Towing tongue weight only 350 pounds?

[mikeg112]

Hi everyone, I am looking to get the SX with both prestige and tow package if all works out. In looking up the manual, I noticed that the capacity is 5,000 pounds, but the tow weight is only 500 pounds? I remember the LWB Santa Fe and Sorento having at least 10% towing capacity @ 500 pounds minimum. with the towing capacity set at 5,000 pounds.

Does this sound like a typo? I plan on towing a 3,450 pound travel trailer that has a hitch weight of 400-440 pounds. Just curious if anyone else saw this too.

 

[stbentoak]

The more I read and understand about the towing capabilities and 4 pin only connection from the factory, lead me to believe this is not a serious towing vehicle at all....
If you have an open trailer and want to go get some mulch or an appliance at Lowe's, yes probably ok... But if you have any version of a decent boat or cargo trailer and need brake actuation capabilities, its not looking good. That doesn't deter my interest as I have a PU truck for towing, but if towing and controlling anything reasonably substantial, you'd be better off with a Tahoe or JGC type vehicle if it's your only vehicle...… Trust me, you always want to have more than you need capability wise when towing anything decent....

If I buy one and get the tow package, it will be for one of 2 things.. either pulling someone out of the ditch, or pulling ME out of the ditch !

 

[mikeg112]

I'm now curious if it's reliant on having the "Factory Tow Package" with the auto-leveling suspension to enable the 10%/500 lb tow capacity. Could anyone who had ordered the factory auto leveling package confirm this in their documentation? Wondering if it comes in a separate document when you order it...

 

[AnyVare]

If you want a serious towing vehicle...buy a truck. Most CUVs and SUVs including the Telluride is not a towing vehicle.

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[Garydotka]

I’m in the same ‘boat’ for extreme interest in actual, real, towing capability for the Telluride. I’ve got trucks and other SUVs already, but I’m retired now. I need to down-size, save some $$, and I’d like to get down to one vehicle to do everything, even if it doesn’t do them all extremely well. I only need to tow a 4000# camper a couple hundred miles twice a year. If the Telluride could do it - with the tow package and a brake controller installed - even if only marginally, that’s fine with me. I also take a couple 3000 mile trips a year with 3 or 4 bodies and a couple dogs (with no trailer).... so that’s where a midsize SUV and 6 cylinder Atkinson’s mpg comes into play. (I don’t want any more headaches and maintenance costs of turbos). And I live around hilly, cruddy dirt roads and bad weather (snow and mud season) in Vermont, which is where the AWD with centerlock diff is needed. And I’m old, so I need all the less-than-100%-alert and ‘slow reaction time’ safety and collision avoidance features possible.... and the Telluride has them all. And, this is probably the last new vehicle I’ll buy before I’m pushing-up posies - so the good price and 10 year warranty are also valuable to me. Net: the last Telluride capability item on my list - before buying one - is to confirm it can yank my camping trailer from point A to point B. My Kia dealer has zero experience with the Tellie towing package, brake controller/harness, and tongue weight spec - so I’m hoping to get real info via this forum. I have yet to see or find a Tellie on any lot in the country with the tow package. Anyone else ever find, see, or own own with the factory tow package?

 

[Garydotka]

I'm now curious if it's reliant on having the "Factory Tow Package" with the auto-leveling suspension to enable the 10%/500 lb tow capacity. Could anyone who had ordered the factory auto leveling package confirm this in their documentation? Wondering if it comes in a separate document when you order it...

I always have used a load distributingload distributing totow hitch as well -

 

[Garydotka]

I always have used a load weight distributing hitch on my other vehicles, for towing my 4000 lb camper. Even my trucks. It actually works - to shift some weight off the tongue and vehicle rear wheels and put it back to the trailer wheels and presumably more forward to the vehicle front wheels. It also reduces sway and jounce too. If I get a Telluride, I’m gonna use this hitch style for certain.

 

[mikeg112]

If you want a serious towing vehicle...buy a truck. Most CUVs and SUVs including the Telluride is not a towing vehicle.

That’s the thing, I don’t need a serious tow vehicle for full-time use, just something to pull a smaller travel trailer (it’s a 22ft, 3,450 unloaded weight trailer)
There are a lot of SUV’s now that are targeting the small trailer/boat market. The telluride can be a towing vehicle with the right setup and not overloading what you can tow. Will it tow safety a 10,000 lb fifth wheel/trailer? No. Could it tow a 4,000 lb trailer? Yes on specs. What I’m looking for is documentation on the tongue weight so I can support the 440 lb load I have. Both the Sorento AWD and Santa Fe V6 versions offer 5,000 lb/500 tongue weight, if we can get that in the telluride we would be golden!

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[mikeg112]

Hi everyone, I am looking to get the SX with both prestige and tow package if all works out. In looking up the manual, I noticed that the capacity is 5,000 pounds, but the tow weight is only 500 pounds? I remember the LWB Santa Fe and Sorento having at least 10% towing capacity @ 500 pounds minimum. with the towing capacity set at 5,000 pounds.

Does this sound like a typo? I plan on towing a 3,450 pound travel trailer that has a hitch weight of 400-440 pounds. Just curious if anyone else saw this too.

