Sorento???? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-22-2016, 01:12 PM   #1
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Name: Bob
Trailer: Boler
Manitoba
Posts: 1
Sorento????

Hi, I am Bob. I notice that I am not the only person with a new to them Boler. We have never used ours yet, but are leaving Winnipeg on Wednesday (2 days from now) on a trip to NFl. We purchased a new Kia Sorento to pull the Boler and while we are very pleased with the Sorento in most areas, one should be very careful in reading the specs on the Sorento. Rated to pull 5,000 Lbs and it probably will. The problem comes in whereby Kia says they will sell the wiring with the hitch. They are obviously not experienced in trailering as the wiring they provide is only 4 wire and towing requirements in Canada require brakes for trailers over 2,000 lbs. Kia recommends using an 'adaptor" to convert from 4 wires to 7, but they could not explain to me how to do that. After a very polite discussion, they agreed that I should take my Sorento to an experienced hitch shop and they would pay for the corrections required. The Boler pulls very nicely and I am looking forward to my trip. I am hoping to meet up with Keith Messenger of Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia, but I have not been able to find his phone number or how to contact him. Just missed the Boler weekend in St. Malo.
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Old 08-22-2016, 02:37 PM   #2
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Name: Brenda
Trailer: Past Boler owner, looking at Escape
Alberta
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You did far better than I did!! I bought a new Sorento in June (live be it, btw) and if you search, you can find a chart that says the V6 version without the tow package tows 2000 lb, but WITH the tow package tows 5000 lbs. NO ONE at the dealership could tell me for sure it had the tow package, or what wAs even included in the tow package (tyranny cooler, wiring to the back, hitch???). But of course they assured me it would tow 5000 lbs. they wouldn't install the hitch, never mind the wiring.

Anyway, I ended up taking it to a hitch shop where they needed 5 hours and $1100 to install the hitch, wiring, and brake control.

Quick question for you - are your hitch and plug really low? Mine is only about 7" off the ground - kind of concerning...
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Old 08-22-2016, 04:34 PM   #3
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Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
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Kia is not the only manufacturer that leaves a lot of towing set-up to the owner. The capable and popular Toyota Highlander is another. It was a factor in my decision to buy a Pilot instead. Receiver, standard. Tranny cooler, standard. 7-pin wiring, standard. Brake controller connection, standard.

Sadly, most dealer salespeople don't know anything about towing. You can often learn more just by reading the owner's manual (which you can usually find online before purchase) than from anyone at a dealer.
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Old 08-22-2016, 05:14 PM   #4
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Depends where you live.
In Canada a lot of the tow package was standard ( optional in US ). Included tranny cooler, larger alternator and radiator. I had to get class 3 hitch receiver and brake controller done by an installer ( who did the work at the Toyota dealer prior to me taking delivery ). He was cheaper than the OEM class 2 hitch receiver with no brake controller wiring.
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Old 08-22-2016, 11:53 PM   #5
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Name: Brenda
Trailer: Past Boler owner, looking at Escape
Alberta
Posts: 12
I read the manual and didn't find much info regarding tow capacity. However, I do need to spend some time with the owners' manual, as the Sorento only has Drive - I'm used to being able to change between Drive and Overdrive, and also to gear down to 2 or 1, especially when towing down steep hills. Now I'm not sure what to do - it's a little unnerving going down those steep hills! Apparently, there is a Sport mode, with a + and - setting. Big bird, do you know? I'd Better get reading!
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Old 08-23-2016, 08:19 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brenda in Alberta View Post
...Apparently, there is a Sport mode, with a + and - setting….
That is good for towing.

I've not driven a Kia, but judging from the pictures on their website, it appears to work like Mazda's set-up, which I have driven. To engage sport mode, move the shift lever left into the sport position. Then each time you tap the lever toward the "-" the transmission will downshift one gear and hold it. For a moderate grade (up or down), one tap might be enough. For steeper grades, keep tapping until you have the right gear. Tap toward the "+" to engage a higher gear. With experience you will be able to anticipate the right gear for a given grade. When you exit the hill, move the lever right into the normal drive position and the computer takes over.

My Mom's Roadtrek class B (Chevy chassis) has an 8-speed transmission with a manual ("sport") mode. It works with buttons, but the principle is the same. She was afraid of breaking something and was reluctant to use it. She had never needed it in her usual Eastern seaboard haunts. The prospect of driving that heavy van through our local Salt River Canyon (7% grades and sharp curves) finally convinced her to give it a try. I had to tell her a few horror stories about smoking brakes and warped rotors, etc. (all true)… I demonstrated (nothing broke) and let her practice. She made it safely through the canyon.

If you're not sure after reading the owner's manual, take it back to the dealer and have someone do a ride-along and coach you in its use. Once you get used to it, you'll love it for towing!
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