Towing with a Miata?

Alright so the situation is I am getting out of the military in 10 months. In February I will be driving from San Diego, CA to Atlanta, GA. Roughly 2200 miles. The military moves all household goods, but not vehicles. So I will be driving my car home, and I need to get my motorcycle back home too. My original plan was to ship the bike(roughly $600). But I may be getting a pitcrew front end for my car. If I do, I do not want the transport company dealing with it since it is large and fragile. I also have a spare LE dash I do not want to be broken in transport either since it is large and fragile. I have heard stories that the transport company is not that great with large breakables.

So my plan is to put a hitch on my car, raise the rear end to avoid bottoming out, and buy a utility trailer. I am thinking of towing my bike(roughly 500lbs dry weight) along with the pitcrew, and the LE dash. I will probably put some personal stuff like clothes and whatnot so I'm not cramped up in the car the whole time.

So, main question is, would it be okay for my to tow with my car for such a long distance?

Yes I've seen folks tow other cars, bikes etc down here with Miatas. Is the dash not in your car? I would make sure to buy extra padding. If the bike falls over it would surely crack the pitcrew or the dash.

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Originally Posted by Phatmiata

Yes I've seen folks tow other cars, bikes etc down here with Miatas. Is the dash not in your car? I would make sure to buy extra padding. If the bike falls over it would surely crack the pitcrew or the dash.

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i have 2 LE dashes. one is currently in my car, the 2nd one was damaged, and in the process of a "revlimiter overhaul". it had a hole in the topside, so i repaired the hole and covered the top of the dash with leather, and plan on installing it in my car whenever it is finished. i still have some thing si need to do to it before i am willing to install it, but ill have to do that whenever i get back stateside in a few months.

oh and trust me, the bike will be strapped down with several straps so it stays upright at all times. the trailer would be able to flip multiple times and the bike will still be strapped upright. haha. i would be pissed if it broke the dash or my future pitcrew bumper. but of course there will be padding just in case anything goes wrong.

i just wanted to make sure i wasnt doing anything crazy. i think i remember seeing a picture of a miata towing a jetski, and thats what gave me the idea of just towing my bike, and then it save me money from not having to ship the front end or dash. win win in my eyes.

Just a couple of thoughts...

I would think you will be alright, but a few suggestions that may make it eaiser:

First, I would add an oil cooler. The added protection would be worth the expense and trouble in my eyes.

Second, I would plan the route carefully. 10 mos is roughly February of '15. Taking the 10 to the 20 across would probably be easier not only because of the climate, but the relatively flat terrain, too. Climbing the 40 through northern AZ while towing in mid winter may be a dicey proposition. Crossing OK and AK can be windy, too.

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Originally Posted by kung fu jesus

Just a couple of thoughts...

I would think you will be alright, but a few suggestions that may make it eaiser:

First, I would add an oil cooler. The added protection would be worth the expense and trouble in my eyes.

Second, I would plan the route carefully. 10 mos is roughly February of '15. Taking the 10 to the 20 across would probably be easier not only because of the climate, but the relatively flat terrain, too. Climbing the 40 through northern AZ while towing in mid winter may be a dicey proposition. Crossing OK and AK can be windy, too.

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yeah i get out mid feb. if project G is having their annual event around the 24th or so like this year, i will probably wait and attend that, then leave the day after. this will be my 3rd time driving across country. the first time i did it i took the 40 from CA to GA since i was in 29 palms at the time. the second time i drove from GA to CA, and i took the 20 to the 10 to the 8 to get into san diego. i will be doing that route since itll take me straight home, and because once i am out of CA its mostly all flat.

do you have any oil cooler recommendations? i have never really thought into those.

I have seen a number of oil cooler configurations. I do like the ones with thermostats. I would look at the usual suspects for ease of installation, documentation, etc. FM, Goodwin, 949 , Moss, etc. it will also serve you well in the GA heat.

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Originally Posted by kung fu jesus

Crossing OK and AK can be windy, too.

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Alaska is a little out of the way :fp:

:teehee:


But, yeah, OK and AR (Arkansas) can be windy.

Same thing. One is BFE, the other is just BF. ;)

http://retrocrush.com/archive2003/ba...eliverance.jpg

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-co...liverhead3.jpg

http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/s...like-a-pig.gif

Although I don't recall if a specific location/state was mentioned in that movie, I do know it was filmed in GA. :p