I have a 69 ski twin by starcraft I was planning on pulling it with mine it's aluminum can't see how it would weigh more than 500. It looked good behind my 65 c10 should look period correct behind the HHR. Yes the boats nose deck is blue, as was the truck, could be a trend developing here ??

 

OK Sam, just admit it, you are an unusually tall Smurf and your cover has been blown.

 

They are blue, maybe I'll download that new movie and see what they are up to .

 

No issues with mine. Rarely used & when used always under 1000 lbs total tow. I do 2 smaller loads when needed.

Older Pics before becoming Lil' Hearse...

 

Look, I'm all for safety, but all of the legal crap manufacturers have to put in print for the US to cover themselves in case of a lawsuit is just ridiculous. In other countries the same vehicle sold in the US is rated to tow much more, here because people push the limit and then try to blame everybody else, we have these crazy limits. That being said, the HHR is probably fine to tow a small trailer or boat up to the max of a class 1 hitch which is usually 2000lbs. I had a Honda CRV, similiar size and slightly less power than the HHR that I towed a small enclosed trailer with that was loaded with a garden tractor, furniture, etc. easily pushing 1800 lbs+ and had no problems on a seven hour drive with it. If you use common sense, keep your distance behind other drivers and most importantly, do not let the transmission get hot, keep it in 3rd gear, you will be fine. These vehicles can handle occasional towing with no ill effects.

 

The key words........

Unfortunately, it's loss on most out there....

 

I've towed many different types of trailers with various vehicles and capabilities (or lack there of) over the years. I don't care what the lawyers say, IMO, the simple fact of the matter is that the HHR is not a tow vehicle for anything other than VERY light duty, short distance jobs. Any more and you really need a truck or SUV with more capability. Its like trying to use a flat blade screw driver to pry up a 1/2 in. metal grate. It might work in a pinch, but eventually the screw driver is going to lose.

We've chosen a small vehicle for certain reasons. Expecting it to tow any significant weight isn't any more realistic than if I expected my 4500# Trailblazer to get much above 21 MPG on the freeway. Ain't gonna happen.

OK, I gotta ask this question: Are you using a temp gauge on your transmission? Otherwise, how do you know how hot its running?

EDIT: I thought of something that I see get discussed from time to time on rv.net. While you may choose to push the towing capacity of your vehicle over its limits, if you are involved in a serious accident, one has to wonder what civil liabilities you open yourself up to. Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of a personal liability lawsuit?

 

IMO the HHR is far too light a vehicle, and too lightly built, to tow virtually anything. Even if you have the torque to get an additional 1,000 pounds moving, getting it stopped on a 6.5% downgrade when something completely unexpected happens in front of you, is probably going to generate more excitment that you will want to entertain. Just my thoughts!!!!!

 

I pull around a 99 Seadoo Speedster(1310lbs) sparingly with mine, and I have the Curt hitch. The trailer does have its own brakes though.

I only take it from the parking lot to my parents house(3 miles), and occasionally to work to clean the boat(30 miles). The car does a descent job of pulling the boat around, but I don't travel at highway speeds, and kinda take the slow ride.

We always hook it to my dad's Jeep when we're heading out to the lake.

I just can't see the HHR being reliable enough to lug the boat to the lake, and get it out of the water successfully, then drive all the way back home.

 

Good point. I tow the HHR behind a 40,000 pound motor home, but still have a braking setup (US gear Brake System) on the HHR, despite the fact that the motor home really doesn't notice the HHR behind it. Just seems to be common sense to me.