Volvo Towing Advice

[Flighty]

I am new to caravaning and own a 2001 Volvo V70 2.3 T5.

I am looking to buy a bailey Pageant series 7 Provence.

All the dealerships tell me that this is a good match. I have a friend who claims to have read up that my car won't tow such a heavy van.

He also stated that I would be exceeding my maximun permissable nose weight, which I have struggled to find any real reference to at the dealerships.

Can anybody help please?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Paul,

To be able to give any firm advice, we require much more detail.

I have been unable to find any data on a Volvo V70 2.3 T5 My sources only list the V70 T5 with a 2.4L engine.

What I note is that all V70's produced up to the model change in 2002 were only rated to tow 1600Kg and after 2002 1800Kg. The other variable factor is the vehicles kerb weight which depending on specific year and model varies between1415 to 1732Kg ( the V70 2.5 R is not rated to tow a braked trailer so is limited to 750Kg only)

The nose weight allowance has consistently been 75Kg, which is pretty common for most saloon based vehicles and should be achievable.

Equally my sources do not list the Bailey Pagent Provence by series No, so the year is again important. But for the years I have data the MTPLM for the model has been between 1410 and 1420Kg.

It seems that Volvo rate the all V70 models (except the V70 2.5R) to tow the 1420Kg Pagent. But depending on the actual models chosen the towing ratio figure can be as low as 81% rising to 101% in the worst case.

The worst case has implications for drivers who only have a category B driving licence, as they are strictly limited to a max ratio of 100%. (You only have cat B if you passed your test after Jan 1997)

What to do next.

The problem I have encountered may be due to inadequacies of the third party data base sources I have available. It is certainly known that some data base information is erroneous and there are quiet likely ommisions as well as errors, so I always advise you to check with your handbooks for the vehicles or the dealer or direct with the manufacture to confirm the weights and limits.

You must do this for both your car and the caravan.

The other factor that can affect the results is that the quoted kerbweights are rarely accurate, and in most cases the true kerbweight of the car is more due to model variations and OEM extras. This works in your favour as it improves the calculated tow ratio. To be able to use the real kerbweight you will need to have your car weighed on an approved and calibrated weighbridge and have a certificate issued that shows the actual weight.

It is also recommended that novice towers aim for a ratio of about 85%, and only go over that limit as the outfit proves to be controllable and experience increases.

 

[Guest]

If my recollection is right the T5 model has the high performance engine. Therefore it will have enough power to haul your van. The only drawback is that the torque will come in higher in the rev range and hill starts may be an issue. Also I would expect your towing fuel consumption to be in the mid to high teens. If it is an automatic you may have to lock down a gear to stop too many changes.

Nice tow car model but not the best engine choice.

 

[Zafiral]

SL

As the T5 has a turbo, there will be torgqe throughout the rev range.

Back to the OP, the best place for tow weight info is the car weight plate. This is usually a black or white plate inside either front door or under the bonnet.

The 1st figure is the max weight the car can be and the 2nd figure is the max weight of the car and the caravan together.

Even if you fill the car to the brim you can still tow the difference between the two figures.

If you passed your test after Jan 1997 then the max weight of the car and caravan cannot exceed 3500kg. This is not the weight of the car and caravan at the time, but to the best of my knowledge is the addition of both vehicles' max weights.

 

[7of9]

Paul,

My current towcar is a V70 D5 which has a max tow of 1800kg. This should be the same as yours as all 2000 on V70's are 1800kg. The handbook will confirm this. My previous towcar was an 850 T5 auto saloon, and the van I used for both a series 5 Pageant Bordeaux. This was over the 85% 'rule', but under 100% and I found it a super towcar, albeit a bit thirsty! As has been pointed out, as its a petrol turbo the torque is there from around 2000 revs so plenty of pulling power. You just have to live with the 20mpg, possibly more if you have a manual. My pageant weighs in at 1366kg laden, I imagine yours to be about the same. You could check on whattowcar.com. As for nose weight, 75kg is what you are aiming for, and I normally have to move things forward to achieve this as it seems quite light at the front even when unladen, even with two gas bottles up front. I do not carry any heavy weights in the boot, and so do not have a sagging rear end. Well, not on the car, anyway.

Hope this helps.

Gary