Actual towing experiences?

Hey everyone, I'm trying to get a sense of how the Ineos actually tows and what the actual payload is like. We're planning on picking up a 32 foot, 6,100 lb dry weight (7,700 GVM) travel trailer and dragging it from Colorado up to Oregon. I'm hoping the Ineos will be able to handle this, if not I'll have to garage the Ineos and lease a 250 or SD for a few years. Luckily we'll be avoiding the mountain passes and heading up through Wyoming, so maybe that'll make it easier?

I'm not sure I'd want to tow a trailer right on the limit of the tow vehicle's capability. What's the hitch weight of your trailer?

Search the tow thread. You will see number people towing up to the limit with no issues.

junx said:

I'm not sure I'd want to tow a trailer right on the limit of the tow vehicle's capability. What's the hitch weight of your trailer?

Towing Capacity Calculator

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Hitch weight is 800. I'll be putting airbags in, an electronic brake controller and anti sway bars

You're a brave chap! Luckily your petrol is cheap.

hustlehard285 said:

Hey everyone, I'm trying to get a sense of how the Ineos actually tows and what the actual payload is like. We're planning on picking up a 32 foot, 6,100 lb dry weight (7,700 GVM) travel trailer and dragging it from Colorado up to Oregon. I'm hoping the Ineos will be able to handle this, if not I'll have to garage the Ineos and lease a 250 or SD for a few years. Luckily we'll be avoiding the mountain passes and heading up through Wyoming, so maybe that'll make it easier?

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I’ve towed similar trailers for about 40-50k miles over the past 15 or so years.

Grenadier is a short wheelbase and low power for a 32' box trailer but people do it. I towed my 31' airstream weighing in around 7,500lbs on the cat scales cross country from NJ to Colorado with an Infiniti QX80 which has similar short 121” wheelbase (vs 115” with the grenadier)…. albeit with 400hp and 400 ft-lb torque.

Proper weight distribution hitch setup with correct ball heigh, level trailer etc is critical to stability given your rig. I'd run with empty tanks to keep weight down as well.

You should highly consider a Pro Pride hitch given the ratios and weights involved if you are serious about towing that size trailer often with a grenadier.

Living in Colorado and driving the continental divide often I eventually moved to a 10,000 lb gmc duramax 3/4 ton with 900+ ft-lb of torque and much longer wheelbase as my dedicated tow vehicle. World of difference towing 7500+ lbs vs 1/2 ton suv.

Stay safe.

Asnes said:

I’ve towed similar trailers for about 40-50k miles over the past 15 or so years.

Grenadier is a short wheelbase and low power for a 32' box trailer but people do it. I towed my 31' airstream weighing in around 7,500lbs on the cat scales cross country from NJ to Colorado with an Infiniti QX80 which has similar short 121” wheelbase (vs 115” with the grenadier)…. albeit with 400hp and 400 ft-lb torque.

Proper weight distribution hitch setup with correct ball heigh, level trailer etc is critical to stability given your rig. I'd run with empty tanks to keep weight down as well.

You should highly consider a Pro Pride hitch given the ratios and weights involved if you are serious about towing that size trailer often with a grenadier.

Living in Colorado and driving the continental divide often I eventually moved to a 10,000 lb gmc duramax 3/4 ton with 900+ ft-lb of torque and much longer wheelbase as my dedicated tow vehicle. World of difference towing 7500+ lbs vs 1/2 ton suv.

Stay safe.

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Yeah we're going to take our time. Not in any rush to get up there, and we'll be traveling with empty tanks for sure. We'll see. I'll give it a few test runs and can always upgrade if needed.

Thanks for all the tips, much appreciated.

Might be something that’s already been thought about but….
Is the vehicle adequately “run in” engine wise?
Sounds like it may be quite the mechanical load!
Good wishes for the trip.

Karearea said:

Might be something that’s already been thought about but….
Is the vehicle adequately “run in” engine wise?
Sounds like it may be quite the mechanical load!
Good wishes for the trip.

