Is The Towing Package Worth It?

[lisacfl]

Just wondering if the $795 towing package is worth the cost?

 

[critrider]

If you are going to tow yes. For a bike rack no IMO.

 

[NJ_lurker]

I haven't gotten mine yet, but I decided to order the tow package. The biggest reason to get it upfront when you order the car instead of waiting to add an aftermarket hitch when you need it is that the tow package comes with a self-leveling suspension. When you load a crossover with lots of weight in the back, whether it's heavy stuff in the trunk, adults in the backseat, or (especially) anything you might load on the hitch, the vehicle will noticeably sag in the rear and raise in the front. That messes with the car's safety performance in a crash, aiming of headlights, ride quality, and gas mileage. The self-leveling suspension will automatically adjust (after you drive a very short distance) to prevent that, and you can realistically only get the self-leveling suspension as part of the factory tow package because it would be too involved and expensive to try to do that afterwards. So basically, if you expect to be regularly carrying a lot of weight in the back, or that you will someday want a hitch for a hitch-mounted cargo carrier (generally better than a rooftop-mounted version) when you go camping, or to tow a trailer (boats, cargo, small camper, etc), it's probably worthwhile to get the tow package now if you can afford it.

There are a couple limitations. I presume if you're asking the question you must not be looking for a vehicle for doing serious towing, but just to be clear, the Telluride is not a truck and though it is spec'ed for 5000 lbs towing it is not a great tow vehicle - you'd need a truck for that. The tow package does NOT include any kind of engine modifications (heavy duty cooling, etc) the way a tow package on a pickup truck often does. The tow package gives you a built-in 4-wire harness for connecting to the trailer's brake lights, but not the 7-wire harness that you typically need to control a trailer with its own brakes. Without trailer brakes, you typically need to stay below 1500 lbs of towing load (to maintain control while stopping), so the lack of 7-wire harness despite claiming 5000 lbs towing capacity is arguably a Telluride design flaw. You can add an aftermarket 7-wire system or find various workarounds (wireless brake controllers, tap into the reverse light wires, inertial trailer brake controller, etc), but if you are expecting to tow anything over 1500 lbs you will probably need to wrestle with this issue. (I note that there is a clear hope on this forum that they might swap to a 7 wire harness in a future model year, if only to match their own capacity claims, but it's just a hope as far as I know.)

I guess here's the bottom line: Looking to use a hitch-mounted cargo carrier or bike rack, carry lots of weight in the trunk/rear seat, pull a U-haul trailer to move the kids to college, or tow a teardrop camper, small travel trailer, or a small boat? The factory installed tow package is a much better solution than you'd get in the aftermarket for a very modest amount of extra money. Looking to occasionally tow something bigger than 1500 lbs with trailer brakes? Telluride with tow package is a good starting point but the tow package alone will not enable you to do that. Looking to tow a full size camper or serious toy hauler? The Telluride is not the right vehicle for that.

Hope this helps!

 

[lisacfl]

I haven't gotten mine yet, but I decided to order the tow package. The biggest reason to get it upfront when you order the car instead of waiting to add an aftermarket hitch when you need it is that the tow package comes with a self-leveling suspension. When you load a crossover with lots of weight in the back, whether it's heavy stuff in the trunk, adults in the backseat, or (especially) anything you might load on the hitch, the vehicle will noticeably sag in the rear and raise in the front. That messes with the car's safety performance in a crash, aiming of headlights, ride quality, and gas mileage. The self-leveling suspension will automatically adjust (after you drive a very short distance) to prevent that, and you can realistically only get the self-leveling suspension as part of the factory tow package because it would be too involved and expensive to try to do that afterwards. So basically, if you expect to be regularly carrying a lot of weight in the back, or that you will someday want a hitch for a hitch-mounted cargo carrier (generally better than a rooftop-mounted version) when you go camping, or to tow a trailer (boats, cargo, small camper, etc), it's probably worthwhile to get the tow package now if you can afford it.

There are a couple limitations. I presume if you're asking the question you must not be looking for a vehicle for doing serious towing, but just to be clear, the Telluride is not a truck and though it is spec'ed for 5000 lbs towing it is not a great tow vehicle - you'd need a truck for that. The tow package does NOT include any kind of engine modifications (heavy duty cooling, etc) the way a tow package on a pickup truck often does. The tow package gives you a built-in 4-wire harness for connecting to the trailer's brake lights, but not the 7-wire harness that you typically need to control a trailer with its own brakes. Without trailer brakes, you typically need to stay below 1500 lbs of towing load (to maintain control while stopping), so the lack of 7-wire harness despite claiming 5000 lbs towing capacity is arguably a Telluride design flaw. You can add an aftermarket 7-wire system or find various workarounds (wireless brake controllers, tap into the reverse light wires, inertial trailer brake controller, etc), but if you are expecting to tow anything over 1500 lbs you will probably need to wrestle with this issue. (I note that there is a clear hope on this forum that they might swap to a 7 wire harness in a future model year, if only to match their own capacity claims, but it's just a hope as far as I know.)

