Towing Capacites (towing weight)

[sebastian305]

Hello,
I have a question:
What's is the max Towing Capacites for a 1983 Chevrolet Malibu Wagon?

I will explain why this question.
On the certificate of title from my Malibu wagon, the french state DMV allows 300Kg :shock:
(I think you use Lbs, 300Kg converts is 661.387Lbs)
It is not enough for my use and the french DMV refuses to make changes.
I am convinced that towing capacity is necessarily wrong on my certificate of title. (Each towing, I made ​​outlaws 😳 .)

I thank you in advance for your answers.
Wish you a good day.

 

[olds307 and 403]

Re: Towing Capacites

A wagon especially will usually have a higher towing capacity then any sedan. It also depends on the engine option and sometimes rear end ratio. I assume your wagon came stock with a 305, top engine that year. Wagons were the suv/mini van's of their day. It should be rated at a lot more than 300 kg. Do you have the owner's manual? It should have the towing capacity in it somewhere. Did it come factory with a tow package?

 

[sebastian305]

Re: Towing Capacites

Thanks for your comments.

No I did not the owner's manual. Inside driver door there is a sticker with different weights, but it is illegible (too old)
No, is no a package tow from factory. I guess it was equipped in Switzerland by a previous owner.

 

[pontiacgp]

Re: Towing Capacites

I read that Europe gives higher tow capacities than they do in the US. A car is good to tow anything up to it's own weight

 

[sebastian305]

Re: Towing Capacites

I read that Europe gives higher tow capacities than they do in the US. A car is good to tow anything up to it's own weight

Hello,

It all depends on which Country in europe (probably).
In Europe everything is different from one country to another:
laws, way of living, the cost of living, the government, the school, for some it is money, or religion, ... Countries that are in crises. There are countries that were at war there is not so long.
We are not even able to speak one language, each country has its own language :lol: .

Europe is very different from one country to another, and for the future of the European Union we'll see in a few years ...

 

[pontiacgp]

Re: Towing Capacites

I don't know if you have anything like the U Haul we have here. They have the towing capacities for vehicles on a program in their computer so maybe you can check with them to see if their towing capacities for your car are the same as what's on the label in your car.

 

[sebastian305]

Re: Towing Capacites

I looked on Google, U Haul is a rental trailer?

In France the old Chevrolet Malibu is not in a computer.
Nor in to control a technical center.
Nor in a trailer rental company.
And neither in the Department or Office of Motor Vehicles.

For example:
On my certificate of title in france he wrote Chevrolet and undefined instead of Chevrolet Malibu.
Chevrolet undefined... :lol:

 

[pontiacgp]

then if that sticker wasn't there no one would know what the towing capacity would be...

 

[thedoctorisin]

im not a pro when it comes to trailering but i did work at a trailer shop who did installs and sold numerous hitches and mounts and also fixed plenty of broken trailers... most of the time people will over load their trailers and break that before breaking the hitch or the car. that being said i doubt that your particular hitch would take much much weight. i wouldnt carry more than a small 6x5 trailer or maybe a couple motorcycles or a small (less than 16ft) boat behind a g body car.

if i recall correctly my cutlass was up to a class 3 rating. of course it only works that way if you have a hitch with that rating as well, looks like yours may have been meant for a bike rack or something small.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Attached is from the 1980 owner's manual...the 83 manual makes no reference to weights, just that you should contact the dealer.

There was no trailer package per se...you would have to add the upgraded cooling, specific gear ratio, better transmission, etc as optional content. All G bodies got the same small brakes, so that'd be my main concern unless you equip the trailer with brakes.