Hello,

Thinking of buying a Honda Fit/Jazz 1.4 VTEC (2nd gen.). Has anyone experience with towing a folding trailer or a caravan?

thanks for your information.
Rob

 

I don't have the experience, but the manual states you shouldn't tow anything at all... if you plan to, I imagine it better be a waaaaaaaaay light of a package.

 

I would recommend that you do not tow anything at all! Cousin of mine towed a small folding caravan with his vitz and it resulted in a new tranny and clutch. These are commuter cars, not recreational vehicles with beefy parts.

 

The responses you're likely to get from the US folks mostly won't be favorable to towing anything with the Fit. I think the Fit is rated to tow something like 1000kg (with trailer brakes) in Europe, but in the US the manual and specs say you shouldn't tow anything with it. While in Europe it's common for people to pull trailers with small cars, in the US most people think you need a truck to tow anything. Also, European caravan/trailer manufacturers offer some lightweight models suited for towing with smaller cars. As I recall as well, the caravan and hitch setup is different over there such that European-designed caravans have less weight on the hitch than US trailers do.

We have one of the smaller traditional popup/folding trailers available in the US and its base weight is something like 1800 pounds. With propane, junk stored inside, A/C on the roof (we're in Texas), it's most likely pushing 2200+ pounds. Even a small trailer like this is more than the Euro tow rating for the Fit. As such, we won't be towing it with the Fit and will likely go back to tent camping. About the only caravans over here that would be towable by the Fit (within the Euro ratings) would be the type that are basically a tent on a utility trailer...

Topo-Tent.com - TOPO Crossover Basecamp

 

I was thinking about this myself. You might try a hitch-mounted storage box in the rear. You can get a decent sized one for around $400-$500 but I keep thinking one of these might look reeeeally silly on the back of a little old Fit.

 

txmat,

In my country, Netherlands one person has experience with towing a caravan of 850kg. He was driving a Jazz 1.4 dsi 83 ps. He sad it was ok. I want to tow maximum 1000 kg. In the US yuo have also light foldong trailers maximum weight with luggage 1000kg (fleetwood?).

Thank's for the information

 

Yes, we have a Fleetwood Yuma which is not their smallest camper, but one size up from the smallest (9' 6" box I think). It is around 725kg base weight but I think the max weight (which is usually closer to the real weight if the camper has a few options and gear loaded in it) is almost 1100kg.

I'm pretty open to towing more weight than most people would, but that's more than even I would want to tow with the Fit. I have towed the Yuma with a VW Passat Estate/Variant/Wagon rated for ~1600kg towing as I recall, and it was fine, but not relaxed. You definitely knew the weight was back there, had to be aware of sway, and it just made for a more stressful drive. I can only imagine it would be worse in the Fit.

@secondspassed - One of the main towing limitations in regular passenger cars is their inability to handle the hitch weight. If you do the hitch box, be aware that you'll be putting that weight rearward of the back bumper, which will be more exagerated as far as suspension load than if it were in the vehicle. Try to limit the gear in the box to light/bulky stuff, epsecially if you'll also have gear or people in the back of the car.

 

In Australia, Honda sells a hitch for the fit!!!!!!!
Guys here arent used to towing with small cars like Europe and the rest of the world.

My experiance is,,,, (with my 07) towed a Yamaha 4 stroke 550 lb snowmobile on a single place trailer (900 lbs? altogether)
Worked fantastic (studded snow tires) for probably 1200 miles altogether for the season.

 

Motorcycle popup trailers can be towed by anything, they tend to weigh 200lbs or so and have a 20-30lb tongue weight.