I guess here's the bottom line: Looking to use a hitch-mounted cargo carrier or bike rack, carry lots of weight in the trunk/rear seat, pull a U-haul trailer to move the kids to college, or tow a teardrop camper, small travel trailer, or a small boat? The factory installed tow package is a much better solution than you'd get in the aftermarket for a very modest amount of extra money. Looking to occasionally tow something bigger than 1500 lbs with trailer brakes? Telluride with tow package is a good starting point but the tow package alone will not enable you to do that. Looking to tow a full size camper or serious toy hauler? The Telluride is not the right vehicle for that.

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much for your advice.
I’m assuming the tow package includes a hitch/harness, which is $495 by itself.
I don’t plan on doing serious towing,

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[NJ_lurker]

Exactly. The tow package includes the hitch/harness, so if you were going to get that anyway you're really only paying an extra $300 for a self-leveling suspension system that will not only make towing better but also is always working, even when there's nothing being towed. I expect to be regularly carrying a lot of heavy stuff (building materials, garden supplies) with the rear seat folded and sometimes to also have these things on a hitch-mounted cargo carrier, so I will get real value out of the factory tow package even when I'm not towing a trailer.

 

[mrmac]

Exactly. The tow package includes the hitch/harness, so if you were going to get that anyway you're really only paying an extra $300 for a self-leveling suspension system that will not only make towing better but also is always working, even when there's nothing being towed. I expect to be regularly carrying a lot of heavy stuff (building materials, garden supplies) with the rear seat folded and sometimes to also have these things on a hitch-mounted cargo carrier, so I will get real value out of the factory tow package even when I'm not towing a trailer.

Yes, on the Telluride, the tow package is an excellent value.

 

[markjenn]

I agree with the consensus: it's a must-have if you plan on towing and a nice-to-have (and a pretty good value) regardless of your towing plans.

- Mark

 

[Rick2456]

My Telluride EX AWD came with the factory installed tow hitch/leveling suspension, but for some insane reason, Kia only has the 4 pole connector. WTF???

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[TheNip73]

I think it is worth it for the self leveling shocks, even if you do not tow.

 

[Daddio]

Definitely worth the money because of the suspension.

That said, it ticks me off that you get shocks and a hitch, but not real 5000 lb capability.

The Volkswagen Atlas, for $550, gives you a tow package with no shocks but:
-Transmission cooler
-180A (vs. 150A) Alternator
-More powerful radiator fans
-Factory wiring installed for true 7-pin hookup, including a connector to plug and play a brake controller and 12v constant power to the trailer like trucks provide.

Don’t know what other SUV’s do for towing, but when I found this out. I wasn’t happy. For someone who tows, those items are more important than just shocks. Kia could have done better, a whole lot better.

 

[Mrdubean1]

Its easy to swap out the 4 pin flat to 7 pin connector. My EX came with the factory tow package, but with the standard 4 pin flat. As soon as you remove the 4 pin flat, you will see that the cut out is already there for the 7 pin. I purchased a Reese 7 pin connector, and tapped into the reverse light. There is a section in this forum where others posted a diagram of the connector under the vehicle, which helped me a lot, and where to tap into the reverse lights.
In my case, I am towing a 19 foot boat (3,200 pounds total including trailer and gear) on a trailer with brakes. I had to tap into the reverse lights in order for the boat trailer to go into reverse. This was a fairly easy job, mostly because of my fellow Telluride owners posting and sharing their pictures. I posted my pictures as well, before installing and after. If you search Trailer lights, the trend will pop up.

 

[Jody E]

Definitely worth the money because of the suspension.

That said, it ticks me off that you get shocks and a hitch, but not real 5000 lb capability.

The Volkswagen Atlas, for $550, gives you a tow package with no shocks but:
-Transmission cooler
-180A (vs. 150A) Alternator
-More powerful radiator fans
-Factory wiring installed for true 7-pin hookup, including a connector to plug and play a brake controller and 12v constant power to the trailer like trucks provide.

