MX-5 Miata Forum > ND (2016+) Miata > ND Mods: Non-performance > Trailer Hitch
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donaldsc
3rd September 2016, 02:35
Has anyone installed a trailer hitch on their Miata. I need to tow one of these U-Haul Sport Trailers w my Miata -
https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/Sport-Trailer-Rental/ST/
The total weight of the trailer plus contents will be less than 800 pounds.
DON
tractng
3rd September 2016, 02:43
What is the distance you are towing and do you have any hills to climb? Not worth it to ruin your tranny.
I tow my jetski on a single trailer that is about 1200lbs but using a truck. Many times I wanted to get rid of the truck and use wife's old lexus but it only has 1000lbs rating.
IanH
3rd September 2016, 06:01
Pretty sure the ND is not certified for towing.
Jinks
3rd September 2016, 06:12
There's several threads on the Hard Dog trailer hitch. I'd consider one for a bike rack, Uni-Go trailer, small motorcycle trailer or something like that. Things like that run in the 150/200 lb. weight range. Your 800 lb. is the equivalent of four extra adults in the car. I doubt that's a good idea.........
donaldsc
4th September 2016, 00:47
What is the distance you are towing and do you have any hills to climb? Not worth it to ruin your tranny.
I tow my jetski on a single trailer that is about 1200lbs but using a truck. Many times I wanted to get rid of the truck and use wife's old lexus but it only has 1000lbs rating.
The trailer weights 535 pounds and I will not have more than 100 pounds in it as my stuff is more volume than weight. We are driving from Las Vegas to Denver so there will be hills but I can keep my speed down when going up. I do have to verify that the trailer has it's own brakes or I will not do it. There will not be a lot of wind resistance as the trailer is low and aerodynamic - https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/Sport-Trailer-Rental/ST/
DON
rkzhao
4th September 2016, 01:26
I've thought about getting a trailer hitch for a bike rack but you're talking a pretty major road trip with lots of elevation gain.
I've always heard the rule of thumb is keeping tow weight to no greater than 75% of the rated capacity, especially when traveling at higher altitude. I don't know if there is a rated capacity for the MX-5 anywhere but for an 800lb load, you're looking at needing over 1000lb towing capacity.
I'd imagine the tongue load would be fine but I'd feel really sketched out about messing up the transmission pulling that kind of weight for nearly a thousand miles and all the elevation changes. If it were me, I'd probably rent a truck and tow the Miata in the back.
Techitrucker
4th September 2016, 01:27
Unless something has changed at Uhaul in the last couple of years, none of their smaller trailers have brakes of their own. There four pin flat connector can't control trailer brakes. It's lighting only.
donaldsc
4th September 2016, 14:13
I've thought about getting a trailer hitch for a bike rack but you're talking a pretty major road trip with lots of elevation gain.
I've always heard the rule of thumb is keeping tow weight to no greater than 75% of the rated capacity, especially when traveling at higher altitude. I don't know if there is a rated capacity for the MX-5 anywhere but for an 800lb load, you're looking at needing over 1000lb towing capacity.
I'd imagine the tongue load would be fine but I'd feel really sketched out about messing up the transmission pulling that kind of weight for nearly a thousand miles and all the elevation changes. If it were me, I'd probably rent a truck and tow the Miata in the back.
Three problems w that approach -
1) The Miata is the only car that goes back and forth between Vegas and Denver. I have a 2nd car that remains in each town. The reason that the Miata goes back and forth is that it is my special car and I must have it in Vegas in the winter and in Denver in the summer for obvious reasons. It stays where I am.
2) Even if I had a 2nd car that I was taking back and forth, the Miata is rear wheel drive so that I can not tow it on an inexpensive dolly carrier as you can do with a front wheel drive car. I need to either disconnect the drive train (a bad idea) or rent a flat bed car hauler. UHaul charges almost $500 to for a one way flat bed rental.
3) I do not need to bring that much stuff back and forth so even ignoring problems 1 and 2, a truck would be gross overkill.
How about this for another idea. I know that you can buy cargo carriers that insert into a trailer hitch that weigh 50# or less. As I said, I do not need to bring a lot of stuff back and forth so the total weight of the hitch insert carrier plus my stuff would be 150 to 200 pounds max. This would obviously mess up the Miata's 50-50 weight distribution but how badly would it mess up the driving characteristics of the car. Could the 150# hanging off the back of the Miata do any damage to the car?
The obvious solution would be to buy 2 Miatas and leave one in Vegas and one in Denver but I don't think that this solution would fly with my wife or my budget. I do not need 4 cars for the 2 of us.
I guess that I need to talk to my dealer about my problem and you know what their response will be - "We don't have any idea".
DON
IanH
4th September 2016, 14:39
DHL?
rkzhao
4th September 2016, 21:08
Here's what official statements on the car says.
on page 3-49 of the owner's manual, it says:
Trailer Towing
Your Mazda is not designed for towing. Never tow a trailer with your Mazda
I'd suspect they say that in a lot of sport car manuals. I've seen both corvettes and older Miatas tow their track wheels on a trailer before.
