I have a hitch installed on my 2007 Chevrolet HHR, though I've never actually towed with it. It's on there from the previous owner. I'm 18 and I'm going to college this fall, and I'm wondering if I could tow a 4X8 U-haul enclosed trailer lightly to moderately loaded. I know that towing capacity of the HHR is 1,000 pounds, and the U-haul trailer's weight is 850 pounds. I plan on taking my moped with me, which weighs 200 pounds. Then, I'm taking all of the normal stuff you'd take with to college (clothes, maybe a mini-fridge, a microwave, a small tv, you know, stuff like that). I figure the weight of the U-haul trailer by the time I have all my stuff in it will be 1100, maybe 1200 pounds. I've read that the Pontiac Vibe can tow 1500 pounds, and that has a smaller engine and the same type of brakes. 200 pounds more is basically like having another person in your car. I don't drive like a typical 18-year-old, I take it very easy on my HHR because I'm proud of it and I want it to last me a long time. The college I'm going to is 5 1/2 hours and 325 miles away from where I live. The trip is completely 4-lane highway driving, no stop and go driving. My HHR has the 2.4L engine in it and it has a Class I hitch which is rated to tow up to 2000 pounds. Do you think I can tow 1100-1200 pounds without damaging my HHR? Should I use a heavy-duty transmission cooler? I need some advice, what do you think?

 

The towing limit relates to what kind of stresses the unibody structure can withstand without pulling out of shape. I wouldn't exceed it. I don't know anything about trailers, but I would think a motocross-bike open-air type would be lighter than the enclosed U-Hauler. You could buy one off Craigslist, then sell it when you're done.

 

Oh I've seen people pulling tons with the HHR...doesn't look good though...

 

I had no choice but to pull a Uhaul with my 2LT about a year and a half ago. It did just fine as far as pulling and braking. Just make sure you don't think you're going to go full speed on the expressway or be able to stop on a dime.

This was a one way haul for about 3 hours and I don't know I'd have done any more than that. It was physically taxing on me as I was much more alert to everything the HHR, the trailer and the other traffic were doing for those three hours.

 

Do a search on towing and you will get a bunch of opinions. The jist of it is that the unibody and transmision determine how much you can pull. If you have the manual transmision, i guess it is beleieved that you shouldnt tow much because the torque ratio is lower than that of the automatic. That being said many on here have towed with a manual including myself. Remember if you do tow more than the 1000lb rating on the hhr you do it at your own risk. If something breaks you will have to eat the cost yourself, because likely a dealer will not stand behind it. My hitch was installed on my manual 2.2L hhr by the dealer, and they said nothing about it being a problem. It was only on further research that i found this. I personally have pulled a 1000lb trailer with a couch on it, and a 1300lb camper. I had zero problems both times. I plan to strip the camper down to under 1000lbs this spring, so i can assure i wont have any problems.

 

One last thing to add, is that the GMC terrain and Chevy equinox with your same 2.4L engine has a tow rating of 1500lbs. The question is isthat platform a stronger uni-body or similar.

 

They have a different/better trans for one.

Anyway to the OP's question, you could probably get away with it but it is definitely over the recommended limit. I did tow an open trailer with my motorcycle on it from Chicago to North Carolina (probably 800 lbs or so) when I had my 2LT. It did the job, but the car was working hard. The next year I towed the trailer with my wife's Freestyle. It was a night and day difference...The car just seemed to handle the trailer much easier.

 

That wgt limit of 1000 lbs also includes, you and everything else inside the HHR also. I have gone over the limit but don't know by how much but only on a short haul and I could feel it on acceleration and braking. Take all that into account before tempting the venture. Like HHRemi said, you may want to look for a lighter weight trailer.

Even though the HHR and Terrain and Equinox all use a 2.4L engine they are not the same. Each has a different bore and stroke and the vehicles have different gearing. You CAN NOT get the tow pkg on the Equinox unless it has the larger 3.0L V6 where as the Terrain with the 2.4 can tow 1500# because of different gear set up according to the dealer, I was at a GMC dealer to place an order.
Actual displace of the 2.4 on GMC=2.401cc compression ratio 11.4, Equinox disp is 2.409 with a com ratio 11.7 and the HHR disp is 2.384 cc with compression of 10.4; and you would think the equinox could tow since it has a large displacement but the dealer says it is because of the gearing that prevents it with the 2.4 engine.

 

Thanks for all your help. I have the automatic transmission on my HHR, and I've been very satisfied with it. I've never questioned its performance and whether or not it will hold up. It seems like a very good transmission for such a small car. And my HHR has 94,000 miles, but they're not all from me. The previous owner did a lot of commuting. When I make this trip, I would be the only person inside my car. On uhaul.com, it says the maximum recommended speed for towing a trailer is 55 mph. If I were going to tow a trailer, I wouldn't drive any faster than that for safety reasons and so its not as stressful on my car. The trip is 95% cruising on the highway. I take one highway for 3 1/2 hours and another highway for 2 hours; it's a pretty straight shot. There's not a lot of switching highways and going through towns or anything like that; the only braking I'll have to do is at the start of my trip and at the end of my trip. And I realize that the 2.4L engine in the HHR isn't the same as the one in the 2010 Equinox; that one has direct injection and different technology I think. So here's another question for everyone: Would it be any less stressful on my HHR to fold all the seats down, and put everything except my moped inside my HHR, then tow only my moped in the 4X8 U-haul trailer? Then, the weight of the trailer would be 1,050 pounds, and I'd have some stuff inside my car. I'd still prefer to use the enclosed trailer because I don't want to worry about my moped flying off the trailer. At least if it tips over in the enclosed trailer, its still not going anywhere. What do you think?

 

I don't think U-Haul allows for any gasoline powered vehicles inside their enclosed trailers..... You may want to check on that......