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Old 05-04-2006, 06:45 AM   #1
Bill O'Dell
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Default Towing with '06 Saturn Vue V6

Has anyone had experience with towing with a '06 Saturn Vue V6? Any special concerns?
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Old 05-04-2006, 08:50 AM   #2
Leslie & Nick
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Default Towing Vehicles

Bill,
With regard to the Saturn, it sounds like you'd have little reserve towing capacity which you'd need for even moderate grades. From personal experience: we have a full sized 1/2 ton pickup with a V8 (no factory tow package) and the smallest TM (a 2619), and I notice the extra weight when climbing mountain grades in Tennessee (which are probably smaller than those in some other places). I sometimes wish I had a different rear end axle (but not at the gas pump )that would provide a little more "dig".

I, myself, like to have a little power in reserve. I guess it depends where you intend to go though.

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Old 05-05-2006, 07:48 AM   #3
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Default Towing with Saturn

We have a Montana AWD that has a towing capacity of 3600 lbs. We had a 3023 TM and I would not tow this TT anywhere there were high hills or mountainous regions. Locally ok, but, not for a long trip.
We do not have the 3023 now and we do need a truck to tow our current TT.
John
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Old 05-05-2006, 08:49 AM   #4
Bill
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I've said it before, but maybe it bears repeating. When most of us say "Can I tow my TM with such-and-such a tow vehicle", we mentally zero in on the pulling part of towing. We worry about mountains, and accelerating onto the freeway, and so forth.

However, pulling is only part of towing. Another is maintaining control in emergency maneuvers. If your tow vehicle suddenly blows a front tire, what happens? If another driver darts in front of you, and you have to throw your rig into a sudden evasive maneuver, what happens? If you drive out onto a bridge and are suddenly hit with a 30 mph cross-wind, what happens?

If you have a proper tow vehicle, the answer is "Not much". But if your tow vehicle is too small, or too light, or too short, the answer is different. The trailer - any trailer, not just a TM - will throw your car around like a dog playing with a bone. Dangerous? Oh, yeah!

I don't know why anyone would try to tow a trailer with an undersized tow vehicle. That doesn't mean you need Hummer or a moose of a pickup truck. But if the trailer weighs 3500 pounds, and the tow vehicle is optimistically rated (that is, factory-rated, which is optimistic by definition) at 3500 pounds, you might want to think twice.

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Old 05-05-2006, 05:22 PM   #5
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IMHO the VUE is a car masquerading as a SUV. We have a Saturn "L" series and it's been a good car, but I wouldn't want to tow anything with it. If you have a VUE and want to tow with it, you should consider a tent trailer. We towed a Coleman tent trailer all over the US with a 79 Subaru station wagon - got good MPG, too. This is just my opinion . . .
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Old 05-05-2006, 06:32 PM   #6
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Bill is definately correct on not going marginal. First camping trip out with the new TM (3124KS), a genius slammed on his brakes, turn on his turn signal and then turn into a driveway on a 2 lane state hiway right after a curve. I was still in the curve, going about 55 MPH at the time. I am glad I had the trailer brakes and a full size Ford E-150 van. I got slowed down and the trailer did not get the van squirrelly and life was good.
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Old 05-06-2006, 07:11 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom
IMHO the VUE is a car masquerading as a SUV.
SUV are not the best tow vehicles either due to being heavier (do not brake as well) and more unstable (likely to tip over). Because they have larger motors only means they can pull more.

The wheelbase of a 06 Vue is 106.6 which is a concern

If you have the V6 is should be more than enough to haul a small TM around but I would not plan any trips to the Rockies or anything. Not that you couldn't... I just wouldn't.
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Old 09-27-2007, 09:08 PM   #8
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Default Saturn 06 Vue as TV

I am new on the block and just started researching my TV possibilities...
RE; Vue - Nothing has been posted for a year. I am very interested in towing w/ my 06 Vue - V6 AWD & CVT w/ airshocks on the rear.
I have towed a tent trailer w/o incident and believe that I have superior pulling power because this is the last year of plastic body panels. Power : weight ratio exceeds most others in this class. A new Vue weighs about 400# more than mine.
Does anyone have recent, real-time experience w/ a 2619 or a 2720 in the western US?
Thanx for your input
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Old 09-29-2007, 02:09 PM   #9
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Exclamation Check out the '2007 Lexus RX-350 tow question' thread....

