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Volvo RWD 200 Forum

INDEX FOR 11/2009(CURRENT) INDEX FOR 7/2009 200 INDEX INDEX (NO RELOAD) [<<]  [>>]

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READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  austi012 on  Thu Jul 2 08:12 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sun Oct 25 04:52 CST 2009 [RELATED] Hey, I'm thinking about buying a sailing dinghy, figure about 1500 pounds including trailer. Can the 245 handle towing it (no mountains, I'm in Minnesota). Thanks Thaddeus Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357792/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  You shouldn't have any trouble weight-wise, but .... 200 posted by  Ken C on  Thu Jul 2 21:30 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sat Nov 21 21:26 CST 2009 [RELATED] You shouldn't have any trouble towing a boat+trailer of that weight, or even more. I tow even heavier boats, but always add a transmission cooler, use synthetic ATF (and engine oil), and have a Nissen 3-row (50% larger) radiator, all to deal with the possible effects of the additional heat to be expected (especially with summertime driving). But sailboats (I have both a sail and a (heavier) power boat) may present a particular problem, depending on its design. You mentioned a "dinghy", and I'm assuming you'll have a retracting centerboard, etc. But unlike power boats which almost always have a planing hull (flat bottom), sailboats often have a deeper hull (round), which while facilitating stability when they heel (necessary in a sailboat) also require a taller trailer, and this means deeper immersion of the trailer, and farther descent of the car down the ramp, into the water to launch and recover. So depending on the length of your trailer's tongue, and the slope (steepness) of the ramp (which is very variable from one ramp to another), you may have marginal "reach" for your wagon to launch your boat. Obviously, longer trailer tongues are better*, and so are steeper ramps. Be sure your tailpipe is positioned as high (close to the bumper) as possible -- I've encountered ramps where my tailpipe's mouth is dipping in the water and "gurgling" -- and don't shut your engine off at the bottom of the ramp if the tailpipe is dipping into the water! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Don't be tempted to reposition your boat farther back on the trailer -- this will unload the tongue and make the trailer unstable as it reduces tongue weight, whereas you want at least 5-10% (the more the better) of the total trailer's weight on the tongue! If you find that you have a problem with tongue length, there are kits to extend its length, but are to be used only at the ramp, not on the road. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The good news, viz your 245, is that it's generally great for this: the greater rear weight, together with RWD, means less slip on the slippery ramp (better than FWD, whose drive wheels are lifted when you pull up the trailer :-). Have fun. Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357907/220/240/260/280/shouldnt_trouble_weightwise.html">You shouldn't have any trouble weight-wise, but ....</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  Jessie on  Thu Jul 2 21:25 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sat Nov 21 12:13 CST 2009 [RELATED] Towing 1500lbs would be no problem. I have towed trailers well over the 3500lb limit with my 240 and not had any problems. I even towed a 5800lb wood chipper a few years ago(not recommended). The only problem I have had with boat trailers is pulling boats out of the water. As long as you have a good launch you won't have a problem, but if the trailer wheel drops in a rut or off the ramp 240s don't have enough power to pull the boat out. Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357906/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  Gregg Shadduck on  Thu Jul 2 18:14 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sat Oct 31 15:12 CST 2009 [RELATED] I have towed equal-sized Volvos with my Volvo, and towed an Amazon from TX to MN. Doesn't your owner's manual suggest 3,500 pounds is the maximum to tow? (with caveats, and using good judgment about traffic, etc.) Has your owner's manual ever mislead you? ;-) If so, when? I'd like to know, admiring the manual greatly since the day I read both a Volvo manual and a Geo Prizm (yuck!) manual. Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357893/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  berlis on  Thu Jul 2 16:08 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Thu Nov 19 01:52 CST 2009 [RELATED] I've towed my 19' Lightning (all wood) behind my '83 245 GLT (manual M46). I never sensed any problems. Terrain was flat, distances short (usually 30 miles one way). Mike -- '83 245 GLT, '92 245DL, '90 760 GLT Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357882/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  Photoman327 on  Thu Jul 2 09:45 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sat Nov 21 07:34 CST 2009 [RELATED] There seem to be mixed thought on towing with a 240. You will not have any issues but you should add a transmission cooler. That would be a smart thing weather you tow or not. I have never towed anything with my 244 any have a 19,000 GVW stack plate cooler on it. On my 245 I have a factory hitch no cooler yet but have a Factory 740 Turbo transmission cooler that is going on it & I'm going to tow a car trailer. Don't know the GVW rating of the factory cooler but it is much less than the B&M Cooler on my 245. Add the cooler and tow away. Greg Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357817/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  mcduck on  Thu Jul 2 09:21 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sat Nov 21 21:14 CST 2009 [RELATED] No problem, but I agree that 1500 lbs. is maybe a lead dingy. My Holder 14 weighed 385 +250 for the trailer; I towed that, filled with gear, all over the mountains of northern CA. with 2 different 245s. I also agree the a transmission cooler is a good idea. Realistically, I wouldn't go over ~2K lbs, mostly due to lack of power. The 765T pulls my Prindle 16 much more smartly. Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357811/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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    READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  austi012 on  Thu Jul 2 14:01 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sun Oct 25 04:52 CST 2009 [RELATED] I'm thinking about a Mirage 5.5, which is a little bit big to call a dinghy but it's still pretty small.... Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357857/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  Ryan_R on  Thu Jul 2 08:55 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Fri Nov 20 15:24 CST 2009 [RELATED] What kinda dinghy weighs in at 1500lbs? :-) -Ryan -- Athens, Ohio 1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile 1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars, GT Braces, Draco Wheels 1991 745 GL 300k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357807/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  Stickbuilder on  Thu Jul 2 08:51 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sun Nov 22 04:09 CST 2009 [RELATED] Volvo rated the 200 series to be able to tow 3500 pounds. I'm assuming that your 245 is equipped with the auto trans. I'd reccomend installing an auxiliary transmission cooler. I don't see any problem towing the boat that you described. Most of the people that I know who have had towing problems were towing with a manual gearbox. I don't know any who have had any problems towing with the 200 with the auto. Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357804/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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  READ ONLY    PRINT   SAVE  How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245? 200 posted by  pittroj on  Thu Jul 2 08:31 CST 2009 Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS]     [IGNORE ALL POSTS] last visit: Sat Nov 14 20:55 CST 2009 [RELATED] After towing my dirt bike around for awhile, I advise you NOT to tow with your 245, unless it is a beater and on it's last leg anyway. After I bought a used Jeep[ GC for towing my bike, I realized how hard it was on my 245 to tow with it. MAYBE, if you get the IPD overload springs it wouldn't be so bad, but I would not do it. And, my dirt bike and trailer are super light, and I could still tell it was not good for it. Just my .02 Mark this post as an answer to my question<- Use this feature to mark quality replies to your post. Select, copy to buffer, and paste anywhere: <a href="http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/volvo/1357799/220/240/260/280/heavy_sailboat_realistically_tow_245.html">How heavy a sailboat could I realistically tow with a 245?</a>

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