Towing with a Volvo

[Bruce Cameron]

I have a Volvo 740 Turbo and understand it has a limit of 200 lbs tongue weight.
Does anyone have experience with using a Volvo to pull a 13 foot fiberglass trailer?

[Booker B.]

Hi Bruce,

I pull a 13' Trillium with a Subaru but a number of members have or are pulling 13's Scamp/Boler/Trilliums with Volvo's. The tongue weight isn't as big a deal as the tow capacity of your car - my Trilliums tongue weight is generally under 150lbs with a propane tank/battery on the tongue.

[Al V]

only thing i remember is on the x counrtys the oil cooler for the rear differential used to activate a lot, this was from a few years back not sure if yours uses the same. pretty neat idea a cooler for the differential

[CliveAlive]

I tow with a 240 and have the equivalent of these ...

http://www.ipdusa.com/product.asp?strParen...chStartRecord=1

"Overload springs offer a 20% stiffer spring rate over stock, returning your Volvo to its proper ride height and will increase carrying capacity overall."

Also IPD are having a sale July 8, 9 and 10th. Springs will be 15% off

[Michelle A]

I live in the Yukon Territory, and twice now I've seen Volvo Wagon's hauling 13 foot fiberglass trailers. The plates are from the states somewhere, so I'm sure they're travelling long distances with them.

I also have a 4 cylinder Subaru that I tow a 13 foot boler with. Towing capacity on the Subaru is about 2,400. We returned from a long trip to BC... the car and boler did great!

[ORshepherd]

Overload springs make a lot of sense....how are they working out?

[redbarron55]

In tests mad in the dark ages (1979) the addition of air lifts gave roughly 1/2 the effect of a weight distributing hitch.
Air bags or helper springs would correct the rear ride height. The bags let you lower the car to the correct level without the load. Not quite, however, since you need to keep a little pressure on them at all times to keep them from pinching and leaking.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Bruce Cameron

I have a Volvo 740 Turbo and understand it has a limit of 200 lbs tongue weight.
Does anyone have experience with using a Volvo to pull a 13 foot fiberglass trailer?

Hi Dave and Welcome to the group.

Sorry you haven't gotten any specific answers to your question yet. There are currently two discussions running about towing with the XC-70, closer, but still no cigar I guess.

For starters, why don't you post the specific year and model of your Volvo so we can get more details.

[Bob Miller]

Hi Again
I looked at the specifications for a 1990 740 Turbo and the 200 lb maximum tongue weight is correct. Here is a reference on the Volvo site.
Volvo 1990 740 Model


As a note, DO NOT be misled by hitch capacities for after market hitches. They are built to specifications for the class of hitch, and DO NOT raise or change the vehicles towing capacity.

[Glenn Baglo]

Pic is of a spring bar from my WDH.
Some might think that I could tow 14,000 lbs., but the spec that counts is the one in my RAV4 manual, which says 3,500 lbs.
Spec is capacity of the hitch, not the vehicle, meaning it would be good to use to 14,000 lbs. if the vehicle was rated that high.

[Bob Miller]

Here is a possible answer:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post538980

[redbarron55]

I was looking for some information on the Volvo and came across this brochure and thought it might be of interest to some.

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/pdf/Tow...flet_Jan08.pdf

Evidently Volvo takes towing seriously. The last paragraph of their statement is as follows:

Tough durability tests

As well as its towing tests at home in Sweden, Volvo Car Corporation also tests
its cars in Death Valley, California. In extreme heat, with temperatures well over 40
degrees, test cars are driven with fully loaded trailers on a 23.3 kilometre long uphill
climb with an average gradient of 7%. Nowhere else in the world can a tow car be
subjected to such extreme trials. All Volvo cars have to go through this extreme test
before the test engineers give their approval.

[MC1]

JD, your info is correct. There is no other car company that puts their "cars" through such demanding towing tests.

Bruce, your 740 is a tough, solidly built vehicle. FYI my online pal has a S60 sedan and is utilizing the vehicle's full potential. Custom receiver, WDH, pro set up, and towing a good sized trailer it is working well.
You should have no problem towing a 13' egg providing the Volvo is connected correctly. Also suggest heavy duty tranny cooler and brakes on the trailer. Best off luck with your venture.

[Bob Miller]

Talk to the peeps at the hamburger stands in Mojave, CA. They see unmarked test cars passing through to the desert at least once a week, complete with cardboard masking to disguise shapes and mask logos. I parked besides two sand covered masked off BMW's one time when stopping for a snack in Mojave.


While I respect Volvo's long lived reputation for reliability, that's a claim that they have been using at least as far back as the 140 series. That's all great information if you have a Volvo in the UK, but can be very misleading to attempt to apply to U.S. versions in the U.S., Just ask Ellpea.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

That's all great information if you have a Volvo in the UK, but can be very misleading to attempt to apply to U.S. versions in the U.S.

Apparently the Volvo's from Sweden work great in the North American climate.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by MC1

Apparently the Volvo's from Sweden work great in the North American climate.

The discussion was about towing capabilities, not climate capabilities.

I have owned more Volvos than I care to count, from a 445 Duett to P-1800's that I raced with factory support.

And Death Valley in Feb is a fairly mild climate, seldom about 85.... no real big deal. but great advertising hype, especially in the UK.

Again, ask Ellpea about Volvo towing specifications in the U.S.

[ORshepherd]

Originally Posted by redbarron55

I was looking for some information on the Volvo and came across this brochure and thought it might be of interest to some.

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/pdf/Tow...flet_Jan08.pdf

Evidently Volvo takes towing seriously. The last paragraph of their statement is as follows:

Tough durability tests

As well as its towing tests at home in Sweden, Volvo Car Corporation also tests
its cars in Death Valley, California. In extreme heat, with temperatures well over 40
degrees, test cars are driven with fully loaded trailers on a 23.3 kilometre long uphill
climb with an average gradient of 7%. Nowhere else in the world can a tow car be
subjected to such extreme trials. All Volvo cars have to go through this extreme test
before the test engineers give their approval.

Thank you for that info! I am towing with an xc70 that acquits herself quite admirably!!!

[honda03842]

On average Death Valley has 191 days over 90 F, 141 days over 100 F. As well there are significant elevation changes.

[Bob Miller]

I was just making the point that just because Volvo claimed doing a road test in Death Valley doesn't mean that it was under adverse conditions. It seemed more of a show for those far, far away.
And there are 5 months of the year where the average temp is below 80, several well below 80.
Death Valley CA Average Temperatures by Month - Current Results


On the rare occasion of spring rains, we go there for the wild flower blooms

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by MC1

JD, your info is correct. There is no other car company that puts their "cars" through such demanding towing tests.

Actually Volvo was involved in the development on the SAE J2807 Tow Test Standard which is used for not just trucks but “Light truck and vehicles" Which the majority of auto makers have been using for a couple of years now.

Read more: SAE J2807 Tow Tests - The Standard