Has anybody any experience towing with a volvo XC70 we would be interested in your views.We tow an indiania with an SE LUX and are dissappointed with stability.
volvo xc 70
- Thread starter FredandLiz
- Start date
Could you give a bit more detail about your stability problems. I tow an Indiana and I have found that with the overhang behind the wheels being quite long and with the fixed bed and hence weight at the rear, the van is affected by cross winds more than my previous van.
I load correctly and get the nose weight spot on for my car but when it is windy the van moves around quite a lot. I don't think I have any stability problems but I have to adjust my driving according to the conditions and traffic - as most do anyway!
Graeme.
I load correctly and get the nose weight spot on for my car but when it is windy the van moves around quite a lot. I don't think I have any stability problems but I have to adjust my driving according to the conditions and traffic - as most do anyway!
Graeme.
Thanks Graeme agree cross winds affect it more than our previous caravan but also get a fair bit of pitching.The suspension on the XC70 seems too soft even in sport mode.Not so much a stability problem as an uncomfortable ride.What do you tow with?
Hi Fred,
I think it must be down to how you load your caravan.
I have a 2004 V70 D5SE AWD which is ewactly the same as your XC apart from ground clearance.
I tow a 2004 Senator Montana T/A for passed 3 years now & found no problems at all its a fantastic tow car & find it a very comfortable ride & plenty of power etc. All heavy items over the axles & its perfect, however i am curious re how you load your fixed bed caravan, as we are going to change soon either to an Elddis Crusader cyclone or a Buccaneer Caravel also changing car to XC90 as my V70 wont tow these.
I think it must be down to how you load your caravan.
I have a 2004 V70 D5SE AWD which is ewactly the same as your XC apart from ground clearance.
I tow a 2004 Senator Montana T/A for passed 3 years now & found no problems at all its a fantastic tow car & find it a very comfortable ride & plenty of power etc. All heavy items over the axles & its perfect, however i am curious re how you load your fixed bed caravan, as we are going to change soon either to an Elddis Crusader cyclone or a Buccaneer Caravel also changing car to XC90 as my V70 wont tow these.
Not an XC, but we tow with a V70 D5 2005, and it tugs our Senator Arizona with no pitching or swaying,and with power in reserve. As mentioned before it could be down to loading.
This is a classic exaample of why I won't entertain the idea of using an offroader to tow with, it is very unlikely that the only difference between the v70 awd and the XC70 is ground clearence, At a guess the V70 awd is aimed at thoes who want a road car that has better traction for areas with frequently snowy roads or towing and have no intention of going over anything rough. The XC70 appears to be intended to be able to go over significantly rougher ground and probably has softer suspension and weaker dampers to give it better grip and a smoother ride off road, at the cost of it's on road stability when towing.
If you do not want to change the car then some stronger "sports" dampers for the rear may help.
Regards
Garfield
If you do not want to change the car then some stronger "sports" dampers for the rear may help.
Regards
Garfield
I bought a new Volvo XC70 D5 SE (manual transmission) in the spring of this year and use it to tow a twin axle 1997 Bailey Senator 5000. This version of the XC70 comes with load compensating suspension as standard but it does not have the "Four C" actively controlled suspension fitted to the SE Lux. I have no direct experience of Volvo's "Four C" system, but it has received rather mixed reviews in the motoring press at various times and wonder if the "Four C" system is in any way having an adverse effect on the towing stability.
Previously, I towed this Senator 5000 since purchasing it new with a 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 TD (automatic) saloon whose rear suspension was modified by fitting Monroe Ride Leveler shock absorbers. To date, I have completed over 2000 miles of towing with the Volvo. This included one very stormy day with strong crosswinds on French Autoroutes. Both cars have delivered similar and satisfactory but not outstanding levels of stability when towing and loaded with 2 adults and 3 teenage children. If anything the Omega had more "feel" in the steering, thus providing greater confidence.
