Did you carry boats on the roof a lot?
Gear on a roof rack at highway speeds puts almost as much strain on an auto transmission as towing does. I knew lots of roadies who fried their transmissions at 60-80k miles - culprit was fighting all the wind resistance with bikes up top at 70mph…
don’t know about that
Torque and Subaru are terms that I wouldn’t pair. The 98 Outback I drove was useless below 2500 rpms. Power band on that car reminded me of 2 stroke dirt bike.
Good point but no
I did not carry too many times a kayak at speed with it. Plus only the reverse gear failed so I’m still not sure why… I could drive forward just fine but I’d better plan not to have to back-up -
Kayak hauling has mainly been the duty of the '02 Prius and I can tell I’m getting a 5-10 mpg hit on the highway… But its transmission is completely different so it does not matter there.
Axle Ratio
Its not just the HP, torque and brakes.
Also consider the axle ratio may not be suitable for towing
Suby did well pulling
Pulled an 800lb trailer behind a 1998 Subaru Outback out to the west coast and back (Vermont). Put in a transmission cooler before I left. No problem. Traveled on the flats at usual highway speeds. Lots of downshifting in the mountains but the car still runs well 3 years later.
Also carried my kayak and a bike on the car.
Jordan
Based on this…
…you are good to go. I have a '94 Camry and a 2002, great cars.
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2000/toyota/camry/13768/specs.html
http://www.cars.com/toyota/camry/2000/specs/?acode=USB00TOC021A0
Sorry for the double post.
go for it
I’ve towed two 600 lb harleys on an open single axle trailer with my 1990 camry. Once to arizona and back and twice to florida. I live in ontario canada.
I’m wondering if the 1000lbs you mentioned is not gross weight of trailer and contents, but maximum tongue weight.
I had no problems at all. Still averaged around 28 mpg. Make sure you have a proper hitch and safety chains etc. You will feel the weight behind you to some extent and you need to allow extra time to accelerate and for braking. A good quality trailer makes towing much easier also.
happy paddling
ian.
Tongue Weight - A Matter of Scale
– Last Updated: Oct-09-10 12:41 AM EST –
That 1,000-pound tongue weight you are suggesting is for vehicles in a whole other league. Here's a description of Class III trailer hitches that can be found on lots of different websites, with my own comments added here and there:
"Class III hitches are weight carrying (WC) and also are weight distributing (WD) hitches depending on the vehicle and hitch specifications. Not all Class III hitches are rated to be both. ... Class III hitches used as weight carrying is rated up to 5000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 500 lbs. ..."
Note that this is normally the most heavy-duty hitch application you will see on pickups and large SUVs in the 1/2-ton class.
"... Hitches that are used for weight distributing are rated up to 10,000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 1000 lbs...."
Note that this setup is almost never used with any vehicle less rugged than a 3/4-ton truck. Though 1/2-ton trucks can "get by" with such a load, it's not a good match-up and is well outside manufacturer specs (read "overloaded").
"... This style of hitch typically uses a 2" square receiver opening. The use of a ball mount and hitch ball of the same rating or higher is required. To use the weight distribution side of the hitch a weight distribution system is required. Class III hitches attach to the vehicle frame only."
There's no place on a Camry that's strong enough to mount such a hitch. You will never see a Class III hitch on a Camry or similar car, and will never see one pulling the kind of trailer that has the kind of tongue weight your are thinking of.
Trailer weight, not tongue weight
The OP said the trailer weighs less than 1000 pounds. That’s not tongue weight, it’s gross weight. The tongue weight will be much less.
But I was responding to manitou, …
– Last Updated: Oct-09-10 10:53 AM EST –
After manitou described how easy it was to pull his Harley cross-country (which was quite believable) he suggested something that was not correct: "I'm wondering if the 1000lbs you mentioned is not gross weight of trailer and contents, but maximum tongue weight." Rather than just tell him he was mistaken, I provided some details to make it clear just how huge that tongue weight would be, since he wouldn't have been wondering such a thing if he were picturing the scale of the situation.
Just as you do, I position my posts to show who I'm replying to. Further, I wouldn't have said that kind of thing to the original poster after posting once to him, and once to someone else, that there won't be any trouble at all pulling the kind of trailer he's talking about.
Just don’t end up like this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvyJby-moUU
Most everything has been said, although I’d suggest new heavy duty rear shocks, if yours are aged.
Go for it, and remember that your acceleration and braking times will be compounded.
Cars, Trailers and Insurance
I have seen the following information on the web before and I have directly asked salesman if this is true and some didn’t not deny it.
