Hi, I have a 2010 Sebring Touring with the 3.5l v6 and ESP. I recently added a class 2 hitch and would like to pull a small camper trailer with a GVRW or 2500lbs.

Chrysler says it will pull 2000 max, but I am wondering if I added a Transmission cooler can I pull something heavier than they recommend?

Are they just being conservative or is 2000 the max? The hitch manufacturer says it will pull 3500, but I realize that probably wont apply to a lightwieght front wheel drive car. The trailer is all aluminum.

I have the upgrade tire and wheel package as well as traction control. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Other than the fact that you will probably void the warranty on the driveline, risk killing yourself because the brakes are overloaded, risk flipping the car over because the rig is unbalanced, what could possibly go wrong?

It's your car and your neck. Do whatever you like but I don't think anybody on this site is going to tell you it's a perfectly fine thing to do. The manufacturer tests these things, and designs the car to meet certain specs. If you want to break some new ground in the annals of vehicle design, have at it, but you're on your own.

 

DCOTTER....Please explain the context of the word PROBABLY

DEFINITELY......

As for trans coolers and ESP.....Those are the least of your worries....The back of the car will probably shear off long before you overheat the trans.....And why in Gods name would you want to use ESP while pulling something behind you????

Where did you come up with the Idea To Put a Hitch on a SEBRING????

This is asking for trouble from the start....Forget about the safety and Liability factors, But just COMMON SENSE while looking at the car from the edge of your driveway...

 

Alright girls....settle down I have a hitch on my Sebring to tow my personal watercraft.

Can we have less hysteria and hyperbole and more help please? The Chrylser website states that a 2010 sebring with the 3.5l v6 engine and 6 spd autostick can tow a 2000lb load. (this is a true statement, verified by my dealer)

What I am wondering, and believe me I dont want to tear off my rear end or flip my car or cause the earth to spin off its axis, is whether or not if I add additional towing help such as a transmission cooler, weight distribution hitch and electric brake set up for the trailer, If I could run a few hundred pounds over the manufacturers limit, given that these items are not part of the original build and are designed to compensate for trailer towing?

Eh? get it?

So if you have something more realistic to add please let me know, otherwise, I get the doom and gloom

thanks!

 

Okay, let's talk real world stuff. First, do some eyeball engineering on a few things. Crawl under and take a good look at that trailer hitch. Look at how thick the metal is. You'll see thick, strong steel pieces solidly welded together. Now look at what it's bolted to on the car. Basically, it's bolted to sheet metal. Yes, bent for strength and in layers and pretty strong, but the hitch is going to have a lot more structure to it than the car does back there. That's what the Djinn is talking about when he says the rear end will fall off.
Now take a look at your Sebring's brakes. Compare the front brakes to the rear brakes. You'll notice that the front brakes are much larger. That's because the fronts do most of the work in stopping the car. Most of the weight is there normally and weight transfer is forward in the usual stopping situation. Adding a couple of tons at the rear completely changes that equation.
Your Sebring weighs something on the order of 2 tons. Now you are talking about almost doubling that. And let's be honest here, you're talking about going camping. You're not talking about towing an empty camper. That means a lot of stuff. A canoe on top, bikes on the back, coolers full of ice and beer, boots for hiking, not to mention the 400 pounds of souvenier rocks you want to haul home for the garden. Then load in the family and the dog and a full tank of gas and you're ready to hit the road.
Meanwhile, the tires are the same size as always as are the brakes, the springs, the shocks, the radiator, the frame, everything on that Sebring.
Now go and take a look at the underpinnings of a pick-up truck that's actually rated for 3500 pounds, like a Ford F-350 or a Chevy 3500. Compare what you see to your Sebring. It's the difference between a Shetland pony and a Clydesdale. A totally different animal.
Yes, you might be able to get away with pulling that load with your Sebring, especially if you are only going to the supermarket (although you might have a problem with ground clearance with the springs bottomed out at the end of the driveway) but camping inevitably includes a fairly lengthy road trip up and down some hilly stretches and winding up at the end of a long unpaved road to get where you want to be.
The problem does not arise rolling down a boulevard at 35 mph. Problems arise when the going gets tough: like when the idiot in front of you does something stupid at highway speed and you need to do something drastic to avoid hitting him; like descending a long twisty mountain road with the brakes heating up and the trailer trying to push you through the guardrail at every bend; like when a shock absorber finally gives out and breaks off at 60 mph and the whole rig develops a mind of its own.
You asked for an opinion when you posted here, and you got a couple of opinions that were not what you hoped for. Sorry, but that's my 2¢.

 

Thanks for the honest reply. Actually the trailer that I am lookiing at has a dry wieght of 1250 pounds and a tongue wieght of 190. I installed the hitch myself and a class 2 hitch is bolted to the frame not the sheet metal of the vehicle.

I dont plan on pulling something that weighs 3500lbs. It also has electric brakes, so when i need to stop, the trailer stops itself. Since the hieght is only 6 inches taller than my Sebring I dont see that as being an issue either.

I guess all in all I will put faith in Chrysler engineering that states that it can tow up to 2000lbs and run with that.

Thanks

 

There is also a gross total weight spec, I would think that ought to be in the owners manual, that specifies the total weight of the entire rig, loaded. It includes the fuel load and the family dog as well. Try to keep it under that number.

Good luck with it.

 

Thanks. After speaking with the members of this forum, the dealer and service department, I have decided on this:

Micro-Lite Trailers



its well within all of the parameters that Chrylser specifies, including how large a front surface area it can have, and since I am single and dont have a dog, I would have to haul a load of bricks around to get anywhere near the max load stated in the owners manual. I guess most of you may have thought I was going to tow a 30' 5th wheel or something, but I just need a toy hauler for the weekends. I think this will do the job nicely.