Manual says only 1500lbs. Anyone towing anything bigger? My wife's Venture minivan with 25 less hp and a 3.4 is rated 3500.

John

I don't tow with mine but I'm guessing the van has a higher tow capacity because of the structure the receiver gets mounted to. It's not about the strength of the motor but more-over about the structural set-up in the rear.

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2004 Bonneville GXP Crimson Tintcoat- Casual fuel gauge | Brake Performance drilled/slotted rotors front and rear| Retrofit Morimoto mini H1 | clear corners | disabled DRL | 3000K HID fogs | 5% tint | K&N | Yakima rack with fairing, bike rails and kayak rack | Intermittent radio display
1995 Bonneville SSE Deep Amethyst Pearl- SSEI tails | 5% tint | 3 12jlw3v2 in custom enclosure -Gone
1991 Bonneville LE Blue- Alloy spokes -Deceased(deer)

Yeah, the rear end frame structure on these vehicles is the limiting factor. Also the rear suspension, even with ELC it's not stiff enough for a heavy trailer.

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And the braking and cooling systems are a factor in tow rating too.

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RIP sandrock

The H body's max rating with the tow package( 92-93 ) was rated at 2000 Lbs iirc.. This package also added an HD cooling radiator with oil cooler and an AUX trans cooler parked on the nose of the car..

The Class II tow hitch is good for 3500 Lbs, But the weight of the Bonneville is in the 3500-3600 Lb range.. The Trans is said to be able to move a total weight of 6000-6500 Lbs..

Now the Same 94-95 Pontiac Trans Sport with the 3800 and 4T60E was rated to tow 3000 Lbs with the tow package.. Same engine, same Transmission, even the same brakes as the bonneville.. But the structure of the van was much more solid, the van was a unibody like the Bonneville, but it was a truck like platform in terms of strength..


I would say the 97 Bonneville could tow 2000Lbs.. You would want the larger radiator and a healthy trans cooler as well.. Also make sure the Brakes are up to snuff..

Also, the gear ratio of the Venture is a 3.29 overall... If you Bonneville is an L36 Series II, then you will have the 3.06 gear ratio.. Everything makes a difference..