can I put a trailer hitch on a car without one? or something like that?

[gunsmith]

As most of you folks know, I don't know squat about cars.

I've got a 91 toyota camry station wagon - its got two little eyelets ( I guess) in the front and back that I onced used to have a friend tow me to the gas station.

Is there something I can put on the rear ones to tow a small trailer? like maybe enough to tow a bike or camping equipment?

[drewtam]

Those under bumper eyelets are typically tie down points for transport (mostly oceanic I think). They are not designed for trailers or towing.

[Tallpine]

You need a trailer hitch designed for that car.

You might try U-Haul  

You won't be able to tow a very big trailer at best.  FWD is terrible for towing.

[charby]

http://www.etrailer.com/hitch-1991_Toyota_Camry.htm

[dogmush]

Towing a 2000 lb trailer behind a Camry will drastically shorten transaxle life.  As well as brake life.  If Iwas going to tow with a car not designed for it (and I wouldn't, but if I did) I would limit total trailer weight to about 500-600 lbs.  So maybe 200 lbs of cargo.  Remember to check your GVW restrictions.

[bedlamite]

Same hitch as Charby posted, but Amazon has it cheaper.

[never_retreat]

Those tie down points are on many cars that way the towing guys can secure the vehicle with out damaging something.
Most cars can't just have a chain put around the "that looks strong enough" part.
You end up with bent suspension components and stuff like that.
Thats why you see tow guys use the nylon straps over or through the tires. Guaranteed to not damage the car.

[gunsmith]

http://www.etrailer.com/hitch-1991_Toyota_Camry.htm

ooh, that looks great!

I guess my bike ( CBR 600 ) would be to heavy to tow but I have some ideas for car camping I want to do this summer and need extra room - not planning on anything over 200 pounds.

[charby]

ooh, that looks great!

I guess my bike ( CBR 600 ) would be to heavy to tow but I have some ideas for car camping I want to do this summer and need extra room - not planning on anything over 200 pounds.

Your bike with a small motorcycle hauling trailer is about max I would want to tow with your car.

[dogmush]

Your bike with a small motorcycle hauling trailer is about max I would want to tow with your car.

The car had better be pretty empty.  CBR600 is about 400lbs wet.  Trailer is about 200.  The Camry is good for about 1100 lbs of stuff total.  Add the camry's fluids and the driver, and some detritus rolling around in the back and stopping could be an adventure.  That's not even counting if you get the tongue weight wrong.

[charby]

Scout does quite a bit of crosscounty towing with a FWD car, he may be able to chime in with his experiences.

[Tallpine]

ooh, that looks great!

I guess my bike ( CBR 600 ) would be to heavy to tow but I have some ideas for car camping I want to do this summer and need extra room - not planning on anything over 200 pounds.

Roof rack 

Put heavy stuff in back seat or trunk, and light bulky stuff in roof carrier.

A trailer is a PITA for exploring, although if you can unhitch it and turn it around by hand then you could get out of a bind.  You don't want much heavier than that anyway.

I've taken camper trailers into pretty wild places with a pickup/4wd, but I always knew where I was going.

Too bad you can't just trade the car off for a compact pickup 

[zxcvbob]

As most of you folks know, I don't know squat about cars.

I've got a 91 toyota camry station wagon - its got two little eyelets ( I guess) in the front and back that I onced used to have a friend tow me to the gas station.

Is there something I can put on the rear ones to tow a small trailer? like maybe enough to tow a bike or camping equipment?

U-Haul installs trailer hitches designed for most vehicles.  I can't remember what brand they use -- Drawtite, maybe?  If your car has a standard transmission you don't really want to tow with it  -- you'll wear out your clutch, and they are expensive to replace on anything but an old RWD... but you can still mount a bicycle rack.  If it has an automatic you can probably tow up to 1000 pounds (I'm not saying it's a good idea to tow anything that heavy)

The hitch bolts to the frame, or if the car doesn't have a frame it'll bolt to the bumper mounting brackets or something else similarly substantial.

[zxcvbob]

Those tie down points are on many cars that way the towing guys can secure the vehicle with out damaging something.

