V8 Real-World Towing Capacity

[KAOS1972]

I have a 2005 V8, which I believe is rated at 5000 lbs towing capacity. I have the factory tow package on it.

I am considering buying a 24' boat which weighs right at 5000 lbs on a double axle trailer (combined weight - 4200 lbs for boat only). The boat will be kept at the Marina 95% of the time, but on occasion I would like to pull it out to take it with us camping.

Can anyone tell me if I will have problems or be taking on too much risk towing this boat with the XC90? Or is there some margin built in to the tow rating that will allow me to safely tow this boat?

Any assistance, advice, or real-world experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[GrecianVolvo]

Quote, originally posted by KAOS1972 »

I have a 2005 V8, which I believe is rated at 5000 lbs towing capacity. I have the factory tow package on it. I am considering buying a 24' boat which weighs right at 5000 lbs on a double axle trailer (combined weight - 4200 lbs for boat only). The boat will be kept at the Marina 95% of the time, but on occasion I would like to pull it out to take it with us camping. Can anyone tell me if I will have problems or be taking on too much risk towing this boat with the XC90? Or is there some margin built in to the tow rating that will allow me to safely tow this boat? Any assistance, advice, or real-world experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I don't know...I would not do it, if I were you. You are right at capacity plus the weight of the trailer.

Yannis

[rollie]

I'm in much the same situation in looking at boating options we can tow with the V8. I don't have real world experience yet but I consistently hear from the boat salesman that manufacturers leave about 10% on the table meaning theoretically the XC90 would max out at 5500 lbs. Of course none of them are going to sign anything saying this so we would be on your own if we frag our trannies, break an axle, etc....

[KAOS1972]

Seeing as how the boat will be at the marina 95% of the time, I'm going to go ahead and get it (love the boat). If I find that I want to tow it more than 3-4 times a year, I may have to part ways with my XC90 and get something with a larger towing capacity.

[fredrok]

Consider your fuel load as well. 100 gallon-ish tank? Add 600# plus what you haul on board.
Make sure the trailer brakes are very effective. That should be your primary concern.

[rollie]

Good point. Also look at tongue weight as this is critical as well. From what I was told (or did I read it in the manual?) the max tongue weight for the XC90 is 500 lbs.

Quote, originally posted by fredrok »

Consider your fuel load as well. 100 gallon-ish tank? Add 600# plus what you haul on board. Make sure the trailer brakes are very effective. That should be your primary concern.

[dmd]

Quote, originally posted by KAOS1972 »

Seeing as how the boat will be at the marina 95% of the time, I'm going to go ahead and get it (love the boat). If I find that I want to tow it more than 3-4 times a year, I may have to part ways with my XC90 and get something with a larger towing capacity.

If you tow at low speeds and only a few times a year, then if you drive slow there should be no issue. If you tow on a regular basis or distances, then I would not go over 4000lbs to avoid excessive wear to the trans and other parts. Remember, this is a car and not a vehicle designed for towing. Now if you had a large truck, then max weight could be used.

[fredrok]

Quote, originally posted by dmd »

If you tow at low speeds and only a few times a year, then if you drive slow there should be no issue. If you tow on a regular basis or distances, then I would not go over 4000lbs to avoid excessive wear to the trans and other parts. Remember, this is a car and not a vehicle designed for towing. Now if you had a large truck, then max weight could be used.

Agreed

[lennynchris]

I really don't understand why there is a question regarding towing a trailer with this vehicle... The owner's manual specifies a 5000 lb towing capacity - that tells me that I can tow a trailer that weighs no more than 5000 lbs. Have folks towed a trailer with this weight and had negative results?

[KAOS1972]

Quote, originally posted by lennynchris »

I really don't understand why there is a question regarding towing a trailer with this vehicle... The owner's manual specifies a 5000 lb towing capacity - that tells me that I can tow a trailer that weighs no more than 5000 lbs. Have folks towed a trailer with this weight and had negative results?

