So, I'm looking at getting this...

4 Wide Platform - Teardrop Camper/Trailer - Little Guy

having this mounted on the front storage area...

Tire Rack - Flip Up | Pit Products

and putting a tow hitch for bike rack on the rear of the lil guy

Have any of you done this?

Advice?

Criticisms?

I'll be getting the trailer brake option for stability, and to keep the stopping distances down.

 

ok, after finding some for sale, they are pretty damn pricey, so maybe not that exact model... but the idea is burning a hole in my mind (pocket)

 

800 lbs + weight of your bike and other **** behind a miata?

I've never tried a tire trailer or anything, but I do tow a good amount behind my truck (including the miata itself on a car hauler).

Technically the miata isn't rated for any towing at all in the US, so legally speaking this is a terrible idea and as a disclaimer, that's my official input.

I would see four problems with your plan: braking, engine power / cooling, tongue weight, and sway control.

You have to not just stop your 2200lb miata, but now 3000lbs of miata + trailer, unless you want to get a brake controller. I have no idea what stopping 3000lbs in my car would feel like, maybe it's no big deal. You could maybe get a big brake kit and write that one off.

If you're naturally aspirated, you're asking your little underpowered car to move 1.5x the weight it normally does, more or less. I would be pretty concerned about engine power. Even if you're turbo'd, I'd be ensuring my cooling was up to snuff, as that's a lot of extra load to put on a car.

Also, even if you're turbo'd - I have towed with a supercharged 4-cylinder before: the real issue is low-end torque. It's great that you make 250hp at 6500rpm. For towing (and heat purposes), what really counts is making low-end torque. This gets the load moving effectively without generating too much heat, which is why diesels are great for this purpose. A miata is horrible at this.

Tongue weight will almost definitely bite you in the ***. That little trailer is a single axle, which is the worst for tongue weight. You would have to be very careful to load the trailer properly, because the rear springs on a miata are not particularly stiff, and you could be riding on bump stops the whole way, which can ruin your steering and handling and isn't very safe.

Lastly, sway control. As a rule of thumb, the longer the tow vehicle is, the better. A 20' truck pulling a 5' trailer is very stable. A 10' miata pulling a 10' trailer may not be. You don't want to get in a situation where your little trailer is wagging your car. You could look at a weight-distributing hitch, I suppose, if such a thing even exists.

Or... you could just buy a cheap used truck/SUV/minivan rated to tow a camper.

 

I've played around with this idea before.

Build yourself a normal tear drop trailer. most of the time they can come out to be under 500#. make sure the mattress will roll up and just put the tires inside the teardrop.you dont have extra weight to play around with. so extra shelves, longer trailers will be heavier and handicap your towing. a brake controller is also a good idea.

 

Did I just read "Miata" and "brake controller" in the same sentence?

 

With a few minor upgrades, a Miata can tow a full-size camper easily.

 

It's clearly got the power all right, but I'd love to see what that thing feels like on a windy day.