CX-5 TOWING - 73 Boler Trailer w/PICTURES

designsafety

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2013 CX-5 , 2002 Protege 5
Picked this beaut up.



<a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/37b5df352650647" target="_blank"><img src="http://thumbnails112.imagebam.com/35266/37b5df352650647.jpg" alt="imagebam.com"></a>
 
It looks like a good fit. Enough so that I looked it up. With two people in the car and moderate luggage I would be comfortable towing it.

Boler 1300
Overall Length - 13'
Overall Height - 7' 2"
G.V. Weight - 1250 lbs.
Tongue Weight - 90 lbs.
Hitch Required - Class 1
Electric Brakaes - Optional
Tires - 13", 4 1/2" X 5 bolt hub pattern (Ford or Chrysler)
 
An interesting candidate for towing with CX-5 is a retro Serro Scotty trailer 13" that weighs 975 pounds dry.
Below is a total restore. To see what a nightmare these old wood trailers can be, click on the restore page.
New ones weigh almost twice as much. Not to many options for the CX-5. At least the Boler is all fiberglass.

http://www.nationalserroscotty.org/rebuilds/butchPam/index.html

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I had a lot of towing questions when I first purchased my CX5 in 2012 and at that time there were no real answers to my questions just that the towing capacity was 2000lb however when I did some research I found that other than the US the capacity was higher. I have a 19ft Larson bowrider and when I made the decision to trade my gas eating Jeep to buy the CX5 I was hoping that it would tow my boat. I dd not test this last summer as I did not use my boat very much that year we were plagued with rain just about every day. This summer I did test my little mazda and it performed wonderful I had no problems towing the boat on the hwy it maintained speed of 70 Miles per hour up hill. I was very impressed with how well it performed this task. I would say that my boat and trailer prob weigh about 2500lbs however the mazda CX5 had no problem stopping and going.
 
It could tow 2000lbs but what about your brakes, wear on the tranny, weight of everything else, hills, mtn passes. Too much for my, and others, safety.
 
In Europe, Mazda honors the three year warranty for towing 3600# with petrol CX-5. I would not worry about hurting the CX-5 towing within US 2000# rating. Towing is inherently less safe than not towing. That said, you pass dozens of vehicles towing everyday. If someone wants to tow with the CX-5, does it within Mazda US specs, then its not right and indeed, unfair, to say that person is unsafe.
 
I don't think its not unfair to say the driver could potentially be unsafe. Part of my point was safety of other drivers on the road as well.

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. So in the case of the CX-5 2.5 gas model: 1600lbs. That total is including the weight of people, gear, trailer, etc. Terrain also plays a factor, mountains, etc will cook the breaks of a little CUV with a near max. load.
 
Towing rates are extremely difficult to determine. Chevy, Ford and Dodge pickup towing capacities have *decreased* as they have adjusted to an SAE towing standard. One of the requirements is minimum speed UP a hill. Others include the ability not to overheat the engine, in Arizona I believe I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff is and has been used for decades, as a towing test to make sure vehicles don't overheat. Now they use the Davis Dam grade in the SAE test.

Point is that just because it is or is not rated to tow something doesn't make it "safe". Driver knowledge and skill is far more important. I can fade the brakes on almost any vehicle, without a trailer. Doesn't mean the brakes are deficient, just means I can drive like an idiot on the roads. (shrug)
 
I had a 2012 RAM 1500 with HEMI and its tow max. is at about 11,000lbs. In another forum and according to other sources 80% of the tow max is safe number to go by on any personal vehicle. The maximum number is there for a reason: it means maximum, not minimum or just over. lol. I don't care if someone is the best driver in the world and tows more than the maximum allowed. He/she is not thinking of the safety of others or themselves. What if there was an accident, even if not your fault, they'd nail you for being overloaded. Be safe.
 
No, Boler was a separate company whose design preceded Casita...
Right - Scamp is the American Boler spin-off, and the original Casita 13' was copied from the Scamp 13'. Boler is long gone, but Scamp (built in Minnesota) and Casita (built in Texas) continue.
 
Boler 1300
...
G.V. Weight - 1250 lbs.
...
In practice, a Boler 1300 usually weighs close to that... before putting water in the tank or any of your stuff in the interior. Figure 400 pounds more (total 1600 lb or so) for typical use.
 
It could tow 2000lbs but what about your brakes, wear on the tranny, weight of everything else, hills, mtn passes. Too much for my, and others, safety.
A typical Boler 1300 is well under the 2000 lb limit (although watch the Gross Combined Weight Rating), the trailer can be equipped with its own brakes, the rating is based on real use (which includes hills)... so I don't see the safety concern.

Its a well known fact that its not safe to be at the maximum tow rating.
Well known to whom? Apparently not to the people who set the rating.

Specific conditions of the towing situation do need to be considered. If you want to tow at exceptionally high speed (the North American ratings assume something like no more than 65 mph), or a marginally stable trailer, then you should not be at this limit. The Euro limits are much higher, but typically assume lower hitch weight, lower speeds or stability-enhancing equipment, and moderate towing distances.
 
A typical Boler 1300 is well under the 2000 lb limit (although watch the Gross Combined Weight Rating), the trailer can be equipped with its own brakes, the rating is based on real use (which includes hills)... so I don't see the safety concern.


Well known to whom? Apparently not to the people who set the rating.

Specific conditions of the towing situation do need to be considered. If you want to tow at exceptionally high speed (the North American ratings assume something like no more than 65 mph), or a marginally stable trailer, then you should not be at this limit. The Euro limits are much higher, but typically assume lower hitch weight, lower speeds or stability-enhancing equipment, and moderate towing distances.
From a safety factor, I've have asked and seen towing recommendations and they state approximately 80% of the load maximum number. This goes for trucks and cars. I don't have links so I guess the number I mentioned are irrelevant now right? Its common sense from my view.

I've looked at used Bolers and similar teardrop styles. The smallest being around 900lbs and most about 1100lbs to 1300lbs. The smallest as mentioned are too small for 2 kids and 2 adults, our tent is bigger. 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. BTW, that 1300lbs teardrop would not fit a family of 4 comfortably.

The CX-5 won't do the job. CX-9's max is 3500lbs, no problem but, I can think of many different vehicles I'd buy before a cx-9.

transmitted by a Nexus device.
 
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Can't agree. as a pilot operating at max or near max take off weight is no problem as long as you consider all factors and plan accordingly. Personally I would not tow at max cap without some brakes on the trailer. and probably some ride rite inserts. that being said here in san Antonio, I see many very poor (and really downright dangerous) towing arrangements daily on the highway (a trailer with working lights, and or brakes is rare, s*** usually handing off, vehicles towing vehicles with no lighting, usually beat up vehicles towing junkers...yea I'll say it it's usually Mexicans) nothing comparable to anything people have presented here.
 
Can't agree. as a pilot operating at max or near max take off weight is no problem as long as you consider all factors and plan accordingly. Personally I would not tow at max cap without some brakes on the trailer. and probably some ride rite inserts. that being said here in san Antonio, I see many very poor (and really downright dangerous) towing arrangements daily on the highway (a trailer with working lights, and or brakes is rare, s*** usually handing off, vehicles towing vehicles with no lighting, usually beat up vehicles towing junkers...yea I'll say it it's usually Mexicans) nothing comparable to anything people have presented here.

You are comparing a plane to a car in terms of load physics?
 
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