Anyone tow with their bonneville?

[98SSE]

Seen this today and was just curious. GXP with tow hitch.

[Bugsi]

I had a receiver hitch put on my 97SE, but I only used it for a Thule bike rack.
It also made a great jack point to lift the rear of the car.
I know a number of forum members have towed flatbed trailers for moving engines and that sort of thing.

[nos4blood70]

Definitely can.

I'd install a trans cooler on the car to help with the heat.

[CMNTMXR57]

Towing isn't just a matter of power. It's a matter of the chassis being able to support the load also.

I would think most lightweight/small utility trailers and such would be fine with the proper hitch on any Bonneville. I wouldn't say a trans cooler is needed if it's something less than 1,000 pounds or so and/or your not pulling whatever you're pulling for long periods of time, often, or up/down grades. If you're pulling often, up/down grades, or slightly heavier trailers, then yes.

[00Beast]

I was going to say, I wouldn't haul much more than a small riding mower on a small trailer or a really small hunting boat or something. 1000 lbs gross wt or less.

I know someone pulled a larger boat a couple miles with a GXP on here with no issues, but stability is a big concern. I get nervous pulling *shoot* with my Yukon Denali with an 8500 lb load rating. It's all about proper weight distribution and the length of the tow vehicle and trailer.

[nos4blood70]

The Bonne is rated for 1000 lbs max if I remember correctly.

[brownishSLE]

Yup.
The manual:

How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg).
But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig.
For example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Customer Assistance Center
Pontiac-GMC Division
P.O. Box 436008
Pontiac, MI 48343-6008

Something tells me that address doesn't work anymore.

The book actually goes into pretty good detail on where loads go, tire inflation, wiring, how you should drive with a trailer, etc.

It's interesting how manuals are written. They almost seem personable, like someone's talking to you.

[Luxrain]

I've done recovery in snow storms with my bonneville like pulling people up hills and out of ditches but the key is nice and slow and steady. She's better than some of the trucks out there lol

[98SSE]

I figured the load wouldn't be heavy, just never seen a bonneville with a hitch lol. I imagine they might pull a small boat or trailer.

[CMNTMXR57]

I've done recovery in snow storms with my bonneville like pulling people up hills and out of ditches but the key is nice and slow and steady. She's better than some of the trucks out there lol

While I will admit that mine was a tank in snow, and one of the better FWD vehicles in such conditions, there is simply NO comparison to a 4WD truck for getting traction in slop.

Stopping is a completely different story... but that's a different equation. However, simple physics for acceleration or just moving forward and getting out of certain situations, on snow, can't be beat when one is delivering power to all 4 corners vs. just two fronts.

[Luxrain]

I've done recovery in snow storms with my bonneville like pulling people up hills and out of ditches but the key is nice and slow and steady. She's better than some of the trucks out there lol

While I will admit that mine was a tank in snow, and one of the better FWD vehicles in such conditions, there is simply NO comparison to a 4WD truck for getting traction in slop.

Stopping is a completely different story... but that's a different equation. However, simple physics for acceleration or just moving forward and getting out of certain situations, on snow, can't be beat when one is delivering power to all 4 corners vs. just two fronts.

Oh I agree! But tires also make a huge difference too

[rustyroger]

I've towed my 1700lb trailerhome with my '86 Olds Delta 88 without any issues. It has a transmission cooler fiteed but is otherwise unmodified.
However I came unstuck when I used my '89 Buick LeSabre to do the same job. It blew the transmission in 30 miles. Guess what?, it didn't have a trans cooler. A very expensive mistake and I should have known better.

Roger.

[Oldman]

I've pulled a 15' speed boat with my '01 SSEi for years. Not a long distance to the river from my house though. I have a small utility trailer that I pull on a regular basis too. 4'X6' loaded with equipment, but usually not more that a few hundred pounds. My son's transmission went out in his Ford Ranger about 100 miles from home and I rented a car dolly and towed it home. It's a beast! I use caution and go slow and it gets the job done. Pulling the Ford Ranger wasn't very smart. I kept wondering if my wife's Grand Caravan would be able to pull us both home if I blew up my transmission! I intend to install a transmission cooler soon.