Volvo XC60 bumpy ride when towing

The Conti's on the car are rated at 103, so I will probably change for a tyre with the same rating. The problem is which one? I guess that bouncy ride possibly equates to soft side walls and I have seen a couple of reviews on Pirelli's that were quite negative.

As far as the caravan tyres are concerned they were replaced with a tyre of the same rating so I am hoping that is not the issue as far as the uncomfortable ride is concerned.

Which Pirelli tyres did you fit ? I am leaning towards changing my tyres now and putting the Conti's on ebay. How do you find out which tyre has the stiffer side wall ? I think it will probably be either Michelin or Pirelli's although I have considered the Swedish all season tyre Nokian but  they seem to be aimed more at the Northern European market.

It would be a shame to buy four new tyres and not get a significant improvement.

Just out of interest my dog has travelled all over Europe in our motorhome but after a trip to the Cotswolds in the caravan now doesn't want to even get in the car it stressed him so much.

How do you find out which tyre has the stiffer side wall ?

just look for a tyre that has 'XL' against its description, its a heavier load tyre with reinforced sidewalls and recommended for SUV's.

I'm slightly confused. The title says ' bumpy' intimating a harsh ride which is consistent  with your tyre rating ie hard sidewall but you also mention 'bouncy' suggesting a too soft side wall or too soft suspension. Which sensation are you experiencing?

My Pirelli tyres are Scorpion Verde 

Sorry for the confusion its a very bouncy ride I believe the correct term is pitching causing the car rear to move up and down and making the ride very uncomfortable, as I said earlier almost like the feeling you get when sea sick.

have you thought about shock absorbers or rear springs. these might make a difference if uprated to stiffer ones. have a read of this.

https://www.practicalcaravan.com/advice/45361-how-to-boost-your-tow-cars-rear-suspension.

Unfortunately MAD don't make a replacement progressive spring for my model of Volvo. 

Volvo have also stated that if any part of the rear suspension is changed it may well invalidate the three year warranty and that included spring assistors even though I tried to argue that any modification would be a safety improvement.

Ok.

If it was me I would get under the car an check there are no obvious signs of failed shockers/ broken springs or worn trailing arm bushes. Does the car sag when the van is attached? I take it the car is still under the Volvo Selekt warranty ?

If there are no faults experiment / check as follows.

1.Tyres - check what the maximum pressure is on the tyre casing then start from the solo tyre pressures all round & go for a test run with the caravan attached, working up to the economy pressure, then the full load pressure, then add more than recommended  but below the maximum tyre pressure.

Evaluate - Was there any improvement. If so at what pressure ? If higher pressure improves the situation  it suggests a stronger sidewall is required. If a lower pressure improves the situation it suggests your sidewalls are too strong and a lower rating may be the order of the day.

2. Nose weight - experiment with this starting at the maximum working back to about 5% of the fully laden weight.

Evaluate - Was there any improvement and at what weight. My ideal nose weight is just short of 6%. It really does change how it tows.

3. MTPLM - Load that van correctly . If you can gain access to a set of the Reich CWC portable scales check the laden weight. If not get on a weighbridge. Is the recorded weight similar to what you have recorded as you loaded the empty van? Or is it more than it should be. Mine was by just short of 100kg despite carefully weighing everything. I had to work under the cover of darkness to remove things my other half had put in that we did not need . Is there an onboard water tank and do you empty it's? I always ensure my van is empty as far as water is concerned.

Evaluate - Does it tow better now you laden it correctly/removed excess weight ?

4. The caravan suspension. Is it doing its job. Alko suspension is not unknown to fail. There is a thread on here.

All the above elements play a part in a decent towing experience.

....and then obtain accounts/ experiences of other XC60 drivers who tow.

Try on this forum. https://www.volvoforums.org.uk

There is an XC60 specific section and a towing section.

I still say tyres. They are the most influential piece of equipment on your car.

That said it is difficult to diagnose from a distance.

you could even stand on the tow ball and bounce the rear of the vehicle and see how soft the suspension is, as soon as you stop so should the car, immediately.

Thanks for the comprehensive reply, I have already carried out some of the recommendations and will experiment with weights etc.

From your first reply when you mentioned changing tyres did you think the Conti's had stiff side walls and the Pirelli's were more flexible ?

As mentioned my current tyres are rated at 103 but I am considering changing to 107 XL's will this mean a stiffer tyre and a harder ride ? I will probably have to have this conversation with my tyre fitter.

What you are describing is classic pitching, that feels not unlike mild seasickness. There are a number of older threads which mentions Volvo X60, some interesting answers. Seems to be getting the tyres right, the loading right. Trust the dog's instincts, he will know when ride is ok.

It can be down to a short wheelbase vehicle towing a long van, we occasionally got it with our small Jeep Wrangler when towing. It's not a nice sensation, and indeed had me throwing up on more than one trip! We had two vans, a 13ft, which was ok all the time, and a 15ft, which was the pitcher. We solved it by leaving the 15footer down in Cornwall! Both towed beautifully behind our Cherokee. Longer wheelbase.