Has anyone tried towing with their Clarity?

Also, if you're not used to driving when towing at trailer, then drive cautiously. Practice in an empty parking lot until you can properly steer when backing up; it does take a bit of practice. Never forget you're towing a trailer. Many or most States have a lower maximum freeway speed when towing; pay attention to that lower limit and observe it. Accelerate and brake more slowly; you've got more mass (weight) to slow or speed up. Maintain a longer following distance behind another vehicle on the highway, because you'll need more stopping room. Try not to steer sharply around a corner, or if you do, then do it at a slower than normal speed, and swing wide because you'll need more cornering distance to prevent the trailer from riding over a curb or otherwise going off the pavement.
 
Then go ahead and tow. Your name may be appropriate for the situation. And there will be plenty of other like-minded folks out there to join along.
 
Landshark said:
Then go ahead and tow. Your name may be appropriate for the situation. And there will be plenty of other like-minded folks out there to join along.
Click to expand...
Maybe a little hard, but good advice. I wouldn't tow with a car that the manufacturer had said "no towing". If you ever had an accident, liability might be a real problem. Doubt it would ever cause warranty issues, but there is that as well. I'd buy another car if I needed to use it for towing rather than to take this risk. But maybe I am just too risk averse. I think it is fine to use it to haul bikes and to use a trailerless platform, but I'd be careful not to put more than a hundred or so pounds on it. There is a reasonable amount of leverage if load isn't close to the hitchpoint. Again, I am probably too risk averse for some here...
 
That’s twice you’ve posted the same picture in this thread.

I’ll bet it won’t be rated to tow and if you do the range will be destroyed. Best of luck.
 
Landshark said:
I’ll bet it won’t be rated to tow and if you do the range will be destroyed.
Click to expand...

Wow! Why the hostility?

Certainly the EV range will take a major hit when towing. The rule of thumb for towing with a Tesla Model X is that you can expect roughly 50% loss of EV range when towing even a modest sized trailer at highway speed. Fortunately, with the Clarity PHEV, you can always run on gas after the battery pack is depleted.

But nothing is going to be "destroyed"! It's not like the reduction due to towing is going to become a permanent part of the car's performance.

In my father's generation, putting a 3rd party tow hitch on a sedan was an everyday occurrence. I think my dad put a tow hitch on every single car he owned... even his classic VW Beetle, altho I certainly wouldn't recommend towing anything at highway speed with such a light car!

I really don't get the reluctance -- and in that post, outright hostility -- to Amercans towing with a car that's not tow-rated. People do that all the time. I understand the reluctance among Europeans; they are legally required to get a car individually inspected and certified to tow if it's not given a tow-rating from the manufacturer, or at least that's been claimed in posts on the subject. So I get the reluctance from Europeans... but not Americans. As long as you take care, don't try to drive as if you're not towing anything, and don't try to tow anything that overloads the car, you should be fine.
​
 
Robert_Alabama said:
If you ever had an accident, liability might be a real problem.
Click to expand...

It may be (probably is) advisable to check with your car insurance agent to see if you need a towing rider on your insurance. But people, or at least Americans, tow with cars that aren't tow-rated all the time. Heck, anybody can rent a bolt-on tow bar from U-Haul... altho those may not fit modern sedans and hatchbacks that don't have projecting metal bumpers, as older cars do.

It puzzles me to see the opposition to this practice expressed here.
​
 
Pushmi-Pullyu said:
It may be (probably is) advisable to check with your car insurance agent to see if you need a towing rider on your insurance. But people, or at least Americans, tow with cars that aren't tow-rated all the time. Heck, anybody can rent a bolt-on tow bar from U-Haul... altho those may not fit modern sedans and hatchbacks that don't have projecting metal bumpers, as older cars do.

It puzzles me to see the opposition to this practice expressed here.
​
Click to expand...

My point is not that you may not be able to get a towing rider on your insurance. I doubt that the insurance company would dig into the car to make sure it is recommended as a towing vehicle. It is that you knowingly towed a trailer with a vehicle for which the owner's manual said not to tow. If you ever had an accident (say due to not being able to stop in time or from loss of control of the vehicle that could be argued to have been caused by the trailer), then it is very possible you could be successfully sued for negligence.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/car-accidents-caused-by-negligence-29537.html

Similarly, even if you had a vehicle which was designed to tow, if you knowingly (or carelessly) overloaded it, causing an accident, I think you would be open to a negligence suit.

But I am not a lawyer. I am an engineer and am often too logical with my thinking for the real world...
 
