I’m trying to finalize whether or not to purchase an Atlas to replace our Mercedes GL350 and I’m curious if any of you have any experience pulling a trailer with your Atlas? Our trailer is a camper trailer with electric brakes...about 3,800lbs. Our Benz with the diesel engine pulled it without any hesitation, but we previously had a Honda Pilot that really struggled pulling it. The engine on the Pilot had to work hard pulling up hills and it destroyed any gas mileage. The Atlas is rated for 5,000lbs, but has anyone actually pulled a trailer to comment on how the vehicle dealt with the weight? Is the engine powerful enough to handle towing or does it labour at the task?
Towing a trailer
1 - 20 of 32 Posts
it worked....
So it towed our trailer fairly well. got up to freeway speeds! I did order some helper springs (airbags) from Air Lift part number 60756. I would recommend these no matter how big of a trailer you have because atlas can't use weight distribution.
Joined
·
3 Posts
Pretty sure this isn't safe towing practice. If you have a look at the comments below the video.....I think they're exceeding the limits.
Yeah that's a perfect example of how just going by the numbers does not ensure safe towing. This Atlas was not designed to utilize a weight distributing or load equalizing hitch and installing one could result in a serious accident. What about the additional weight from passengers and cargo? That would surely put the Atlas over capacity with this trailer.
I have a Atlas SEL Premium which comes with the factory installed towing package. I tow a travel trailer that has a dry weight of 3000 and the hitch weight is 350. I have made three short towing trips (1-2 hours) in southern Indiana. Back roads and interstate and the rodas are hilly but not mountains. The Atlas did fine but the mileage was less than I hoped for 12 to 13 mpg. tried ECO, Normal and Sport mode and it appears to do better in Normal mode. Does downshift going up a hill. I am getting ready to head west with my travel trailer - Grand Tetons and Glacier National Park - a 4000 mile trip with mountains. Looking forward to see how the Atlas does.
Joined
·
13 Posts
I would love to hear how your 4000-mile trip went! Please come back and share.
I have found sport mode to work well when towing over 3000 lbs to keep from shifting into the high gears. It’s not good to use overdrive when towing—it puts extra stress on the transmission and doesn’t circulate as much fluid to cool as efficiently. I have seen my gas mileage suffer as well, but completely expected. I do wish I could bolt on a better receiver hitch to allow use of my weight distribution hitch, since there is a lot of tongue weight on my camper and it is making my front axle light—lots of wheel slipping when taking off from a stop on loose sandy roads. That’s nothing air bags can remedy.
Read the owners manual, the 5,000 lbs rating on the factory installed hitch refers to the capacity of the hitch not the vehicle. The owners manual lists maximum towing specifications for the vehicle under different circumstances which differ depending on which hitch you have, which engine you have, if you have 4motion or not and if your trailer has trailer brakes or not. In order to determine your max towing capacity you also have to consider the loading of the vehicle, the manual list a combined maximum towing weights which include the weight of the Atlas with passengers and cargo plus the weight of the trailer and everything in it.
Joined
·
3 Posts
I have a 2019 Atlas with the Factory Tow Package and 4Motion as well. I tow a [email protected] trailer which is 3,000 lbs loaded (see photo) and leave it in normal mode. I have towed up to 10,000 feet in the mountains and at 70 mph set in normal mode with no issues. As I recall on these shorter trips (1-2 hours) I have averaged about 15 mpg. We plan on longer trips to TX and MN in the summer so will see how that goes. I have to say the Atlas seems to ride better with more weight, people, dog, trailer, etc. that with just me in it.
Attachments
Did exceptionally well. Down shifted on steep grades. Thus far i have towed more than 15000 miles
Joined
·
3 Posts
Hey Skiier, did you ever get those Airlift bags installed? I searched that part number and didn't see anything that matched up to the Atlas.
Joined
·
3 Posts
Oh wow, really?? Just doing a quick check, if the mulch wasn't saturated with water that should have only been about 600 lbs plus trailer, which is probably another 600 or so. That's only 1200 lbs. I was pulling that with my Tiguan.
Do you have the V6?
1 - 20 of 32 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!