just ordered a volvo xc90 d5 awd to pull my bailey senator series 6 t/a any body have any knowledge or experiance with towing with one of these volvos hope i havent made another mistake lol all you comments will be appriciated many thanks
bye bye l200 hello xc90
- Thread starter Gareth_374362591
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I had the XC90 on my shortlist and have liked it for a long time.
However I went to look at a one in finer detail a couple of weeks ago and as soon as I sat in the drivers seat it was very quickly discounted.
I found the seat 'architecture' to be very uncomfortable and the so called lumbar support was more middle back(ache) support.
Very dissappointed as a V70 I once owned was one of the most comfortable cars I've had.
I know its each to his own but having a long term back injury seat comfort is very accute for me and has to be right.
However I went to look at a one in finer detail a couple of weeks ago and as soon as I sat in the drivers seat it was very quickly discounted.
I found the seat 'architecture' to be very uncomfortable and the so called lumbar support was more middle back(ache) support.
Very dissappointed as a V70 I once owned was one of the most comfortable cars I've had.
I know its each to his own but having a long term back injury seat comfort is very accute for me and has to be right.
We have an aotomatic 185bhp model and tow a twin axle MTPLM 1900kg. We are very pleased with it.
Our first long trip in it was last year when we had an 8000 mile round trip to the north of Norway, so we spent a long time in the seats and found them very comfortable for us.
It tows our van easily and there is loads of space inside. Detachable towbar and 13 pin electrics are vey good. If your van has the 2 x 7 plugs I suggest you convert it to 13 pin, buy the cable from Sargents. Volvo do supply an adaptor, but ours was not fully wired, so if you go that route, check it all works.
I don't think you will regret getting it.
Our first long trip in it was last year when we had an 8000 mile round trip to the north of Norway, so we spent a long time in the seats and found them very comfortable for us.
It tows our van easily and there is loads of space inside. Detachable towbar and 13 pin electrics are vey good. If your van has the 2 x 7 plugs I suggest you convert it to 13 pin, buy the cable from Sargents. Volvo do supply an adaptor, but ours was not fully wired, so if you go that route, check it all works.
I don't think you will regret getting it.
- Jun 10, 2008
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hi rogerp and jennifer thanks for your comments yes totally totally understand roger you must have a vehicle suitable for you back injury and comfort but i found them confortable.
what would be they advantage of 13 pin socket instead of 2, 7 pins sockets the towbar hasnt been fitted yet as not got car yet but was going to fit it myself so what would be an advantage a 13 pin if you could help many thanks
gareth
what would be they advantage of 13 pin socket instead of 2, 7 pins sockets the towbar hasnt been fitted yet as not got car yet but was going to fit it myself so what would be an advantage a 13 pin if you could help many thanks
gareth
Hi there, are you good with car electrics? It all looks very complicated to me! Anyway, the 13 pin system is totally superior to the 2 x 7 system, better connection, much neater. All the new caravans are now coming with it as standard. Try Googling for it, there is lots of info, also look at Volvo Owners club website. The use of the correct cable (5 x 2.5 sq mm cores) is essential.
The detachable bars really are worth the extra money, very neat, no danger to shins! It will require a small cut out in the bit below the bumper, so not totally invisible. I think the Volvo one is supplied by Brink, so no doubt it is available for a lot less than Volvo charge. We bargained a good deal on ours from our Volvo dealer so had them fit it all.
If you decide to get one fitted INSIST that it is fully wired, some places leave some pins unconnected.
The detachable bars really are worth the extra money, very neat, no danger to shins! It will require a small cut out in the bit below the bumper, so not totally invisible. I think the Volvo one is supplied by Brink, so no doubt it is available for a lot less than Volvo charge. We bargained a good deal on ours from our Volvo dealer so had them fit it all.
If you decide to get one fitted INSIST that it is fully wired, some places leave some pins unconnected.
- Jun 10, 2008
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hi michael yeah your right l200 didnt last long but company whoo i work for have given me one as company car so i still do have a l200 but i have put the l200 i had against the xc90 i actually didnt lose any money really as the xc90 was 32,000 the l200 i purchased cost 25,000 so 7,000 diffrence for a lot more car and better on fuel i think ive done well there lol i did do some research on xc 90 but i wanted some advice from people who actually have one and have towed with them.
jennifer volvo are fitting it with 13 pin socket but a fixed one not a detachable one so there we go lol
many thanks
jennifer volvo are fitting it with 13 pin socket but a fixed one not a detachable one so there we go lol
many thanks
- Feb 15, 2006
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Hi Gareth,
I have towed with a xc90 since March this year when we changed both car & caravan, previously had 2 Volvo V70s whichwere brill.
