towing a small trailer

jjac28

Member
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2015 cx-5 6sp
I was interested in getting a cx-5 with the manual transmission and the 2.0l engine for camping and to tow a small trailer that weighs around 1200lbs . The trailer is the Aliner Ranger 10, its a small pop up trailer.
I know that the cx-5 has a towing limit of 2000lbs so I was wondering if its capable of towing this trailer plus 2 kids in the back and some camping equipment.

Anyone doing some trailer towing?
 
I would think that would be an acceptable payload, although if it were me, I'd go for the bigger engine for the extra torque (even if you don't like automatics). BTW, why this kind of pop-up rather than a tent trailer? I used the latter for many years (had two of them) and loved them. Much more spacious and can be had in very lightweight sizes (some well under 1000#).
 
I tow an aluminum utility trailer with 2 motorcycles every once in a while. Total weight is 1200-1300 lbs. It is probably at the upper end of the capability if you want to be doing highway (65+) speeds. I believe you are supposed to have trailer brakes, I don't. However, I live in Iowa, which is fairly flat. I have probably towed this rig 3,000 miles so far with no issues. I run an OBDII App on my smart phone to monitor actual engine temp, Engine load, and MPG. Never seen anything remotely alarming going on in the engine room.

I have a 2.0 AWD auto. I typically lock the transmission in 5th gear for level cruising. You will not see any benefit to attempting 6th gear in terms of fuel economy, and 5th keeps you in to a better torque band. I normally downshift to 4th for any sizable hills. I like to do this before the engine is under a heavy load so that its easier on the clutches, not as big of a deal for you with manual. Expect to get 20 to 24 MPG depending on winds.

The biggest problem I see is that I think your trailer weighs 1300# empty. With any sort of gear for a few people, I bet you are closer to 2000# than you think. 100+lbs of "stuff" for each person is pretty common. That is going to be pretty taxing, but probably still doable, especially if you are OK sticking to under 65MPH. I'd definitely run brakes up at that weight and probably not fill any water tanks until you get close to your destination.
 
As PJ mentioned, if you think your camper is around 1,200 lbs there is a good chance you are at 2,000 or more. Camper manufacturers often just list the dry weight of a bare-bones trailer with no options. Add things like refrigerators, heaters, etc then add all your camping supplies, additional passengers, and a camper you thought was 1,200 is probably producing a load on your car in excess of 2,500lbs.

I just googled your camper and found a website that lists the options and their weight and it could get as heavy as 1,500 lbs:
http://www.dannyscampers.com/2013.5 Ranger 10 Price and Weight.htm

The biggest issue you need to worry about is tongue weight. Rule of thumb is 10% on the tongue so the Mazda can handle 200lbs on the back. The more gear you add to the back of your SUV the less you can put on the tongue. I imagine you'll have the vehicle packed tight for 2 adults and 2 kids. For a short trip you might be fine...but for extended towing you're going to experience unstable handling with the rear of the car too low. If you shift the weight of your gear in the camper you can lessen the suspension dip but then you might introduce sway at higher speeds. Also note that too much weight on the back can cause the tires to wear unevenly.

So with all that said, I think you are right at the limit, if not a little bit over. A 2,000 towing capacity is more for towing a jet ski or taking a utility trailer back and for to the dump. I think for extended highway driving in extreme temps (say 90+ degree heat in the summer) you'll be wishing you had more power, more cooling capacity, and more braking capability.
 
What they said.. if you own that trailer and use it regularly may as well invest in cheap trailer brakes to protect your suspension/brakes/chassis. Also firestone makes riderite helper springs which you can just slip into the spring and inflate with a bike pump. They cost $99 and they can save your rear shocks/wheels some of the stress. I had a set but I ended up sending them back because I forgot to factor in my lowered ride height (they were just a tad to tall to fit without forcing them into place).
 
For trailer pulling of ~ 2,000+ pounds, I think the 2.5L engine with the auto is the way to go if you are going to do much pulling.
 
I don't know....with the manual you have better access to the torque...but for backing into camping spots (or up and down boat ramps) having an automatic is easier. Obviously the 2.5L is better...oh if only you could get a manual with that!
 
Thanks for all your responses! Well, heres the trailer http://www.aliner.com/campers/Ranger-10#
Weight is 1200lbs, I figure if we pack food ,clothes and other supplies that might add an additional 300lbs or so...so we will still be under the towing limit by 300- 500lbs. Trailer already has brakes installed and Im not planning to install any additional options
 
I don't know if it helps because I'm in the UK and driving a 2.2l diesel but my CX5 tows this quite happily.

garage_vehicle-5151-13983483951_thumb.jpg


My trailer caravan has a maximum laden weight of 1465kg. Over here the car is rated to tow a braked trailer of up to 2 tonnes. Noseweight on the hitch is 88kg. It'll cruise all day at 60mph and to be honest I hardly notice the fact that I'm towing something. I would say though that the diesel is an entirely different animal to the petrol engined car in that the diesel has awesome amounts of low-end torque.

I don't know what the regulations are for towing in the US but over here in Europe this set-up is pretty typical.
 
88kg for a 1465kg trailer is only 6%. In the U.S. they recommend 10-15%. I don't want to go into a huge debate, but using european tow ratings with American cars on American roads at American speeds is not wise. We don't have a diesel option, our suspension tuning is often different, and we tend to drive at much higher speeds on roads that aren't as smooth. Sure, you could keep it under 60 mph, but getting passed by 18 wheelers going 75 is quite scary...especially when you have less than 10% on the tongue and any minor gust of wind can cause the trailer to start swaying.
 
88kg for a 1465kg trailer is only 6%. In the U.S. they recommend 10-15%. I don't want to go into a huge debate, but using european tow ratings with American cars on American roads at American speeds is not wise. We don't have a diesel option, our suspension tuning is often different, and we tend to drive at much higher speeds on roads that aren't as smooth. Sure, you could keep it under 60 mph, but getting passed by 18 wheelers going 75 is quite scary...especially when you have less than 10% on the tongue and any minor gust of wind can cause the trailer to start swaying.

Sorry if I tossed in a red herring. (doh)
 
No prob. I've done a ton of research on the matter, which is why I am driving a CX-9 instead of a CX-5. Better safe than sorry I suppose, and I got a pre-owned CX-9 for less than I was going to pay for a new CX-5...aside from the gas mileage it's a win-win for me.
 
Well consider that people towing caravans in Germany deal with cars passing them at 100mph or more sometimes.
 
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