4 cylinder Towing-It's Not That Bad

So for years I've been reading posts bitching about the towing performance of the 2.7 4 cylinder. I've towed trailers in the past but probably less than 2,000 pounds and for less than a couple hundred miles. Rafts, motorcycles, hay, feed, wood, etc. 2 weeks ago I needed to move a bunch of stuff and a motorcycle from Southwest Montana to Northeast Oregon. Honestly I was nervous about the weight and mountain passes. I regularly tow trailers(2000 lbs to 5000lbs) for work using everything from F-350s to F-550s. So I have some experience towing with larger trucks. I opted for the lightest uhaul trailer weighing 900 pounds dry. I then loaded my 1973 Honda CB350f (which is for sale!) weighing in at 350 pounds, plus about 1000 pounds of stuff(some furniture, outdoor equipment, clothes, etc). I made sure to keep track of everything I was putting in. So while I was a bit under the 3,500 towing capacity I also had another 800 pounds plus in the bed of the truck. I averaged right around 17 miles per gallon. This trip included 4 mountain passes. The passes were not the most fun, but not terrible. I was going 38mph on the steepest section of the steepest pass. For most of the drive I could get up to 75mph, however I kept it around 65 to save on gas. I tried to keep my RPM around 2500 for most of the trip. My engine temp didn't really fluctuate more than a few degrees. I kept an eye on this the whole time with my scanguage. I arrived in one piece, and all together is wasn't that bad at all. So if towing isn't something you do everyday I think the 4cyl is fine if you're towing less than 3500 lbs. It seems like on TW there is a lot of complaints about the towing capabilities of these trucks but after actually experiencing it its not so bad at all. This is just a rant I suppose. But if you have a 2.7 or thinking about getting one just realize its towing capabilities are not as bad as you are led to believe.

 

When you add big tires and thin air it is but I still made it from PA to CO with a similar trailer. I'm going to guess you have a 5 speed?

 

Ahh yea I should have mentioned I have a manual.

 

I'm guessing with the automatic it would have been a different story.

 

Another thing you have the whole trailer towing thing down.

You kept the weight within reason .

I really don`t think the real problems are the engine more the suspension and brakes .

Then some are never happy unless they can drive 75 mph all the time.

 

Seems like in every thread asking "should I buy a 4 cylinder" people are always saying if you tow at all buy a 6 cylinder. As long as you aren't set on towing 4000 lbs and driving 75 up a mountain the 2.7 is solid.

 

nice bike, sold my 350f like 2 years ago. I agree with your post only in regard to gearing. if your owning that weight without struggle and you have bigger tires, then you must have 4.10s my 2.7 sucks towing, but only because I have 3.73s. I need to re-gear soon though.

 

hows that cb go? I had a 73 twin, i wonder if that four is any quicker. I had mine pegged at 70 downhill. that was a fun bike around town i just wished it was a touch swifter on the uptake.

 

Yeah my 2.7 taco sucks towing, but I have 3.58 gears.

 

Yea I have stock gears and not huge tires, but larger than a stock highway tire. 265/75/16. Wrangler Authorities( I know they are from Wally World but god damn Ill swear by these tires) And I guess it defines how you define "struggle"? I wasn't winning any races, and probably only passed 2 people during the 11 hour drive. But honestly it wasn't that bad at all. How much did you sell your 350f for?

 

The CB is awesome and for sale....cough cough... I believe the 4 is quicker. I can get mine up to 90 easy, and have had it a bit over 100 years ago. I weigh 165 pounds, and I know that makes some difference. Want to buy it?

 

loved my 350 OP. great first bike.

 

Damn those look nice and stock. Still have them?

 

Nope, sold the 350 to fund this:



And I just sold that about a month ago to hell with school bills. But I have 2 more in my shop for next winters projects so it's ok!

 

No one said it couldn't be done. It's a pretty simple comparison of torque numbers. One tows more than the other.

And someone else mentioned, if I'm not going 85 and accelerating up a hill I'm not happy.

 

Yea if you need to be able to accelerate up a hill going 85 then the 2.7 isn't for you. But if you want to safely drive with your truck with nearly 3000 lbs in tow then a 2.7 works just fine.

 

Once again I will point out that it's not the motor that determines how well your 2.7 will tow, it's the gear ratio of the rear end. I towed 1000 lbs from NC to NM and back last year with my 2.7 that has 3.58 gears, and I would NEVER do it again. My arm was sore from downshifting to 3rd on grades so slight I could barely tell I was going uphill, and my transmission was whining the whole way.

If you are towing 3000 lbs comfortably with your 2.7, I'll bet you have 4.10 or shorter gears. What's the axle code on your door frame sticker?

 

Didn't realize the 2.7 came with 3.58s thought it was 4.10s and 4.30s. That must have been awful towing 1000lbs.

 

Not sure about other years, but my '99 2.7 (with automatic) came from the factory with 4.56 gears

 

All I had on the trailer was the bike and a kitchen box, and the truck hated it. I had my regular camping load and kayaks in/on the truck too, but those are pretty much always on there and the truck doesn't mind too much.