Bruce
Hi Guys...Screwloose here and I'm a newbie to this site...Just purchased my 2009 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD Suv...I'm needing some info about a few things if you would be kind enough to help... (1) I have a tow hitch and trailer plug on it already , does the plug incorporate Anderson power for charging my van battery on the fly (existing plug is 7 pin round...3 pins across the centre with 2 pins above and below )... (2) My caravan that the car will be towing is approx 1.43 tonne (18 foot Regent Cruiser Duel Axel Pop Top)...It is fitted with electric brakes and i have to fit the controller in the car before i can tow the van ( Car is legal to 750kg's Unbraked and 2'000kg's Braked )...Has anyone done this conversion and how painful was it to install...(3) Do any of you guys already tow a caravan of similar weight with the same model vehicle and how do you find it handelling on the road... Is there anything I should be aware of before I hitch the van ready to travel... Thanking You all in advance and hope one day I may be able to contribute some answers in this forum myself...Kind Regards , Screwloose.
Philia_Bear
Consider trading it back in for a D5/V8 XC90 is my first comment
The T6 is the worst engine in the Volvo fleet to do any towing with
Expect fuel use of >25L/100 while towing with the T6
Volvo large 7 pin does not include power, you will need to do a separate Anderson plug
The XC60 has a battery management system and can easily be confused by connecting extra battery's in parallel to the battery in the car
You should consider doing a 30 amp DC->DC charger triggered off an accessories circuit (so its only on when the engine is one)
I've never seen a brake controller I likes on a boat trailer, all of them claim to be water prof and none of them survive after 2-3 years of regular use...
Drums (which 95% of electric brakes setups are)... are next to useless after the first big hill
A good set of overrun hydraulic brakes (not cable) will easily outperform electric brakes any day of the week
(Take note that the brakes on my 2 ton car trailer use 336mmx30mm rotors which are stock spec on the 2.5 ton v8 XC90)
I've done some towing with XC60's before and I ran screaming back to either using my E60 or my XC90
It just tows poorly and I'd rather tow with a FOG (Falcon on gas) before doing another round with an XC60
Bruce
Gee Thanks , Philia Bear..."I THINK"..LOL ! ... Thanks for the swift reply , really appreciate it ... Your comment now has me a bit concerned about my choice of vehicles...Having only just purchased the car trading back is not possible for me at this stage...Both my partner and myself love the way the car handles and it is so comfy to drive...We may have to rethink towing with it and go back to our second car tow vehicle ( Nissan Patrol 2.5 Turbo Diesel ) It's a slug from a standing start with the van on and not as comfy to drive ...Now I'm scratching my head and wondering what to do... Thanks again mate for your time and trouble...Regards Screwloose
Agouti
What is the 40 amp breaker you add with the trailer module for? It seems a bit large just for lights.
