A stupid question about towing

[Justardnck]

I have a new to me old Cruise America 2005 E450 Majestic 28' V10 and it has a class III trailer hitch. I was going to tow our Cadillac SLS on a trailer behind it when a friend told me to check the frame first because the frames are usually insufficient and added on to. Well I looked under it and sure enough the frame ends 24" behind the tires and has an angle iron addition to it with the hitch bolted on that. What can I tow with that without ruining the RV?

[JimMartin]

OK, I had a 1997 31 Class C about 9 years ago. Had the V10 in it. The Hitch was rated to tow 5k pounds. I wanted to tow a trailer with a car on it. Took my RV to a welding shop here in town. They run 2 pieces of large L shaped metal (4" x 8" I think) along my frame rails, starting above the rear wheels and continuing all the way to the hitch. Welded them to the hitch and frame. Cost me about $300. Then I added a larger transmission cooler and deeper transmission pan. And a electric trailer brake set-up.

I towed a 20' car trailer (dual axles brakes) with a 1995 Jeep Wrangler and a electric EZ-GO Golf Cart both on it. Around 6500lbs.

You will definitely know it's back there. But It can be done.

[gotsmart]

We're getting off topic here, so I'll keep this short. Ground clearance has not really changed. Rubbing, just a little bit during hard braking. Suspension rubbing - none. I did it for more side wall to smooth out the bumps in the road and so I can rotate my tires and have a usable spare tire. Daystar makes a 2 inch lift kit for the smart car - linky

[pnichols]

Outstanding retrofit on your Smart Car's tire up-sizing! Do you get any tire rubbing of the wheel wells or suspension components? However, why does it still look like it has lower ground clearance in the front than the back?

Out in the desert, we need the best possible ground clearance at both ends. The ground clearance you've created in the back looks quite adequate for our needs. Having the same tire size all around is a BIG plus.

[gotsmart]

Did someone say they wanted larger tires on a smart?

Before - with 155/55/15 fronts on 15"x4.5" wheels and 175/55/15 rears on 15"x5.5" wheels


After - with 195/55/15s on 15"x5.5" wheels on all 4 corners

:S

[Mocoondo]

John & Angela wrote:

Mocoondo wrote:
2500# max GVWR, 200# tongue weight.

Yeh, could be, never looked into the specs for the American version. We have the euro version.......l

I was answering to the OP. The above are the specs for his retired Cruise unit.

[wbwood]

bukhrn wrote:
This is exactly how & what I tow, while the Focus is flat towable, I already had the dolly. Plus mine is the pretty Blue Candy. :B

Yep, we had the dolly too...priced it out to get the focus set up and without brakes, we were well over $2000... Mine is Tuxedo Black...however, it has different colors in the glitter...

[bukhrn]

This is exactly how & what I tow, while the Focus is flat towable, I already had the dolly. Plus mine is the pretty Blue Candy. :B

Or one of these (Ford Focus) at about 3000lbs

[John___Angela]

Mocoondo wrote:
2500# max GVWR, 200# tongue weight.

Yeh, could be, never looked into the specs for the American version. We have the euro version not to mention the diesel version so the specs are different. The hitch weight of our trailer never exceeds 75 pounds and is usually around 55. I'm not sure I would want it too much heavier than that. Our GVWR is 990KG and of course they don't list the hitch weight because it doesn't come with a factory hitch. Our hitch comes straight off the frame so it is the shear strength of 6 bolts that gives it the weight bearing strength. I weigh a couple hundred pounds and can jump up and down on it with no effect. Loaded the trailer weighs 550 pounds so it never really gets put to the test. The gas jobs (451) are definitely a little more robust than the diesels (450) and also a about 150 pounds heavier. The new 453 will be a little heavier again and 4 inches wider but the same length as the 451. As per normal the North American version will not be rated for towing. However this time they are expected to put a motor in it that is a little more closer in mpg to the european version. Time will tell.

[Mocoondo]

2500# max GVWR, 200# tongue weight.

[John___Angela]

pnichols wrote:
John & Angela,

Can a Smart Car be towed all wheels down? Do Smart Cars have heating and air conditioning? How big is the storage area in the back?

Good morning.

Yes, smart cars can be towed 4 wheels down and thats actually the way most tow them although we prefer to tow ours on a trailer.

Smart cars have all the amenities of any car depending what you want. Angelas also has heated seats.

We'll the storage area ain't big but we can usually get a costco cart full in the back. The passenger front seat also folds down so you can put a ladder, lawnmore etc etc in the car. You may have to leave the tail gate down depending how long the object is...eg...8 foot studs etc.





You can put a hitch on a smart car so you can pull a small utility trailer etc or mount a bike rack but I personally don't recommend more than 100 pounds on the hitch. Curt makes the hitch.

[wbwood]

pnichols wrote:
John & Angela,

Can a Smart Car be towed all wheels down? YES
Do Smart Cars have heating and air conditioning? YES
How big is the storage area in the back? Not real big

Check out Gone with the Wynns. They have been towing a smart car for several years.

[pnichols]

John & Angela,

Can a Smart Car be towed all wheels down? Do Smart Cars have heating and air conditioning? How big is the storage area in the back?

[ron_dittmer]

Justardnck,

I advise you give a local hitch retailer a call. See if they can examine your rig to determine if something can be safely retrofitted. I did a quick search and found Rayside Truck & Trailer in West Palm Beach. I would call them and explain your rig and concern. If they can't help, they should be able to refer you to the right people in your area.

You want to be sure you are safely setup, regardless of your towing decision. A car on a trailer does sound concerning given the combined weight of vehicle plus trailer, and also the tongue weight. A tow dolly weighs a lot less, has very little tongue weight, and can handle all front wheel drive automobiles. Tow dollies need to consider rear wheel drive, all wheel drive, and 4-wheel drive vehicles. Many are extremely finicky being towed with a drive shaft spinning. There are numerous exceptions as many of us here have researched, but you want to take your Cadi-SLS so do your research on rolling your rear wheels on the street with a tow dolly.

Another consideration is setting up your SLS for all-wheel-down towing like we do with our Jeep Liberty (see my signature picture). Again, you would need to research if that specific vehicle can be towed in that manner. Another challenge is to find the right hardware to tow that way. They would make good questions to ask the people examining your rig. They may be able to research it for you.

[wbwood]

The Wynn's tow a Smartcar and I have seen many videos of them off in the desert with it..