I thought they were for tying down the car on the ship that brought it over here -- that's why you see them on imports and not domestic cars.

[charby]

I thought they were for tying down the car on the ship that brought it over here -- that's why you see them on imports and not domestic cars.

My Nissan was made in TN and it has those on it. If you read the owner's manual that is where they say to hook up if you need a tow.

[zxcvbob]

My Nissan was made in TN and it has those on it. If you read the owner's manual that is where they say to hook up if you need a tow.

They're really handy for that; all cars ought to have 'em.  I know my Ford Focus doesn't, and am pretty sure DD's Pontiac doesn't either.

[charby]

They're really handy for that; all cars ought to have 'em.  I know my Ford Focus doesn't, and am pretty sure DD's Pontiac doesn't either.

My wife's Pontiac has them.

[charby]

This is kind of wild:

http://www.csedan.com/towing_points-4874.html

That explains those plastic punch-outs I see on small cars.

[Tallpine]

They're really handy for that; all cars ought to have 'em.  I know my Ford Focus doesn't, and am pretty sure DD's Pontiac doesn't either.

American cars aren't designed to get stuck 

I've thought about putting a trailer hitch on our HHR just for the possiblity of having to pull in backwards out of a ditch 

[zxcvbob]

This is kind of wild:

http://www.csedan.com/towing_points-4874.html

That explains those plastic punch-outs I see on small cars.

I've never heard of such thing... thanks.  (Will have to find that on Wife's car when I get home.)  I don't remember what I wrapped a chain around when I had to ease it out of a ditch last Christmas.  Probably a rear shock absorber bracket.

[Scout26]

Yes, you can. I recommend having it installed professionally.

Watch your weights and read the owners manual to figure out the towing capacity of your car.  Keep in mind that it's going to take you a lot longer to stop with a trailer then without.

Most cars can do ~1,000 of tow weight, that's trailer and cargo.  Again read your owner's manual. 

My FWD 5 speed manual Saab went 147,000 miles before the clutch went out.   Not all pulling a trailer, but quite a few.

Since your car is FWD, you want nose weight on your trailer, but not an excessive amount.  40 rear/60 nose is about right.  Too much nose weight and it will pull the front wheels off the ground.  Too much tail weight and it will want to pop off the hitch and make it dangerous to drive. (Not fun when you release the handle and the trailer flies up to meet your face.   Safety chains are a must. 


Oh, my Outback has the plastic pop-off panels and tow eye in with the spare tire kit.

 

[Tallpine]

Since your car is FWD, you want nose weight on your trailer, but not an excessive amount.  40 rear/60 nose is about right.  Too much nose weight and it will pull the front wheels off the ground.  Too much tail weight and it will want to pop off the hitch and make it dangerous to drive. (Not fun when you release the handle and the trailer flies up to meet your face.   Safety chains are a must. 

Pretty much true with any trailer/vehicle combination, except FWDs have a lot more trouble getting traction with a trailer hooked up than a RWD.  Even with a RWD you don't want the front end getting too light to steer.  That's why they invented weight distributing hitches (also why they invented big fokking trucks  ).

I had to rescue some friends when they got to town with a little u-haul type behind a minivan.  They parked it and then it snowed and they couldn't move.

[gunsmith]

yeah, I'm going to be doing a lot of camping this summer due to a recent change in work/living situation that I'm not to comfortable talking about on the net.
My basic plan is to camp/work and pay off a small debt or two and relax without to many responsibilities for a few weeks, go fishing and then in the early fall/late summer go seek out greener pastures.
I may stay out here though - another rancher says he thinks he has something he needs me to do but we have not had a meeting yet.

Roof rack 



Too bad you can't just trade the car off for a compact pickup 

not a bad idea, perhaps if I sweeten the deal with a motorcycle too? the car has over 200 thousand miles though.
It runs good, just got a new battery and recent had the front wheel bearings replaced so it seems like its running quite well right now ( knock on wood )

[never_retreat]

Most cars that don't have visible tow hooks will often have vertical oval holes in the frame or body.
Thats hat this tool is for, specifically the hook on the right. You put it in a turn in and it can't pull out.
Even my f250 has them.