I have a 2006 Honda CRV, totally stock. How much can I SAFELY tow? I want to keep this car a very long time and don’t want to cause damage.
The thing is already nearly two decades old and you want to keep it for a very long time? (How much longer do you expect to get out of it?)
Towing is not going to help with that goal. It stresses every part of the vehicle, especially the transmission. Even if the owner's manual gives a tow rating that would be for when the thing was new. It's pretty much a given that you'll have a transmission replacement in your future if you start towing with it at this point.
CRVs aren't known for towing too. You can tow stuff but they're not made for that. You'd have to find a Honda Pilot or something bigger that can tow. Or rent a u-haul and tow
Pilot is unibody ain’t gonna tow much more than a CR-V. It’s just a bigger car.
Agree with all the above. Maybe a 1000-1500 pound utility trailer on occasion. Any more than that is asking for trouble. (Unless you want to just go with it as your tow rig and assume you’ll need a transmission now and then. But even then I probably wouldn’t do more than 1500-2000, regardless what the rating is. )
What does your owner's manual say?
If you want to tow, get a Toyota Tacoma. That is a body-on-frame vehicle that's meant to tow. All a CR-V is, is a glorified station wagon that's made to look like an SUV. Traditional SUVs are built with body-on-frame construction, not unibody construction, which is what the CR-V is. Honda doesn't make a body-on-frame vehicle, it's not their "thing".