And yeah I get that towing the Miata would mean putting it on a flat bed. The owner's manual also mentions rear wheel dollies as a possibility but I'm not sure if I've ever seen any car towed that way. Could probably be cheaper though.
As for a cargo carrier, on the door sticker, it says the GVWR is 2745lb and also says that the maximum combine weight of occupants and cargo should not exceed 340lb.
Lets use GVWR instead since it gives a bit more leeway. Even using the lightest reported weight of the car at 2332lb, that only leave you with ~400lb of weight. If it's just you and a 150-200lb cargo, that might work alright. Add in the wife and that's probably going to push it over what the safe rating is.
Of course, plenty of people have and will go above that tiny rated weight so there's probably a decent chance that it'd be fine. In the end , it's all up to you. I just don't think I would risk it with my car currently. As you probably know, that I-15/I-70 route to Denver has a lot of hills. I actually specifically avoided that route when I drove from Colorado to California and took to more boring I-80 route. I was in a rented F250, towing my motorcycle in the back.
Shipping your stuff could be another option.
Lance Schall
4th September 2016, 21:34
I wouldn't want 150 lbs hanging behind the car.
Do you have space to store a trailer? You could use a small Harbor Freight trailer with a couple of plastic containers screwed to it. This would weigh much less than the rented UHaul. People have been towing such trailers to autocross for many years and would be no problem with you car.
dysmike
4th September 2016, 22:08
I wouldn't want 150 lbs hanging behind the car.
Do you have space to store a trailer? You could use a small Harbor Freight trailer with a couple of plastic containers screwed to it. This would weigh much less than the rented UHaul. People have been towing such trailers to autocross for many years and would be no problem with you car.
This. :thumbs:
miater55
5th September 2016, 14:28
if you're moving that stuff each way every time, there are those little trailers (Bushtec) that motorcyclists use that would work fine. Plus, if you pull the liner out of the trunk, it holds a fair amount more back there as well as in the cubby where the top folds down. There was a guy somewhere on the web with pics showing his Miata rig with a littleguy trailer in tow. But, that was an NC. A hard dog hidden hitch and a Bushtec would be no problem imho.
donaldsc
6th September 2016, 16:05
Thanks for all the suggestions. As I see it, I have 3 options if I do not want to ship my stuff which I do not think is a good idea -
1) Keep stuff at both homes. The problem is that we do need more stuff in both cases than we can fit in the trunk of the Miata.
2) Use one of the hitch carriers. With a lightweight carrier and a lightweight weatherproof bag (my wife is worried about people stealing stuff from the bag) I can probably get my weight down to not much more than 150#.
Two problems with this approach. First, with all the weight hanging on the back of the car, it will mess up the weight balance of the car. Also, adding 150# plus the 2 of us plus what we put in the trunk will be pushing the load capacity of the car.
The main advantage of this approach is that the total weight of everything is lighter than option 3 below. Also, it is inexpensive and easy to store when I do not need it.
3) Purchase a lightweight trailer. Several of you have suggested trailer options. I canbuy a trailer that weights maybe 150#.
Problems with this are in increased weight of the overall package and the fact that there are big hills between Vegas and Denver.
The advantage I think may be the difference between the overall vehicle weight (car plus contents plus trailer) and the tongue weight of the trailer. I will obviously be moving more weight with option 3 than option 2. However, the tongue weight of the trailer on the car will be much less than the actual weight of the trailer plus contents especially if I balance my stuff correctly.
So what is better or are they both bad - pulling more weight but not too much more versus having the weight hanging directly on the back of the car.
Any thoughts or does anyone have any better idea.
Thanks for all your help. My wife is asking me why I have to have it in both places and my answer to that is "because".
DON
Lance Schall
6th September 2016, 16:10
Way better to tow a small trailer. The car will have to "work harder" going up and down the big hills, but no so much as to not keep up with traffic or be unsafe stopping.
jcpollock
6th September 2016, 18:21
I have the hidden hitch installed for a bike rack. It works great for that. No way would I pull 800 pounds. with 2 bikes on the rack, the car feels somewhat unstable. I almost always carry only one bike.
Harold Pittman
7th September 2016, 16:06
I have the HardDog hidden hitch on our ND. We have a Bushtec cargo trailer that we pull and you cannot even tell it is back there and we have been in some pretty good sized hills with it. The trailer weights around 135# empty with a 300# weight limit. It's a beautiful little trailer all painted up in Mazda Soul Red paint to match our car. I don't know how to post a picture up on here or I would show it to you.
The downside to our trailer is I paid $5,000 for it new and with the matching paint.
We are planning on serious road tripping in another year or so after I retire.
rkzhao
7th September 2016, 20:12
Pretty much agreed with what's been said, I'd also pick towing a small trailer out of the options.
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