I'm not aware of any problems towing with the XC90. My concern is that the boat + trailer I am looking at weighs in right at the max tow capacity. Of course it's all an estimate, when you factor in boat, trailer, fuel, water, passengers in the truck, gear, hills, etc. So, I'm just not sure if it's safe to tow within a certain range of the max capacity, or if I should be staying well below it.

[KAOS1972]

Quote, originally posted by dmd »

If you tow at low speeds and only a few times a year, then if you drive slow there should be no issue. If you tow on a regular basis or distances, then I would not go over 4000lbs to avoid excessive wear to the trans and other parts. Remember, this is a car and not a vehicle designed for towing. Now if you had a large truck, then max weight could be used.

Thanks, and that's what I was thinking. I don't expect to tow it more than maybe 5-6 times a year for a distance of between 25-150 miles max.

[XC-Ski]

Quote, originally posted by KAOS1972 »

I'm not aware of any problems towing with the XC90. My concern is that the boat + trailer I am looking at weighs in right at the max tow capacity. Of course it's all an estimate, when you factor in boat, trailer, fuel, water, passengers in the truck, gear, hills, etc. So, I'm just not sure if it's safe to tow within a certain range of the max capacity, or if I should be staying well below it.

Maximum towing capacity assumes a relatively light load in the car, no more than 2 people and little gear. If the trailer is at the maximum weight and you add passengers and gear, you will exceed the ratings and stress the car. Add the weight of the water that gets in a boat after use and you could seriously overload the car (rear axle, suspension, tires, tranny, etc.). See the owner's manual for weight recommendations.

Can you safely tow beyond the recommended weight a few times a year? Hard to say as there are many variables. U.S. ratings tend to be conservative but, OTOH, the XC90 is not designed with towing as a priority. Personally, I would not tow over 3000 pounds on a typical trip of a couple hundred miles.

[pattyweb]

Well, for what it's worth, I tow a 3000lb boat/trailer combination and the XC90 handles it fine. Not as good as my durango that I had before. But then again, the XC90 is better than the durango for essentially everything else.

I 'feel' the boat more with the XC than with the durango. Also, the XC hitch point is lower and I'm going to need to flip the ball around to hopefully get tonque a bit higher.

I personally am skepitical of volvo tow ratings. The 2.5t is rated for 5000lbs I believe and more than one review (myself included) has felt that that model barely has enough power to get out of it's own way let alone with another 5000lbs hitched to the back. Of course, for the most part, my understanding is that tow ratings are not tied to the engine but instead to the vehicles structure and suspension.

The durango had an overdrive lockout for the transmission, extra heavy duty coolors, etc. I don't know exactly what the XC90 has for handling towing heavy duty loads. Does the XC90 transmission have an overdrive? If so, does the computer detect a trailer plug and automatically lock out overdrive? I've read stories of transmissions getting blown towing heavy loads at highway speeds when overdrive was not locked out. Is the XC immune to this?

Also, what types of brakes does your trailer have? My trailer has disc brakes and the volvo factory wiring harness didn't even come wired the proper way to handle them. Your location sounds european, so you'll most likely be getting a different setup. If you do get the XC, make sure to check that after the install your trailer hitch plug is fully setup to handle your brakes, both activating them, and allowing you to back up.

Our V70 is rated for 3000lbs. I tried to pull our boat out of the water one day. It did, barely. The back end was hanging low. Chains were dragging. I 'felt' like I probably would have destroyed the engine/transmission on the first trip.

Also, the XC90s tow rating goes down as you load the vehicle. With 6 adults in the XC, the XC is no longer rated to even tow my 3000lbs! If I remember correctly, the rating dropped to around 2000lbs. If the XC can truly tow 5000lbs, I'm going to bet it's a 'barely', you've got to be by yourself, and that volvo is really just wanting to publish a high number to make it look competitive compared against other vehicles.

Somebody else posted another article about how seriously volvo takes towing. http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=55197 It's an interesting read.

pat

[XC-Ski]

Quote, originally posted by pattyweb »

I 'feel' the boat more with the XC than with the durango. Also, the XC hitch point is lower and I'm going to need to flip the ball around to hopefully get tonque a bit higher.

