The INEOS Grenadier is rated to tow 3,500 kg (7,716 lb) from the factory. That number is legitimate. But arriving at the truck with a trailer and a basic understanding of the spec sheet puts you about halfway to being ready to tow. Forum discussion focuses on the other half of the job: brake controller installation, GCM budgeting, and weight distribution for heavier loads.
Once the hitch is installed, the remaining work is brake controller wiring, GCM budgeting, weight distribution, and matching the setup to the trailer. The sections below use documented North American installations and owner towing reports.
What the Factory Tow Package Actually Delivers
INEOS offers a factory tow package for the Grenadier, which adds the wiring harness, trailer socket, and the supporting structure at the rear. What it does not include: a trailer brake controller. This isn't a fine-print detail. It becomes obvious the first time you back into a dealer with a trailer that has electric brakes.
"My dealer sales rep has confirmed, even if you ordered the tow package, 'You will need to install a 3rd party trailer brake controller.'"
— Forum member, TheIneosForum, "NA Trailer Brake Controller Install" thread, Sep 2024
For trailers under approximately 1,500 kg with no electric brakes, this isn't an issue. But any trailer over roughly 1,400 kg in the US, and most travel trailers, horse trailers, and larger off-road rigs, will have electric drum or disc brakes that require an in-cab brake controller to function. If you're buying a used Grenadier with the tow package, verify independently whether a brake controller was added; it often wasn't.
The DVA 2" Hitch Receiver is the aftermarket solution for Grenadiers without the factory tow package. Installation is bolt-on, with a 2" Class III receiver and no drilling. If you're starting from scratch on the tow setup, the hitch is step one.
Wiring a Brake Controller in a NA Grenadier
North American Grenadiers have factory brake controller wiring pre-run from the factory: four wires under the rear seat on the passenger side. The wiring was documented in detail on TheIneosForum by owners who have completed the install.
| Factory Wire | Color | Function | Connects To (Redarc) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12V Constant | Yellow/Red | Always-on power | Black wire |
| Ground | Black | Chassis ground | White wire |
| Control | Grey 12AWG | Output to trailer brakes | Blue wire |
| Signal | Violet/Orange 14AWG | Brake pedal signal | Red wire (see note) |
Critical note on the signal wire: The Violet/Orange wire (brake pedal signal) has been documented as unreliable in early NA builds. Forum owner scottnAZ, who installed the Redarc EBRH-ACCV3-NA on his Grenadier in September 2024, flagged this directly in the thread:
"This wire is currently unreliable — it would appear INEOS did not properly setup the software to control this signal wire, so it should not be relied upon until INEOS issues a solution. Instead, for the brake signal wire, I went down the path outlined on post #129 of p.7 in this thread as an alternative wiring method — accessing the TRM (trailer module) in the right rear boot area."
— scottnAZ, TheIneosForum, "NA Trailer Brake Controller Install," Sep 2, 2024
The workaround documented by forum owners: remove the right rear interior panel, locate the TRM (Trailer Relay Module), and tap the brake signal wire directly from the TRM rather than the pre-run signal wire under the seat. Once wired correctly, the Redarc Tow-Pro Elite functions properly. The same owner reported his 23-foot Airstream at approximately 6,000 lbs worked correctly after the install, with the Grenadier feeling "more planted" than his previous tow vehicle.
The most widely used controller for NA Grenadiers is the Redarc EBRH-ACCV3-NA Tow-Pro Elite. It handles both proportional and user-controlled braking modes and is compatible with the Grenadier's 12V system. A 13-foot remote head extension wire (RHWK-004) is recommended to route the control head to the dash area, as the stock cable length leaves it near the center console.
GCM Math: Budgeting Your Grenadier's Tow Rating
The Grenadier's 3,500 kg (7,716 lb) tow rating is the trailer limit, not the total combination. Gross Combination Mass (GCM) is the limit for the total of vehicle plus trailer. Available combination margin depends on the vehicle's actual loaded mass. Use the limits shown for your specific vehicle and configuration rather than assuming a generic loaded weight.
In practice, this means the Grenadier's payload capacity on the vehicle itself (occupants, gear, fuel, and accessories) directly affects how much trailer you can legally tow. A Grenadier carrying four people, camping gear, and a full roof platform reduces the available GCM headroom. The 10% tongue weight rule (tongue weight should be 10–15% of total trailer weight) applies in both directions: too light increases sway risk, too heavy overloads the rear axle.
Owners towing 3,000–3,500 kg trailers commonly report adding weight distribution hitches (WDH) and anti-sway equipment. For trailers under 2,000 kg with a ball weight around 150–230 kg, the standard 2" receiver ball mount is sufficient.