That is if you are operating a vehicle that isn’t rated for towing or are towing a trailer that exceeds the manufacturers towing rating on that vehicle and then you have an accident while towing, your insurance company will consider your policy null and void plus you might be personally held responsible for the bill for all damage to other vehicles or private property that is involved in the accident.
I’m asking if this is true as I don’t know if this is a fact, but thought it might be something to be possibly aware of.
towing
I used to tow an 1800lb Starcraft Starmaster 6 trailer with my '89 4cyl Ford Topaz(and we all know what GREAT cars they were) with little problem, but first I took it to the trailer dealer and asked what I needed.
Here’s what I did- changed the 195 thermostat to a 190 (allows it to open earlier for more flow),
Added a 10,00lb tranny cooler (Keeps the transmission temps down, especially on hills),
Replaced both front and back brakes with the best semi-metallic pads I could find (run cooler and don’t fade as much as standard ones),
replaced the rear struts with the heaviest ones I could get, and bought a class 2 hitch (frame mounted not body mounted),
changed the oil and fluids frequently and ran 10w40 summer and 10w30 winter (higher viscosity oils don’t thin out as much when hot)
That car towed the trailer for 8 years until I got rear-ended and no longer trusted it, and I finally got rid if it in 2004 (with original engine and tranny) at 340,000km (almost 220,000 mi) because the body started to fall off
A few tips- if it’s got overdrive, downshift to drive both up and down hills, it saves the brakes going down and increases the revs going up,
keep an eye on the temperature gauge- back down your speed if it rises too high,
anticipate any changes in traffic, you’re twice as long and twice as heavy as you’re used to,
swing wider on your corners- the trailer will tend to turn tighter than the car,
And the most important-MAINTAIN both the car and trailer in tip-top shape- your life and others may depend on it 
Exceeding manufacturer’s ratings…
…could be construed as negligent operation, so even if your insurance company doesn’t negate your policy, you could be found at fault in an accident arising from loss of control of your vehicle and/or the trailer. It may be possible to operate outside the limits safely, but you’re probably on your own if you do.
No problem
– Last Updated: Oct-12-10 8:08 AM EST –
I have a 01 4 cyl Camry.
If you put 5 overweight people in the car, you are probably lugging twice what any small trailer with a few kayaks would produce. I wouldn't hesitate if that's what you want to do. I use to lug a 16 ft fiberglass boat/motor with a 4 cyl Celica. Same engine.
The specs on towing are to protect the manufacturer but are not realistic as far as what you really can do quite safely. How many boats do you plan on carrying?
Towing with a 4
Alot has been said. Since I am not a mechanic and have kids I am very conservative when it comes to my car. Not all 4’s are created equal. Some are designed to tow (like Subaru’s) and some can, but not very well. You need to consider tounge weight and breaking capacity - not just maximum load. Any car manual is very specific with towing guide lines. If you are going to tow for 6 hours on the highway and into the mointains I would use alot of caution. If you are just going to pull the boats to a locally, it probably will not matter much. Also, get advise from people who tow frequently since the car handles very differently at highway speeds.
Yet another reason…
…to never buy an automatic transmission.
“Never”? It depends
– Last Updated: Oct-11-10 1:09 PM EST –
Most manual transmissions don't have a low enough 1st gear to make them suitable for doing any kind of heavy pulling. If you've got a heavy load, start-and-stop conditions or simply rough ground that limits your speed will ruin a clutch in a tiny fraction of the time it takes get the oil in an automatic transmission just a little bit warm. Manual transmissions are a rarity in the light-truck world nowadays, and the automatic transmissions that they are equipped with are capable of withstanding any abuse you can throw at them. I'd prefer a manual transmission for towing too, but because of the choices available among manual transmissions these days, an automatic is almost always better.
Do the math
That 1000 lb towing max means all carried or towed weight. You have to figure in the weight of the people in the car, any gear carried either in the car or on the trailer, any racks or other equipment, plus the trailer itself. Suddenly 1000 lbs is all used up!
Also, if you plan to tow much in mountain terrain, you’ll be putting a lot of strain on the drivetrain and brakes even if you’re within spec. That is one reason why so many people buy vehicles that some consider overkill. It’s not necessarily overkill, but keeping the drivetrain, suspension, and brakes from being abused.
NO WAY is that a max tongue weight
The max tongue weight on that vehicle is likely under 200 lbs, or Class I rating, the lightest-duty category (outside of “do not tow with this vehicle”).