Towing with an HHR....
 

Hello all, i was wondering if any one has used there HHR for towing, if so what do you pull? Anyone pull a trailer if so what size and total weight of the trailer and cargo? Can you add air shocks to the rear?

How was the gas mileage affected?

Im thinking about pulling a 5x8 aluminum trailer with 2 bikes on it one being a 260 lb dual sport the other a 500 lb street bike plus mics stuff like a cooler gas can grill....can a 2.2 HHR handle it?

There is a ton of threads on this forum about towing. If you do a search, you should find a lot of stuff. Personally, I have used my HHR for towing before. I have a 2.4L auto. The maximum weight that you're supposed to tow is 1000 lbs. They say if you shouldn't tow with a manual transmission. I guess it can wear out the clutch too fast. The trailer I've pulled was an 8X10 open-top trailer. I estimate it weighs about 500 pounds. I've been using it to tow mopeds lately. Last weeked, I towed two mopeds side by side with a weight bench on the front of the trailer too. So 500 lbs for the trailer, 150 lbs for each moped, and about 100 lbs for the weight set comes out to 900 lbs that I was towing. As far as how low gas mileage drops, it depends on how much you tow and your driving habits while towing. I've gotten as low as 21.5 mpg towing but also have gotten as high as 24 mpg too. As far as your question about air shocks, I don't know the answer. Your load sounds a little on the heavy side depending on how much that trailer weighs. Some people here have added external transmission coolers to their HHR to avoid damage to the transmission. If you wanna play it safe, you probably wouldn't want to use your HHR to tow that load. You might be able to without any trouble, but it would be risky and probably not the best thing to do.

Tounge weight is 100 lbs on a class one hitch

early 80's Cavalier air bags will fit the rear springs no problem,,just slip inside no dissassembly required.....I pull a #800 harley around on a #200 lb foldable trailer and get 27 mpg........but I also have the SS..auto...only mod I did was to shim the reciever with speed tape (aluminum) to deaden the banging around back there.

Got a pic of that install on the SS?

I'm sure woody is aware, but for anyone else you will void the warranty if you tow in an SS. I do not know why it is not supposed to be used for towing, but it isn't.

But why don't you say you're not towing...you're using it as a rack for luggage, bikes, etc. How could they prove otherwise?

Thats my story..........cant prove you towed with it...I think its because of the turbo, some folks would forget theres something behind them and spool that sucker up which would probably result in breakage of parts or tires of which neither is desirable at hwy speeds

towing with an HHR (2.4 Ltier)
 

I tow stuff all the time in a 5x8 trailer.Also the roof racks come in handy with a 5" 1x1 You must use common sense. My trailer has a loading rack, with is great for holding a spare tie, or loading a lawnmower, as it lowers to the ground. However, it it a huge wind brake going down the road. I can only expect 18-20 miles/gallon in a rural setting.I do miss my pick-up truck:red:check out my gallery by clicking on the camera on the left. Just remember, IT AIN"T A TRUCK!