I used to tow my lightweight homebuilt trailer with Honda Accords. I
never weighed the trailer, but both the older four cylinder Accord and
the newer six cylinder Accord pulled that trailer with ease. Now,
"easy towing" was the ONLY good thing about that old trailer.

My new trailer is MUCH heavier, I'm sure. While the six cylinder
Accord towed the heavier trailer easily enough, the hitch didn't like
it at all. The first of two hitches bolted to the Honda at three
points: Two through the Oh Too Thin sheet metal at the bottom of the
trunk and one at the tie-down loop at the center rear. Well, after a
couple thousand miles of towing, I noticed the bottom of the trunk
completely broken up and the spare tire about to fall out! Needless
to say, I had that hitch removed and the trunk floor repaired. I
found another hitch that bolted not through the Oh Too Thin sheet
metal, but to the vestiges of "frame rails" near the rear of the car,
plus one bolt through the tie-down loop as the previous hitch. This
hitch also began to rip out the bottom of the Honda trunk. I really
think this time was induced when, with trailer attached, I exited a
gravel road onto a paved road too quickly, causing the hitch to bottom
out on the ground as I drove through a low spot and punch up through
the thin metal trunk via the central tie-down loop bolt attachment
point.

It was not long after that incident that I weighed the trailer: 2,040
lbs and 180 lbs tongue weight. The Honda was rated for only 1,000 lbs
and 100 lb tongue weight. Lordy, was I overgrossing the poor beast!

The Honda has been sold and replaced by a Subaru Forester (normally
aspirated). It's rated to tow 2,400 lbs with a maximum of 200 lbs (or
240, I have forgotten) tongue weight. The hitch is a factory hitch.
I will definitely keep an eye on this hitch after the problems I had
with the Honda.

I have noted the Subaru's rear end doesn't sag with the trailer
attached as did the Honda's.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA