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Hey guys. So I've read the posts about towing. Not a good idea. Even a jet ski. That being said, I have a small, light trailer and I ordered a 108lb solo skiff. I have Thule roof racks that I've used the last year to carry my 70lb kayak. No issues once I raised the rear coilovers up a bit (also 2 12" fosgates in trunk, and the magnets, box add weight). Can it be done without any issues or future issues. I'm not towing 1000 lbs here, not even remotely close. With 2 people, I could simply put the solo skiff on the roof, but I usually fish alone, and lifting 108lbs isn't exactly great for my back. 70lbs was bad enough. My only other option is to get a lift assist bar roller and suction cup it to the rear window and roll the skiff up onto the rack. Downside of this is I do NOT want 110lbs of weight on my back window, I've read stories of the window blowing out. So that leaves me with a short jet ski trailer and 108 lb load. Another option I have would be to hang two long pieces of PVC pipe on to the ends of the rails and slide the skiff up onto the roof. Here's a photo with the 70lb kayak. This is the current load in the trunk.
These are some of my lighter hauls with my 8.. Trailer is a harbor freight 4'x4.5' tow trailer. My heaviest haul was a set of 4 wheels w/tires on them, a floor jack, a cooler, and some basic tools with a pop-up tent for a autox day. I can say that I do believe I did not feel the trailer at all but that is likely due to the fact I turbocharged my 8 and it does have more low end and overall power compared to your typical 8. The trailer and everything on it was probably a few hundred pounds, however the trick to making it much easier on the car to tow is to properly load and balance all the loaded cargo you are hauling. I like to do my best to arrange items on my trailer so that the tongue weight on my 8 is minimal, maybe at max 50lb tongue weight. My current ride height is 13-3/4" from hub center to top of fender arch in the rear (13-1/2" in the front). What I like to do is load up the trailer, pick up the tongue of it, and if I can comfortably walk halfway down the block and back without much effort, I'd be content with hooking it up to the 8. Even if the trailer weighed 800lbs, it would be relatively manageable to pull if tongue weight was minimal. Also, I highly advise educating yourself on safe driving practices and skills to apply while towing, as growing up in South Florida and seeing all the "what not to do" of towing stuff (mostly boats), one could argue that the biggest risk factor in towing anything with any vehicle is actually operator error. Growing up, I regularly pulled boats of various sizes using a variety of vehicles. Learning safe towing practices I would argue being so critical that it should be a requirement to pass a separate driving test specifically to permit an individual to tow any trailer (similar to getting different Endorsements on your drivers license or a different license class).
Please, educate yourself for everyone's safety. I will be making a video to better show my setup for towing by mid-November. You can monitor my youtube channel for that. Stay safe
Last edited by Ricky SE3P; 09-20-2021 at 03:59 PM.
Reason: Couple word and spelling corrections.
Ricky, thank you for the valuable info! Safety is always Paramount. I've towed several boats, with cars and trucks in my time, but never with a sports car, that's why your input is so valuable. Fortunately, the cargo is very light, as well as the tiny trailer I have. Maybe 300 lbs total. Still, I will be paying close attention to this thread Thank you!!
I have a Rotary Engine Pick Up that I tow my 2300lb rx7 race car to the track with. An rx-8 has more power, and stops better. The kayak and even a jet ski should be no problem.
There are other factors apart from specific power outputs. Torque is important. In this case our RX8 is not alot.
Transmission, rear suspension, chassis tongue weight capacity to name a few. In general, you do not want the total payload weight to be higher than half of the towing vehicle's weight.
09-20-2021, 01:48 PM
