peckhammer

I just wanted to share my thoughts on towing with the xB, since I've been doing it all summer now. Over the winter I purchased a 50" Harbor Freight trailer and a Curt Towing hitch for my Box. I modified the trailer by installing steel rails to account for the +70" contact patches of the bike wheels. This essentially extends the tailer 15" on either end exactly where it is needed.

Since I have been towing with the trailer, two dirt bikes, two adults and all our gear, I have not had any issues whatsoever. In fact, this past weekend I drove from Seattle to Ellensburg via Interstate 90. I averaged 80 mph, occasionally dropping down to 75 mph on the steeper parts of the mountain pass. IOW, I was out in the left lane hauling ___ while many other vehicles were chugging along like an asthmatic in a hay-field.

I also hauled my fully-loaded rig through the National Forest on gravel access roads, carrying 40 to 50 mph through a lot of turns. The traction control comes on frequently, and it really helps keep things under control. I did have the trailer wagging back and forth a few times as I powered out of turns, but the car was always perfectly behaved.

I was initially worried that I would bottom out -- especially with my Koni shocks (yellow). I set them to the middle setting, and they seem just fine. I have never scraped anything and there is no weird bouncing at the hitch. The only downside to my towing setup is that my gas mileage suffers when I drive over mountain passes in excess of 60 mph. At 80 mph with a full load, I got less than 25 mph. This is more a factor of aerodynamics, IMO, but the added weight doesn't help.

Easyoboe2

Is this April First?

peckhammer

Nope: https://www.scionlife.com/gallery/personal/25853_5.jpg

Easyoboe2

I'm sorry for being a smart a__. I mis-read your 50" trailer for 50'. Can you imagine pulling a 50 footer?

scionBoy86

do u have a manual or auto transmission??

would i be able to pull a wave runner with this hitch???

vintage42

How did you connect the wiring, or did you have a shop do it?

I figured that trailer and load would be OK, but I am surprised at your towing speeds. Not what I would do even with our 1991 Mazda 2.6L truck. If our boat sells, the truck might go, too, because this only remaining load can be handled by putting a hitch the xB:
http://aatherton06.home.insightbb.co...railerSolo.jpg

For keeping an eye on the engine temperature while towing, the ScanGuage would be useful in giving more warning than the red ight:
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...B%20ScanGuage/

scionBoy86

where can i order all the parts from...i want to pull my waverunner with the xb...please respond i'm really intersted in doin this

d114

You must have the 5 speed manual. The 4 speed auto gave me issues on the mountains in overdrive. Unless... you were driving thru all these places in third gear! Yikes!

Have you checked your brakes? Do the rotors look scorched?

How much tongue weight do you have on there? did you do the bathroom scale weigh-in?

peckhammer

Manual. The car I test drove was a standard and man... was that thing a dog.

peckhammer

I pull a big fat wire directly off the battery, throught the firewall and to ModuLite. That device is a trailer light power supply module which provides power to the trailer lights directly from the xB's battery so that the turn and stop light circuits are not exposed to any additional loads. I bought it at etrailer.com

I then spilced into the tail lights and ran the wires our of those access panels. Very easy to do.

Me too. I can barely tell I have a trailer at all. The xB with trailer feels about the same as having 4 well-fed adults in the car -- but the weight is about the same anyway.

Excellent idea. I have not been worried about it so far because it's usually prety mild in Seattle... but if you were somewhere a little hotter, and towing something a little heavier, it might be an issue. Thanks for the tip!

Davestoaster

Good Job !!

I've towed with mine also. No problems !! I have the fold-up 4 by 8 foot trailer from Harbor.

The key word is resposible towing. A 50 foot trailer would be a NO-NO. You would probably leave your tranny behind doing that. But a 50 inch with 2 bikes is probably OK. I've already done a fridge with no issue.

PS.... Nice Trials Bikes. That's tough to learn correctly.

vintage42

My thinking is that the usual analog guage would show the temperature rising and give you some warning and chance to either go slower or shift down to raise rpms and reduce the amount of throttle. But by the time the Scion's red light comes on, the manual says the engine has already overheated and you should stop. With the ScanGuage showing the temperature digitally all the time, and your knowing the normal temperatures, you can tell when the engine temperature is rising beyond normal and take early action. My engine is 186F when driving and around 200F when idling in a traffic jam, at which point the fan knocks it down.
(I don't know at what temperature the red iight comes on because I have never seen it.)

fokusco

I made that same mistake the first time I read this! haha I was trying to picture an xB pulling a semi trailer and I could not stop laughing!

I like that ScanGauge... Where would I come across one of these? I do not tow anything but I am always nervous about engin temp. for some reason. I do not like having a red light that says, "guess what? Too late!" On top of that I think I f*&ked up my speedo needles when I changed my gauge backlight color..hahaha

FrankenScion

Great info, thanks for sharing.

vintage42

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...761000#1761000

xBster

I'm not sure I would be cruising 80 or so with a trailer, but good to know if I wanted to I could. These little Boxes never cease to amaze. A lot more versatile than I ever thought.

attitude

My 2 cents to towing.

I got and installed the curt trailer hitch today for my XB. Installation went pretty smooth. getting over the exhaust was a pain, and then of course the holes didn't line up 100% so I had to push out the driver side while trying to start the bolt. a second pair of hands would've been nice.

I installed with the help of a floor jack, which I would say at least a jack is neccessary. A lift would've been great!!

Wiring was a bit tricky because I wanted everything kept inside so it was hidden when not in use. I'm able to just pull it out and leave it hanging out the back hatch when towing, and put it in the storage bin when not in use.

anyway I have a snowbear trailer that weighs about 500lbs or so. ( 8x6 )

I pulled it around the block, and then down the highway at about 55mph and it was almost not noticable. Of course it was empty; but I was pleased. all I'm going to haul in it is dive gear or my banshee.

I'm thrilled with my XB and even now more pleased because the added versatility.

Tony711sc

So far this thread has only discussed the xB's ability to be a cargo hauler. I would like to add a link to the Club xB's discussion on the xB as a camper hauler as well... http://www.clubxb.com/forums/f2/1777-scion-xb-trailer/ .

There are pictures of xB towing a teardrop camper and (on page 3) some links to suppliers of campers and cargo haulers. Probably the most useful link to lightweight trailering equipment is... http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-trailer/ .

rebelMan

I'm wondering if this would work:

http://www.scandipacific.com/index.p...d=43&Itemid=43

Any opinions? I want to get a dirtbike and i don't want to have to buy a trailer that tows 3 bikes when i only have one. However i noticed that the Curt Hitch has a Tonque weight carrying capacity of 200lbs.

So i'm thinking that sine bikes are like 200+lbs and the "Motorcycle Carrier" probably weights like 50~lbs, so it won't work right?

rallying_the_scion

I had my thread of my trip to alaska hauling a HF trailor, 2 truck bed boxs mounded on it. Pulled a total of roughly 800lbs. Went 4500 miles pulling it, and at one point got 36 MPG.

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...highlight=4500