Good post. Another factor in the towing equation is the ball mount. The Volvo hitch has a sticker that has a diagram of a ball mount and says (referring to pin hole to ball shank hole): "Maximum allowed length = 6.22" (158 mm)." Just try to buy a ball mount that short! Volvo offers only one and it is straight. If you need a rise or drop to match your trailer hitch you are out of luck. I queried Volvo about that discrepancy and they replied that the accessory engineers and chassis engineers sometimes disagree, and if I wanted to use a longer ball mount that I should get application information from the mount's manufacturer. What manufacturers told me is that increasing mount length will decrease the maximum tongue weight and that Volvo hitch design might have a tongue weight limitation. The receiver does hang down more than most although I don't know if that matters.

Quote, originally posted by pattyweb »

I personally am skepitical of volvo tow ratings. The 2.5t is rated for 5000lbs I believe and more than one review (myself included) has felt that that model barely has enough power to get out of it's own way let alone with another 5000lbs hitched to the back. Of course, for the most part, my understanding is that tow ratings are not tied to the engine but instead to the vehicles structure and suspension.

Engine size has little to do with tow capacity, only the ability to maintain speed on grades. The 2.5T does fine in most situations as it has good torque from low RPMs. The 2.5T is no dragster but it can certainly "get out of its own way" in the mountains I drive.

In regards to what matter with towing, besides the things you mention we have to make sure the rear axle rating is not exceeded and that tires are inflated properly for the increased load. Volvo also recommends using synthetic motor oil and changing the transmission oil every 52500 miles.

Quote, originally posted by pattyweb »

Does the XC90 transmission have an overdrive? If so, does the computer detect a trailer plug and automatically lock out overdrive? I've read stories of transmissions getting blown towing heavy loads at highway speeds when overdrive was not locked out. Is the XC immune to this?

Good question. The 5-speed transmission in the 2.5T shifts well although sometimes I will downshift manually into 3rd when I'm having trouble maintaining speed in 4th.

Quote, originally posted by pattyweb »

My trailer has disc brakes and the volvo factory wiring harness didn't even come wired the proper way to handle them. Your location sounds european, so you'll most likely be getting a different setup.

An oversight on Volvo's part for not providing any wiring for a brake controller. Until recently most European trailers used surge brakes which may partly explain the omission. At least they started offering the standard U.S. square receiver and electrical plugs in 2004. My previous U.S. Volvo had European towing gear and wiring which few trailer manufacturers here had seen.

Quote, originally posted by pattyweb »

If the XC can truly tow 5000lbs, I'm going to bet it's a 'barely', you've got to be by yourself, and that volvo is really just wanting to publish a high number to make it look competitive compared against other vehicles.

The same weight principles apply to all brands. It's more that other manufacturers don't mention that their towing capacity drops as passengers and cargo increase. Even Volvo didn't mention this information until last year.

Quote, originally posted by pattyweb »

Somebody else posted another article about how seriously volvo takes towing. http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=55197 It's an interesting read.

Thanks for the link. I liked the quote: "the best towing test driver runs on 12 volts." That might be said of drivers in general, especially when they are paying more attention to their phone calls and kids than driving!

[Lake Powell]

I have th 05" V8 and have had great luck towing. I have a 03' Searay 230BR the brochure says 4000# dry, but dos'nt specify which engine which is probably the 5.0L, I have the 8.1L. I havn't had the whole unit weighed but I'm sure it's got to be around 6000#, with the trailer.

Yes I know I'm 1000 over weight.

My last car was a GMC Denali, which is easily to say quite a bit bigger. I was amazed how well the XC90 did. I had no problems with small hills and some limited stop and go. I can't make direct comparision to the Denali because I installed a Whipple supercharger that brought the horsepower up to around 475.

I've seen people have great luck pulling large boats because they use their heads and know how to drive and tow. I've also seen idiots with twice the truck have catastophic problems.

The reality is there are no standards to vehicle applications in regards to towing. Volvo could just as easily have said the maximum towing limit is 1000# but then they would lose the market share. They could also say it can pull 10,000# and then they would have lost money in warranties.