I tow a Buccaneer Caravel T/A MTPLM 1900KG with no problem, my xc90 is a Feb 05 reg so does not have the upgraded engine & 6 speed geatronic but is still good. Very comfortable like all volvos dont have any problems with seats & i have a back problem, loads of space in boot for all your kit etc.
I have a removable towbar with the 13 pin socket which i find better than the old 2 sockets.
Regarding mpg depends on journey etc but if i tow at 55mph i return 23mpg which i think its good for the size & weight of outfit. Up at 60mph it drops to around 20mpg.
Went to cornwall in July from staffordshire about 270 miles & at returned 21mpg on the whole journey & that took into account the A30 over dartmoor etc. But i have also had a journey of 18mpg which involved alot of hills & head wind.
Overall i think the xc90 is a superb tow car with all the goodies inside you expect hope you enjoy yours as much as i do
I have towed with a xc90 since March this year when we changed both car & caravan, previously had 2 Volvo V70s whichwere brill.
I tow a Buccaneer Caravel T/A MTPLM 1900KG with no problem, my xc90 is a Feb 05 reg so does not have the upgraded engine & 6 speed geatronic but is still good. Very comfortable like all volvos dont have any problems with seats & i have a back problem, loads of space in boot for all your kit etc.
I have a removable towbar with the 13 pin socket which i find better than the old 2 sockets.
Regarding mpg depends on journey etc but if i tow at 55mph i return 23mpg which i think its good for the size & weight of outfit. Up at 60mph it drops to around 20mpg.
Went to cornwall in July from staffordshire about 270 miles & at returned 21mpg on the whole journey & that took into account the A30 over dartmoor etc. But i have also had a journey of 18mpg which involved alot of hills & head wind.
Overall i think the xc90 is a superb tow car with all the goodies inside you expect hope you enjoy yours as much as i do
I've kept an eye on this thread as I really like the xc90 but when I sat in one (brand new show room model) I really couldn't get comfortable.
It had lumbar support adjustment but this was more in the middle of my back not the lower lumbar region it should be so I'm puzzled now. I'm 6ft 2" so not a midget by any means.
Have volvo changed their seat architecture on mew models? or are there different seat options?
As I said I've owned a V70 in the past at it was very comfortable and this xc90 I sat in wasn't.
I think I need to revisit this as I wanted the xc90 to be OK
It had lumbar support adjustment but this was more in the middle of my back not the lower lumbar region it should be so I'm puzzled now. I'm 6ft 2" so not a midget by any means.
Have volvo changed their seat architecture on mew models? or are there different seat options?
As I said I've owned a V70 in the past at it was very comfortable and this xc90 I sat in wasn't.
I think I need to revisit this as I wanted the xc90 to be OK
Hi,
We have had an XC90 SE Lux D5 for just over a year. It is the 185PS 2.4 litre diesel engine with six speed "geartronic" automatic transmission. It is comfortably the best towcar we have ever had. Solo driving is returning about 39 mpg on long runs; about 30 mpg about town; and about 26 mpg towing our Senator Indiana. (All mpg measurements are measured, rather than relying on the trip computer.)
I also have a back problem (prolapsed disk at L5 S1 so I am told, whatever that is) but do not suffer at all in the XC90. The lumbar support is in the right place for me, though I admit Roger that I do not have your height advantage (problem?) being only 5ft 7".
One of the nice features is the 3-driver memory setting for the drivers seat so that it is very easy to return the seat to my ideal setting when Sue and I swap drivers. The cruise control is a real boon for back and leg pain sufferers as it frees you from holding the acccelerator foot in the same position.
Having driven it for 18,000 miles in the year (about 4,000 with the van) we have had totally trouble free motoring (hope I don't regret saying that).
We have the Volvo detachable towbar with 13-pin electrics and use the supplied conversion cable to split into the twin 7 pins on the Bailey. However in the next week or so I am about to rewire the van to 13-pin also - (thanks to the ever helpful Kelly Watts at Bailey customer services who has sent me a new connector plug for the 12S connections into the consumer unit).
Some good things about the car -
very comfortable, and a dream to drive;
huge carrying capacity;
doesn't break sweat towing;
Some gripes -
turning circle is just less that the Queen Mary;
the radio doesn't have Long Wave (I love cricket);
it only comes with 7 seats, so under-boot storage is taken up with two seats we will never use.
