I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

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Hope2BuyVibeTomorrow
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Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:58 pm

I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by Hope2BuyVibeTomorrow »

Hiya folks

I bought a teardrop travel trailer a few months ago

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It is Awesome! Kitchen, sleep space, storage, water reservoir, .... it's total glamping!

I've taken it out a few times now and am wondering

1) Am I killing my 2004 Vibe 130,000KM by towing ~750 pounds 10 times per year for 6 hours at a time
2) Is it normal for the car to struggle to tow this trailer? I am by far the slowest car in the road when I'm towing this thing. Going on flat terrain I can accelerate up to 100km/h , going up hills 60/70km/h . Anything higher and the transmission kicks into ~4500/5000 RPM in 1st/2nd gear , very loud, a worrisome sound!

I follow the maintenance schedule for the car and usually turn off A/C before going up big hills

There are no dashboard indicators for any issues I'm just surprised that the car is so slow when it's towing and am wondering if it's the same for everyone else too
2004 Pontiac Vibe Base Automatic Orange on Gray Cladding
GenVibe Rules!
pakong
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by pakong »

Well the fact that the trailer is not V-shaped at the front helps to create a lot more drag doesn't help either. I don't think that a 1.8 L engine has the torque to pull even a small trailer without a struggle. When I drive to Toronto,I have trouble going over the mountains in Pennsylvania.
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vibrologist
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by vibrologist »

Obviously the trailer is a drag on weight and aerodynamics. A roof spoiler that kicks up the air over the trailer may help some.
I would turn off overdrive.
Consider installing a separate transmission oil cooler.
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe

"It is important to know the difference between 'accurate' and 'precise' even if you are neither!"

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Caretaker

Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by Caretaker »

Question: would you tow a small trailer behind a Toyota Corolla?
Answer: no you would not.
You need to get a different car for that trailer. Vibe's should not "tow" more than two bicycles on the back with two adults riding in the car.
Hope2BuyVibeTomorrow
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by Hope2BuyVibeTomorrow »

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I'm going to attach a tarp from one vehicle's roof rack to the other one's for the next trip to see if it changes anything.

As a longer term goal , I would like to find a car that is equally fuel efficient to the vibe (or better) that does a better job towing and driving on unpaved roads (forest service roads that are all pebbles and gravel).

Fuel in BC is insanely expensive and I categorically hate going to gas stations.

Welcoming any and all suggestions on this.
2004 Pontiac Vibe Base Automatic Orange on Gray Cladding
GenVibe Rules!
Caretaker

Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by Caretaker »

while I am VERY high on the current CRV, RAV, Forester, Tucson, SUV category, I personally would not tow with a CVT transmission. There is simply not enough data to show they can hold up to the strain. As such, I'd opt for a Mazda CX5 with a 6 speed tranny or the manual gear box on the base Forester. Of course it all depends on your budget. The CX5 has been rock solid since its inception and used ones can be had for a song now that the newest version is out. However, towing and good gas mileage do NOT go hand in hand. It is a matter of you deciding which is more important: great gas mileage 90% of the time or towing capability 10% of the time.

And by the way, that's a beautiful Vibe you have there; congrats on finding that beauty 8-)
Hope2BuyVibeTomorrow
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:58 pm

Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by Hope2BuyVibeTomorrow »

Yeah I do love orange crush
awesome car
paid only $5K CDN for it , didn't negotiate with the sellers one bit , was just so stoked to get a low mileage one-owner Vibe , despite the rust
Paid $1,500 for the teardrop

What can I say I have a knack for getting lucky with craigslist deals

For my next car I'd like to pay up to $10,000 CDN
CX5 is still too new for such prices
And , no offence but there is nothing more bland than a Subaru

I guess I'll just get accustomed to towing with the Vibe and budget for extra time + O/D off + travel as light as possible

For a city car I could not have asked for anything better! 10L/100KM city, 7L/100KM highway !
2004 Pontiac Vibe Base Automatic Orange on Gray Cladding
GenVibe Rules!
Caretaker

Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by Caretaker »

he, he, he....yep, the Forester is definitely the perfect car for us aging folks. It has A+ visibility, A+ ingress/egress capability, and it holds a lot of stuff.
I didn't do a craigslist search, but on cars.com, there was a 2013 CX5 within 75 miles of Seattle for $12,000 with bargaining room no doubt. https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/deta ... /overview/
The Honda Fit is the ultimate bullet proof reliable city car, but with a 1.5 liter engine, towing would be suicidal.
tommytipover
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by tommytipover »

I drive a 5sp. so I'm not familiar with the layout of the automatics. Is it possible to drive the car without using top gear? I've seen quite a few towing threads here, I think even people towing Vibes with their Vibe :)
tommytipover
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ImUrOBGYN
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by ImUrOBGYN »

tommytipover wrote:I drive a 5sp. so I'm not familiar with the layout of the automatics. Is it possible to drive the car without using top gear? I've seen quite a few towing threads here, I think even people towing Vibes with their Vibe :)
Yes. As was mentioned above, there is an Overdrive switch onthe autos that can be turned off.

As far as towing with the Vibe:
The O/D (overdrive) switch can be left on given a couple conditions:
1. The trans isn't gear hunting through a hilly area. Constant gear switches are far harder on a trans than a steady, higher rpm. Heat is the killer!
2. And this is the most important and should not be considered a choice, but an absolute - purchase and install a transmission cooler. This is the #1 modification for extending the life of your transmission.

Don't sweat driving at 4500-5000rpms if needed as long as your engine and cooling system are healthy. The 1.8L 1zz engine, and most n/a small liter engines, aren't torquey motors and aren't going to feel particularly powerful once you start towing/hill climbing. Small 4cyl engine generally make their power higher in the rpm band, anyway. Keeping it in a higher gear and forcing the car to struggle more will be more damaging in the long term.

For your ride height, there are a few options. You can use spring spacers - a cheap and quick alternative. There are also air bags setups ranging from the pretty cheap to the extremely expensive. You can look into adjustable coilovers or try to find a stiffer spring that will help. It'll take a bit of research to decide what works for you.

In the meantime, get rid of ANY excess weight from the car and trailer. Consider changing things out like, for example, corningware plates and cups for plastic picnic plates and cups and so on.

Good luck. I'm sure there are things I've forgotten.
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered. - George Best
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vibrologist
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by vibrologist »

I'm going to attach a tarp from one vehicle's roof rack to the other one's for the next trip to see if it changes anything.
That's not a good idea at all. A tarp will flap around and actually cause more drag than the firm surfaces of the car and trailer.
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe

"It is important to know the difference between 'accurate' and 'precise' even if you are neither!"

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=43476
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MacGyver
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by MacGyver »

With the Vibe you really want to avoid pulling a trailer and having three passengers and a full load of stuff in the trunk. Yes, the Vibe can pull a trailer, but inevitably drivers want to cram the trailer and car full of gear.
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joatmon
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by joatmon »

My Vibe has trouble keeping speed going over mountains without it downshifting into the 4-5 K rpm range. I don't think its drag or weight, just the nature of the beast. Only being able to hit 100 km/h on flat is either wind drag or trailer brake drag, but I wouldn't do the tarp thing

The owners manual says not to tow anything over 1500 pounds, shoudl be able to handle a 750 pound trailer.

a tranny cooler is a good idea. The way the tranny lines hook up to the radiator makes it convenient to splice in a secondary tranny cooler.

Its not for me to say if the cost of getting and feeding a different vehicle is worth the tedium of going slower when towing for 60 (or 120) hours per year
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petervivian
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Re: I'm towing a light travel trailer, Vibe is super slow, barely climbs hills/mountains

Post by petervivian »

When I drove on the I-20 at 70 mph, the 1.8 1ZZ-FE had to rev up to 4k rpm for every small hill. If I lower the speed to 60 mph, it took the engine much less effort. So I think it's common for the vibes.
05 Vibe (Frosty), 13 VW CC (Fortana Red)
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