CX-5 TOWING - 73 Boler Trailer w/PICTURES

[fdew]

Its a well known fact that its not safe to be at the maximum tow rating. 80% or less load is a good rule of thumb.

I think you should tow 80% of 80% of the maximum tow rating. Wait a minute. That dosnt make sense. If Mazda set the maximum tow rating at 2000 lb. I think they probably did some research, ran some tests, looked at the structure of the car Etc before coming up with the number. In short, I think maximum tow rating equals maximum tow rating.
BTW. Nothing effects safe towing as much as the percentage of weight on the toung. Make it to light and you have a very unstable trailer.
BTW

 

[metalfab]

I think you should tow 80% of 80% of the maximum tow rating. Wait a minute. That dosnt make sense. If Mazda set the maximum tow rating at 2000 lb. I think they probably did some research, ran some tests, looked at the structure of the car Etc before coming up with the number. In short, I think maximum tow rating equals maximum tow rating.
BTW. Nothing effects safe towing as much as the percentage of weight on the toung. Make it to light and you have a very unstable trailer.
BTW

That's funny. If you consider safety funny.

 

[BrianM3GS]

For argument sake, let's say our trailer (brand doesn't matter) is 1300lbs, then add all gear (cooking equipment, food, water, clothing, etc, etc. weight; maybe at 150lbs. Now add the weight of the people, in out case, 475lbs total. Now we are over 1900lbs; really pushing it in my opinion and I wouldn't do it...

This is what I mentioned: the Gross Combination Weight Rating must also be considered:

... watch the Gross Combined Weight Rating...

1450 pounds of (loaded) trailer is fine for the CX-5, but the combination of trailer, passengers, and cargo in the Mazda must still be below GCWR... although GCWR is relevant mostly to performance (acceleration and climbing) and drivetrain reliability, not stability or other safety concerns.

Since a 2000 pound trailer doesn't put the vehicle over GCWR without passengers or cargo, then 1900 pounds of trailer, passengers, and cargo won't either - nothing is being pushed to the limit, unless perhaps the rear axle load is over its rating (GAWR-rear). An explanation of loading limits and a value for GCWR (or loading information based on it) should be in the CX-5 manual (I have a Mazda3 - it has no towing information in the manual because Mazda says not to tow with it in North America).

Some of the travel trailer forums can provide lots of information about typical traveling configurations. When the CX-5 was introduced it came up in discussion in FiberglassRV.com, with the same size and type of trailer being considered here, but I don't think anyone did a good clear assessment. It will work fine with just the driver, and can get overloaded when a family is added. Unless I missed it, the original poster gave no indication of how many passengers or how much cargo would be combined with the trailer; many people travel solo with these trailers.

Brakes are required on the trailer for anything near the weight of a travel trailer with a vehicle the size of the CX-5 - the manual probably says this.

 

[MikeM.]

Brian, thank-you for your clear, concise, detailed and correct answer.

It is all too common for these forums to turn into a cesspool of mushy and incorrect thinking.

The "80% rule" being bandied about here is just an excuse to not wanting to put in the effort to understand safe rated tow and load limits and can get one into trouble real fast (it is possible to exceed various safety limits even when the trailer only weighs 80% of the maximum tow capacity).

It is not a simple subject where a single rule of thumb will suffice.