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-   -   XC70 noseweight (https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=295670)

Frank B Jun 12th, 2019 18:26

XC70 noseweight
 
I have a 2016 XC70 D5 AWD and tow a smallish caravan with a MGW of 1400 KG

Whilst the caravan is always stable behind the car, and there is much more power than is needed, I find that there is a lot of uncomfortable pitching on anything other than very smooth roads.

I am an experienced caravanner, the caravan is correctly loaded and I try and get the noseweight to about 90kg.

Never tried towing with a much lower noseweight, has anyone experience of smooth towing with these cars? what noseweight do you use ?

37 RUBY Jun 12th, 2019 21:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank B (Post 2528141)
I have a 2016 XC70 D5 AWD and tow a smallish caravan with a MGW of 1400 KG

Whilst the caravan is always stable behind the car, and there is much more power than is needed, I find that there is a lot of uncomfortable pitching on anything other than very smooth roads.

I am an experienced caravanner, the caravan is correctly loaded and I try and get the noseweight to about 90kg.

Never tried towing with a much lower noseweight, has anyone experience of smooth towing with these cars? what noseweight do you use ?

Yes....vehicle as per signature. Standard suspension not 4c or Nivomat...1500kg Elddis single axle caravan. Nose weight religiously set at 80kg. The tow bar limit is same as yours, 90kg. Tow bar is OE detachable.
Having experimented with load placements there is minimal kit at the rear. I also equal out the axle loading on the van. I use portable digital scales from Reich.

My towing experience is a reasonable one.

Smoothest towing is when I'm away on short break and lightly loaded and leave car tyres set at 38psi.

Ride harsher when car tyres set to 41psi for when we're fully loaded for a long trip.

When I bought the car it had Conti tyres. I personally have never had a good experience when towing with that brand so changed them straight away.

For note the Conti's where load rated 101v....the Pirelli's that replaced them are 97v rated so slightly less stiff side wall.

The feeling of pitching is a very subjective personal experience. I put my Volvo at the top of my list with regards tow car ratings. I've towed with full blown 4x4's, saloon tourers, sports saloons. All were a harsher towing experience than the Volvo.

HTH.

Cheers

Dave

green van man Jun 16th, 2019 15:15

My hand book says noseweight limit 75kgs on my MY10 xc70 2wd.

I tow a 1650kg coachman single axil and it's load areas make it difficult to hit 75kgs noseweight since I baught the awning but have it at 65 with most of the weight as near central as I can manage.
Just returned home from a trip to Scotland, 450 miles of motorway, A and B roads and very stable with no noticable pitching little bit of sway on some of the motorway tramlines more noticable coming south, but nothing to worry about..

Think the only volvo with a 90 kg noseweight limit is the xc90 but stand to be corrected by those that know better.

Paul.

37 RUBY Jun 16th, 2019 18:15

1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by green van man (Post 2529214)
My hand book says noseweight limit 75kgs on my MY10 xc70 2wd.

yeah 2010 was lower.

Quote:

Originally Posted by green van man (Post 2529214)
Think the only volvo with a 90 kg noseweight limit is the xc90 but stand to be corrected by those that know better.

Paul.

image is a copy of the 2015 Manual and the limit is repeated in the towbar fitting instructions leaflet.

Frank B Jun 16th, 2019 18:16

The cars handbook says max noseweight is 90Kg but will try 75Kg, What Tow Car recommends 75kg

37 RUBY Jun 16th, 2019 18:21

Back to original OP Frank B....hope my post made sense. I still reckon tyre wall stiffness plays a huge part in this.

If I leave the tyres at the mid range of 38 psi it is a smooth as you like. If you add in a stiff sidewall such as 101v rated and then tyres fully inflated to 41 psi for fully laden weight suddenly there is no compliance and ALL the weight is borne by the car suspension, hence the pitching sensation.

What psi do you run your tyres at and what is your tyre sidewall rating?

Frank B Jun 21st, 2019 18:13

the tyres are Pirelli Scorpion Verde 91V.


I've tried various pressures, not made a lot of difference. I'm off to Spain with the caravan tomorrow so will have plenty of miles to experiment with noseweight


Thanks for all replies so far

green van man Jun 23rd, 2019 14:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank B (Post 2530541)
the tyres are Pirelli Scorpion Verde 91V.


I've tried various pressures, not made a lot of difference. I'm off to Spain with the caravan tomorrow so will have plenty of miles to experiment with noseweight


Thanks for all replies so far

Same tyres and I run 41psi all the time with no problems on either of the caravans I tow. Caravans run at 65 psi.

Paul.

Frank B Jul 15th, 2019 22:55

Back from Spain now, did 2300 miles.

Ran with various noseweights between 75 and 90kg, caravan was stable at any speed up to 70mph, mostly 56mph to keep pace with the trucks but overtaking sometimes it was far to easy to go too fast. Had to do one emergency stop with no drama or instability. Computer showed 25.1 mpg, not brilliant but not too bad.

Some pitching on rough roads but roads mostly very smooth, even over the minor route over the Pyrenees to Sort, so pitching not really a problem. In future I will try to run at 75kg noseweight


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