New Member - Looking to hit the open road!

[UtterNirvana]

Greetings!

My name is Ryan and I am a new member on the board.

I recently just purchased a 2007 25' CCD International FB (Blue Streak) and will take her home next weekend.

Before joining, I have been reading the forums and have gained quite a bit of knowledge before purchasing. Thanks to all of you, I am ready to take on this next part of life, with traveling, and look forward to interesting new adventures.

Now comes <the contrversial part of my post...>

I plan to tow the travel trailer with a 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

I hope it does okay, but given I live in the Rocky Mountain region, I may learn an early lesson or two. Regardless, I need to first exhaust this option before I decide on purchasing a more suited tow vehicle.

</the controversial part of my post...>

Again, thank you to everyone for contributing to forum threads and making this new member feel comfortable in purchasing my Airstream.

Ryan

[Condoluminum]

Welcome, and good luck with your new Airstream.. On an oval banked race track, with Airstream CEO cheering them on, magazine editors towed slightly smaller Airstream with Porsche at speeds in excess of 100 mph...

I should provide usual coaching to learn search tab use above, and practice searching for the collected electronic wisdom stored here...

Your Turbo Cayenne is really similar to souped up Taureg, and a number of members tow with Tauregs... Challenge should not be towing power, but might be engine and transmission temp related when going way uphill on hot days.. You might want to be careful at first to see if heat is an issue..

Brakes shouldn't be big problem, though getting brake controller set up to work well with big Porsche disks and ABS system should be done by good hitch and RV shop, rather than amateurs...

Biggest challenge likely to be anti-sway technology, given short wheelbase of tow vehicle and long trailer.. (It's really a 26 marketed as a 25..) Some may (will..) advocate heavy and complex Hensley arrow hitch.. You can study and decide. You need at least a good Equalizer or similar weight distributing AND anti-sway hitch setup, also installed and set up by knowledgable techs...

From there, best advice is to start slow, and test it in wind and up and down hills and around corners, and then decide whether you need a longer wheelbase and more bulk in your tow vehicle..

[myoung]

Welcome to the Forums, Ryan.

I'm guessing that you've got the horsepower and torque, but a few other factors may overshadow these attributes.

First, is the chassis up to the challenge? Isn't the Cayenne a unibody rather than a chassis-on-frame design. If it is, then towing a loaded 25-footer might put considerable stress on the body.

Second, does the Cayenne come with all the towing goodies like heavier springs, transmission coolers, etc. I know that the suspension can be adjusted at will, but is it up to the load.

Third, it isn't just the tow capacity, which I believe is about at the upper limit of a fully loaded 25-foot CCD of about 7,300 pounds. What will be the combined weight of the trailer and the Cayenne and does that fall within the stated capacities of the SUV?

Fourth, some manufacturers publish the towing capacity when using a low ratio rear end and without 4wd. You might have to dig around to find the capacity with your particular car, but it might not be the same as the published figures.

Fifth, you'll probably hear from some Forum members that your wheelbase is too short. I'm not of that opinion, because our experience with a relatively short wheelbase Dodge Durango belies the concerns that have been raised. In fact, some people have said quite flatly that I can't tow my trailer with the Dodge. Hum.

We're all interested to hear about your experiences towing in the West, so post them when you get a chance.

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums, Ryan. We're glad to have you with us.

Congratulations on your new baby. You're really going to enjoy Airstreaming.

[dpandorf]

Welcome aboard Ryan. I'm new around here too. That's a very nice ride you have there! I too scoured the site for help in deciding too about the right tow package.

I jumped over to the Porsche site to see what your Cayenne is capable of towing and how much the 25' FB weighs.

I noticed the stock hitch on the Cayenne has a max tongue weight of 616 lbs.

Looking at the 25' FB, it says the Hitch Weight w/o options or variable weight is 720 lbs. So your trailer hitch weight will be more than 720 lbs when you add propane etc.

I couldn't find the Cayenne's GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) That would be the total weight the Cayenne should weigh when fully fueled, loaded with passengers and cargo (that would include the weight of the trailer hitch). I wouldn't be surprised that the hitch weight alone with just the a driver and fuel you might possibly be maxxed out on the GVWR.

The specs do say the Cayenne is rated to pull a braked trailer up to 7,716 lbs. Looks like the max weight of the 25' FB is 7,300 lbs.

Having never towed before the rig we have now, I don't think I would want to experiment with a rig that has to operate at max capability on level ground, let alone have to deal with the Rocky Mountains.

Again I'm just a rookie around these parts and I'd rather have plenty of capability left over when I have my family onboard.

