 'if' it's an option.? Class II/III hitches have MUCH more robust mounting points (4-6 bolts). I don't have plans to tow now but that may change once we move out of the city or start camping and more active as the kids get older so I didn't want to limit myself.


My other point is that Mazda US should have rated the Mz5 to tow the same limit as the CX5 and Mz5s in other parts of the world... We would also see more options than just Class I. And if one follows the book, even a Class I is a no no since Mazda claims no towing in an absolute sense. Since the CX5 is blessed by Mazda US and officially rated to tow, hitch manufacturers will offer more than Class I hitches, I hope. Since the rating is similar to the CX7, I am hoping options will be similar to the CX7. From what I’ve read/seem thus far, I believe every car is rated for very light towing with a Class I hitch as it seems to be the absolute minimum for unibody compact cars (Unsure about sub-compact). Class II and III for mid/large size vehicles. Higher class hitch would need to be body-on-frame vehicles like real trucks and SUVs. If a car's chassis can carry a few thousand lbs, bounce around, and not fall apart it can carry 100-200 lbs in the back but where and how a particular hitch mounts is key. The higher the hitch class, the more secure the mount.


Disclaimer: I am an absolute NEWBIE to hitches so I may very well be wrong!!

flcruising said:

Since a class I hitch is rated @ 200lb tongue / 2000lb gross trailer weight, why would you need anything higher, especially considering your CX-5 comparison???

Also, since the 5 still technically can't tow here, I'm glad we at least have the option to because of the class I hitch.

Once more, if we ever decide to tow with ours I would install some air helper springs for the rear regardless of load, mainly because of the crappy shocks.

Click to expand...

You don't need to worry about the springs. By adding a trailer, you're also adding another axle which will take 90% the load. As long as you have the proper ball mount with the right amount of rise or fall (which depends on your trailer) so that your trailer is flat when loaded (this is important) you won't be even close to loading up the tongue to it's max of 200 lbs. You've probably put more than 200 lbs in the back of the 5 many times already... heck even adding a passenger or going on a good grocery run pretty much gets you there.

The Mazda5 is rated in the UK to tow 1322 lbs. If you can fit a class II hitch that mounts to more points then that's great and you could then definitely add more than 200 lbs tongue weight as it would be supported properly. But, once you get a trailer and start towing I would not recommend going over 1322 lbs in total load because that number is based on what Mazda thinks the engine/tranny can handle before going kablooie.

More weight on the tongue as long as it's properly supported = all good.
Towing more total weight than the recommended capacity = tranny parts all over the road.

If you can find a class I hitch you're confident in or don't plan on going over the 200 lbs mark with a bike rack, you can buy adapters that upsize the 1.25" receiver to a 2" receiver hitch. http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Hitch_Accessories-sf-Hitch_Adapter.aspx although, they do extend the length of the receiver potentially adding even more weight to the system... might not be the best way to goal especially with a load of four bikes bouncing on it.

Is this the UK OM's offical number? I wonder if the CX5 will be released in the UK and if so what it will be rated for.?.

It sounds like you are familiar with hitches. Can you share what are some factors on how/why hitch manufacturers determine if a certain class hitch is offered or not? Some thoughts below. I'd like to understand this and see if we can apply it to see what the 2013 CX5 has but the 2013 Mz3/Mz5 does not.
1) What the manufacturer deems as the tow rating
2) The chassis design of the particular car
3) How and where a particular hitch’s design mounts to the chassis
4) The braking capabilities of the particular car
5) The transmission capabilities of the particular car
6) The engine capabilities of the particular car
7) The suspension capabilities of the particular car
8) Something else? Does curb weight or additional bracing make a difference? Any other discussion points?

Sorry, all the info I know has been gleaned from this forum and a bunch of other research I did when I was looking into adding a hitch to my own 5. Yes, those are the numbers from UK Mazda's site a couple years ago... just took a look at the new website and in the PDF of the brochure for the 5 (http://www.mazda.co.uk/upload/count...pecs_brochures/mazda5/Ebro_MAZ5_bro_V1_UK.pdf) it still mentions a max towing weight of 600 kg (or about 1322 lbs).

The UK is offering the CX5 for sale and if you take a look through it's e-brochure, it's rated for 2000 lbs, the same rating it gets for the North American version.

Can't really comment on anything else... but my own thoughts on the matter... hitch manufacturers probably don't bother engineering and designing anything more than a class I hitch for a vehicle like the Mazda 5 because it doesn't have the towing capacity to make a class II hitch a worthwhile purchase = won't sell any. And since it doesn't have the towing capacity it's drive-train probably isn't up to the task of towing the weights you would normally tow with a class II hitch. Also, a vehicle like the 5 isn't seen as an SUV or truck and so typically people don't buy them thinking they are going to tow a boat or camper and so only a very small percentage of owners would even want a class II hitch = they wouldn't sell many or make any money.