This one: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=6398

Your 2006 Vue is pretty close in size and capabilities to their vehicle and the "Highlander" equivalents (although with less leather and expensive gizmos ). They actually do have plenty of power for just about anything short of Highway 108 into California from the Nevada side (grades exceeding 20%, DON'T try it). Yeah, you'll probably be slow on the steeper grades. And the stopping is OK, too-- the trailer's own brakes do a lot of the stopping.

But in emergency maneuvers, when something happens and the trailer isn't in line with your Vue... or had just previously been pointed in a different direction and has lots of momentum going in that direction... or a tire blows out in a switchback... the TAIL really wants to wag the DOG, and the tail is very likely to win when the dog is so small. The TMs are great in crosswinds, because they're so low, and it is fairly light-- but don't discount the effects all that momentum pushing your TV's rear end SIDEWAYS!!!
- - - - -

Some people love towing with a vehicle in this class. I wouldn't dare.But my vehicle is significantly smaller than Leon's, and he says that he wouldn't dare to tow with mine! You choose your level of risk. I'm just posting to make sure that you understand where the risk really lies-- it's NOT in having enough drivetrain horsepower and torque, it's in the emergencies. Don't underestimate the difference between maintaining control in front of a 1500 lb. pop-up and a 4000 lb. TM !!! (Yeah, 4000 pounds-- it's the total weight, not just the axle weight, which determines the momentum and which you need to control.)
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Old 09-29-2007, 02:45 PM   #10
Bill
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OK, here we go again.

The Saturn Vue official web page says "Saturn Vue XE AWD towing capacity: 3500 pounds" - followed by the always-present asterisk or note. When you drop down to the bottom of the page and read the note, it goes on to say "Maximum trailer ratings are calculated assuming a properly equipped vehicle ... plus driver. The weight of other optional equipment, passengers, and cargo will reduce the maximum trailer weight your vehicle can tow."

OK, so you are going to start out with a trailer that weighs about 3500 pounds, road-ready. And you have a vehicle that is rated (optimistically, as all manufacturer's ratings are optimistic) to tow 3500 pounds. But did you add any factory options to your Vue? Subtract their weight from the 3500 pound rating. Do you plan to travel solo, or will you have one or more passengers in your Vue? Subtract the weight of the passengers from the 3500 pound tow rating. Do you plan to carry any cargo in your Vue? Most people carry anywhere from 200 to 500 pounds of cargo ("camping stuff" etc) in their tow vehicle. If you carry any cargo, you must subtract that weight from the 3500-pound tow rating.

What does all this leave you? In most cases, if you are honest, you will have to subtract about 800 pounds from your tow vehicle's rating. So now, you have a vehicle with a 2700-pound tow rating, trying to manage a 3500 pound trailer. Perhaps you will rationalize this in your own mind as being acceptable. I am unable to do this.

Bear in mind, this is not me talking. This is the manufacturer talking - the same manufacturer who really REALLY wants to sell you his vehicle, rather than having you buy someone else's vehicle.

Now, add in the fact that when the manufacturer specifies a tow rating, he doesn't tell you WHERE this rating applies. You can bet he isn't talking about towing in the Rockies or the high Sierras. He is talking about benign towing in the flatlands, because by doing so, he can quote the highest number possible, and is more likely to sell you a vehicle. But you want to go to the Western US. Do your plans include any mountains? Hmmm ...

And of course, as Rickst29 points out, all of that is just a discussion of horsepower and torque and suspension and tires. Now, what about wheelbase and emergency maneuvers? A too-short vehicle just can't handle them. Maybe you will never get into an emergency situation, so you will never need this particular attribute. But remember, you are betting your life here ...

I don't mean to be a scold, or a bummer (as my kids would say). But I absolutely do not understand why people risk their lives and those of their families with an inadequate tow vehicle.
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