As for performance, although fine solo and with the smaller caravan that I originally purchased it to tow, the Omega would have benefitted from more power when towing the twin axle Bailey. In comparison, the XC70 delivers greatly improved towing performance having substantially more torque and 40% more power than the Omega. As Allan and Gill put it above "power in reserve" even when towing over steep mountain passes. Noting that much of my driving is long distance not urban, with the Omega I typically achieved 35 to 40 MPG solo and 24 Mpg towing. The XC70 has delivered between 37 and 41 mpg solo and 26 mpg towing although at higher speeds when solo it drops off more markedly than the Omega - probably due to body shape and increased ground clearance.
The Omega served me well for many years including over 25000 miles of towing and I was sad to see it go. When choosing a replacement for the Omega, although I test drove a number of Discovery/Sorrento style full off-road vehicles, I was not keen to purchase one or another MPV (my other car is an MPV). My driving is predominantly on road, I do not need the capability offered by a full off-roader and prefer the handling of a conventional saloon/hatchback/estate. Nevertheless, the slightly higher ground clearance and limited 4 wheel drive capability provided by the XC70 have proved useful on a few occasions. Seating three adolescents in the rear in comfort, sufficient kerbweight and adequate power/torque left a small field of vehicles to chose from. Thus far, I am content with my choice of the XC70 as a towcar and would willingly recommend it to others with similar requirements.
Previously, I towed this Senator 5000 since purchasing it new with a 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 TD (automatic) saloon whose rear suspension was modified by fitting Monroe Ride Leveler shock absorbers. To date, I have completed over 2000 miles of towing with the Volvo. This included one very stormy day with strong crosswinds on French Autoroutes. Both cars have delivered similar and satisfactory but not outstanding levels of stability when towing and loaded with 2 adults and 3 teenage children. If anything the Omega had more "feel" in the steering, thus providing greater confidence.
As for performance, although fine solo and with the smaller caravan that I originally purchased it to tow, the Omega would have benefitted from more power when towing the twin axle Bailey. In comparison, the XC70 delivers greatly improved towing performance having substantially more torque and 40% more power than the Omega. As Allan and Gill put it above "power in reserve" even when towing over steep mountain passes. Noting that much of my driving is long distance not urban, with the Omega I typically achieved 35 to 40 MPG solo and 24 Mpg towing. The XC70 has delivered between 37 and 41 mpg solo and 26 mpg towing although at higher speeds when solo it drops off more markedly than the Omega - probably due to body shape and increased ground clearance.
The Omega served me well for many years including over 25000 miles of towing and I was sad to see it go. When choosing a replacement for the Omega, although I test drove a number of Discovery/Sorrento style full off-road vehicles, I was not keen to purchase one or another MPV (my other car is an MPV). My driving is predominantly on road, I do not need the capability offered by a full off-roader and prefer the handling of a conventional saloon/hatchback/estate. Nevertheless, the slightly higher ground clearance and limited 4 wheel drive capability provided by the XC70 have proved useful on a few occasions. Seating three adolescents in the rear in comfort, sufficient kerbweight and adequate power/torque left a small field of vehicles to chose from. Thus far, I am content with my choice of the XC70 as a towcar and would willingly recommend it to others with similar requirements.
We bought a nearly new (07) XC70 D5 geartronic in June and towed our Dethleffs 550L to the south of France with it in August. Previously, we'd towed with an Audi 1.9TD multitronic. There were no problems with stability at any time. Plenty of power and certainly more than with the Audi (as one might expect, given the higher BHP). Cruise control made autoroute driving a doddle and overtaking is very easy. A very comfortable ride, so much so that we felt able to do more miles in a day and consequently make fewer intermediate stops on the journeys down and back.
However, I am finding that overall economy is significantly worse than the Audi, although the marginal effect of towing appears to be less. That apart, I'm more than happy with my decision to buy, particularly since I saved about
However, I am finding that overall economy is significantly worse than the Audi, although the marginal effect of towing appears to be less. That apart, I'm more than happy with my decision to buy, particularly since I saved about
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