KIA Sorento with 3500 lb tow rating as TV?

[rjackson]

Hi All,

Considering a TM in lieu of tent trailer or ultra-lite, but concerned about the towing specs on my '04 KIA Sorento.

192 HP @5500 rpm
217 lb-ft @3000 rpm
106.7" wheelbase
4317 lbs
4X4 all-wheel drive

The towing capacity is stated at 3500 lbs, but the "word on the street" is that this is due to the fact that KIA's OEM hitch is Class II rated at 3500 lbs. I have a Class III after-market hitch. The '07 Sorento which is identical with exception of larger V6 is rated at 5000 lbs (262 HP / 260 lb-ft tirque).

I've posed this question on the KIA forum with no response, but there are lots of threads on this topic. The concensus seems to be that it is a good tow vehicle and is rated at 4100 lbs. in Europe. There are lots of "I can tow such and such with my KIA", etc., but much of this is bravado, so I'm confused!

My goal has been to keep this SUV, as it is in great condition but high mileage for the year, which kills its value. However, I will trade up to a larger vehicle if it seems unreasonable to use as a tow vehicle. I certaibly don't want to create a dangerous situation for my wife and grandkids.

Ironically, I discovered the Trailmanors doing research for light trailers that I could tow with this truck. If I have to upgrade the truck to a larger one, the Trailmanor is no longer the leading option, although I really do like them.

Much appreciated!

Rick

I suspect you could get away with it but I am not familiar with Kias. You'd need a weight distributing hitch. There are people here towing with Highlanders.

Rjackson,

I have been holding off commenting on you question, because a week or 2 ago I relayed my thoughts on towing a TM with a Jeep Unlimited, and the guy decided on buying a pop-up instead….which some of the larger ones of those can weight as much as the smaller TMs. I felt kinda bad about that, because I want to be an ambassador for Trailmanors, as I think they are great travel trailers.

IMO, larsdennert is correct with his post, but you current vehicle is probably not the best for pulling a travel trailer. Even though your Kia now has a class 3 hitch, it came with a class 2 for a reason……Kia did not want people pulling big loads with that vehicle. It was rated 3500 lbs. from the factory, and that is the figure that would be used if there were ever a problem…..as in an accident. My 2720 weighs 3400 lbs., before adding water, groceries, and personal items, so the weight can quickly add up to exceed the original tow rating of your vehicle.

And the 106” wheelbase is also a concern. If you have been reading some of the threads on tow vehicles, you have probably already come across comments about towing with shorter wheelbase vehicles.

I don’t advocate everyone going out and buying ¾ ton pickups for towing TMs. That is the great thing about TMs, is that you can tow with midsized pickups and SUVs. But I would think that a vehicle that came from the factory with at least a 5000 lb. tow rating, body on frame structure (vs. unibody), factory tow package (with a minimal class 3 hitch, lower gearing, aux. transmission cooler, 7 wire trailer harness), and a wheelbase approaching 120”s or more, would be a better choice for towing the lighter TMs than a vehicle that was not manufactured for towing these loads. Safety is the main concern here, with vehicle wear and tear also in the equation.

Hope this helps.

Chap

For reference, my 4Runner has about a 105" wheel base, 185hp and weighs "alot". There are many here towing with newer 4Runners and FJs as well as early Explorers. They have heavy duty frames and running gear. It has a 5K tow capacity where the earlier model only towed 3500lb.

I consider my setup safer to tow with than many I've seen. That is the beauty of the TM. Undestandably everyone has a different tolerance for safety. When towing anything you really have to be more cautious and aware. TMs have a higher tongue weight too. That should be considered.

[Bill]

Rick -

The first question I always ask is "WHERE do you plan to tow?" Your header says you are in Temecula CA, so I bet you are thinking Sequoia/King's Canyon, Yosemite, and generally around the Sierras.

In my opinion, t'ain't gonna happen. Those are BIG mountains, with steep grades (up and down), high altitudes, hairpin turns. Safety is a problem - you will also beat your vehicle pretty badly.

Lars, you are in the same area - do you have experience in these areas? I know that my Explorer struggled in those parks.

Bill

I have towed to the east side of UT over 10000ft passes on 7% grades at 45mph.

[rjackson]

Thanks everyone for your answers so far. I'm seriously leaning toward going back to a tent trailer, or upgrading from the KIA to a larger vehicle. I'm definitely not comfortable with running at the upper limits, and I would be traveling to the mountain regions mentioned in one of the threads.

I was mainly suspicious of the 3500 lb rating and thought that it may have been primarily due to the Class II hitch, but it seems that this is not the case. I was at the KIA dealer today and discussed this with the service advisor, who also called the KIA rep for his take.

Turns out the difference between the '04-'06 Sorentos like mine and the '07 is actually ONLY the larger engine. Everything else is the same, so the rationale for the increase in towing capacity seems to be only power. I then found out that the '08s have two options; a 3.5 V6 liter with a bit power than my '04 and the powerful 3.8 liter that is standard on the '07s. Trucks with the smaller engine have a rating of 3500 lbs and 5000 on the larger V6. I have to assume that 192 HP / 217 ft. lb of torque is just not sufficient to pull that amount of weight.

I guess now my dilemma has to do with whether I sell the KIA and buy a larger truck, in which take I take a bit hit financially due to its high mileage. (I also like my Sorento!) Financing a newer one is not an option so I'd have to do something like selling my '04 Sorento and getting an older '01 F150. I also have to get a 4X4 due to the fact that I use that on our avocado grove.

The other option is to stay with a tent trailer. However, the tent trailers that appeal to us are larger ones with bathrooms, which are often in the 2400 lb range!

Thanks again for all the advice,

Rick

we have a 2003 kia sedona with the same tow rating as your kia. We asked the very same questions after we bought our 2004 3023TM. When we bought it in Ohio and drove it back to Michigan our back end dropped about 10 inches. We immediatley bought a WDH and it leveled things out but we could tell our minivan (6cyl) was not enough for the 3023. We didn't have a lack of power issue or even overheating, it was just a weight issue. You could tell the kia was moaning once the hitch was connected. We decided to buy a 5.9 v-8 dodge ram conversion van. What a GREAT choice.

Wow two campers then? Some of those conversion vans are really nice. Like a little motorhome where things are always accessible from the front.

The 3023 is quite a bit more trailer over a 2619 or 2720. The two Kias probably use the same motor. What's crazy is that a tent trailer equiped like a TM with a full kitchen and bath will weigh about the same. The appliances and water is what really add up. My TM came with two propane tanks and two batteries. Take out one 70lb battery, one 30lb propane bottle and 150lbs of water on the road and it would make quite a difference. I've never used up a whole bottle on a trip but I'm from a warm climate. If you go to hookup sites, you can fill up there on water and don't need all the battery.

Oh you may also want to look at the large Chalet. A little lighter as I recall but also hard wall. Tighter on space but also a full kitchen and bath. I liked the option with the rear queen with huge storage below and front convertible dinnette to bed for the kids. We almost got one but we are always four travelers and it was just a bit small. For two regulars and occasional kids it would work.