L405 TD6….towing experience?

GTZHP

New member
Good day! I am considering a 2016 TD6 HSE with 59k miles. I think we are all familiar with the quirks and features of the L405 (too much Doug watching!) by now and as the owner of an e46 and an e60 BMW I know the value of preventative maintenance. (I also owned a P38 in another lifetime but that’s irrelevant). So my biggest unknown is towing capability and especially durability. I tow a 5800lb boat about 15 miles locally on a monthly basis, and twice a year about 600 miles to Florida. I know the load is within specs for towing capacity, but as anyone who tows often can tell you that’s not the whole story. Is the transmission and cooling system up to the task in 90+ temps? Is the rear diff robust enough? Can the brakes handle the extra weight safely? Can I hold a gear when necessary or is everything automated? So….anyone tow a somewhat heavy rig with their 2016-2018 RR TD6?? I would love to hear real world experiences. Thanks for any help!!
 

Arjan

Fossil Overlander
5800 Lbs. is well withing the towing limit of the thing so that should not be a problem.
Make sure the cooling system is in the best working order and keep the speed down - most of Europe / UK there is a 80 or 90 km/h. speed limit when towing heavier trailers.
 
We towed a 3,500lb travel trailer all over Florida including the Keys with our 2014 SCV6 L405 that was getting up in age/miles. Never had an issue. Get under a L405 and then get under a domestic half-ton pickup truck. You’ll be surprised how beefy the components on the L405 are compared to the domestic half-ton pickup.
 
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GTZHP

New member
Thanks for the reply, and good idea. I’ll be under there looking for rust or abuse any way, I’ll pay attention to the components.
 

buyrovers

Adventurer
They are incredible tow vehicles. I towed my 23 foot wakeboard boat with the supercharged v8 which is a little different but it handled the boat as easy as my f150 did. Boat and trailer was probably 7k pounds
 

thewarhammer

New member
Yes sir. The l405 is more than capable. The suspension and diffs are definitely heavy duty. I am not sure about the brakes on the TD6 but I have a 5.0 supercharged and they could stop a bus. I know they are different on the TD6 but I’m sure they’re just fine.
 

OregonGX

Member
For an F150 I towed with, I went with a ceramic brake pad that is normally spec'd for police use. They did squeak a little bit going out of the neighborhood on a cold morning, but the bite, lack of dust, and fade resistance when pushing them hard or towing were impressive.

It was absolutely transformative what new rotors, pads, and a fluid flush did for that truck. Perhaps look into some pad options just as the cherry on top.
 

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