The car will do fine, use your head, watch the temps, shift manually, and slow down.

[mj_smith]

While the V8 will certainly have the power to handle a 5000lb load and trust that the vehicle is built well enough to withstand the stresses that towing puts on a tow vehicle's frame/body, I worry about the instability that can be caused by sway, whether from wind, bow waves from trucks or due to an imperfectly balanced TT.

I am researching the Hensley Arrow hitch as insurance against potential sway problems. Anyone have any experience with the Hensley Arrow?

Morris.

[KAOS1972]

Well, I picked up the boat today which was probably about 5200-5400 lbs on trailer w/ fuel. I had about a 20 mile tow to the marina w/ about half on the interstate. The XC90 handled it flawlessly! The double axle trailer stayed straight and steady, and the electric brakes stopped everything easily. I even had a fairly hard stop from 45 mph at a quick light change. No problem Speed topped out at about 65mph - didn't want to push it any faster. Acceleration was still relatively good - considering.

I feel better now

Just don't ask about the gas mileage

[dmd]

65mph with that load on a XC90... I wouldnt go over 45-50. If you have to make a turn to miss something that trailer would jack-knife that car in a instant. The trailer was 1500-2000lbs more than the car.

I hope if you had kids that you left them at home and didnt danger them in the car.

Also, plan on the trans light to go on for a oil if you pull that much. Also, dont tell your dealer what you pull, that is a warrenty voiding item.

[1sttimevolvo]

At 5200-5400 lbs, the trailer would be about the same weight as the XC.

As for jack knifing the trailer - an avoidance manuever with a 3,000 lb trailer would likely result similarly.

[lennynchris]

GMC 2wd, 1/2 ton pickup (with v6) weighs 6100 lbs (GVWR), tows 5000 lbs

XC90 V8, 7 seater, AWD weighs 6080 lbs (GVWR), tows 5000 lbs

Just some more numbers for comparison...

[dmd]

I wpould liek to compare the trans/engine/brake system on the GMC

Maybe I am just a person that likes to tow safe, may be crazy like that so I got a truck that is made for towing... That isnt the XC90, doesnt even have a frame and cant use weight distribution

[mj_smith]

cant use weight distribution[/QUOTE]

This is an important issue... I first heard this "concern" a year ago so went to a specialty hitch installation shop and raised it with the owner. He claims to have never read, heard or seen anything about any problems created by the use of a weight distributing hitch on a "unibody" vehicle.

If there is accurate information about this matter, I'd appreciate hearing about it!!

Morris.

[KAOS1972]

Quote, originally posted by dmd »

65mph with that load on a XC90... I wouldnt go over 45-50. If you have to make a turn to miss something that trailer would jack-knife that car in a instant. The trailer was 1500-2000lbs more than the car. I hope if you had kids that you left them at home and didnt danger them in the car. Also, plan on the trans light to go on for a oil if you pull that much. Also, dont tell your dealer what you pull, that is a warrenty voiding item.

I won't re-hash the inconsistencies others have already pointed out, but I will add....

1) I was on a large interstate in the far right lane with quadruple the safe distance from the car in front of me.....Plenty of room to stop with the trailer brakes.
2) The entire load MIGHT be 200-300 lbs above the safe tow rating....It's not like I was pulling a 40' yacht.
3) I've driven this car at 120 mph in Europe, and I;m sure it was running at a much higher RPM than it was with the boat at 65mph, so I doubt that pulling this load a handful of times a year will have any dire consequences on my transmission.
4) My children are ALWAYS safe....thank you for your concern.

I love the XC90, and don't see any reason to go buy ANOTHER vehicle just to get a few hundred pounds more towing capacity a few times a year. I didn't buy the XC solely for its towing capability - although I knew I would eventually use it for that. I didn't anticipate buying a 4200 lb boat though. So, as it is in the Marina 95% of the year, I see no reason to give up my XC. As I said, the first pull everything felt solid - more so than a 2700 lb boat I previously pulled with a Toyota Tacoma.