I don’t even know what those are called.
I want to buy an HHR (2LT). Five speed manual transmission. “Standard on 2LT and available on 1LT is a 2.4L DOHC ECOTEC engine with Variable Valve Timing that produces 175 hp at 6200 rpm and 165 lb.-ft. of torque at 4800 rpm.”
http://www.chevrolet.com/hhr/
I haven’t the slightest idea what that means, but that’s why I’m asking here.
And how do I know if I can even put a tow package on it? I want to tow a trailer for yard debris and lumber from Home Despot. I won’t be towing an oil derrick like on the ads for pickups.
Thanks as always!
Check the towing capacity listed in the manual. There may be instructions to never tow, to tow X am’t of weight and where to attached the hitch.
Most vehicles can tow the small thingamabonbs up to about 750lb or 1,000 pounds, but there are exceptions and unique vehicles like yours might be one.
Just found it: It’s a measley 1,000 lb limit. Most small 4 cyl cars can tow up to 1500.
http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4023229
The HHR falls firmly in the “cute ute” category, and from what I’ve heard, it’s barely got enough stamina to keep out of its own way on hills or freeway ramps.
Hitch receivers are available for it, but take a look at a Chevy Cobalt and ask yourself if you’d tow with it. The HHR has essentially the same drivetrain as a Cobalt and takes the same hitch receiver, so they’re also structurally the same, (at least at the very tail end of the frame). If the max towing capacity is 1,000 pounds, remember that includes the weight of the trailer, so there’s not much left over for cargo.
Bottom line - I wouldn’t recommend putting a receiver on an HHR. If you want to haul stuff from Home Depot, rent one of their trucks.
Long ago, I owned a Ford Escort hatchback. I put a tow bar on it and pulled a little aluminum fishing boat with a 9.9 HP motor. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.
What works and what is recommended are usually very different, vetbridge. The venerable Ford Escort. I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw one towing a trailer. They had a good power-to-weight ratio when they first came out and through the 80’s.
If the mrfgr recommends 1,000 pounds, they have to consider tire loads, braking distances, brake fade, and other factors.
Of course, I’m begging the question, because I don’t even know if what you described is over 1,000 or over 1,500 lbs.