Don’t know what other SUV’s do for towing, but when I found this out. I wasn’t happy. For someone who tows, those items are more important than just shocks. Kia could have done better, a whole lot better.

I read on a separate thread that some members think the Telluride has the transmission cooler - has that been verified? I'm thinking of buying a Telly but need this answer.

______________________________

 

[alexdrums]

The Telluride is mechanically spec’ed to tow 5,000 pounds, with a 500 lb tongue weight. This is with or without the tow package, or the tow hitch & harness.
I’ve never heard about the Telluride having a traditional transmission cooler—maybe they did it differently?

 

[2020Telly]

There is a Tow Option and then a Tow Package. The Tow Option is included in the Tow Package which is only available factory equipped on the EX or SX. The Tow Option is available after purchase, can be a DIY install, and there are aftermarket alternatives that can be cheaper than the Kia option and more expensive than the Kia option.

This post has all the details that I'm aware of: Self-Leveling Suspension

Basically if you are getting an EX or SX the towing package is available as a choice, however on all trims you have just the tow option as a choice. All configurations yield the same 500lb max hitch weight and 5,000lbs of max towing capacity.

If you tow anything other than light and infrequent loads you may require a weight distribution system with sway control bars on your trailer (for example, a small camper). Before you get self-leveling shocks you might want to read up on how to properly configure the WDS on a trailer when you already have self-leveling shocks. You may have to connect your trailer, adjust it, drive a minute to let the shocks activate then recalibrate your WDS before the oil in the shocks settle and lower the backend. Basically the gist is that both features (self-leveling shocks and WDS with sway control bars) are meant to do similar things to help level your towing, but if not properly configured they may counteract each other. It is simpler to connect a WDS without the self-leveling shocks (not meant to dissuade anyone, just sharing info). It appears that some people don't like the sag of the Telluride under load, but if you are getting it for added sway control and you already have a WDS with sway control bars on your trailer, you may not be adding much. I believe if someone added an aftermarket air bag suspension to a Telluride the same would be the case when configuring the trailer systems, but with air bags you can activate the air compressor to level it while connecting the trailer.

I personally think that this package (from the factory) was designed by Kia to pull 1. light utility trailers, 2. infrequent Uhaul type rental trailers with hydraulic non-electric brakes, or 3. boat or jet ski trailers. I believe this to be true because small to medium sized boat trailers are typically under 24ft long and are typically very simple 4-pin connectors with no brakes (or non-electronic brakes), and a light trailer usually has a tongue weight under 500lbs and often doesn't require weight distribution. Campers typically need a WDS and sway control bars to level the towing and control sway in which case you might not actually benefit from the self-leveling shocks. But with or without self-leveling shocks, all of the points I just made can be resolved with aftermarket wiring, a brake controller and a proper trailer configuration to pull up to 500lbs of tongue weight and up to 5,000lbs on an electric brake controlled trailer legally and safely. In all cases 500lb hitch weight should be plenty to add a cargo basket or hitch mounted bike rack. In that case, speaking from experience, the self-leveling shocks may be beneficial. When I add a cargo basket to my hitch receiver I see a noticeable sag when I toss on about 4-5 heavy suitcases. When not towing and with weight on the hitch, passengers in the back and a cargo box on the roof, I don't know of any other way to overcome the pressure on the shocks other than improved suspension. In my case I don't think it's worth it to me because I use that cargo basket about 2-3 long trips a year in between hotel stops or when I want to take a short trip to pick up some home improvement supplies (or a cooler and sandy beach chairs) when I don't want to dirty interior of the Telluride but it's not enough for me to hook up my utility trailer. Basically like a mini truck bed but in most situations not enough to see the shocks budge from their normal height. But when I've pulled over 2,500lbs on my 5'x8' with no rear passengers and nothing on the roof, I measured to the top of the wheel well and did not notice any sag as compared to when nothing was connected (aka stock ride height). So I think the upgraded suspension helps when are you add significant weight over the suspension more so than when towing.

In summary, for me when I purchased I wanted the S for the 7-passenger seating, the tow package was not worth it enough for me to jump up to the SX or SX-P because I can live without the standard shocks and if it bugged me enough, I would buy better aftermarket ones. However, since my purchase, Kia added a 7-seat option to the EX, if I jumped up to the EX I would probably like the tow package added, but would not make it a stipulation that would delay delivery. I know I can can buy equivalent self-leveling shocks for about $200 each or get a true air based suspension aftermarket.

If you decide not to get the tow package, and just want to the tow option. This post has the details that I'm aware of: After market hitch

I'm in agreement with @alexdrums , I have not read anything about an upgraded transmission cooling system.

