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Max load / weight for 16 V60 R-design?

2K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  budleach 
#1 ·
This is something that I thought would be easy to find. What is the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) for the V60 R-Design? I can find the max trailer weight is 3,300lb's which is fine for what I need. But what I want to know is what is the total combined weight rating? Volvo only has infor for the new generation cars on their site.

I have a relatively light pop up camper (circa 2k lb's dry) we use a lot. Several weekend trips over 200 miles each way from Detroit Metro area up to Norther Michigan. Plus at least one, often two long trips over 1,000 miles to Florida and or Colorado etc. The trailer part is fine, even packed to the gills we should have 800lb's+ to spare on the tow rating, but what about the total weight once we add people and luggage to the car. BTW, we've towed up North with my daughters 07 S60 2.5T fine loaded with two people, but I'm wondering about 4 up with luggage to Florida or Colorado with mountains. Electric brakes are a given.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Hey! Good to know there's other V60RD owners in the Detroit area! I've got a 15RD, up in Rochester.

Anyways! To your question. I've found on Volvo's website some information that should be helpful. I will put link below. Based on their website, depending upon the trim, yours being RD, big engine, high trim probably the heaviest of the V60's, it looks like the GVWR is 5092 lbs. Vehicle weight (my car measured on scales) is 3,950lbs. This gives you about 1,000lbs of "payload".

The document I'm looking at doesn't show any specification for tow rating, though. So going off of what you said approx 3,000lbs (which to be honest sounds high), that would make your GCWR around 8,000lbs.

My assumptions from the Volvo document are:

Serving weight = vehicle wet weight
Total weight = GVWR

Oh also based on a 2015 car... Which I assume to be basically the same (T6, AWD, Mid tier options).

https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/models/v60/2015/specifications

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#3 ·
So I picked the 304hp variant instead of the 350 and it shows a high 4,000lb tow rating with a braked trailer! So a GCWR of 8,000lbs is conservative....

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#4 ·
Bear in mind that the trailer's tongue weight counts against the vehicle's available vehicle load rating. It's very easy to max out your rear axle weight rating with just a trailer and a passenger or two if you're maxing out trailer weight.
 
#5 ·
HI. I dont' actually have a V60 yet. right now I've got my beloved 08 C30 which I bought new, picked up in Gothenburg and toured Sweden, Denmark, Germany, including doing some laps of the Nurburgrin in it, The Netherlands and visited relatives in England and Wales before it was shipped back. I wanted that to be my forever car, but I need something that can tow. For years I had company cars which my wife drove that could tow. With a change of job she got the car she wanted for a change (Mini Cooper S Clubman all 4), so I need something that can tow. I've been hot and heavy to get a Land Rover LR4, but it's just not working out in my desired price point, condition, options etc. Especially as I was limiting my search to 2013 model year only.

I'll carry on below when I reply to Zenmervolt on what I'found re-towing.
 
#6 ·
So, I found the owners manuals online. This is the link for the 2015 V60. https://volvornt.harte-hanks.com/manuals/2015/2015-Volvo-V60-Owners-Manual-v1.pdf

The V60 looks to be able to do what I need comfortably. Let's assume, loaded, that my trailer is 2,600lb's. That should be about 260lb tongue weight. The manual shows for the AWD 6cyl the gross vehicle weight is 5,100lb's. Front axle 2,760lb's, rear axle 2,410lb's. We're going to have to do some guestimating here. Car and drivers instrumented test of the V60 T6 R-Design with Polestar upgrade https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15108216/2015-volvo-v60-t6-r-design-instrumented-test-review/ had a curb weight of 4,000lb's. I believe C&D measure weight with full fluids for consistency, so I'll assume that. That figure is also higher than some other figures I found that were closer to 3,900lb's, so I feel it's safe. Weight distribution is a bit vague, but I'm seeing 60:40 front:rear. That would make it 2,400 front, 1,600 empty. With a max rear axle weight on 2,410lb's that leaves 550lb's (max weight of 2,410 - trailer toung weight of 260 - curb weight of 1,600) for the rear axle portion of passengers and luggage. That seems safe. As to overall weight, the max gross vehicle is 5,100lb's - 4,000lb curb, - 260 tongue weight = 840lb's all up. Not a massive amount, but it should fit my family and luggage with room to spare.

I think I've convinced myself it's safe and feasible. Now to find a car. I just went out at lunch to try a CPO V60 T5 (no it wasn't' the T6), but it sold last night. Oh well, more out there.
 
#11 ·
That would make it 2,400 front, 1,600 empty. With a max rear axle weight on 2,410lb's that leaves 550lb's (max weight of 2,410 - trailer toung weight of 260 - curb weight of 1,600)
It is a little more complicated than that. The tongue weight does not just add on to the rear axle weight. Because the force is being applied behind the rear axle, the cars chassis acts as a lever (pivoting about the rear axle). Therefore the tongue weight effectively unloads the front axle a certain amount and adds that front axle weight to the rear axle.

You would have to do a basic statics calculation and balance out forces AND MOMENTS to get the effective axle weights. The only additional information you would need to do the math is the wheelbase and the distance from the rear axle to the trailer ball.
 
#8 ·
#9 ·
T6 RDesign full tank of gas


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#10 ·
Interesting. Thanks, that's where I ended up finding the figures above, but I didn't see the tongue weight part until you pointed it out. 165lb tongue weight seems low for a car rated to tow 3,300lb's in the same manual. If that's the case though, it just gives me back an extra 100lb's capacity in the car. Still all good.
 
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