Festy Trailer

[thewalrus]

My wife and I are moving into a new house. It's here in town and not too far from where we currently live.

However, we have several pieces of very heavy and large furniture (such as the oak desk I'm currently sitting at) that won't fit in any of our vehicles. I usually rent a trailer and pull it with my Montero, but I'm sick of spending the money and having nothing to show for it.

I called U-haul today and ordered a hitch for my Fest that will cost $159.99 before tax.

I looked through Harbor Freight's website and found a trialer I think will work. There are even a couple of them in stock at the local H.F.

The trailer is a collapsable 4'x8' that weighs a couple of hundred pounds empty and is rated up to 990 lbs capacity. It costs $189.99 plus tax. They also have a couple of other models in different sizes and capacities For those of you who have Festiva towing experience: the receiever hitch is rated to 1000 lbs (about the same as the trailer). Do you think a Festiva can handle pulling 1000 pounds?

Hopefully, this info can assist anyone who's looking for a towing solution for their Festiva.

[25Horseplay]

It should be able too. I pulled a jet ski without any trouble. And some where on here there is a picture of Jim towing another Festiva on a dolly with his Festiva. Scroll thru this. http://tinyurl.com/h3etw

[Pu241]

your towing weight is many times the tongue weight!

A festy is likely to be capable of towing 2000 lbs, but you can't put more than say 100-150lbs on the tongue as it sits behind the back axle and will force your rear suspension down severely, causing the tires to rub.
Just adjust the position of the material being towed so as to minimize the weight on the tongue and maximize the weight over the trailers axle and you should be fine. Even if you have to make more than one trip, better that than to damage the fester or your new trailer!

[thewalrus]

Great, thanks for the pictures and for the advice!

I don't plan on hauling anything terribly large, but seeing a Fest pulling a Fest does my heart good.

[neanderpaul]

festy pulling festy

I pulled festiva number #3 with festiva #2 back in '95. No sweat.

[thewalrus]

Re: festy pulling festy

I pulled festiva number #3 with festiva #2 back in '95. No sweat.

On a two-wheeled car dolly? That's what was going on in the picture above. There's a Fest about 20 miles away that I think I could get for one or two hundred (not running, I want its transmission as mine is a 4-speed) and it would be cool if I pulled it home with my Fest.

[neanderpaul]

pulling

I was actually out in the sticks so I just roped it!! I had a person steering and braking the rear festiva. I would use a 2 wheel dolly with confidence.

[YpsiBob]

my buddy towed a 77 LTD 4-door with about 1000 pounds of scrap metal piled into it with his 5 speed aspire. he claims the aspire did it fine.

[neanderpaul]

towing

my buddy towed a 77 LTD 4-door with about 1000 pounds of scrap metal piled into it with his 5 speed aspire. he claims the aspire did it fine.

I'll buy that. It does depend on how you finesse it too. I mean you can smoke a clutch towing nothing, or you can baby a big load like that and not tear anything up. When I towed that festiva it was easy.

[TheresGabe]

A very sad day, when my last '88 Festy called it quits. Actually it was half pulled apart, and the engine was sitting lose, with no front wheels or axles. Well my landlord gave me a 3-day notice, and the company that was supposed to come and tow it, wanted to do it on the 4th day. I couldn't wait. I lowered the festy, and drug it the 100 yards down my long driveway, on it's oil pan, with my '95 Aspire Auto. I got it to the street, and left it. The company actually showed up to tow it around 8:00 the next morning. However, the aspire in 1st gear had NO problem towing it as dead weight. :cry:

[thewalrus]

Sad, but inspirational. Thanks.

[YpsiBob]

we used the aspire today to pull a 360 'Cuda.