# Cruze + Trailer = Camping



## CruzerStan (May 24, 2015)

looks pretty **** ready for the road


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Is that a pop up ?


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

brian v said:


> Is that a pop up ?


Sorry, what do you mean by pop up? The utility trailer sides are removable with the back utilizing corner rack stake connectors.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

A pop up to my understanding is one of these.

Jayco Australia | Pop Tops


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

You got allot of passengers? With only 2 people I have no problem camping with just the huge trunk and backseat.


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

We have a 4 year old that takes up the back seat with her car seat. Did a camping trip, just my wife and I, all over Oregon with a 93 T-Bird that had a larger trunk and back seat completely filled. So when the request was made to do another long trip. I knew I needed either a roof basket or trailer since space is limited with 3 of us.


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

That's what I was thinking to Aussie


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Picked this thing up for 3,900 bucks with six brand new tires and three brand new batteries during the crunch. with 41 K miles on the clock.

View attachment 148122


Yeah, it need some work, so added another 1,000 bucks worth of parts in it to make it reliable. Sleeps six, generator, roof and cabin air, full size refrigerator, micro, cruise control, full bath, hot water, furnace, range, TV antenna.

Cruze? Just for going to work and shopping.


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

nickd said:


> Cruze. Just for going to work,shopping and pulling trailers for camping.


fify


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

A boxed in trailer with a tarp on it will keep your camping equipment dry. Don't you know it always rains when you go camping! Got our boat all set and we were free yesterday for boating, but it rained all day, still raining this morning.

Made my own trailer on a 4,000 pound capacity old boat trailer and got the weird idea of using pressure treated wood. Did this around 35 years ago, still good. Has tilt bed on it, so can drive up a snowmobile or a riding lawn mower. They don't make tilt bed trailers anymore, with a boat, have to float them off drowning the entire trailer and a good share of your towing vehicle.

Talk about progress.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, was telling my wife was in the high school band, on Memorial Day, had to put on a heavy wool uniform for the parade, and if we didn't show up, would funk the course and lose credits. Followed by five Memorial Day reviews in the military, wearing class A uniforms. That's nine continuous years of marching in the red hot sun, never did it rain, not even once.

But today, we are perfectly free to do what we want to, and we would love to go kayaking. But pouring down rain. Ever feel the world is against us? LOL.


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## KENSTV123 (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks to KENSTV123 for hooking me up with an awesome deal on a hitch.

You bet Chris, looks like they have that ball mount height perfect, I've only used my hitch for the bikes so far, remember check hitch mount bolt tightness after you get some miles on it--


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Curt hitch is only 80 miles from me, good Wisconsin people to deal with.


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

There was about 270 miles between me and KENSTV123. I was just lucky enough that he was able to get it close to my father so he could pick it up. My father then handed it off to a co-worker of mine who was down in the area on a mini vacation.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Two minor problems learned when I brought the Cruze home, my fault for not doing all my homework.

First was how to tie down our kayak, no problem with the 04 Cavalier, had towing hooks. Heard later because some guy tried to pull his daughter out of a ditch without a flashing yellow light on his vehicle resulted in a minor accident, so all the later vehicles eliminated the towing hooks. Nothing down there to tie my straps to, except plastic.

Other one I was aware of, only good for a class I hitch, need a class II to pull my trailer. No choice but to use my Supra, so wanted a hidden hitch for it. Contacted Curt, talked to an engineer, like talking to other engineers, had no one listed for the Cruze, but emailed me a blueprint of one the thought it would work. It did, was a class II, and fit perfectly. And this car does have towing hooks, real easy to strap down the kayak.

What the Supra does have in common with the Cruze is using separate brake and directional signal lamps. One choice is to add two more tail lamps to the trailer and a fifth wire. Other was to purchase an adapter, found one at Fleet Farm for around ten bucks so I could use a standard four pin connector.

Other crazy solutions was to use our motorhome, already has a class 3 hitch on it, ha you expect me to back up a trailer when I can't even see it? Then you would have to climb a ten foot ladder to try to mount our kayak on it.

Then we got a brochure from GM with $10,000 of a GM pickup, she wanted a four door, I wanted the extended bed. But still can't carry a 4 by 8 foot piece of plywood in these things, and sure don't want to put our dirty leaves in it to haul it to the dump. But tried anyway, would only give me $3,000.00 on my like new Supra with only 50K miles on it, and to get that $10,000 discount, needed something like a 1928 Reo to trade in. Like it was, would only get $1,500.00 off. 

So doing just fine with what we got. 

Still trying to find towing hooks for the Cruze, not sure if I want to chop holes in the bumpers and if I did mount a hitch, would trying to pull this thing out of the ditch, rip it off?


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

NickD said:


> Still trying to find towing hooks for the Cruze, not sure if I want to chop holes in the bumpers and if I did mount a hitch, would trying to pull this thing out of the ditch, rip it off?


Only one way to find out :tank:


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

chris10 said:


> Only one way to find out :tank:


Hi guys, the Aussie Cruze has an opening panel at the front and an "I" bolt in the trunk to screw into a thread, which can be used to secure the front of a long load at the front.

View attachment 148834


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

Aussie said:


> Hi guys, the Aussie Cruze has an opening panel at the front and an "I" bolt in the trunk to screw into a thread, which can be used to secure the front of a long load at the front.
> 
> View attachment 148834


You guys get all the good stuff.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

chris10 said:


> You guys get all the good stuff.


No excuse GM did not include that feature on the US cruze, have seen many GM cars in the US that have the same exact port. I would love a good way to tie down my canoe at the front of the car.


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

Our trip is done and was awesome. Trailer held up even in some Montana back country roads, even the Cruze, though most would cringe at the thought of a Cruze traveling those paths that barely classify as a dirt road. Cruze overall, as most expect, was fine. I busted my front driver side Chinese splash guard.....good excuse for oem ones now. 

I think I have some more pics. But here is one for now.

Some Wyoming action in Yellowstone. (can right click to view larger)


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

How do you attach a thin piece of plastic to another thin piece of plastic? Certainly not with an included sheet metal screw. I use Dorman push pin rivets, lasts for years.

OE splash shields? Sure sound better than mud flaps, look cool, but don't offer protection. Should call them stone guards.

Did you read where stone chips are not covered under warranty?

And you really can't call the designers of these cars stupid for designing cars where the tires stick way out the side. If anyone is stupid, it is us, for buying them. Its our problem, not theirs.


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

It is a pop up with a real cute smurfette showing off for the camera .............COOL Pic .. and Mountains to boot . Glad that every thing went well for you and your family !




The rails pop up and your Daughter looks gratefull ..


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## chris10 (Oct 22, 2014)

NickD, the rear splash flaps/guards/whatever utilize one of the oem screws, for the wheel well, and hold tight but it requires two holes so I made a new one and I just used the screws provided. For the fronts I used some push rivets and one screw. The one that busted was the actual flap along a bend.

Thanks Brian, our daughter enjoyed every second of the camping part


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## NHIA (Aug 8, 2020)

I use hood loops similar to thesethese. Remove one of the fender bolts under the hood and fasten it through the metal grommet on the strap. Simply flip out to use, flip under hood when not in use.
I have an 18 hatchback LT. For back tiedowns I made my own straps and bolted them to framing member inside each of the back interior side panels.


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