Anyone towing with Kia Soul?

[daveesl77]

We are thinking seriously about buying a new (2018) Kia Soul and just wondering if anyone has one and is towing with it. If so, what problems did you run into and what modifications did you do. We are looking at the base model and not the turbo. We now live in eastern WV, so all mountains, all the time, but the camping areas are like right next to us and around us.

Conch Fritter, fully loaded, weighs 1,350#. I am seriously considering selling her and starting a new full foamy build, so I will reduce that weight considerably, if I go that route.

Any and all tips or thoughts are very welcome in this (negatives especially). Thanks in advance

dave

[redbicycle]

I don't tow with my soul but I have a hitch on it for a bike carrier. Sometimes when I go across a speed bump too fast and the carrier bounces I have sweats about tearing the sheet-metal that the hitch is mounted too. It's not very strong I don't think. The Soul is not overpowered by any sense. When I get into some mild elevation terrain cruising on the freeway the Kia will downshift constantly to maintain speed. I don't know that I would want to tow much of anything with it.

With that said I have loaded it full of stuff, including gear on a roof mounted rack and hauled 3 adults camping so maybe it could handle towing a foamie.

[rmclarke]

hi Dave
I was considering the Soul myself once. Then I got to drive a Soul rental (prob 2015 model), when our car was in the shop . I believe it was the base model probably 1.5 liter engine. It seemed very under-powered. I see that they offer a 2 liter engine on the newer models, perhaps than might work better. You should probably try to test drive one first. Have you considered anything else besides the Soul? A Sportage maybe? The Sportage is rated @ 2000 lb (when properly equipped)
Richard

[Gold5one]

The Kia Soul is probably too small--it's not towing power, but braking that is the most important factor. MY Chevy HHR had a 2.2L engine and did pretty good pulling my 1100 lb build, but one time a big truck abruptly made a left turn right in front of me - I barely got stopped in time to avoid an accident-

[daveesl77]

We did go ahead and buy the new Soul. We now live in the mountains of WV, are retired and primarily wanted something with a good warranty. This fit all needs. Driving back from the dealership in MD (yes 250 miles away, but saved over $1,500 on same thing closer), we were really amazed at how well it did, especially once we got into the mountains. Granted, we were not towing anything and the car was empty, but we have multiple 8 and 9% grades all around our town and this thing did not miss a beat.

Now, to the towing issue. I am adding a tow hitch to it but I do not think I would want to tow Conch Fritter with it, unless I put on electric brakes and even then probably not. The Kia has now given me an excuse to build the foamie I've wanted to build for a couple of years now. Goal is to make it very comfy, with a total weight of under 1,000# loaded. I way overbuilt the present trailer, and it only weighs 1,340#.

The Soul is used all over Europe and Asia for towing small caravans, so not too much of a stretch. We shall see.

dave

[Tigris99]

keep in mind Europe gets different versions than us as well as manual transmissions are much more prevalent over there than here. Assuming you got one with an automatic transmission I would be very cautious about what you do with it. Remember rated towing capacity is with driver in the car only, NOTHING else. So a foamy is a must if not buying one of the ultra light production campers.

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[crttaz]

Europe has a 50 mph speed limit when towing, hence the higher weight limits for slow towing.

Americans need to drive at 75-80 mph all the time, so the tow ratings are lower.

[tiiiiii85]

Europe has a 50 mph speed limit when towing, hence the higher weight limits for slow towing.

Not 100% correct. If you have active breaks you have a speed limit of 100 km/h (which according to Google is 62mph).
But yes, anyway lower limit.

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[Tigris99]

Europe has a 50 mph speed limit when towing, hence the higher weight limits for slow towing.

Americans need to drive at 75-80 mph all the time, so the tow ratings are lower.

that's not actually all of it, American irresponsibility is a big factor but Europe and such get different versions of the vehicles we do. The US actually gets hosed on a lot of things where cars are concerned.

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[Wolfgang92025]

Europe has a 50 mph speed limit when towing, hence the higher weight limits for slow towing.

Americans need to drive at 75-80 mph all the time, so the tow ratings are lower.

Some insight....
All big rigs and cars with trailer have a max speed of 100 km, 55 mph.
You always stay in the right except to pass. Period. And if you are going 100 km, a lot of traffic goes past you.
Depending on which country traffic can be faster by 20 mph or over 100 mph (some stretches of the autobahn in Germany).

As for having to drive 75-80 mph ....
My rig and trailer can handle 80 mph without problems, and its legal on large sections of the interstate in Utah.
That is not for me. My normal speed is 65 to 68 mph.
You can read several stories of folks losing control going 80 mph every week in the local paper.
A lot are single car roll overs. Sadly some don't live to tell the tale.
Coming back from the "Land of Mordor" get together saw the result of a roll over, not pretty. Luckily no one died.
I rather go a little slower and get home in one piece.

[Tigris99]

Europe has a 50 mph speed limit when towing, hence the higher weight limits for slow towing.

Americans need to drive at 75-80 mph all the time, so the tow ratings are lower.

Some insight....
All big rigs and cars with trailer have a max speed of 100 km, 55 mph.
You always stay in the right except to pass. Period. And if you are going 100 km, a lot of traffic goes past you.
Depending on which country traffic can be faster by 20 mph or over 100 mph (some stretches of the autobahn in Germany).

As for having to drive 75-80 mph ....
My rig and trailer can handle 80 mph without problems, and its legal on large sections of the interstate in Utah.
That is not for me. My normal speed is 65 to 68 mph.
You can read several stories of folks losing control going 80 mph every week in the local paper.
A lot are single car roll overs. Sadly some don't live to tell the tale.
Coming back from the "Land of Mordor" get together saw the result of a roll over, not pretty. Luckily no one died.
I rather go a little slower and get home in one piece.

my older brother is a career truck driver. 75-80...... we put his old rig to the test back when I was a teen, lightly loaded trailer we hit 104mph in Montana (this was many years ago). Nothing for miles, fairly straight road and middle of the day. Was quite surprised how well designed modern rigs are for their job.

But that's the thing, their designed for it.

A pickup truck is designed to tow as well as large SUVs (with few exceptions and talking modern where mid/small SUVs are for soccer moms).

Cars are NOT, not in the US. Another instance of Europe getting different versions. Towing and such is much more common for smaller vehicles over there because they dont have the "mines bigger than yours" issues many Americans do. So models over there are built differently. Pisses me off because of what vehicle versions they get that we dont.

I've towed 1500lbs at 75+ behind my wifes Honda odyssey numerous times. Its tow rating is 3000lbs though (but its load capacity is almost half that, and load in TV reduces towing capacity). Barely noticed it was back there and that was mostly on acceleration. Wife odyssey is WAY over powered for a minivan. Will smoke the tires if I pull the abs fuse (stupid traction control), piss off any other husbands stuck in any other van besides an odyssey because they cant even touch this thing.

So 1500lbs is nothing, designed for the load.

My 2003 Honda CRV is the reason I sold my 1st build and now building a second. Weight. Previous was built around Odyssey being TV. And 2002-2006 CRVs were built with expectation of towing to some degree. Have plug for 7 pin connector (like the EU versions. Wasnt till 2007 the differences became more engine options), Honda has specific trans cooler kit and such for them.

But standard loaded weight for camping will be below 1000lbs. Only for extended runs will it possible get higher but I'll have new rear springs and swaybar. I did tow the previous camper twice and only issue I had was weight/aerodynamic drag at 55-60.





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[gudmund]

California = 55mph when towing - no matter what you are towing .................................... thank you for 'cruise control'