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Luckily we're not taking off till May and my IG should be here next week or the following. So I'll definitely be making sure to bed in the engine adequately

hustlehard285 said:

Hitch weight is 800. I'll be putting airbags in, an electronic brake controller and anti sway bars

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You sound like you know what you are doing. I ran air bags in my 3/4 ton so truck and trailer were within 1/2" level accross both. Just remember that load leveling with air bags does not equal weight distribution. You still need to re-load the front axle with weight distribution to avoid overloading rear axle / rear tire weight limits and also and equally important avoid understeer on the front axle.

Towing 3100kg van for about 2000klm now, mainly black top B grade roads. Trialmaster diesel, 2 red diamonds on rear springs. Car at 3500kgs with van attached. Towball download 266kgs. Rear dropped 40 to 50mm but suspect that's the soft stage of the tri rate rear spring taking up.

I do not use any weight distribution hitch as I'm often off road or on poor dippy ones and I'm concerned about the forces (to where and how much) that are being applied to car/van. I'd rather set the vehicle up properly if need be but this is one of the reasons that on paper at least the Ineos looked like a good proposition.

Previous vehicles to compare are a LC100 V8 petrol and Tourareg 3litre diesel (both of which I still have).

Tyre pressures as per manual: 43.5psi front 49 rear (5 people + luggage)

Plenty of power/torque and roughly averaging 19l/100klm but will be more accurate in a couple of weeks with about 4000 towing klm's under my belt. On B grade roads travelling at about 85-90kl/h was in two minds if I should sell the Ineos as steering was terrible and I really had to concentrate 100%. Not saying I don't concentrate 100% when driving but to get my point across this is how I felt. (I'm used to the different steering of the Ineos when not towing and don't mind it, it wasn't that).

I subsequently reduced the front tyres to 38psi cold (rather than that recommended in the manual for a fully loaded car) and the change was remarkable. I also do this for my LC100 for same reason) When the towball download is applied weight shifts from the front to the rear so in effect considerably more weight is applied to the rear axle than just the 266kg towball download and front axle load is reduced making the front tyre footprint a little smaller.

Anyway, car now drives B grade (B = bad) roads like a champion. Very sure-footed indeed and at least equal to my LC100 in that respect but with more power/torque than the petrol V8. Power/torque seems similar to my Touareg but is much more sure footed guess due to the overall weight of the vehicle and chassis design.

On gravel roads again felt fantastic but am yet to do long stretches of Aussie corrugations - that's next March.

Upside is, love the Grenadier. Will be selling the LC100. I'll likely do a small summary of my overall thoughts of good v bad on my return.

Great post and please do follow up!

MikeL said:

Great post and please do follow up!

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Not sure too much to add really. Travelled about 16000k now, guess 13000 towing heavy. TPMS is the only nuisance and needs to be sorted by Ineos. Great vehicle and no regrets. I did have to get a GVM upgrade to 3800kg as I was very close to max 3550 with van on the ball. Have added SLRV rear side panels, pantry one side, maxtrax or 30litre fuel tank the other side. The rear squats about 40mm from the ball weight of 240kg and I'm fine with that as they're tri rate springs - dual axle van is level. Not interested in keeping the vehicle exactly level with air bags, seen too many bags fail - perhaps bags would last a reasonable period of time on the blacktop. I did notice some high engine temps in hot weather on a steep incline towing, no real problem as the vehicle has very very good cooling systems but will be changing to the 5W30 oil (optional for the diesel) as it has a better HT/HS rating than the 0W30 and then more frequent oil changes than the 15000 service intervals and I'd much prefer better engine wear performance v fuel efficiency. If I lived in a -30c climate I'd stay with the 0W30. I'll take a couple of oil samples to confirm. Still looking for a decent roof platform for my Clevershade that I have, undecided this stage, shame Leitner do not have an outlet in Aus as has good reviews. Have noted there is likely better wet performance tyres than the KO2's that came standard and will change to another brand when worn - experienced some interesting understeer in wet conditions towing that I've never had before with other brands I usually use so present remedy is to take it very easy on wet blacktop. Plenty of info about KO'2 wet performance and I'd have to agree.

bakepl said:

Not sure too much to add really. Travelled about 16000k now, guess 13000 towing heavy. TPMS is the only nuisance and needs to be sorted by Ineos. Great vehicle and no regrets. I did have to get a GVM upgrade to 3800kg as I was very close to max 3550 with van on the ball. Have added SLRV rear side panels, pantry one side, maxtrax or 30litre fuel tank the other side. The rear squats about 40mm from the ball weight of 240kg and I'm fine with that as they're tri rate springs - dual axle van is level. Not interested in keeping the vehicle exactly level with air bags, seen too many bags fail - perhaps bags would last a reasonable period of time on the blacktop. I did notice some high engine temps in hot weather on a steep incline towing, no real problem as the vehicle has very very good cooling systems but will be changing to the 5W30 oil (optional for the diesel) as it has a better HT/HS rating than the 0W30 and then more frequent oil changes than the 15000 service intervals and I'd much prefer better engine wear performance v fuel efficiency. If I lived in a -30c climate I'd stay with the 0W30. I'll take a couple of oil samples to confirm. Still looking for a decent roof platform for my Clevershade that I have, undecided this stage, shame Leitner do not have an outlet in Aus as has good reviews. Have noted there is likely better wet performance tyres than the KO2's that came standard and will change to another brand when worn - experienced some interesting understeer in wet conditions towing that I've never had before with other brands I usually use so present remedy is to take it very easy on wet blacktop. Plenty of info about KO'2 wet performance and I'd have to agree.

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Another great post . . thanks. I've not long picked up a year old Fieldmaster from Noosa dealer - their demo. Had the spec I wanted and loving it! Last week got the electrics and Towpro installed (SLRV) - took it for a short run on Sunday to get weighed and see how it handled. Really good. Felt quite composed and no tail wag - the low down torque is terrific. 260 on the ball and 2540 on the dual axles (Kedron 19 foot). Done all the calcs and have 3320 GVM so 230kg under. Vehicle with driver and passenger and full fuel load. So not a lot left for anything else. We travel light so will be okay for a while. I'm looking to GVM upgrade as well to get full axle capacity use. With van on I have 1840 on rear (which calcs as plus 320 from ball load application) and 1480 on front ( calcs as minus 60 from same loading). Plus 320 / minus 60 = 260 ball load. This is a 1.23 multiplier of ball weight to rear axle, which is really low from my experience. Short rear overhang is very helpful - as is heavy vehicle to start with. Van sits a little low at the front so I'll flip the hitch to get it level. Have a 2005 Disco 3 which struggled with this van due to being lighter and air suspension - back end moved around a lot and was never comfortable. Rear axle was only 50kg under capacity with no load other than 2 people and fuel. My Grenadier also has the KO2's so I'll be careful in the wet. Thanks again for all the info.

ps. I'm on a Disco (1) v8 / Defender 110 Td5/ Disco 2 / Disco 3 / now Grenadier path (30+y). Spot the pattern!

Will a Grenadier Tow..? Damn Toot'n it will. I just finished a two week Cross Country trip towing a trailer with a plane on it. From Oklahoma to Oregon, even going up and over the Colorado Rockies at 11,500ft elevation.... zero issues..!!

Javasipper said:

Will a Grenadier Tow..? Damn Toot'n it will. I just finished a two week Cross Country trip towing a trailer with a plane on it. From Oklahoma to Oregon, even going up and over the Colorado Rockies at 11,500ft elevation.... zero issues..!!

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Cool! Great trip I’m sure
I’m intrigued though
No wings or tailplane/ elevator….?