Hope this is helpful,
Cheers
Mike A
We have had an XC90 SE Lux D5 for just over a year. It is the 185PS 2.4 litre diesel engine with six speed "geartronic" automatic transmission. It is comfortably the best towcar we have ever had. Solo driving is returning about 39 mpg on long runs; about 30 mpg about town; and about 26 mpg towing our Senator Indiana. (All mpg measurements are measured, rather than relying on the trip computer.)
I also have a back problem (prolapsed disk at L5 S1 so I am told, whatever that is) but do not suffer at all in the XC90. The lumbar support is in the right place for me, though I admit Roger that I do not have your height advantage (problem?) being only 5ft 7".
One of the nice features is the 3-driver memory setting for the drivers seat so that it is very easy to return the seat to my ideal setting when Sue and I swap drivers. The cruise control is a real boon for back and leg pain sufferers as it frees you from holding the acccelerator foot in the same position.
Having driven it for 18,000 miles in the year (about 4,000 with the van) we have had totally trouble free motoring (hope I don't regret saying that).
We have the Volvo detachable towbar with 13-pin electrics and use the supplied conversion cable to split into the twin 7 pins on the Bailey. However in the next week or so I am about to rewire the van to 13-pin also - (thanks to the ever helpful Kelly Watts at Bailey customer services who has sent me a new connector plug for the 12S connections into the consumer unit).
Some good things about the car -
very comfortable, and a dream to drive;
huge carrying capacity;
doesn't break sweat towing;
Some gripes -
turning circle is just less that the Queen Mary;
the radio doesn't have Long Wave (I love cricket);
it only comes with 7 seats, so under-boot storage is taken up with two seats we will never use.
Hope this is helpful,
Cheers
Mike A
We have had an XC90 since March, our is a 04 plate 2.4D, Geartronic.
Urban MPG could be better, compared with previous Sharan 1.9TDi.
According to trip computer I am getting 25mpg on motorway towing at 60 which is acceptable.
Geartronic is OK, but... don't try and pull out of a junction to *** into a queue of traffic and expect to go any where for at least a second! This is my only gripe. I don't know if it due to the AWD or the auto transmission.
It doesn't actually seem to go uphills towing our 1500MTPLM van as quickly as the 1.9TDI Shraran it replaced.
However, it drives like a road car (not an off road car), pulls our van across very wet and muddy grass as was needed at Forest of Dene last week (Sharan would have been well and truly stuck) and it has 7 full size seats (two of which dissapear to provide a large flat boot area.
Am I happy with it?
YES - I wanted a seven seat road car that will pull a heavy single axle across anything I might encounter. And be reliable with plenty of life in it.
Urban MPG could be better, compared with previous Sharan 1.9TDi.
According to trip computer I am getting 25mpg on motorway towing at 60 which is acceptable.
Geartronic is OK, but... don't try and pull out of a junction to *** into a queue of traffic and expect to go any where for at least a second! This is my only gripe. I don't know if it due to the AWD or the auto transmission.
It doesn't actually seem to go uphills towing our 1500MTPLM van as quickly as the 1.9TDI Shraran it replaced.
However, it drives like a road car (not an off road car), pulls our van across very wet and muddy grass as was needed at Forest of Dene last week (Sharan would have been well and truly stuck) and it has 7 full size seats (two of which dissapear to provide a large flat boot area.
Am I happy with it?
YES - I wanted a seven seat road car that will pull a heavy single axle across anything I might encounter. And be reliable with plenty of life in it.
- Feb 15, 2006
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gareth, omg i didnt know you had px'd the L200 in. i havent been on much as we breed our dog and the last puppy went last weekend. one of the ladies told me about this topic because i wanted more info on the xc90.
we love the santa fe and mpg are great, very comfortable etc etc but we need more boot space.
we can only afford the s model but spec doesnt bother me it tows more and thats peace of mind.
this question is to all of you and i hope you dont mind me asking, how much was your towbar supplied and fitted at volvo?.
did you have the 2 sockets or the 13 pin with the extension?.
did you have normal towbar or detatchable one?.
sorry about the spelling mistakes.
jo-anne
we love the santa fe and mpg are great, very comfortable etc etc but we need more boot space.
we can only afford the s model but spec doesnt bother me it tows more and thats peace of mind.
this question is to all of you and i hope you dont mind me asking, how much was your towbar supplied and fitted at volvo?.
did you have the 2 sockets or the 13 pin with the extension?.
did you have normal towbar or detatchable one?.
sorry about the spelling mistakes.
jo-anne
- Jun 10, 2008
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hello jo-anne hope your dogs am ok what breed are they i wonder?
