Forum Discussion

fizikpal's avatar
fizikpal
Explorer
Mar 16, 2015

Towing a Honda 2012 CRV

Just bought a new to us 2012 Honda CRV which can be dinghy towed. It weighs in at 4400 lb. I am towing with a 2002 Shasta Cheyenne with a ford v-10 and class c hitch.

I have seen these cars being towed around in the past. Anything I need to worry about?
  • I thought hitches/receivers were rated I, II, III, IV etc. what is a class C hitch rated for?
    bumpy
  • I think you will find the 2012 CR-V weighs between 3,300 and 3,500 lbs. That is according to Honda's spec sheet for that model.
  • I agree with afrescop, the 4400 you are referring to may be loaded weight
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    edstep wrote:
    ...the 4400 you are referring to may be loaded weight....


    True enough, but an interesting statistic, because the laws for towed vehicle weight seem to be based, at least in part on Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and NOT Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW) aka "Curb Weight." The states want a number a trooper can open a door and read a label to see.

    I am not trying to brick a bee hive here among the supplemental brake police crowd. All I'm saying is if a jurisdiction wanted brakes on a toad 3500# and up, that would put a 3200# illegal since GVWR was 4400# if it did not have brakes.

    I believe there are some states were the cut is 3000# GVWR and only a few subcompacts meet that.

    I also believe those who can get by with an ultralight toad are better off. We have that E450/V10 and our toads have gained weight since we've had it. We can feel that increased weight behind, and it'd be nicer without it.
  • Assuming you sort out the hitch and weight thing, be sure to read the owner's manual about towing and possible fuse pulling. On our 2012 CRV, we had to put a fuse cutout switch in the entertainment center circuit to keep the battery from going flat after a couple hours of towing. Our auxiliary braking unit is powered by the car battery, and apparently that extra load was just enough to do it in. You might also want to look at a battery charge line from the RV to the car - if done properly, it ought to keep the battery up.

    And - if you're at all electrically handy, you can built a fuse cutout switch for about 1/3 the price of a commercially available one. Radio Shack has all the necessary parts.

    al
  • aslakson wrote:
    Radio Shack has all the necessary parts.

    al


    are any of them still open?
    bumpy
  • Yep. I've seen 3 (and been in 2) here in Central Florida in the last 2 weeks. Both said they will not be closing, just adding more space for Sprint.

    al