New member...with a towing question

[bluequadcoupe]

Hello everybody. I bought an 07 Blue Quad Coupe about 3 months ago. Love it. This is the 9th Saturn in my family. My wife just traded in her Vue for an Aura XR. I traded my Vue for the Ion. We hail from South/Central NJ (reside in Hamilton, work in Princeton and Edison). Now for my question.
I used to tow my jon boat with my Vue on a small, foldable trailer I bought from Harbor Freight Tools. The jon boat wieghs no more than 150 lbs., and the trailer about 110 lbs. I want to use my Ion to tow my boat. I called my Saturn service dept, and they said they don't recommend towing with the Ion and would not even entertain giving me an estimate for a tow bar.
I figure it would be like having two people sitting in the back (260 lbs total; not more than 300 lbs max). Anybody put a tow bar on their Ion? I know I could probably get it done at a U-Haul center; or someplace where they specialize in tow set-ups. Think it'd be okay to do? Not a good idea?
Opinions and facts welcome.
Thanks for reading my post.
Best regards,
Mike

[JH6]

I seen a 04 ion auto today at lowes with a mini trailer hooked to it.

I wouldn't tow with the ion, but thats just me.

I'm sure you could haul a large television or something, but I wouldn't go beyond that.

[Maritime Storm]

Corect me if I'm wrong but isn't the towing capacity on the ION 1000lbs?

[tackepj]

Originally Posted by Maritime Storm

Corect me if I'm wrong but isn't the towing capacity on the ION 1000lbs?

Yes. You should be fine with this setup. If the dealer refuses to set you up, come in armed with the specs that it's rated to tow 1000 lbs. Otherwise, you could always get a reputable body shop to toss on a light-duty hitch and wiring kit without affecting the warranty.

[bluequadcoupe]

Originally Posted by tackepj

come in armed with the specs that it's rated to tow 1000 lbs.

I think I'll do that; and what I'll be towing is WELL BELOW 1000 lbs. But you just know the people in the service dept will undoubtedly say how much Saturn doesn't recommend towing. And if that's the case, why would the manual/specs state that it's rated to tow 1000 lbs. It should just say, "Saturn does not recommend towing any amount of weight with this model
vehicle". It'd sure make things simpler
After I visit the dealer I'll let you know in another post.
Thanks.
Best regards,
Mike

[tackepj]

After all, they DO stipulate that some models aren't supposed to tow, and they make it quite clear. I know the VUE Red Line isn't recommended for towing, and I assume that's also the case for the ION and SKY RL models, too. Since they give you a weight limit I'd say you're good to go.

Just out of curiosity, how big is your boat? I have a 12' jon, and I have no idea what it weighs. Would be good to know.

[bluequadcoupe]

I have a Lowes 10' jon. And I live about 3/4 mile from the launch dock, so we're not talking about a cross-country tow. I think the Ion can handle that on weekends

[EcotecFan]

Well, I'm not sure about IONs, because we don't use ours for towing, but my other car (HHR, same engine and transmission), is only rated for towing with the automatic transmission. It says right in the owner's manual: no towing with the 5 speed.

If your ION is a std, your dealer may very well be right if GM has the same rule. In any case, check your manual; that's your definitive answer.

Yves

[bluequadcoupe]

Mine's an automatic. I'll check the manual and take it from there.I'll keep you posted