 

[2020Telly]

If you didn't get the factory option on EX or SX with self-leveling, this website sells the parts so you can see it is a value to get it with the vehicle:

Kia Telluride Suspension Shock Absorber. AWD, w/self - 55367S9000 | Hyman Bros Kia Parts, Midlothian VA

Suspension Shock Absorber. AWD, w/self leveling. FWD, w/self leveling. Telluride; w/Self Leveling. Kia Telluride. Genuine Kia Part - 55367S9000 (55367 S9000). Ships from Hyman Bros Kia Parts, Midlothian VA

kiaparts.penceauto.com

If you add up 2 x 55367-S9000 (assuming they aren't sold in pairs) plus 2 x 55330-S9450 (assuming they aren't sold in pairs) and all the labor to install, you are well over the price of the package. But that price for the tow package also makes me think they have one heck of a markup on the parts.

Monroe 40000 Series are licensed Nivomats meant to be direct OE replacements. Over time there will be more aftermarket options for self-leveling from brands that compete with Nivomat like KYB. That online dealer is selling the KIA OEM Nivomat for over $700 on sale . . . but I've seen KYBs for on Amazon and local auto parts stores for the Sorrento in the ~$200 range.

However, if you want real air bag suspension that you can control, you can have universal bags and a compressor mounted and added for probably under $900-1,000 in parts and then some labor to install it professionally.
Example - 2020 Kia Telluride Towing Suspension

This is not the same thing as air bags that get added to low riders You are only going to be able to lift the car the stock ride height of your rear shocks but you will be able to control the exact height for towing and will likely extend the life of your rear shocks and suspension.

 

[BadRabbit]

Everyone's situation is different. If you plan on using it, then yes. We still have a Jeep Wrangler, and I have an old 1990 F150, so don't need 3 vehicles with tow hitch, especially since Telluride is going to be wife's daily driver, so not worth it to me.

______________________________

 

[Jody E]

Thanks everyone for weighing in here, I really appreciate it. I plan to go on 2-3 trips per year in the Telluride with a trailer such as an Rpod, which has a tongue (hitch) weight of around 281 lbs. The trailer itself, fully loaded, is around 4,500 lbs. I live in CA so i would be going up some fairly steep grades from time to time. I plan to get an SX, AWD, with Tow Package. I'd need to get the 4 pin converted to 7 and get a braking system added. Has anyone used a Telluride to tow a similar trailer? Any issues? A transmission cooler needed?

 

[mrmac]

Thanks everyone for weighing in here, I really appreciate it. I plan to go on 2-3 trips per year in the Telluride with a trailer such as an Rpod, which has a tongue (hitch) weight of around 281 lbs. The trailer itself, fully loaded, is around 4,500 lbs. I live in CA so i would be going up some fairly steep grades from time to time. I plan to get an SX, AWD, with Tow Package. I'd need to get the 4 pin converted to 7 and get a braking system added. Has anyone used a Telluride to tow a similar trailer? Any issues? A transmission cooler needed?

If a transmission cooler was needed to tow 5,000 lbs, the Telluride would have one. The powertrain is warranted for 10 years of 100,000 miles. Kia is not going to risk warranty claims if it was even close to being needed.

 

[2020Telly]

Thanks everyone for weighing in here, I really appreciate it. I plan to go on 2-3 trips per year in the Telluride with a trailer such as an Rpod, which has a tongue (hitch) weight of around 281 lbs. The trailer itself, fully loaded, is around 4,500 lbs. I live in CA so i would be going up some fairly steep grades from time to time. I plan to get an SX, AWD, with Tow Package. I'd need to get the 4 pin converted to 7 and get a braking system added. Has anyone used a Telluride to tow a similar trailer? Any issues? A transmission cooler needed?

The short answer is you will be completely fine. The long answer is that it's just math.

Since you said a dry hitch weight of 281 lbs, that likely means you looking at the RP-189. That model has a dry weight of 2,792 lbs and a max cargo capacity of 989lbs. If you add 20 lbs for a propane tank and 300lbs for 36 gals of fresh water that puts your total towing weight at 4,101lbs. To tow safely you want to keep your tongue weight at 410 lbs and that weight is subtracted from your GVWR.

The SX AWD has a GVWR of 5,736 lbs and a curb weight of 4,354 lbs. So that means 5736-4354-410=972 lbs left for your passengers and cargo in the vehicle assuming a completely loaded trailer. I found that 5,736 # by googling. If someone with a AWD SX and Tow Package has a different number on their VIN plate please share.

