Towing The Elio / Towing With The Elio

[JEBar]

Absolutely agree, and how much would it cost to repair/replace parts on a $6800 vehicle. Peace of mind (happy wife) is worth far more than that.

agree with a provision .... adding any non-factory approved option can negate the OEM warranty on any components affected adding that item .... the question then becomes defining the OEM components affected .... example : the warranty on the part of the frame to which the trailer hitch was connected might be negated but the warranty covering the frame on the other end of the Elio would most likely remain in effect .... where it get touchy would be in defining the items .... I can see compelling arguments for the suspending the warranty on the motor and transmission as well .... bottom line, at this point everything is open to question and nothing is known for sure

 

[Mark327]

agree with a provision .... adding any non-factory approved option can negate the OEM warranty on any components affected adding that item .... the question then becomes defining the OEM components affected .... example : the warranty on the part of the frame to which the trailer hitch was connected might be negated but the warranty covering the frame on the other end of the Elio would most likely remain in effect .... where it get touchy would be in defining the items .... I can see compelling arguments for the suspending the warranty on the motor and transmission as well .... bottom line, at this point everything is open to question and nothing is known for sure

Exactly.

The mount points are being placed, because we're asking for them. In reality, (IMO...) you mount a hitch, and pull anything, you've trashed the warranty.
I'm hoping for a removable (no tools required) back seat.

 

[Mike W]

I guess my wife and I look at traveling and hauling a bunch of stuff with us as something that defeats the idea of travel. Travel for us is the trip and what we can experience along the way and hauling along excess stuff isn't condusive to that experience. Now, I'm not talking about camping, that's a whole different animal. You shouldn't be trying that with the Elio unless you are doing it by yourself so you can pile stuff up in the back seat. I'm just talking about a road trip. There are certain things you should take with you when you travel but there are a lot of things you don't need to haul with you or can pick up along the way. If you plan on hauling something, the Elio should be your last choice of vehicle to do that with. Shoot, adding a hitch to my Fit would have voided the warranty! It's quite a bit bigger and more powerful. Seems to me that towing something with the Elio is like entering the Iditarod with a team of 10 Yorkies! Nice dogs but not made for that purpose.

 

[AriLea]

If you plan on hauling something, the Elio should be your last choice of vehicle to do that with. Shoot, adding a hitch to my Fit would have voided the warranty! It's quite a bit bigger and more powerful. Seems to me that towing something with the Elio is like entering the Iditarod with a team of 10 Yorkies! Nice dogs but not made for that purpose.

In any case, it's the road trip warriors that want this. I think the largest thing they want is room for sleeping bags, clothes and maybe a small tent. Warrantee or not, they're going to do it.

 

[Jim H]

In any case, it's the road trip warriors that want this. I think the largest thing they want is room for sleeping bags, clothes and maybe a small tent. Warrantee or not, they're going to do it.

I can tell you one small suitcase will not work for my wife no matter how short or long the trip is. She takes more than that just for a weekend. trip.

 

[Jim H]

agree with a provision .... adding any non-factory approved option can negate the OEM warranty on any components affected adding that item .... the question then becomes defining the OEM components affected .... example : the warranty on the part of the frame to which the trailer hitch was connected might be negated but the warranty covering the frame on the other end of the Elio would most likely remain in effect .... where it get touchy would be in defining the items .... I can see compelling arguments for the suspending the warranty on the motor and transmission as well .... bottom line, at this point everything is open to question and nothing is known for sure

It's either a very light small trailer or a narrow Yamaha roof mounted carrier. Hoping to make long trips to maximize the Elio benefits and it will be necessary to take more than one small suitcase

 

[ecdriver711]

I wonder what is the narrowest track a light trailer can safely have. I see the short length but wide trailers (wide compared to the Elio). It seems maybe narrower would be more aerodynamic.

 

[goofyone]

I wonder what is the narrowest track a light trailer can safely have. I see the short length but wide trailers (wide compared to the Elio). It seems maybe narrower would be more aerodynamic.

If you look around you can easily find narrow and relatively light utility trailers which would be perfect for Elio towing. My plan is to build or buy something like this:

Both of these trailers are relatively light and inexpensive as they both came from harbor freight. The first one is built on a harbor freight chassis and uses a standard roof carrier bolted to it and the second one is a complete harbor freight unit.

Base trailer without storage unit - http://www.harborfreight.com/870-lb...ailer-with-8-inch-wheels-and-tires-42708.html
Complete Trailer - http://www.harborfreight.com/600-lb-capacity-78-inch-tag-along-trailer-66771.html

There are a few inexpensive upgrades which should be done to these inexpensive trailers to make them ride better and lost longer. It helps greatly to upgrade the wheel bearings and pack them in good quality grease as this will make them last a long time without giving you much trouble along the way. Isolating the leaf springs using some thick rubber pads will make the trailer handle much nicer. Also upgrading the wheels and tires plus purchasing a spare at the same time will make everything ride nicer and save you hassles down the road.

 

[Mark327]

http://www.harborfreight.com/600-lb-capacity-78-inch-tag-along-trailer-66771.html

I like this....

 

[Ty]

View attachment 5012 Here's one.

I like the size of that trailer. I hope the attach point extends past the wheel (the ball) so that you can make left turns without hitting the tire. I know it's just a graphical representation of an idea. But, I hadn't thought about how the hitch will have to attach ahead and beside the rear tire and extend back. Nice trailer though. I want one.