850 V70 Towing Capacity, Class 2, 3500 lb Loads discussion

[nedro018]

I have an 95 850 non trubo with a class 2 hitch. the receiver is 1 1/4" in size and has custom welding on it and this accepts a flying (paraglider) motor that I use. if I don't have to, I don't want to swap this class 2 out for a class 3 hitch which is 2" X 2". i understand the torsional strength that a 2 X 2" offers over a 1 1/4" receiver. however, the RV shops also install sway bars to assist here.

the wife wants to buy a tow behind RV trailer that weighs 3000 pounds fully loaded. the 850 class 3 (ie, 2" ball) limits with brakes on the trailer (which it has) is 3300 lbs. will my class 2 hitch armed with a 2 inch ball handle this load or do I have to upgrade to a class 3 hitch entirely?

my tranny is in tip top condition @ only 152K mi, i have an in-line raybestos magnefine magnetic filter installed in the tranny circuit, as well as an external cooler i installed years ago, just cause it seemed good. i flush my tranny fluid every 20-25K mi and would do so sooner if im to start towing alot. my fluid is cherry red and has no particles at flush time. i want to keep it that way.

i really REALLY dont want to upgrade my current hitch due to the custom welding attached to my class II hitch but safety is tantamount.

thanks all.

[abscate]

Class 2 hitches are rated at 3500 pounds. Since 3300 pounds < 3500 pounds no problem.

Since you are close to the limit, I suggest you dont guess, but take your trailer to a truck scale and have it measured so you know exactly where you stand.

Tongue weight is important for stable towing - you want it to be 7-10% of the trailer weight. This is a lot heavier than most people think is correct. Again, measure it with a bathroom scale. Note that you wont be able to lift the tongue by hand when it is correct.

If the RV trailer collapses down to a low profile I would skip the sway bars. If it is a high boy in CO, I think I would stabilise it given your winds.

There are tons of good trailering forums out there btw - a whole culture on the road as it were.

[Jazzop]

I have an 95 850 non trubo with a class 2 hitch. the receiver is 1 1/4" in size and has custom welding on it and this accepts a flying (paraglider) motor that I use. if I don't have to, I don't want to swap this class 2 out for a class 3 hitch which is 2" X 2". i understand the torsional strength that a 2 X 2" offers over a 1 1/4" receiver. however, the RV shops also install sway bars to assist here.

the wife wants to buy a tow behind RV trailer that weighs 3000 pounds fully loaded. the 850 class 3 (ie, 2" ball) limits with brakes on the trailer (which it has) is 3300 lbs. will my class 2 hitch armed with a 2 inch ball handle this load or do I have to upgrade to a class 3 hitch entirely?

i really REALLY dont want to upgrade my current hitch due to the custom welding attached to my class II hitch but safety is tantamount.

thanks all.

Where did you find a Class III hitch for an 850? To my knowledge, they don't exist.

[804 mini]

I wanted to give my input on towing with a Volvo 850, and since this is the top link on google, i figured this would be the best place to put it.

My car is a 1996 Volvo 850, non-turbo automatic wagon with 230xxx miles on it. Original everything to the best of my knowledge. I recently towed a 1987 Mazda RX7 Tii from west Tennessee to east Tennessee using a uhaul tow-dolly.

I read up on towing with automatics and did the following. It was between 93 and 97*F for the duration of the trip but I haven't noticed any changes to my volvo, so i think everything has held up from the trip.

Leave the car in "3," This locks the transmission into 3rd gear. It should reduce strain on the torque converter and keep the transmission cool. At 60mph I was at ~3250 RPM, a safe number, and I still managed 20mpg. (down from 27.5mpg normally)

Follow big trucks. Not too closely, but use them to pace you up and down hills. An 850 towing a car has a similar power to weight ratio as a big truck, so mimicking the speeds they do in situations where the weight of the car in tow will effect you is a good idea. Especially if you are not familiar with towing. You don't have to hold 55-60 up long steep hills, save your car and take it easy.

Take a break every so often. This allows the components under stress to cool down. Brakes and transmission especially. My rotors are drilled and slotted, so this may have helped, but i did not observe any fade, and the overengineered stock brakes were acceptable for the load I was pulling.

Power: 168hp and 162 ft-lbs were enough once I was rolling, including the short section of 4% grade I climbed. Getting onto the highway was somewhat terrifying. So much so that when i stopped for gas, I made sure the onramp back onto the highway was down-hill. Stop and go city/town traffic was not an issue.

All in all, if you have no other option, then the 850 is an option.


And elevation profile

[matthew1]

804, thanks for your informative post.

For cross-polinization purposes, here are more towing topics:

• 850 Towing capacity? U-Haul
• Anybody tow with an 850?
• Towing a Volvo with a Volvo
• Pulling a Trailer 1300 Miles w/ Volvo 850 T5 (Trip Report in the VRD)
• I’m On The Road Now, Towing w/ my 850 (Trip Report in the VRD)
• Volvo 850 Trailer Towing Followup (Trip Report in the VRD)

[5underpressure]

Didn’t want to start a new thread,

Is it a terrible idea to flat tow a 2001 4cyl 4dr Chevy tracker behind a 98 v70 t5 mt? Approximately 350 miles nj to Vt my clutch seems fine, can’t get it to slip. Not interested in frying the auto trans in my 01 v6 accord nor taking the 8mpg e450

Have no worries about the trip just the strain on the car.

[volvolugnut]

I would think you could limit your speed to maybe 50-60 MPH and not need to worry. Slow acceleration and braking. Lots of trailing distance behind other vehicles.
Drive it like an oversize semi truck.
volvolugnut

[5underpressure]

I would think you could limit your speed to maybe 50-60 MPH and not need to worry. Slow acceleration and braking. Lots of trailing distance behind other vehicles.
Drive it like an oversize semi truck.
volvolugnut

Are you recommending keeping the speed down so I can stay in fourth gear which should be one to one but I’m hearing Volvos aren’t? I had an F 150 that I wasn’t supposed to use overdrive when towing.

I have plenty of towing experience and I am not a bumper humper.

[volvolugnut]

I would think you could limit your speed to maybe 50-60 MPH and not need to worry. Slow acceleration and braking. Lots of trailing distance behind other vehicles.
Drive it like an oversize semi truck.
volvolugnut

Are you recommending keeping the speed down so I can stay in fourth gear which should be one to one but I’m hearing Volvos aren’t? I had an F 150 that I wasn’t supposed to use overdrive when towing.

I have plenty of towing experience and I am not a bumper humper.

Lower speed will reduce the power required for air drag and mechanical losses. Lower power should reduce the heat generated by engine and transmission. I might try to install a transmission temperature gauge or maybe read from electronics?
I was not thinking about using a lower gear.
volvolugnut

[abscate]

A one time NJ to VT, no problem. Stay in 4th gear and 3rd on hills, flashers on , 50 mph

I’ve. Towed some big boys home for short distances.