Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Trailer hitch.....

Has anyone put a trailer hitch on their SVT? How much weight does it hold? I want to pull two jet skis but my only vehicle choices are a Grand Am GT, a 85 CRX, or my 98 CSVT.

look in your owners manual. I believe the Tour is not recommended for towing anything, especially an SVT.


I could be wrong however. My car before I bought it had a plug for a trailer that someone spliced into the brake lights....

I don't have an owners manual. Can someone let me know? Thanks.

id say tow it with the grand am

do you got the 3.4L in it?

its got more torque down low than the duratec but runs out of steam up top

also, its a grand am! they are a dime a dozen

dont beat up the svt if you dont gotta

People have done it, and it's definitely a capable towing car for real small trailers,etc., but really use the grand am, or for a joke, use the honda.

There's a trailer hitch and wiring on my CSVT - came that way when I bought it. Don't have a clue what it towed, don't really care since I've beaten on it for 32k+ miles since I got it and it's still running like new at 138k miles.

From the '99 Contour owner's manual:
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle is capable of towing a
trailer of up to a maximum of
454 kg (1 000 lbs) gross trailer
weight with a maximum tongue
load of 45 kg (100 lbs). It should
also have 2.3 sq. meters (25 sq.
feet) or less frontal area. Do not
drive faster than 72 km/h (45 mph)
while towing a 454 kg (1 000 lb)
trailer.
Your vehicle does not come from
the factory fully equipped to tow.
No towing packages are available
through Ford or Lincoln/Mercury
dealers.
Trailer towing puts additional loads
on your vehicleâ??s engine, transaxle,
axle, brakes, tires, and suspension.
For your safety and to maximize
vehicle performance, be sure to use
the proper equipment while
towing.

The 2000 SVT supplement doesn't say anything about towing.

The owner's manuals are available free online as PDF files at Ford's Qualty Care Service webpage under "glove box manuals". They don't have the '98 or '99 SVT supplement but it's basically the same for all years, except to show power differences and color combos available.

Scott

My SVT has a "Hidden Hitch" on it. It came with it when i bought it. I have no idea what they towed with it. I was gonna take it off right away, but I found when I pulled the cover off it and looked at it, that the bottom of the bumper had a small notch cut into it for the hitch to fit through the opening. So now its a matter of removing it and also repairing my bumper, and oh yeah, gettin the plastic grill to go back in there. I just know its not stayin on there forever cause I hate it.

I have a 99 SE with a hitch. The weight figures given before are correct and it should tow just fine. I've had no problems. The only thing that may interfere is the rear bumper is lower on SVT and will need to be notched with most after market hitch systems. At the cost of a replacement bumper make sure that you want to put it on the SVT before you commit.

What's a pair of jet skis (with fluids) and a trailer weight anyways? I've got a pair of snowmobiles that weight about 600lbs/each [wet] and an aluminum trailer. I'd estimate their combined weight just shy of 2000lbs. A pair of jet skis and a trailer wouldn't be too far off that.

In short, none of the vehicles you listed would be a safe choice to pull that load. Do yourself a favor and either buy or rent (Hertz usually has Rangers for $20/day) something that can tow if you plan on using public roads. There's way too many bad things that can happen to yourself or others when asking a vehicle to perform beyond its capabilities.

Good luck, maybe sell that CRX and grab a cheap, little work truck? You'll find its uses are endless once you've got one.