Who tows a Bambi with a Jetta?

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by TinLoaf

I don't understand the negativity toward towing with a smaller vehicle. Let's look at some numbers.

The door sticker on my F-150 shows a cargo carrying capacity of 1372 pounds. My little Jaguar X-Type has a cargo carrying capacity of 1356. That's a difference of only 16 pounds!

The little Jaguar is rated to tow 4,500 pounds and has better performance all around. So what's the problem with a small car pulling a trailer well within it's limits?

1372 on your F-150? That seems low, what year is it? I would've expected 1700 - 2000#.

[dkottum]

This is a topic that never gets anywhere because it is always gets consumed by the "tail wagging the dog" theory. Even though the much-trusted pickup expends much of its power and braking on itself, and is about as poor handling passenger vehicle as there is on the road.

Not to say a Jetta TDI can tow any Airstream. But this little guy weighs 1/3 less than the Jetta.

I wish the capabilities of such vehicles could be discussed more thoroughly. Is $5 gas just around the corner?

Doug

[hhendrix]

Originally Posted by female.nomad

That would be my Bambi and my car you photographed and posted.

Cool! A little more info on what kind of hitch set you have would be interesting. Also, info on the brake controller.

[cameront120]

Great to see your combo on the road! Hopefully the skeptics don't intimidate you and you stick around to share more information. Some of us aren't interested in resigning ourselves to towing with a big gas-guzzling American truck. Seeing real life examples like yours are a treat. Hopefully you'll share some photos and information about your setup.

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by dkottum

This is a topic that never gets anywhere because it is always gets consumed by the "tail wagging the dog" theory. Even though the much-trusted pickup expends much of its power and braking on itself, and is about as poor handling passenger vehicle as there is on the road.

Not to say a Jetta TDI can tow any Airstream. But this little guy weighs 1/3 less than the Jetta.

I wish the capabilities of such vehicles could be discussed more thoroughly. Is $5 gas just around the corner?

Doug

Now here in Canada Doug we are already paying $5.00 a gal for gas. It is one of the reasons why many of us get involved with smaller, more fuel efficient TV's. Besides that they seem to work very well.

[TinLoaf]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

1372 on your F-150? That seems low, what year is it? I would've expected 1700 - 2000#.

It's a 2005 F-150 Crew Cab Lariat 4x4 with the 5.4 liter and tow package. Much of its carrying capacity is used up by the weight of the four doors. That's a lot of steel. My tongue weight is 750 dry plus me, a 90 pound dog and a little firewood and pretty soon I'm overloaded. Trucks aren't the limitless tow-beasts that most claim.

[female.nomad]

Wow, I see my little set-up has garnered quite the response.

No modifications have been done to my car as far as suspension, brakes, etc. I have the standard 2.0l diesel engine, automatic transmission with the option to switch it over to manual (the name for it is evading me at the moment). I had a DrawTite Class 1 hitch mounted as well as a digital DrawTite brake controller put in. I had a mechanic cut a hole in my rear bumper near the hitch receiver and the 7-way plug receptacle was bolted on in a pretty inconspicuous place so that I could make use of my trailer brakes. I towed the trailer a few times before I added the brake controller and it handled wonderfully, but I wanted to be as safe as possible. I have been thinking about altering the suspension in hopes that I can get a little bit more ground clearance when towing my little Bambi so I can avoid the scraping. I get enough attention as it stands, it is embarrassing to make grand entrances with the loud scraping sound or getting the curved part of the shaft that holds the ball lodged tight in a dirt mound or a small ditch. I am not sure if that will help the problem or not.

I am new to Airstream ownership, new to towing, new to this forum and even pretty new to life (I am only 26. Haha.), but I am not easily intimidated or unwilling to take a chance on something that might seem a little odd. From everything I have read and learned so far, my car is perfectly capable of towing my small and lightweight trailer. I am very cautious and keep up with maintenance on my car and do small things like keep the tire pressure on both my car and trailer at the recommend levels for towing and check it obsessively.

So far, so good. Maybe some of you think I am nuts. Maybe some of you would never take the chance on doing something similar with your Jetta, but I am out and about doing it and it is working out well for me AND I am getting more miles on the dollar when I travel. I don't mind being the guinea pig so I will let you all know if I run into any problems....then all of you doubting Thomases can say you told me so. Lol.

[TinLoaf]

Originally Posted by female.nomad

Wow, I see my little set-up has garnered quite the response.

I think it's fantastic. Last year at Alumapalooza, Andy Thomas from Can-Am RV featured a Jetta TDI matched with a 23 foot Safari weighing at least double what your trailer weighs. I wish I had a picture of what hitch he was using.

Anyone who was interested could test drive the setup and I think it helped make a few believers of the skeptics.

[PA BAMBI II]

Originally Posted by female.nomad

That would be my Bambi and my car you photographed and posted.

How does the VW Jetta do at towing? I have a '64 Bambi II that will be on the road someday...and a 2000 Jetta. Often wondered if the car would be able to tow it? I plan to do most of my towing with a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I know the hitch receiver is not an issue for the VWs- lots of aftermarket hitch companies make them- and they look pretty stout, although they are only 1 1/4" receivers.

Awesome rig, by the way!!

Ben

[dkottum]

Good work female.nomad. There seems to be two things missing from your hitch that are seriously necessary for this set-up, a weight distribution hitch and sway control.

The weight distribution hitch will allow you to redistribute the tongue weight of your trailer to the trailer axle and car front axle. That will cure your dragging and make the car safer by restoring weight to the front (steering) axle. And your headlights won't be pointed at the stars.