By comparison, I have an S FWD which has a GVWR of 5,776 lbs and a curb weight of 4,112 lbs. So that means pulling the same max loaded trailer: 5776-4112-410=1,254 lbs left for passengers and cargo in the vehicle. I found that 5,776 # on my vin plate on the driver's door.

The AWD and the SX trim adds more weight so that lowers the available cargo capacity.

So since you talking about pulling an R-Pod, you might want to watch this video:

The guy in the video is using a Dodge Durango that admittedly has a higher tow rating than the Telluride, but it does have the load level shocks, like the Telluride Tow Package. The guy in the video called them a gimmick (not me) because they didn't seem to work (fast forward to 4 min 20 sec), but he also didn't appear to have any weight over the rear axle which is when I think the load leveling will kick in.

You will likely need a weight distribution system and sway control bars on the R-Pod regardless of the tow package and regardless if you have FWD or AWD.

If you want the AWD and the Tow Package you will be fine, but I think unless you have significant weight on the rear axle, I don't think the load leveling shocks will trigger any benefit. The real disservice is that Kia is trying to sell this package like it has a benefit when towing by calling it a Tow Package, but the reality is it really benefits when you have significant weight over the back axle and little to no impact when towing.

If you want max towing capacity with cargo the FWD Telluride will give you 282 lbs more cargo capacity when towing. Additionally, if you are driving on a relatively flat surface with a little snow, AWD will be better for traction, however if you are in normal driving conditions and going up a steep incline, FWD will do better on the inclines because with less weight on the rear axle there is more weight distributed on the front axle where the pulling is happening thus giving you more traction.

I'm sure if I got any of this math wrong, someone will chime in to correct me.

 

[Frankie Knuckles]

I haven't gotten mine yet, but I decided to order the tow package. The biggest reason to get it upfront when you order the car instead of waiting to add an aftermarket hitch when you need it is that the tow package comes with a self-leveling suspension. When you load a crossover with lots of weight in the back, whether it's heavy stuff in the trunk, adults in the backseat, or (especially) anything you might load on the hitch, the vehicle will noticeably sag in the rear and raise in the front. That messes with the car's safety performance in a crash, aiming of headlights, ride quality, and gas mileage. The self-leveling suspension will automatically adjust (after you drive a very short distance) to prevent that, and you can realistically only get the self-leveling suspension as part of the factory tow package because it would be too involved and expensive to try to do that afterwards. So basically, if you expect to be regularly carrying a lot of weight in the back, or that you will someday want a hitch for a hitch-mounted cargo carrier (generally better than a rooftop-mounted version) when you go camping, or to tow a trailer (boats, cargo, small camper, etc), it's probably worthwhile to get the tow package now if you can afford it.

There are a couple limitations. I presume if you're asking the question you must not be looking for a vehicle for doing serious towing, but just to be clear, the Telluride is not a truck and though it is spec'ed for 5000 lbs towing it is not a great tow vehicle - you'd need a truck for that. The tow package does NOT include any kind of engine modifications (heavy duty cooling, etc) the way a tow package on a pickup truck often does. The tow package gives you a built-in 4-wire harness for connecting to the trailer's brake lights, but not the 7-wire harness that you typically need to control a trailer with its own brakes. Without trailer brakes, you typically need to stay below 1500 lbs of towing load (to maintain control while stopping), so the lack of 7-wire harness despite claiming 5000 lbs towing capacity is arguably a Telluride design flaw. You can add an aftermarket 7-wire system or find various workarounds (wireless brake controllers, tap into the reverse light wires, inertial trailer brake controller, etc), but if you are expecting to tow anything over 1500 lbs you will probably need to wrestle with this issue. (I note that there is a clear hope on this forum that they might swap to a 7 wire harness in a future model year, if only to match their own capacity claims, but it's just a hope as far as I know.)

I guess here's the bottom line: Looking to use a hitch-mounted cargo carrier or bike rack, carry lots of weight in the trunk/rear seat, pull a U-haul trailer to move the kids to college, or tow a teardrop camper, small travel trailer, or a small boat? The factory installed tow package is a much better solution than you'd get in the aftermarket for a very modest amount of extra money. Looking to occasionally tow something bigger than 1500 lbs with trailer brakes? Telluride with tow package is a good starting point but the tow package alone will not enable you to do that. Looking to tow a full size camper or serious toy hauler? The Telluride is not the right vehicle for that.

Hope this helps!

Good information. Thanks for the post!