XC90 Towing capacity

[cyndijoe]

I have an '04 XC90 AWD and wondered if anyone has any experience or opinion in terms of pushing the rated towing capacity on the vehicle.

The manual states 4960 lbs max towing capacity. I'd like to tow a boat I just bought, but I figure fully loaded boat, motor, fuel, gear and trailer puts me closer to 5600 lbs. I spoke with a mechanic who works for a great local volvo dealer and he was pretty confident I could do it, given safety factors and his experience.

Any opinions other than selling my boat or volvo, which are both great!

[billofdurham]

I must admit that I don't know what the US traffic laws have to say about towing weights but in the UK the manufacturers' max weight is not worth the paper it is written on. It is published as a selling point only.

For safety reasons our law states that the trailer weight should not exceed the kerb weight of the towing vehicle and, in the case of inexperienced drivers the recommendation is to aim for 85% of the towing vehicle kerb weight.

I have towed trailers and caravans for many years and would not consider pushing the weights beyond these limits.

The maximum kerb weight for the XC90 7 seat version is 4775lbs and, in my opinion, your trailer should not exceed that.

Bill.