towing capacity?

[Unco]

I checked my owners handbook for this and all it says is "we do not recommend to use this vehicle for towing trailers".

Just wondering if you guys have an actual figure as my little Festiva has a tow bar but now I'm afraid that if something goes wrong while I'm towing, the insurance won't cover me???

[stefan]

I easily flat-towed a 3000lb+ Jeep back when I still had my B3

[Unco]

well, the reason i'm asking is because i have started using my Festiva to tow a 6x4 box trailer. just to take green waste to the dump every month or so. i'm wondering if there is an official figure for the towing capacity on these little cars?

[elcamino1]

I don't think flat towing 500-800 lbs will hurt our littke cars,problem is trying to stop.
With B6 engine swap and aspire brake swap towing will be much better.

[Unco]

does anyone have their owners handbook and does it say anything about towing traliers?

[Levitan]

I'd be curious what you have for a hitch set up. If it's just a receiver that bolts to the bottom of the bumper, that would not be a strong set up. If it is a receiver that bolts to the bumper, unibody frame, and maybe the bottom of the spare tire well, then you are golden. Not that I know anything about towing .

See below threads.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17335&page=2

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17509

[Unco]

it's a proper tow bar with a Gross Trailer Mass of capacity of 500Kg. i would still like to know if there is an official 'towing trailer' capacity listed anywhere for the Festiva.

[FB71]

yes. Ford's "official" towing capacity is zero. Ford did not want the Festiva to tow ANYTHING for liability reasons.

[Unco]

thanks FB71

[getnpsi]

Does the festiva have a gwr rating on the doorjamb sticker? If it does then you can guesstimate what is "safe." All vehicles can outpull what they can slow down or stop so please keep that in mind. I'd hate to see someone do a bunch of dump trips then find out their doors dont close right anymore.

[Levitan]

That is a damn fine looking tow package setup , though!

[WmWatt]

Not supposed to tow anything. When I drove through the Appalacian(?) hills in Pennsylvania and New Brunswick, no trailer, just a tent and sleeping bag in the back, the car would slow to a crawl on the long uphill grades. Someone near where I live took the engine out of one Festiva and towed it behind another Festiva as a tailer to take his junk to his flea market stall every weekend. Some light load on level ground seems to be okay. If it's a manual transmission be careful not to burn out the clutch.