Towing Cargo Trailer Conversion with a Sports Sedan

[RedruM7]

Ok call me crazy but I'm in that rare minority that really wants to tow a camper with my sports car.

Now I may be crazy but not completely mad. I own a large very capable/powerful and relatively reliable sports car.
I bought a top of the line 2019 Kia Stinger V6 GT2 a year ago, I'm just going to rattle off some specs before anyone asks or googles it up.

365HP / 376TQ / Twin Turbo V6 AWD (RWD bias)
4023 lbs Curb / 114.4" Wheelbase
Brembo brakes

Now I've searched high and low to find a tow hitch for my car which exists but was discontinued around the same time I bought my car, but recently I finally got my hands on one and just need to install it.
I've also started already on my camper design, I'm very likely going with a converted 6x10 or 6x12 cargo trailer, with a starting weight of around 1000-1200lbs and by my rough estimates may end up around 1750-1900 lbs fully loaded.
Here are some of the important towing specs.

Tow hitch max tongue/trailer weight: 200 lbs / 2000 lbs
Kia Stinger max tow braked/unbraked: 3300 lbs / 1600 lbs (These ratings are australian/UK, NA does not give official ratings)

Just to further give the Stinger its credentials this gives me the most confidence in towing with it.
https://www.thetowcarawards.com/tow-car/kia-stinger/

I'm completely new to towing however I have been watching many informative videos and reading into the subject lately especially when it comes to the cargo trailer conversions and camper conversions in general. Just wondering what you guys think about towing with a sports car and most importantly towing close to the max ratings, working in design and with engineers I know there are built in safety margins and I find a lot of towing numbers can be a bit on the loose side. The generic unbraked tow rating looks to be the lowest rating, but not sure how accurate that as I've heard trailers my size very rarely have brakes.

Suggestions would also be very much appreciated. I of course do not plan to drive like a sports car while towing and I'm thinking of ideas to make towing safer and reduce wear and tear/damage. One thing I'd like to add is a transmission temperature gauge/sensor to keep an eye on it incase of overheating, however I've read the Stingers come with stock coolers. Ideally I hope I could use a bluetooth ODB reader for this but not sure yet. Regarding the weight I also plan to lighten the tow weight by moving heavier items to the Stinger if possible such as water tanks, batteries and ebikes (~200l bs).

[rjgimp]

You are crazy. Welcome to the asylum. Draw up a chair. May I offer you a beverage?

I probably wouldn't actively choose such a vehicle with the intent of towing with it but if that was the vehicle I happened to have and I needed to tow something I would probably do what you're doing. I just roll my eyes at the folks who claim some "rule of thumb" that you can only tow 70% to 80% of your vehicle's rating. Hogwash! No such thumb exists anywhere. If my vehicle has a tow rating of 3000# I am going to hitch an appropriately maintained and equipped 2999# load behind it without a second thought.

Brakes? As I recall, last time I looked only two states required brakes on trailers under 3000#. You can certainly add brakes to virtually any trailer. Many folks feel far more comfortable with them even if they are not required.

Many vehicles with robust tow ratings in other parts of the world have none here in North America, specifically in the US. Thank your friends in the American Crazy Lawyers' Union for that Check with your insurer and get it in writing. If you are participating in "off label" activities and there is an incident, you might find yourself in a pickle. Life is dangerous, proceed with caution.

[tony.latham]

The other issue is drag. The frontal mass (and overall shape including the rear) could be a real beast at speeds above 55. I noticed a significant difference when I went from a 4'-wide teardrop to a 5'-wide. And that's pulling campers that have the same height as my Tacoma.



Tony

[JackPaul]

I'd love to hear your suggestions and insights on towing with a sports car, especially when towing is close to the maximum ratings. I'm also looking for ideas to make towing safer and reduce wear and tear. One thing I'm considering is adding a transmission temperature gauge/sensor to keep an eye on overheating, although I've heard that the Stinger comes with stock coolers. I might even lighten the load by transferring heavier items like water tanks, batteries, and e-bikes (around 200 lbs) to the Stinger itself.

[RedruM7]

Hey Guys,

A little late coming back to my first post but great to hear some comments on my wild and wacky ideas.
A beverage would be nice thanks!!

But to be real in the meantime since that post I have: painstakingly found and installed a tow hitch myself to my Stinger, rented a small fiberglass trailer (probably around 1500#), pulled it for two trips up and down the rocky mountains and even through some pretty rough terrain without breaking a sweat (Mostly).

And I thought I'd better pop back into this forum because I'm on my next step, which is buying and building out my own custom camper/trailer conversion.
I'm quite lucky and there is a local super lightweight fiberglass cargo trailer manufacturer where I live and I snagged a used 5x12 cargo trailer that starts with a dry weight of only 600+lbs.

So just giving you guys the heads up I might be in here more often as I go thru building my crazy dream RV setup. I have been designing the trailer layout constantly over the past year or two[album][/album] and would like to see what you guys think.

Heres a pic of one of my trips so far, hopefully it works.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PvYuQA7fvSX2UjoJ6