MikeL said:

Another great post . . thanks. I've not long picked up a year old Fieldmaster from Noosa dealer - their demo. Had the spec I wanted and loving it! Last week got the electrics and Towpro installed (SLRV) - took it for a short run on Sunday to get weighed and see how it handled. Really good. Felt quite composed and no tail wag - the low down torque is terrific. 260 on the ball and 2540 on the dual axles (Kedron 19 foot). Done all the calcs and have 3320 GVM so 230kg under. Vehicle with driver and passenger and full fuel load. So not a lot left for anything else. We travel light so will be okay for a while. I'm looking to GVM upgrade as well to get full axle capacity use. With van on I have 1840 on rear (which calcs as plus 320 from ball load application) and 1480 on front ( calcs as minus 60 from same loading). Plus 320 / minus 60 = 260 ball load. This is a 1.23 multiplier of ball weight to rear axle, which is really low from my experience. Short rear overhang is very helpful - as is heavy vehicle to start with. Van sits a little low at the front so I'll flip the hitch to get it level. Have a 2005 Disco 3 which struggled with this van due to being lighter and air suspension - back end moved around a lot and was never comfortable. Rear axle was only 50kg under capacity with no load other than 2 people and fuel. My Grenadier also has the KO2's so I'll be careful in the wet. Thanks again for all the info.

ps. I'm on a Disco (1) v8 / Defender 110 Td5/ Disco 2 / Disco 3 / now Grenadier path (30+y). Spot the pattern!

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Ah yes, LC 80 / 100V8IFS / IG for me. Performs way better than the 100 in most respects. An early adopter here but following since announced. Has it's quirks but a niche vehicle really. I was sold on the axle capacity, GCM, GVM, short overhang and drivetrain. Little disappointed at the tare/load/fuel capacity but weigh that up with the overall build of the vehicle and high quality components that have gone into it, (hop underneath and take a look). Fortunately I didn't have to flip my tongue but did buy a Mr Hitches MH001HD as I needed more length to fit a Stonestomper bracket (some tongues won't fit in, this one does) If I flip it when hitched it would prevent the rear door from opening fully. The electrics are fantastic to work with when adding bits and pieces. Have left the dual battery as is with my fridge running off it via a victron smart battery protect and will see how we go. I may change it to be totally separate from the start battery but haven't seen a problem yet. Kept the Euro 13 plug as I had that set up already on my van and run my vans rear camera wires via the Euro 13 spare pins (pins I had to source) so just the one plug and then use the Nato out to charge the van via an anderson converter. I don't consider the roobar and side step paint to be of lasting quality as have stone chips on both, heaps of chips on the steps. I found a front passenger grab handle to put on the drivers side as I needed a little better help getting in. (bung foot/knee). Also fit a wolfbox 840S mirror/reverse camera and replaced the stock mirror bracket - works a treat. Latest is I'm waiting the arrival of powered steps to try out. I have the side steps now and will swap out and see how it goes. Not sure how exposed the brackets will be - I don't rock crawl so my guess should be ok for my purpose, time will tell - wife will be happy.

Just back from a trip to Montana from Oregon to pick up a trailer.
I need some good towing mirrors to add on to the existing? Anyone found some good ones?

Javasipper said:

Will a Grenadier Tow..? Damn Toot'n it will. I just finished a two week Cross Country trip towing a trailer with a plane on it. From Oklahoma to Oregon, even going up and over the Colorado Rockies at 11,500ft elevation.... zero issues..!!

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Zero issues? You have clearly knocked the wings off! Between two semi trucks maybe?

I've posted this on another thread, but mine tows really well. Recently towed this dumper truck about 180 miles (small mileage compared to the US perhaps!) and hardly felt it. Trailer and load was approx 6,800 lbs, was pretty evenly distributed I think, which helped, but it went well. Decent trailer and even weight distribution and you should be fine. Approx 23 mpg, but mines a diesel...View attachment 7867685