The sway control is a part of some weight distribution hitches, or may be added to some hitches as an accessory. This is an important safety measure that can help prevent losing control of your rig under common conditions, such as crosswinds or quick traffic maneuvers at speed.

You should have both of these features, and they may not work with your present Class 1 hitch bar. Go to a hitch specialist and they can help you. The expert on this Jetta/ Airstream combo is Can-Am RV > Home Call them and they will be very helpful.

Doug

[Road Ruler]

female nomad... The hitch specialist Doug is speaking of has been setting up cars like ours for decades. Although my Airstream is larger and heavier than yours our vehicles are similar in size. This is what our connection system looks like just to give you an idea what is involved. A towing specialist knows best as far as what is required.

[mutcth]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Go to a hitch specialist and they can help you. The expert on this Jetta/ Airstream combo is Can-Am RV > Home Call them and they will be very helpful.

As Doug and Road Ruler noted, the North American expert on this is Andy Thomson at CanAm. He set up my minivan for towing with a well-reinforced hitch.

You're a long way from his shop in Ontario, but he is very willing to help folks. Since they own basically the identical car to yours, it's very likely that they could easily build a hitch and ship it to you. They can also tell you how to dial everything in just right.

Not only does weight-distribution level out the rig so that you scrape less, it also shifts weight back onto the front wheels. That improves steering feel. The very light tongue weight of your Bambi means that it's not as bad as it could be, but I'm sure there's room for improvement here. I know that from towing a similar sized-and-weight T@B trailer without weight-distribution. Having WD and sway control made a night-and-day difference in towing.

Finally, a Class I hitch isn't particularly stout. Even bigger hitches bend, especially as you use them more. (BTW, using weight distribution with the Class I hitch probably would not work as I doubt they make weight distribution hitches that work with the small-sized receiver tube as opposed to the bigger 2" receiver on higher-rated hitches.)

I don't mean to scare you - I'm more than a bit envious of the combo and stared at a red Jetta SportsWagen TDI I saw today - but I do think there are worthwhile improvements you can make here.

Tom

[Nuvite-F]

For what it's worth, back in the 60's our cousin towed his 16 foot 1960 Pacer (the predecessor of the Bambi) all over the country with a Mercedes 190D sedan. (1.9 liter diesel) If you believe the advertising, Wally Byam towed a Bambi around Europe with a VW Beetle, which by the 60's weighed about 1600 pounds and had 40 HP.
.

[Ike T]

Originally Posted by female.nomad

Wow, I see my little set-up has garnered quite the response.

No modifications have been done to my car as far as suspension, brakes, etc. I have the standard 2.0l diesel engine, automatic transmission with the option to switch it over to manual (the name for it is evading me at the moment). I had a DrawTite Class 1 hitch mounted as well as a digital DrawTite brake controller put in. I had a mechanic cut a hole in my rear bumper near the hitch receiver and the 7-way plug receptacle was bolted on in a pretty inconspicuous place so that I could make use of my trailer brakes. I towed the trailer a few times before I added the brake controller and it handled wonderfully, but I wanted to be as safe as possible. I have been thinking about altering the suspension in hopes that I can get a little bit more ground clearance when towing my little Bambi so I can avoid the scraping. I get enough attention as it stands, it is embarrassing to make grand entrances with the loud scraping sound or getting the curved part of the shaft that holds the ball lodged tight in a dirt mound or a small ditch. I am not sure if that will help the problem or not.

I am new to Airstream ownership, new to towing, new to this forum and even pretty new to life (I am only 26. Haha.), but I am not easily intimidated or unwilling to take a chance on something that might seem a little odd. From everything I have read and learned so far, my car is perfectly capable of towing my small and lightweight trailer. I am very cautious and keep up with maintenance on my car and do small things like keep the tire pressure on both my car and trailer at the recommend levels for towing and check it obsessively.

So far, so good. Maybe some of you think I am nuts. Maybe some of you would never take the chance on doing something similar with your Jetta, but I am out and about doing it and it is working out well for me AND I am getting more miles on the dollar when I travel. I don't mind being the guinea pig so I will let you all know if I run into any problems....then all of you doubting Thomases can say you told me so. Lol.

Thanks for the response. Enjoy your travels.

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by Nuvite-F

For what it's worth, back in the 60's our cousin towed his 16 foot 1960 Pacer (the predecessor of the Bambi) all over the country with a Mercedes 190D sedan. (1.9 liter diesel) .

This Mercedes 190 SL had the 4cyl./1.9 gas engine. The car weighed 2,600lbs, had a wheelbase of 94.5 ", and had 104hp/105tq.

[dnrtheil]

Originally Posted by female.nomad

I usually get around 20-25 miles per gallon while towing with the Jetta. The only problem I have encountered so far is some bad hitch scraping on steep inclines or very uneven surfaces at campgrounds since it is already so low to the ground. There are only a few inches of clearance. I suppose it is a little unconventional and might be funny looking, but I have done my homework on what my car can handle and it has passed the tried and true road test. Can't beat the fuel economy for a TV either!...

You can get air bags that fit in side the rear coil springs, I plan to do that to our TDI Jetta Sportwagon or "Jettwagon" as I like to call it. Pulled my sportbike and a weeks worth of food and gear including a roof mounted Thule gear box, last fall from Michigan to North Carolina. Running close to 70 up the hills in Kentucky and never dropped down a gear or lost speed. VW turbo diesel is a great motor. I believe the transmission you have is the DSG, that's what we have. It's a six speed manual that shifts automatically or manually if you choose.

Derek