Kansas

I was just "jerking your chain". You are confirming my point that trailer hitch capacity ratings are conservative. A Class I hitch can handle a lot more than its rated 2,000 lbs. but it is not a good idea to push it too far and especially not for long distances and at high speeds.

The hitch on the diesel Mercedes I used to tow that 2,600 lb. sailboat/trailer had only a 1,500 lb capacity -- the max hitch available for a W123 chassis Mercedes. I had to reinforce the inside bottom of Mercedes rear bumper with a thick steel plate to make it strong enough to safely bear the load. The 40 mile drive to deliver the boat to its slip was done at a rather leisurely pace and mostly on back roads.

Fizzboy7

Lexus does not recommend towing as far as I've heard. It's not so much engine issues, but chassis issues.
In the above photo, it looks like the exhaust system had to be lowered for clearance. There's a non-stock gap between the tips and bumper. Personally, I'd not want to buy any car that has been altered, experimented on, or strained.
BTW, hp has nothing to do with it. It's all about torque when it comes to towing.

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

Since horsepower is directly related to torque by RPM's (hp = (ft-lbs X RPM) / 5252), its EQUALLY about hp AND torque.

intekmdma

Gernby, that picture is scary but soo cool at the same time. i'm at awe lol

IS-SV

3400 pounds?

TokerIS350

iTrader: (13)

basically it can tow another ISx50

Fizzboy7

Sorta, but not really. Look on a grander scale for an example. A motorhome, 18 wheeler, or train locomotive will usually have double or triple the amount of torque for their hauling purposes. Torque is what pulls, horsepower is what gives you speed.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

You're funny. Locomotives have electric motors driven by generator sets. No gears, and torque is completely unimportant - it's all about horsepower because the engine's power is converted to electricity.

An 18 wheeler has a 10 or 20 speed gearbox because torque doesn't solve the problem. Gears do. Gears multiply torque.

The only torque that matters is the torque at the wheel, and since there's at least one gearbox in the way, the torque the engine makes is inconsequential as long as the gearbox is designed to put the right amount of torque at the wheels.

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

Here's a chart I did a couple years ago showing torque to the wheels throughout the gears on an IS350 vs one with a fictional CVT that maintains gearing at peak HP.

Note: I created this chart to prove to lobuxracer that torque was more important, but I wound up proving myself wrong ... :|

I suspect we have at least as much pulling power as any 10 year old pickup.

BJM711

OK, I finally got my Jet Ski out this morning and when I got back from my morning ride I took these pictures of the Jet Ski trailer attached to the new Curt Hitch I installed a week ago on my IS350.

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the pictures, but would you also attach some closer pictures of the hitch installed on the car? I'd like to know how it looks when it's not in use.

slowandlow

all i have to say is if you want to toe sothing buy a truck hell even a cheap truck

llamaboiz

pssh, these guys are balla, if you gotta tow something tow it with a LEXUS

*that would make a great bumpersticker for your towing rigs*

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

I've always believed that people who say this kind of thing, probably haven't done much towing. There's no such thing as a "cheap truck" that would be good for towing. First off, it's another vehicle to buy, maintain, insure, store, and register. Second, if it's "cheap" to buy, then it's probably going to be old with high mileage, so it's not going to be very reliable. Reliability is paramount when towing.

Kansas

I find it sad that so many people in the U.S. have bought into the marketing hype that says it takes an SUV or pickup truck to tow a trailer. I wonder why that hasn't happened in most of the rest of the world. Are we a nation of sheep?

OK, I admit I'm a "geezer". I remember before SUV's existed and when nobody had a pickup truck except farmers and those needing them for commercial businesses.

Everyone used cars to tow trailers -- sometimes very long and heavy travel trailers.

The movie "The Long, Long Trailer" came out in 1953 and I first saw it in about 1955 in my grandfather's theater, The Roxy, in Huntsville, Missouri. My job as a little kid was to hand my grandfather the next real for mounting in the projector.

The film made fun of people with no towing experience hauling huge travel trailers on winding mountain roads. It was funny then and it's funny now.