The Cayenne is an awesome SUV. I'd love to have one, I also looked hard at trying to justify a way to tow with the BMW SUV too when we were looking as my wife was looking at the 28' Airstreams. We also looked at the Tundra.

My wife then found a used 34' Limited and then it became a no brainer to go to a 3/4 ton truck.

I'm a pilot in my real job and we have a regularly used term in my profession when something comes up out of the ordinary: I'm not paid to be a test pilot.

I think you'd be a "test pilot" with the rig you're looking at.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by UtterNirvana

I plan to tow the travel trailer with a 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo....I need to first exhaust this option before I decide on purchasing a more suited tow vehicle....Ryan

hi ryan and welcome to the forums....

sweet trailer, sweet/hot ride....

the combo might taste bitter.

plenty of power and brakes on the cayenne side...

but there are some issues...

1. the factory receiver is problem.

i've posted pictures of it and the limitations. look for them.

vw AND porsche both advise NOT to use a weight distribution system with their receiver...

can you? sure IF the 'weight distributed' isn't large, but in your case it IS....

2. tongue weight of the 25 ccd is significant

spec's suggest 720+lbs, but that is without options, spare tire, lpgas or ANY personal gear inside the trailer...

most folks add a mattress pad and clothing and personal gear into the FRONT BEDROOMS..

so the tongue mass is likely to be 800lbs or more...

that figure EXCEEDS the absolute limit listed by vw or porsche...

so the challenge would be to find a custom hitch/receiver metal worker who can fabricate and attach (welding and bolts) a stronger receiver on the underbody.

the t-rex/cayenne is a combo unibody/frame rail design so it can be done...

but mufflers and rear cargo bay and mechanicals and spare tire are ALL in the way on the porsche...

good luck cutting up and re-pasting the proper chunk of steel back there...

3. the wheelbase is an issue

but given the mass of the cayenne and small rear overhang, wheel base isn't a deal breaker.

4. the trailer in question has drum brakes.

EVERY unit i've seen towed by a cayenne has been upgraded to disc brakes....

better stopping power on the trailer will help it keep up with the big reds...

down hill in the rockies? i'd want 8 disc brakes...

5. choice of hitch...

would i use a hensley IF trying this combo?

u bet your sweet turbos!

the haha will not solve the 'too much tongue/to weak of a receiver' issue on the combo or the drum brakes...

but it will help with everything else.

have you read about the haha?

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464...ide-26279.html

the problem is a good haha receiver must be very very strong, which takes us back to issues #1 and #2....

unless you are willing to invest significantly in mods to the cayenne for the tongue load...

you need a lighter unit or a different tv...

good luck and keep us posted about the process...

'devoman' here pulls a '05 25 with a touareq...

but he lives in 'flat florida' and seldom travels more than 2 hours to camp.

he's also got his eyes on a new tundra...

reading his posts may help or visiting the t-rex sites (he is also on them)

whatever happens i'll be anxious to read your travel reports...

cheers
2air'

[UtterNirvana]

WOW!! Thanks everyone! This information is very helpful...

My first trips will not be headed through the Rockies... fortunately...

I do plan to head down towards AZ and NM for most of my travels initially. I will post waht happens and my experiences.

I need to use the TV I have first before I get anything else. Too bad, because I recently purchased an FJ Cruiser when it looks like I should have bought a Tundra. If I do need a special TV, I will definitely look the Tundra route first.

Again, thanks for all of the insight everyone. This community is genuine!

[UtterNirvana]

Thanks again for the advice!

I had the tow package installed on the Cayenne with an Equalizer hitch at the RV location. Everything seemed fine, until the electronics on the Cayenne would not allow the trailer to work with its LED's.

Also, the brake controller would not work well from the Cayenne to the trailer.

After time deliberating, I have solved the problem.

I traded in my new 07 Toyota FJ and switched into a 07 Tundra Double Cab 5.7L with tow mirrors. I think I should be set to tow now!

I had to postpone delivery, but will be taking delivery by the end of this week.

I guess the cayenne is stuck picking up groceries! Now I am trying to see what I can do in terms of a dealership refund on the tow hitch at Porsche.

Thanks everyone!
Ryan

[Mel]

Hi Ryan, you could do a lot worse than the Cayenne for a grocery getter! Enjoy that new Tundra.

[2airishuman]

hey ryan thanks for the update!

the led trailer light connection to euro tv electronics is a well known problem here...

and fixed with an inline resistor.

i suspect you will be happier with the new tundra for towing regardless.

we don't have many towing with the new tundra yet,

so keep us informed on how it works for you.

also we need pictures, lots of pictures....

airstream, tundra, the high country views, ALL OF IT!!

cheers
2air'