What Forum Owners Are Actually Hauling
The towing threads on TheIneosForum give a realistic picture of what the Grenadier handles day to day. The range is wide: anything from lightweight off-road trailers at 800 kg to near-limit setups approaching 3,500 kg.
"I have just returned from a trip to the Kimberley region of Western Australia in my diesel Grenadier Trialmaster, towing a 16ft hybrid pop-top off road caravan (tare weight 2000kg, loaded weight about 2400kg, tow ball weight approx 230kg). Covered 8500km in 31 days... The Grenadier never missed a beat. The vehicle with caravan sits happily in 8th gear at 1600rpm, handles gentle uphill slopes without a downshift. Fuel consumption: 14.5 to 16.0 L/100km towing with a tailwind, 16.0 to 17.8 into a headwind or in hilly terrain. A Redarc Tow-Pro Elite electronic brake controller is fitted to the Trialmaster."
— Wombat51, TheIneosForum, "Towing With The Grenadier," thread p.3, Mar 2024
At the heavier end, owners planning to tow trailers in the 3,000+ kg range report needing a more complete stability setup. Forum member tazzieman, planning to tow a trailer with an 800 lb (363 kg) tongue weight, outlined what forum consensus suggests for that weight range:
"I'll be putting airbags in, an electronic brake controller and anti sway bars."
— tazzieman, TheIneosForum, "Actual towing experiences?," Nov 2023
The consistent feedback from owners towing at or near the rating limit: the Grenadier's body-on-frame construction and short 115-inch wheelbase means weight distribution matters more than it does behind a longer-wheelbase truck. Proper hitch setup is the most important stability variable discussed in these owner reports. That includes a level trailer, correct ball height, and proper tension on the weight distribution bars.
"Proper weight distribution hitch setup with correct ball height, level trailer etc is critical to stability given your rig. I'd run with empty tanks to keep weight down as well."
— asnes, TheIneosForum, "Actual towing experiences?," Nov 2023
For Heavier Trailers: Weight Distribution & Stability Setup
Owners towing trailers over approximately 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) or with tongue weights above 300 lb consistently run weight distribution hitches. The friction head, 3-point weight distribution design that forum owners most frequently recommend redistributes tongue weight forward across both axles without requiring dedicated anti-sway bars, reducing pitch and improving steering response. That is particularly useful for the Grenadier's 115-inch wheelbase, which is shorter than most dedicated tow vehicles.
For trailers with higher tongue weights and trailers prone to sway (longer trailers, trailers with rear-loaded weight), forum owners add dedicated sway control. The standard approach at the 3,000+ kg range: weight distribution hitch, airbag suspension upgrade to stiffen the rear (preventing excessive pitch under tongue load), and friction or electronic sway control.
Speed management is a consistent recommendation from owners running near the limit. The Grenadier's diesel makes adequate power for highway speeds while towing, but fuel consumption rises steeply above 95–100 km/h (60 mph). Most experienced owners in the cited threads cap their speed at 85–90 km/h (55 mph) when towing heavy. Wombat51's 8,500 km Kimberley trip at 90–100 km/h returned 15.3 L/100km overall and provides the strongest long-distance example in those threads.
Organizing Towing Equipment Inside the Grenadier
A tow-capable Grenadier accumulates gear that needs a home: brake controller remote head, trailer wiring adapter, recovery straps, shackles, wheel chocks, ball mount collection for different trailer classes. The Grenadier's rear cargo area is functional but unoptimized for mounting loose hardware without a system.
The DVA Interior Utility Rails are extruded aluminum L-track rails mounted to the Grenadier's cargo sidewalls. They give towing accessories a fixed mounting point. Recovery straps mount flat, ball mounts stay accessible, and the brake controller remote stores securely when driving without a trailer. The rails use the Grenadier's factory anchor points, with no drilling into the cargo floor or sidewalls.
Roof Gear and Payload: Keep the Mass in the Calculation
Every kilogram carried in the cabin, cargo bay, or on the roof remains part of the Grenadier's vehicle mass. Moving gear to the roof does not create additional payload or GCM capacity. It only changes where the load is carried, so roof load, axle loads, vehicle payload, and GCM still need to be checked separately.
The DVA DualTrack-T MAX mounts to the Grenadier's factory roof rail attachments and provides L-track and a 25mm T-slot for bulky roof-safe equipment. For towing trips, its practical benefit is cabin organization: recovery boards, suitable camping equipment, or auxiliary lighting can move out of the passenger and cargo areas without being omitted from the mass calculation.
The DVA Towing Setup
Building a Complete Grenadier Towing Setup?
Start with the 2" hitch receiver, pair it with the brake controller wiring documented by forum owners, and keep your payload budget in check with a roof platform. DVA has the hardware; the forum has the install threads.
Shop Hitch Receiver → All Grenadier Accessories