Robert_Alabama said:
If you ever had an accident (say due to not being able to stop in time or from loss of control of the vehicle that could be argued to have been caused by the trailer), then it is very possible you could be successfully sued for negligence.
Click to expand...

This is absolutely ridiculous. I challenge you to find any case, anywhere in the USA, where anyone has used that as the basis for a successful lawsuit.

I mean really, dude, if that was possible, then would U-Haul be renting bolt-on tow bars to anyone who wants them? Critical thinking appears to be lacking here.

I am often shocked and astounded at how our litigious American society has made cowards of us all, afraid to take even the slightest risk, on the basis that somebody just might sue us for negligence or whatever. Sadly, your comments seems to indicate you actually agree with that self-defeating philosophy.

Be bold! Live large, Gentle Readers. Illegitimi non carborundum.
 
Last edited:
Can't believe everything you read on the internet, but a quick search yielded this:

"Manufacturer Towing Capacity
Vehicle manufacturers designate a number of capacity limits; Payload, (total weight the vehicle can carry in the bed of a truck or in the interior of a vehicle), Gross vehicle weight rating , (total weight of vehicle , passengers and cargo), tongue weight (total weight applied to the vehicle’s hitch), and Towing capacity, (with and without weight distribution). Understanding the difference between “weight-carrying” and “weight-distributing” maximum towing capacities is essential; a “weight distributing” maximum is the most you can tow with an appropriate weight distribution hitch. “Weight Carrying” maximum load is is the most you can carry without a weight distribution hitch.A Weight distribution hitch is recommended when the trailer you are towing exceeds 40% of the vehicles weight.

Towing in excess of the vehicle manufacturer’s weight limits could not only prove dangerous, but could even be considered negligent. In the event of an accident with an overweight personal vehicle, you could be held responsible for higher awards in a lawsuit for damages to other people, vehicles or property."

Also stumbled on this:
https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/get-sued-tow-trailer-with-pickups/

about pickups and liability for towing, but some quotes:

"Unfortunately the majority of pickup owners/drivers never pay attention to trailered weight, tongue weight, or for that matter, any of the manufacturer’s requirements needed for the pickup they are driving to be properly-equipped.

Such drivers believe as long as the truck’s front wheels touch the ground and it can accelerate and come to a stop, all is fine.

Accident attorneys looking to pick deep pockets love that kind of thinking.

An accident caused because the truck doing the trailer towing wasn’t being used in accordance to the manufacturer’s specifications is a huge liability issue, not to mention general saftey of the driver and occupants.

It doesn’t matter what the salesman says, or anyone else. In a court of law the vehicle manufacturer’s stated limitations and requirements for the vehicle being properly equipped to tow a certain load is a hard fact.

Smart attorneys looking to dig deep into corporate pockets for their client know this fact well.

What the manufacturer requires in the vehicle’s owner’s manual, data plates and stickers on the truck, and trailer guides opens any company to legal liability in the event of any incident where the vehicle involved found to be towing outside those requirements."


I'm pretty sure that towing with a vehicle that has manufacturer's statement of "Your vehicle is not designed to tow a trailer." might be a little problematic. I won't do it with my Clarity. But do as you wish. Lawyers need work, too.
 
Last edited:
Robert_Alabama said:
What the manufacturer requires in the vehicle’s owner’s manual, data plates and stickers on the truck, and trailer guides opens any company to legal liability in the event of any incident where the vehicle involved found to be towing outside those requirements."
Click to expand...

Apologies if this is nit-picking, and I'm not trying to be argumentative here, but I'm guessing this isn't really what you intended to write. Perhaps you meant "...limits any company's legal liability in the event..." ?

Surely the manufacturer can't be held legally liable for the customer exceeding the tow limits specified by that manufacturer?
​
 
Steven B said:
Just spent a while getting the wiring installed and should have held off on the full install until making sure the Curt harness would function.
Click to expand...

I have the Curt 56284 wiring harness working with the Clarity. Basically, it was necessary to butcher the Curt harness wiring to correctly match the pinouts on the Clarity tail lights' wiring. This was because I did not know whether I could successfully disassemble the Curt wired pins from the white connectors without damaging the pins or connectors (no idea what this connector p/n is). They didn't look easy to take apart so I opted to cut the Curt T-harness wires and splice back together with butt splices.

On the vehicle left side:
Black: Ground?
Blue-White: Left Turn
Green-White: Brake
Red: Tail Lights

On the vehicle right side:
Red-White: ?
Green-White: Brake?
Brown-White: Right Turn
Black: Ground?

