Towing with a Chevy HHR

[CoachPotato]

I'm a retired ol' coot who was finding my beloved 22' C-Dory a bit much to handle at the ramps and more maintenance than I wanted to deal with.

Having sold the 22' C-Dory Angler (and still trying to sell the big 'ol Chevy pickup), life got pretty boring. A few months ago I purchased a little Chevy HHR to use as my motorhome toad, and perhaps my tow vehicle for a smaller boat.

This month I bought a 15' Klamath walk-thru with a Merc 25 4-stroke. The whole rig with trailer weighs in at about 1000 Lbs, the tow limit for the HHR.

Yesterday was the maiden voyage, and I towed the little boat with the little car and everything went just as I had hoped. The HHR, which has the larger 175 HP, 2.4 engine and auto trans, towed the little boat through the low foothills from my home near Stockton, Ca to Camanche lake just fine. According to the MPG computer, it delivered 15 MPG in the process. I have no complaints.

Photos on my website here.

Dale
www.FishWisher.com

 

[Hashi]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

Nice set-up. Drastic change from C-Dory to Klamath, though. Hope to see you out there someday.

 

[wormz]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

im impressed with to hear it did well in the hills! a friend of mine was wanting to use my little jon boat to take to the each and he asked if his would pull it...guess i was wrong. ill give him the go-ahead!
thanks for the input!

 

[CoachPotato]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

...and with an HHR, it can go both ways!

HHRs are ready to tow 4-down right off the showroom floor.

Dale

 

[dave11]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

I really liked those little Klamath boats. They were on my short list when I was looking for another boat.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

Fine looking setup!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

Very nice looking set up. Does the HHR have a tranny cooler ???

 

[CoachPotato]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

Very nice looking set up. Does the HHR have a tranny cooler ???

Not yet, but I think it's going to get one. I have to start looking...

The little HHR, about 3200 lbs, is also our "toad" behind the coach. But I've never actually used it that way yet.

Thanks for your kind comments.

Dale

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

I think a tranny cooler would be a wise idea.
Looks great behind that RV

 

[fishntoss]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

Bitchin set up.. How big is the boat.. looks like 14 ft or so???

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

Bitchin set up.. How big is the boat.. looks like 14 ft or so???

I believe in his first post he states its a 15ft.

 

[mdunn]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

I really like those HHR's. I rented one in Sitka last year in a blinding snow storm. Landed on the jet around midnight and it was my first time there.
Up until then I kinda thought they were just another PT cruiser (no offense to anyone I hope) but they are way more car then that. I was surprised how well they did in the snow and how solid it felt

 

[snazzy7637]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

I was wondering if anyone had an HHR that could pool a 2008 Sea-Doo 150 Speedster......it's weighs with the trailer attached at 2100 Ibs. Would it be stretching it if I tried to pool one with my 2006 HHR??? Please let me know I will be checking back here daily to get an answer.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

I was wondering if anyone had an HHR that could pool a 2008 Sea-Doo 150 Speedster......it's weighs with the trailer attached at 2100 Ibs. Would it be stretching it if I tried to pool one with my 2006 HHR??? Please let me know I will be checking back here daily to get an answer.

The original poster said 1000 pounds was the limit of the HHR.
So I would think 2100 pounds would be a tad too much.

 

[Titanium48]

Re: Towing with a Chevy HHR

snazzy7637: You're going to get a bunch of "Are you crazy? Don't even think about it! You're more than doubling the tow rating of the car!" type responses. They do have a point, but that said the standard 1000 lb rating that American manufacturers put on every vehicle that isn't a truck or SUV is usually pretty conservative in most respects.

150 hp is more than some 1/2 ton pickups had a few decades ago and is plenty for pulling 2.5 tons of combined weight. If you will be towing frequently, use ACEA A3 spec synthetic oil.

It will be harder on the transmission and clutch (if applicable), especially considering that the final drive ratio is a little high. For a manual, shortened clutch life is inevitable and you will need to be careful not to overheat it when starting up the ramp. When it fails, use top-grade replacement parts. Also use premium grade synthetic lubricant (GL-4 rated if specs call for ATF, GL-5 rated if specs call for GL-4). 5th gear will be nearly useless, and don't be afraid to downshift and keep the RPMs up when you need power.

If you have an auto, using a transmission cooler, premium grade synthetic fluid and changing the fluid and servicing frequently will help prevent premature failure. 4th gear will be nearly useless, so just put it in 3rd to stop the tranny from shifting excessively. Also manually downshift on hills if the tranny can't decide what gear it wants to be in.

Ensure the hitch mounts securely with a good load spreading system. A few bolts with washers through sheet metal won't cut it - there should be substantial pieces of steel on both sides. 2100 lbs exceeds the rating of a class I hitch, so technically you need a class II. You probably won't find one though.

You will need to fine tune your tongue weight - too little and your trailer will be prone to sway, too much and your front wheels will significantly unloaded, compromising traction and handling. Depending on the exact setup, a fully satisfactory solution may not be possible.

Last, but certainly not least, you will NEED trailer brakes. Your car's brakes won't do well trying to stop close to twice the weight they were designed for. You may also be running on the edge of stability with respect to sway, and the ability to manually apply trailer brakes without applying the vehicle brakes will be very useful should swaying begin.