2015 Honda CRV (1500lb tow max) as tow vehicle for 13'?

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Benfrank76
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2015 Honda CRV (1500lb tow max) as tow vehicle for 13'?

Have a 1994 13' Scamp.  Towed it with our 2006 Subaru forester last year but has had some problems as of late.  Don't have much money for a new vehicle but we do have a 2015 Honda CRV.  Wondering if there's anything we can do to that vehicle and tow our Scamp with that this summer?  It maxes out at 1500 which I know is cutting it close.  We live in Colorado so lots of mountain driving.  Our scamp is pretty bare bones no fridge or bathroom setup/1 propane tank.

Is this dangerous or any experinces with scampers using these types of tow vehciles?

Greg A
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Towing with CRV

Has it been done, probably. Should it be done, probably not.

Our 1981(bare bones) 13 packed for a trip, and weighed on scales came out around 1900lbs. You'll be similar to our numbers. You don't mention how many people, but your payload on 15 CRV is about 1100 lbs. That doesn't allow much for passengers and carrying anything in the vehicle. Most recommend a 10-20% safety margin for towing calculations. If you take 10% off your 1500 rating you are at 1350. A dry scamp won't be under that weight.

Personally, would not recommend it. You'd most likely be over the tow rating by a good bit and not safely below.

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salukispeed
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Really pushing

You would really be pushing the limits even on moderately flat land  and mountains would be much more severe.  Another determining factor for me is, if it has electric brakes as the CRV is a wonderful vehicle but not known as a robust TV, as a one time use to get it home it would likely do ok but as a normal use Not so much. Just based on opinion and my limited use last year with a 2018 Subaru crosstrek 6 speed  manual of my wives pulling our 2019 13 with Brakes and bath but no roof top AC.  

2019 Scamp 13 standard

markjazzbassist
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if you take that CRV across

if you take that CRV across the ocean it magically turns into a 3300 lb tow rating.  nothing done, simply changing the location.  you may think i'm jesting, but i'm serious, look it up.  I own a 2008 Honda CRV and tow a 1987 Scamp 16 with it (i have brakes on the Scamp).  I have no issues with it, but i live in the flat midwest. You state you have brakes on yours, plus it's without the heavier items.  Personally i wouldn't be worried but I'd do a couple trips and see how it tows in the mountains.  Remember to drive with the overdrive OFF and DON'T use cruise control (per the manual).

 

I plan on getting a more robust tow vehicle in the future, but for now, the CRV is paid off and does fine.

1987 Scamp 16

Greg A
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Insurance Company

I personally don't use tow specs from EU or AUS for a variety of reasons, but mostly legal.

The best way to get a definitive answer that will make sure you are protected is to call your insurance company and ask whether it would affect your auto policy if you tow over recommended towing specs and you have an accident. If they say they'll fully cover you towing over spec and you're comfortable doing it then you have a good answer. Insurance coverage is not an answer you want to find out after an accident. yes

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athearn2
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Different CRVs

European vehicles may be different. Different suspension, different engines because they follow different emission standards, etc. A lot of things you can buy in Europe look exactly like the same as products you can buy in the US but may have different components inside, cameras for example. And the European cameras are not warranted here. Be careful!

markjazzbassist
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it's not different.  i spent

it's not different.  i spent a lot of time researching it.  go to honda forums, they say the same thing.  in the 1987 manual and brochure for my scamp, they have sedans pulling the 13 and 16 Scamp models.  i'm not advocating that, i'm just saying the US standards are what they are due to Lawyers not due to actual tow ratings.  

 

tow at your own risk, but it works fine on mine.

1987 Scamp 16

Mr.T
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Europe has lower speed limits for trailers (caravans)

Europe generally has speed limits for RV trailers of 49 mph (80 kmh).  Here in the US some places are 75 mph.  And they run a little less percentage for the tongue weight, presumably due to lower speed limits.  That's probably the biggest reason for the difference...

Greg A
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EU tow rates

You are "dead" on why the EU tow ratings are higher than US on same or similar vehicles. Europe loads tongue weight at 4-7% vs US loads at 10-15%. By reducing the tongue load to 4-7% the mfgr will increase the tow rating of the vehicle because most of the stress transfers off the vehicle and back on the trailer axles. Europe does not allow towing in excess of 60mph because of this and most in EU tow much slower. If you tongue load a trailer below 10% and go faster than 60 you will encounter very dangerous sway and will most likely lose control at some point. Many of the trailer accidents you see pictures of were caused by improper loading which created sway and loss of control at higher speed.

If you tow over US specs and your tongue weight is 10% or higher your vehicle is not rated for that stress and it's useful life will be shortened.

If you want to offload the tongue weight to 4-7% you can tow to the higher specs without harming the vehicle, however, it will create a very squirrelly towing experience that is potentially very dangerous with higher speeds. You often see the comments when someone adds a bike rack to the rear of the trailer and they report they had to remove it because they couldn't control the vehicle. The reason for this is you are weighting the rear of the trailer and offloading the tongue weight percentage which improperly loads the trailer and decreases tongue weight.

Again, as I stated above, if your Insurance agent approves of you towing over spec, then at least your covered. I can't imagine any Insurance agent putting themselves in that kind of liability position, but if they do, get it in writing. My guess is that folks that tow over spec don't ever tell their insurance agents, but it's the first thing the accident investigator will check when they encounter a towing accident.

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markjazzbassist
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yes and if you are towing in

yes and if you are towing in the US you should be doing 60-65 (Max) mph and driving slower as well.  this ensures the best performance and gas mileage.  no overdrive and no cruise control.  

1987 Scamp 16

Mr.T
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Driving slow can be a hazard too

A real life example, Hwy 95 in Nevada has a 70 mph limit for every vehicle.  1 lane each direction, very few passing lanes or places to pull over, and the average speed is about 74 mph.  Driving 60-65 will back up a line of trucks and cars, some of which will try passing when it is not safe.  There's gentle turns, and small hills that hide oncoming traffic.

It's not just a Nevada issue, lots of the US has highways like this with similar problems for vehicles that can't go with the flow.  Most will eventually give in and try going faster...

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