View attachment 380

View attachment 381

Sorry guys, I meant to say 351 lbs in my original quote, not 500 lbs

 

[Garydotka]

Yup: you are spot-on with the most important towing questions: Can it really tow up to it's spec? (5000 lbs, max). Can it handle a 500 lb tongue weight? I'd add a couple more related questions:
- Does the tow package come with a 7-pin plug?
- Does the tow package include a plug-n-play wiring harness from under the dash back to the hitch for adding a trailer brake controller?

 

[mikeg112]

Yup: you are spot-on with the most important towing questions: Can it really tow up to it's spec? (5000 lbs, max). Can it handle a 500 lb tongue weight? I'd add a couple more related questions:
- Does the tow package come with a 7-pin plug?
- Does the tow package include a plug-n-play wiring harness from under the dash back to the hitch for adding a trailer brake controller?

I also hope it comes with the 7-pin and plug-n-play wiring harness! That would make the brake controller installation so much easier instead of having to tap into the brake wiring.

 

[Razorback]

I also hope it comes with the 7-pin and plug-n-play wiring harness! That would make the brake controller installation so much easier instead of having to tap into the brake wiring.

Everything I have seen to date is only showing the 4 pin at least with the factory tow hitch assembly.

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[mikeg112]

Also if anyone who has the rear self-leveling feature can chime in on how this works that would be great. Would like to know if there is any adjustment settings in the on-screen menus, button for leveling, etc.

 

[cgallagher]

I’ve got my TDI Touareg for hauling stuff. Pull just about anything...

 

[AnyVare]

Here's a pic of the tow package on an SX

 

[Garydotka]

Hey, AnyVare: re: the pic you provided (thanks!) ....is that a factory installed receiver and 4-pin connector - as part of the standard Tellie tow package? i.e. it was NOT installed by the dealer? The housing box for the electrical connector looks like it was designed to accommodate either a 4 pin or a 7-pin connector. It just looks like an ‘aftermarket’ add-on to me - which may certainly fit your needs well. I was hoping that Kia would be installing a complete harness and 7-pin set-up for regular towing, to accommodate a trailer brake controller. Did your vehicle come with any additional specs or instructions on the towing set-up, such as tongue weight limits? Thanks for your help.

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[AnyVare]

Hey, AnyVare: re: the pic you provided (thanks!) ....is that a factory installed receiver and 4-pin connector - as part of the standard Tellie tow package? i.e. it was NOT installed by the dealer? The housing box for the electrical connector looks like it was designed to accommodate either a 4 pin or a 7-pin connector. It just looks like an ‘aftermarket’ add-on to me - which may certainly fit your needs well. I was hoping that Kia would be installing a complete harness and 7-pin set-up for regular towing, to accommodate a trailer brake controller. Did your vehicle come with any additional specs or instructions on the towing set-up, such as tongue weight limits? Thanks for your help.

Its the factory installed option with the ride leveling (according to the sticker) and only appeared to have a 4 pin. I too thought the connection box looked odd. Of note, I'm still looking at the Telluride and haven't bought one yet....

 

[jeffo65]

Here's a pic of the tow package on an SX

Hey, AnyVare: re: the pic you provided (thanks!) ....is that a factory installed receiver and 4-pin connector - as part of the standard Tellie tow package? i.e. it was NOT installed by the dealer? The housing box for the electrical connector looks like it was designed to accommodate either a 4 pin or a 7-pin connector. It just looks like an ‘aftermarket’ add-on to me - which may certainly fit your needs well. I was hoping that Kia would be installing a complete harness and 7-pin set-up for regular towing, to accommodate a trailer brake controller. Did your vehicle come with any additional specs or instructions on the towing set-up, such as tongue weight limits? Thanks for your help.

Its the factory installed option with the ride leveling (according to the sticker) and only appeared to have a 4 pin. I too thought the connection box looked odd. Of note, I'm still looking at the Telluride and haven't bought one yet....

AnyVare your picture looks identical to what is on my EX AWD Telluride. It is indeed a 4 pin. I also wish it was a 7 pin to be able to haul a Teardrop camper. Hauling a small utility trailer will be no problem. Will need to switch over to a 7 pin harness.

 

[mikeg112]

AnyVare your picture looks identical to what is on my EX AWD Telluride. It is indeed a 4 pin. I also wish it was a 7 pin to be able to haul a Teardrop camper. Hauling a small utility trailer will be no problem. Will need to switch over to a 7 pin harness.

This is great Jeffo65, thanks for letting us know about the 4-pin connector, this is very useful! I have a mission to ask of you: did Kia give any kind of appendium or documentation in your owners manual kit about the rear-leveling feature (how it works, is it automatic or can be operated in the car settings menu, push button, etc)? What I was hoping was in that documentation it says the tongue weight limit is upgraded from 350 to at least 500 pounds or 10% of the towing capacity. The manual states as of today it’s 350 but what I am hoping is the rear leveling feature upgrades that number. Any help you can give is appreciated!

 

[Big T]

Tongue weight is typically 10% of TT weight, but the hitch has a max rating. Also remember that tongue weight gets subtracted from the vehicle payload rating, i.e. payload is 1350 lbs., and tongue weight is 350 lbs., cargo/passenger payload is now 1,000 lbs. Check this: Reese-Hitches.com | Trailer Hitches & Towing Accessories | 877-507-0711