Our family is looking to buy a boat approximately 16-18 ft in length.

I was wondering if anyone has any towing experience using a Volvo S70 which is what i drive.

I have seen tow kits sold for the S70 and wondering if anyone has used them and also if the s70 could handle something like a boat.

Thanks.

 

My ex- gf's dad towed a boat with a N/A volvo S70. Wasn't all that big, though. Here's the thing. In Europe, people don't routinely drive pickup trucks and SUVs like we do here, so larger family cars (in Europe, an S70 is a big car!) are what they use to tow trailers. As a result, European cars tend to have pretty good towing capacities compared to similar- sized American cars. Hell, my wife's '97 Jetta has a trailer capacity of more than 1,000 pounds! Try THAT with a small American car! (not that we've ever towed anything with it. I have a beat- up old Chevy S-10 for towing things when necessary!) Regardless, check your owner's manual for towing capacities specific to your car. If the trailer and boat you'll be towing are within those specs, go ahead and do it. ~However~ Towing a trailer is NOT nice to the car. You need to put the car on the severe- service maintenance schedule during the months in which you're towing. This is VERY important. Change your transmission fluid often if it's an automatic, and check it regularly during towing to see if it's getting burned. If the trailer is really close to the maximum weight, ABSOLUTELY get an external trans fluid cooler, and mount it in series with the cooler in the radiator. This is a very good idea regardless- I consider it required if you'll be towing the car's maximum on a routine basis. Plan on changing oil extra regularly, and I suggest using a synthetic- ESPECIALLY if your car is a turbo, as the extra work will make the turbo get extra hot. If you have trouble with the engine getting too warm, put in a lower- temp thermostat, and shut off the A/C on hills. Also, check the brake pads more often, and make sure tire pressures are at the full- load pressure stamped inside the fuel door on towing days.

 

I agree with Carrots. Also, make sure you have good mounts, like the torque mount and lower transmission mount. If you do not have a owners manual, you can chech those things out here: http://www.volvocars.com/us/tools/Ow...lvoOwners.aspx.

 

Find this thread in search, Before shipping/ towing a boat with a car first you need to know Maximum Towing Capacity of your car.

Volvo has a capacity of 3,500. I usually advice people to chose boat towing service like i used last week when i ship my boat from Washington to Wisconsin because my boat was expensive and i don't want to take any risk.
There is ultimately one factor that should be affecting your decision: the safety of you and your family..

If your vehicle is rated for 2,000 pounds, you might want to limit it to something less, like 1,500 pounds.