Hey guys, I have been wondering something lately. Can the fit pull a small pop-up camper? I have had my 2010 sport A/T for about 4 years now and it is at 145k miles. I am graduating college and have always had the dream of working remote from a camper while traveling around the country (not full time, I will still be based out of my apartment but wanting to be able to take trips that last up to a couple weeks and maybe more in the future). But with used car prices being so crazy it almost makes more sense to buy a new tow vehicle rn :/ without spending 30k+ for something that can tow a camper, I have recently considered looking for a used pop-up. You can pick one up for only a few grand in decent shape, and a lot of them weigh ~1500 lbs. I am aware the fit is not rated to tow at all here in the states, but in other countries I have seen it rated anywhere up to 2,000 lbs with a braked trailer. Here is what I am thinking if I go through with this:
- I will definitely install a transmission cooler and change the fluid (I normally do it every 2 years anyways), just out of common sense.
- The car is due for brake pads anyways, so I will be putting on some heavy duty pads (Someone has suggested I put ceramic pads on?)
- I will also be installing a plug and play OBD2 temp gauge to keep an eye on, since the fit is currently lacking one.
- I have considered putting new rear shocks on the car? I will have to see how bad the squatting is since <200 lbs really isn't that much weight for the back. I would have to pack light and try to position most of the weight for my personal belongings to the front of the car.
- It already has a class 1 1 1/4" hitch that is rated for 2000 lbs and 200 lbs tongue weight, which is plenty for what I would be towing.

I only paid $5700 for the car 4 years ago with 88k miles, and I would love to be able to do this. I have driven it cross country a couple times and it is a great little adventure car. Even though I know the gas mileage will be pretty bad towing, it will still be better than any tow vehicle I would look into buying - I'm imagining I will get ~20 mpg with this setup. I am thinking I would keep it around 60 mph and probably use the sport mode to lock the transmission in fourth and keep it from constantly shifting (fifth is geared too high to pull anything). If anyone has towed with their fit what was it like? How did it handle the load and how fast were you driving? Any advice is much appreciated.

The alternative for me is buying a new Ford Bronco base or Maverick XLT, both of which would cost me about the same. Avoiding having a car payment is the goal since I have never had one before - though I will be making pretty decent money at my new job. Attached is a pic of the fit on our last adventure to Colorado

 

There are many threads about towing with a Fit. In fact I see several immediately below your post that would seem useful for you (especially "Log: Towing a 4x8 UHaul trailer with a Fit").

I would also suggest that you check out the many posts about creative ways to make a Fit more amenable to travel and camping. You might find that you don't need to pull a trailer at all.

To answer your questions more directly.
1) Fit vs a larger tow vehicle: for me it all comes down to your principle use. If you're going to be towing a trailer regularly and for long distances then in the long run you'll most likely be happier and safer with a more appropriate vehicle. You have to factor in pulling power but also weight, payload capacity, and stability under load. The official payload capacity of the Fit is relatively low (about four 'Murican adults if they frequent McDonald's). Your Fit won't crumble if you exceed that, but if you're always at or above the limit then you'll be safer with a more appropriate vehicle for your lifestyle.

If something like 75-80% of your driving is without a trailer, then maybe you can make the Fit work for trailer duty the rest of the time. I don't know where that dividing line is for you, or honestly where it would be for me. I've been quite happy to have a Fit for long distance driving plus a Nissan Leaf EV for my wife's commute and short trips. A couple times per year we rent a Lowe's truck when we need more capability. You indicated that you might look at a small truck/SUV but I would recommend you also investigate mid-size cars (vs the compact Fit). Something like a Forester or Outback would be a pretty big step up from a Fit in payload capability while still returning better unloaded efficiency than a small SUV or truck, unless the hybrid Maverick would fit your needs.

2) General towing recommendations are similar for all vehicles. First, if you're normally an aggressive driver smack yourself across the face and try to forget everything you know. Drive defensively and expect other drivers to cut you off and behave irrationally. Anticipate stops, turns, and downhills well ahead of time. If you can avoid it, try not to drive in to situations that you'll have to back out of. Use your transmission and engine braking to control your speed on downhills; don't ride your brakes regardless of what sort of pads you put on. Similarly, run in a lower gear on uphills to avoid lugging your engine. Pay attention to road conditions, especially wind speed and direction. A trailer with brakes will be safer than the alternative, especially with a lightweight Fit.

3) You have the right idea about getting an engine temperature gauge. Figure out if your gauge of choice is giving you coolant or oil temperature or if you can see both. Even with the transmission cooler, I would try to monitor transmission temperature as well.

4) There are threads here where people have put airbags in the rear springs to help with payload capacity. That might be worth investigating further and would probably be a better approach than upgrading to higher capacity springs that might cause unpredictable handling issues when you're unloaded.

5) If at all possible, beg/borrow/rent/steal your target camper/trailer (or similar) so that you can test out pulling it with your Fit. That's really the only way you'll know how it's going to work and if you're comfortable with the Fit as a tow vehicle without the larger expense of buying a trailer.

 

My suggestion is to get an older basic Honda Odyssey or a Dodge Grand Caravan ($4,000) and remove all back seats. You have much more room and you can get from the driver seat to the rear without having to leave the car to set up the popup tent. Besides you will be much safer inside the van in unknown surroundings.