but the answer to your question is i fitted the towbar myself it was about
but the answer to your question is i fitted the towbar myself it was about
- Feb 15, 2006
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gareth, you are a star im so glad you responded so fast as i think we may well be going to volvo today. did you get the fixed or detatchable towbar?.
craig said if we are changing were not having silver as our last 3 cars have been silver. the colour he liked is the one you have. in the xc90 s do you get that half leasther look seats?. also what colour interior did you get?.
how easy was it to do your towbar gareth?
thanks
jo
craig said if we are changing were not having silver as our last 3 cars have been silver. the colour he liked is the one you have. in the xc90 s do you get that half leasther look seats?. also what colour interior did you get?.
how easy was it to do your towbar gareth?
thanks
jo
- Feb 15, 2006
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gareth my dog storm is a staffordshire bull terrier. her sister won best of breed at crufts 2007 and her sis also won top stafford 2007. i went back to Tillcarr Staffords where i got storm from and used her dog cracker beautiful pups.
sorry to drone on ha ha
jo
sorry to drone on ha ha
jo
- Feb 15, 2006
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how easy was the sockets, plate and breakaway cable to fit? how long did it take?.gareth, you are a star im so glad you responded so fast as i think we may well be going to volvo today. did you get the fixed or detatchable towbar?.
craig said if we are changing were not having silver as our last 3 cars have been silver. the colour he liked is the one you have. in the xc90 s do you get that half leasther look seats?. also what colour interior did you get?.
how easy was it to do your towbar gareth?
thanks
jo
jo
- Feb 15, 2006
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hello jo-anne hope your dogs am ok what breed are they i wonder?
but the answer to your question is i fitted the towbar myself it was about
- Jun 10, 2008
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hi jo-anne congratulations on winning at crufts my brother breads staffs aswell beutifull dogs yes you do get the the half leather seats and i had the off black interior as the cream the collie dogs i have would of made it a mess i asked volvo how much for them to fit i think they said about
- Jun 10, 2008
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sockets was easy just buy a multi meter and away you go plate just bolts behind towball but breakaway cable isnt that on your van lol i think you mean the thing you hook it on to easy just bolts on behind ball but you will need a longer bolt than what they supplyhow easy was the sockets, plate and breakaway cable to fit? how long did it take?.
jo
gareth
- Feb 15, 2006
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hi jo-anne congratulations on winning at crufts my brother breads staffs aswell beutifull dogs yes you do get the the half leather seats and i had the off black interior as the cream the collie dogs i have would of made it a mess i asked volvo how much for them to fit i think they said about
- Feb 15, 2006
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- Jun 10, 2008
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well where do i start
its got more bhp,torque,speed,higher nose weight,more realiable as you know with my sf the cambelt snapped TWICE in 6 months of ownership , its a lot safer than the sf being 5* where sf is 4* its a lot better in the mud as not long ago i towed a series 3 land rover out of a mud bath he got stuck and i didnt, it has self levilling suspension, the boot drops down like a pick up for heavy loads,it even has a built in booster seat for the kids, and a winter button to set the car for winter driving it does it all it self, to much to list as you can see its a lot better than the sf
i didnt go for privacy glass but have it for your son definatly but if you shop around at other garages im sure you could get them tinted cheaper than that.
but if you ever get stuck if you fit your towbar yourself i will be more than happy to help you with it.
merry christmas
gareth
its got more bhp,torque,speed,higher nose weight,more realiable as you know with my sf the cambelt snapped TWICE in 6 months of ownership , its a lot safer than the sf being 5* where sf is 4* its a lot better in the mud as not long ago i towed a series 3 land rover out of a mud bath he got stuck and i didnt, it has self levilling suspension, the boot drops down like a pick up for heavy loads,it even has a built in booster seat for the kids, and a winter button to set the car for winter driving it does it all it self, to much to list as you can see its a lot better than the sf
i didnt go for privacy glass but have it for your son definatly but if you shop around at other garages im sure you could get them tinted cheaper than that.
but if you ever get stuck if you fit your towbar yourself i will be more than happy to help you with it.
merry christmas
gareth
- Feb 15, 2006
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i think talking to you has changed a few things. so hopefully we will pop down to the dealer maybe today after we have taken the kids to town. we also said the same as you we could get a fitter to do the glass at a later stage as its the sun that affects him and we dont get much of that haha.
how long did it actually take to fit the towbar and elecs?.
did you say you got the towbar, elecs and breakaway cable from towsure?. is there anything else we would need?.
thanks so much
jo
how long did it actually take to fit the towbar and elecs?.
did you say you got the towbar, elecs and breakaway cable from towsure?. is there anything else we would need?.
thanks so much
jo
- Feb 15, 2006
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