Arminius
Well-Known Member
- Oct 30, 2019
- 1,059
- Boat Info
- Bowrider 200 Select, 2003
- Engines
- 5.0L MPI, 260 hp w/Alpha 1 Drive
Posted last month in the Cadillac forum:
1. Going to tow my 4500 pound boat & trailer over the mountains this weekend with my 2017 XT5 with 35,000 miles on the odometer. A factory hitch: surge brakes on trailer's four wheels; modified the Torque App to monitor transmission fluid temperature; with the 8-speed I can keep downshifting till I find a stable reasonable coolant and fluid temp; what could go wrong? I should decide, in advance, on the rig's safe word: "220 F?"
2.This was a very successful 400 mile trip with no indications of overheating. The only real concern was wander in reaction to pavement undulations. The manual says a maximum of 350 #s on the hitch and I had 325. I would adjust the position of the boat on the trailer if I did this again. 400 miles, 3,000 feet maximum elevation gain, ambient temp not over 80 F, the dash temp gauge hardly ever passed halfway. Instrumented, trans temp stayed about 10 degrees lower than coolant only hitting 200 once. Coolant popped up to 212 a couple times like unnecessarily passing that line of trucks eastbound on the last grade up Snoqualmie in 4th at 4000 rpm. This truck is built well but FWD just doesn't have the inherent stability of RWD. I left it in AWD which helps and is required on the wet ramps. I wonder how the engine cooling system works as I thought the thermostat was supposed to stay closed until the engine reached its operating range but I think this is a 221 degree thermostat in an engine that ran much cooler.
Paddles were very useful, both getting revs up on the uphill and controlling speed going down. Brakes quickly stabilized any wander as I could hear and feel the surge brakes grab all 4 wheels on the trailer (the tail of the dog.)
1. Going to tow my 4500 pound boat & trailer over the mountains this weekend with my 2017 XT5 with 35,000 miles on the odometer. A factory hitch: surge brakes on trailer's four wheels; modified the Torque App to monitor transmission fluid temperature; with the 8-speed I can keep downshifting till I find a stable reasonable coolant and fluid temp; what could go wrong? I should decide, in advance, on the rig's safe word: "220 F?"
2.This was a very successful 400 mile trip with no indications of overheating. The only real concern was wander in reaction to pavement undulations. The manual says a maximum of 350 #s on the hitch and I had 325. I would adjust the position of the boat on the trailer if I did this again. 400 miles, 3,000 feet maximum elevation gain, ambient temp not over 80 F, the dash temp gauge hardly ever passed halfway. Instrumented, trans temp stayed about 10 degrees lower than coolant only hitting 200 once. Coolant popped up to 212 a couple times like unnecessarily passing that line of trucks eastbound on the last grade up Snoqualmie in 4th at 4000 rpm. This truck is built well but FWD just doesn't have the inherent stability of RWD. I left it in AWD which helps and is required on the wet ramps. I wonder how the engine cooling system works as I thought the thermostat was supposed to stay closed until the engine reached its operating range but I think this is a 221 degree thermostat in an engine that ran much cooler.
Paddles were very useful, both getting revs up on the uphill and controlling speed going down. Brakes quickly stabilized any wander as I could hear and feel the surge brakes grab all 4 wheels on the trailer (the tail of the dog.)