Read through this... http://www.hitchinfo.com/index.cfm?event=viewpage&contentpieceid=5143 - it gives you a really solid basis for understanding most of what there is to know about towing... how to properly set up your hitch/reciever/trailer and is an interesting read. More people should be reading things like this before they attempt to tow anything... most people just think you can throw on a hitch and ball and hook er up and off you go... this can lead to some very dangerous situations. Proper loading, weight distribution, selecting of ball mount and it's rise or fall based on the height of your trailer are all very important.

After reading this... I think you'll agree it's best to just stick with and accept the manufacturers recommendations on what your vehicle is capable of... or at least you'll gain a better understanding of what you may be able to do safely outside the manufacturer recommendations. Have fun and be safe.

Since a class I hitch is rated @ 200lb tongue / 2000lb gross trailer weight,

trailers are probably going to be less strain on the chassis than a bike rack or cargo box. one cargo box mfgr I emailed said they can't recommend a box for the M5 because of the limited tongue weight. remember, it's not just the weight, but the leverage of that weight hanging off the back.

mpvue said:

trailers are probably going to be less strain on the chassis than a bike rack or cargo box. one cargo box mfgr I emailed said they can't recommend a box for the M5 because of the limited tongue weight. remember, it's not just the weight, but the leverage of that weight hanging off the back.

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Tongue weight in pictorial terms in case someone else does not understand. The farther the weight is from the pivot point, the more it weights. This brings up an interesting questions. When hitches are "rated" for tongue weight, how far out from the pivot point are they using as reference??? Also, from what I've read/found out that, tongue weight is SIMPLEY measured by a rough estimate of 10% total tow rating! There is no calculation to it (though there are tools to help you calculate it but not interested in going that deep). This explains why the tongue /tow rating for the various classes are consistent as you move up. Not much science here but rather more of a general rule of thumb –like a dummies guide.

Next question, what determines a particular hitches tow-ability rating (I’m not really pursuing this right now)?
Hitch design?
Hitch mounting point?
Hitch metallurgy?
Specific Make/Model chasis capable but this ties back to my questions in post#6?

flcruising said:

...regardless of load, mainly because of the crappy shocks.

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I think you solved the puzzle as to why US Mz5 can’t tow! Then again, I think UK Mz5's are also prone to crappy shocks :/

IMHO, I've watched hitch installation videos for the Mazda5, and the attachment points aren't too beefy. my personal concern is that a bike rack hanging too far off the back is going to buckle or fail at the attachment points, and/or the rear of the car will droop too much adversely affecting handling.
I think a small utility trailer would be fine though. I'd set up a small trailer w/ bike racks, should be able to carry 6 bikes easily.

Mazda Australia offers a CX5 tow bar accessory rated to tow 1800kgs, which equals to 3970lbs! I would expect the land down under know a thing or two about towing. However, I do 'think' this is rated considering a trailer WITH brakes. Nonetheless, this helps to reaffirm that the unibody chassis is pretty strong.


http://www.mazda.com.au/vehicles/cx-5/accessories

Tow bar
Designed specifically for your CX-5 with a powerful 1800kg towing capacity & 150kg tow ball download capacity*. Detachable tongue kit makes towbar invisible once removed.

As well as enhancing the versatility of your CX-5, the Mazda Genuine Towbar has the following features and benefits:

Detachable tongue kit
This added benefit is perfect for drivers who only use their towbar occasionally and for those who want a tow bar that has minimum impact on the aesthetic appearance of their CX-5. ..snip...

Click to expand...

The CX5 post below is interesting. Now the question is IF (big if) the CX5 is the same as the Mz3/Mz5, why are these NOT rated to tow at all? Googling around, I can only see a Class1 hitch offered in the US. Prob need to wait a little bit but I’m hopeful for a 2” class II or III that is mostly interchangeable.
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123812455-CX5-towing-numbers-Australia-vs-USA


For fun, don't try this at home:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAfZ1N56qjY

So anyone here also own a CX5? I though a member here owned both. Be great if someone can confirm and help us take some pics and measurments of the underside. Easy request that would greatly help out other members (or maybe just me ). I not a big fan of roof top carriers and want to pursue a hitch again but want to rule out a CX5 hitch first. Class 3 hitches are now available for the CX5 and tow close to (but still below) what the Assuies have known all along. I really hope they fit the Mz5 with little modification (bumper?). TIA
http://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2013_Mazda_CX-5.htm


EDIT: maybe not so easy since the exhausts are different. But I still have hope.