hi!
my husband told me that there is something in our HHR literature that indicates you cannot tow a trailer with a manual transmission. this is NUTs to us.

does anyone know why they say this? is it because most people can't drive manuals anymore?

i am just getting ready to bid on a teardrop trailer and he finally remembers to mention this.

we traded our big honkin' gas guzzling truck for our HHR. we are leaving our 31 ft Airstream (big honkin' trailer!.. but a vintage so nice :) at our camping resort. i thot we could get a teardrop and at least tow it around. the one we want will be less than 1000lb loaded.

any advice greatly appreciated. just can't make any sense of this.

thanks!
silvertwinkie (what they call airstreams)

 

I think that it is in the owners manual, and 1000lbs is the max on the auto.
If I remember right.

 

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...ghlight=towing
that is another thread on sim subject. Look at post #13.
Sorry!

 

The engine can handle towing but the clutch can't. I suppose you could tow the trailer if you want to be a member of the "clutch of the month club"

 

Here is a link to the online owners manual. I hope this helps!

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/general-hhr-4/online-owners-manual-3074/

 

That is not unique to the HHR. I am not sure any standard (manual) transmission can tow a trailer. My Mazda could not. My Jeeps could not. My mustang could not. My Daytonas could not. My firebird could not. All manual trannies.

 

The clutch can't... you mean the *clutch* can't, or is it that the usual driver can't operate the clutch so it can? Or so a disclaimer would have to be?

So, maybe we should have kept that Ford 4x4 crew cab. Just cost a *lot* to run around in! But it would tow our 5000lb+ Airstream.

Oh well. Thanks for your help. And, what the manual says is not always the last word in reality, so that wasn't considered a "bible".

 

did a search on this search engine and it wouldn't come up with anything. guess i should have an automatic search instead of doing it m anually

my husband thinks this is all nuts. he even used to teach CDL classes, he knows how to drive. used to have a business called Autohaus that worked on all kinds of european exotics. he knows driving and "hardware".

we'll look into this. thanks again for your input.

silvertwinkie

buckle up.
makes it harder for the aliens
to snatch you from your car.

 

I think you are right on the latter. Most people can't even drive a manual let alone tow with it. So GM just says no towing period. It's a CYA thing.

 

Towing with the manual will cause faster wear and tear on the clutch. That is all. That is why it is in the manual. I have a 5speed also, I also have a 4x6 tilt trailer and a hitchhaul. I won't hesitate to hook either to the HHR. Just use common sense. No heavy loads, especially over 1K, and no 5th gear.