On the Curt Input Side:
White: Ground wire
Brown: Tail lights
Yellow: Left turn
Red: Brake
Green: Right turn
Black: 12V power lead

It gets confusing when you are doing it. Some tips: 1) Buy extra butt splices to allow for mistakes, 2) Have the Honda connector inserted into the Curt connector when you begin the clipping process, 3) keep the Honda connector and the Curt connector that will plug into the tail lights oriented the same to make it easier to get the pin-to-pin wires matched, 4) Clip the Curt harness wiring at the midpoint of the wire segments to give you the most flexibility, and 5) In the run of black power wire, leave a foot or so looped up in the trunk area so that if the Curt converter goes out and you need to wire another adapter down the road, you've got some extra handy (I only left a few inches looped there).

Items to buy:
Butt splices (at least 10)
Zipties (4") pk of 30+
Fuse splice w/ 10amp fuse
RTV (recommended)

Here are photos of the wiring and routing. The two most important photos in next post.

01_FuseBox.webp 02_L_Driver_Fl_Dash.webp 03_L_Driver_Floor.webp 04_L_Driver_Post_Floor.webp 05_L_Rear_Psngr_Fl_Post.webp 06_L_Rear_Psngr_Floor.webp 07_L_Rear_Wheel_Well-to-Floor.webp 08_L_Rear_Interior_Wheel_Well.webp 09_L_Rear_IntoTrunk.webp
 
Any vehicle can tow something. That will be limited only by the GVW that indicates the maximum weight (usually in kg) of the vehicle including additions and trailer. If you go over that weight you will not only damage your vehicle, you will also break the law and might be fined and/or not allowed to continue driving on the public roads. The example of the Torklift hitch rated for 300 pounds tongue weight at the trailer ball, and 2,000 pounds towing weight, limits only the towed trailer data. The 300 lb tongue weight should be translated as a cargo in your trunk, or something you can hang on your rear bumper. That weight affects the stability of the vehicle because it lifts the front wheels of the vehicle. This action was a reason of many bad accidents that happened with 15 passenger GM vans when the rear was overloaded, and the front completely lost the traction with the road. With the trailer hooked you can regulate this weight by moving your cargo over the trailer wheels center.
Now, depending on the number and chubbiness of passengers, your cargo, fuel tank level your total weight will vary. In any case you should not exceed the GVW marked on your door. If your vehicle has the holes for the hitch you can install one and it will be legal, but you will void the warranty if you put too much weight or go too fast by overloading your engine or use heavy acceleration that will break your transmission. If your transmission has an overdrive, it must be switched off in most of the cases.
 
The manual says the Clarity is not to be used to tow. Don’t tow. Add the hitch, I did, and use a bike rack. Don’t tow.

A properly loaded trailer should put 10-15% of the trailers weight on the tongue. That’s 200-300lbs for a 2000lb trailer. Only an idiot would load the trailer in such a way as to have no weight on the tongue.

Did I mention, don’t tow?

Furthermore, the GVWR is for the weight of the vehicle and its contents, nothing more. That would include things in or on the car. A roof rack with a suitcase or a hitch with a bike rack, for instance.

A GCWR, Gross Combined Weight Rating, would include all of the above, plus the weight of anything towed behind the vehicle, provided that the trailer does not exceed the rated towing capacity of the vehicle.

There is no GCWR given for the Clarity nor is there a rated towing capacity.
 
Last edited:
Landshark said:
The manual says the Clarity is not to be used to tow. Don’t tow. Add the hitch, I did, and use a bike rack. Don’t tow.

A properly loaded trailer should put 10-15% of the trailers weight on the tongue. That’s 200-300lbs for a 2000lb trailer. Only an idiot would load the trailer in such a way as to have no weight on the tongue.

Did I mention, don’t tow?

Furthermore, the GVWR is for the weight of the vehicle and its contents, nothing more. That would include things in or on the car. A roof rack with a suitcase or a hitch with a bike rack, for instance.

A GCWR, Gross Combined Weight Rating, would include all of the above, plus the weight of anything towed behind the vehicle, provided that the trailer does not exceed the rated towing capacity of the vehicle.

There is no GCWR given for the Clarity nor is there a rated towing capacity.
Click to expand...
Then one better do not tow. My skepticism is coming from my experience with Mitsubishi RVR (Sport in USA) when in Canada the dealer says I am not allowed to install a hitch when the US dealer says no problem to install it. Nothing in the manual. Just says using a hitch might void the warranty. Of course, if one doesn't know how to tow, it will damage the vehicle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top