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Timofeevich · 07-16-2011, 06:13 PM

Anyone towing 27FB International or Flying Cloud (7,600 lbs / 770 lbs tongue) with a V8 or TDI Touareg ?

**blmitch5** · 07-16-2011, 06:31 PM

Jfshreck did (25' FB and moved up to a ford) but I think it's to much trailer I tow a 19' Bambi with the v8 and love the combo. I think a 23' is as big as you should go.

Timofeevich · 07-16-2011, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blmitch5

Jfshreck did (25' FB and moved up to a ford) but I think it's to much trailer I tow a 19' Bambi with the v8 and love the combo. I think a 23' is as big as you should go.

Thanks blmitch5 !

If I am not mistaken, the 25' FB has a lower GVWR (7,300 lbs vs 7,600 lbs), but has more tongue weight (833 lbs vs 770 lbs) than 27' FB.

Do you know if Jfshreck moved up to Ford with his 25' FB due GVWR being just 400 lbs below the maximum allowed for Touarg (7700 lbs) or due excessive tongue weight (63 lbs more than allowed) ?

**blmitch5** · 07-16-2011, 07:46 PM

Not sure but he enjoys the power and stability of the Ford. I'm not a truck person but if I bought a 25' or 27' I'd buy a truck with enough power and wheel base to tow with. Check out the Touareg forums and good luck with your choice.

Scott J-24 · 07-16-2011, 08:08 PM

We are towing our 27' FB Ocean Breeze with a 2010 Tundra CrewMax 5.7 L V8. Although it is a 1/2 ton it has been a great combo. Not sure I would tow with a touareg, I would want a greater margin between the TTs gross weight and the TVs tow rating.

mojo · 07-16-2011, 09:37 PM

I have a 2004 V8 Touareg that I towed a 19' Bambi for 4 years with out an issue. Upgraded to a 25FB and towed for 6,000 miles without a problem except going up 7-10% mountain grades slowed me down.

So now I pull the 25FB with a V10 TDI and now the grades are not an issue. My tongue weight is 720lbs. Devoman pulls a 25. Others here tow 23 and 25 (and one poster pulls a 31'?). Having a Hensley or Propride helps with the setup.

JFScheck · 07-17-2011, 12:34 AM

My 25FB tounge on the scales was around 912 lbs, that's with black/grey tanks empty, no water, 3/4 propane, and about 150 lbs of groceries, clothes, pots, pans, etc....

Used a ProPride, no passengers in back seat, just two up front, about 30 lbs (camera and computer stuff) in passenger wheel wells.

With the TDI it towed rock steady through the mountains, farm belt, coast-coast, with plenty of power and great mpg.

The problem was, I wanted to bring along more stuff which lead to a F-350, a great deal on my 25FB led to a 30 Classic. Now I bring tons of JUNK with me, but I gotta admit, having a bit more fun with a little less stress.

Tow my race car and enclosed aluminum trailer (spare tires, fuel, tools) with a 2010 Cayenne Turbo - almost dead on to my brothers 19 International Airstream in tongue and weight (tongue when fully loaded at 675 lbs) - ProPride still, perfect set up...

My T-Rex TDI is now in my brothers hands (got him to sell a 2009 Ram with 5.7 Hemi) who tows a 19 foot International Airstream whose tongue weight as listed by Airstream at 550lbs, but when loaded up is weighed in at 670 with ProPride - like a champ with an increase of 7 miles per gallon, more power, more comfortable ride then his Ram truck.

JFScheck · 07-17-2011, 12:45 AM

BTW, we discussed this both on the Airstream Forums & Touareg Forums - even with ProPride or HaHa hitch, due to wheelbase of Touareg/Cayenne - we figured 25 feet of trailer was good, 27 feet and your starting to push it....

Timofeevich · 07-25-2011, 12:05 PM

Have just purchased 2008 27'FB Ocean Breeze for towing with Touareg 2 V8. Which hitch would you recommend for this TV/TT configuration ? Hensley Arrow or ProPride 3P ?

FLMarine · 07-25-2011, 06:18 PM

I have a 2009 27FB Ocean Breeze that I tow with a 2005 Dodge 2500 quad cab 4x4 diesel. I just weighed it and with full water, black, and grey tanks it came in at 6900 lbs. I didn't have food or a ton of stuff in it but I am full timing in it so it had most of everything I need.

I'm sure your vehicle can tow it but I've always believed in having more tow vehicle than you need. My truck is also what I drive around when I'm not towing and I love it. I just towed the Airstream from NC to Pensacola, FL where I just moved to and at 68 mph I got 13 mpg and it towed wonderful.

I've towed a 10,000 lb enclosed 24ft trailer across the country twice with my truck and it did great. If you're going to tow above a 23ft I'd recommend getting at least a 3/4 truck. Many folks here tow with a 1/2 ton truck just fine but I have always believed in overkill.

A great example of why its good to do that was when I was towing my 10,000 trailer through the Smokey mountains and I had accidentally knocked the cord for lights and brakes out when I was checking it while fueling up. Needless to say when I went down a 5% grade and noticed I didn't have any trailer brakes I was able to stop without any problems. I reattached the cord and continued on with my trip. I doubt a tourage could have done that without some issues. It wad a stupid mistake that I learned from.

gamana · 07-25-2011, 07:29 PM

I was going to tow a 2011 27FB with my Mercedes G55. Many posters told me that I was pushing it but it was doable. Then I still remember 2Air telling me to add up all the stuff I needed. I like to boon-dock or dry camp so, despite having solar panels, I needed a Genset, gasoline, 20 gallons extra fresh water, 4 bicycles, bbq and chairs, a propride hitch...etc, not to forget the 4 passengers ... When I was done with the maths I looked at both options, be nervous versus be safe. I got a 2011 F350 and glad I did. In my opinion the G55 and other cars like the Touareg, GL and others are great to tow AS under 20 feet, above that, I wouldn't consider it unless you stay ultra light (empty AS, empty car and flat cruising). My two cents...

JFScheck · 07-26-2011, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamana

In my opinion the G55 and other cars like the Touareg, GL and others are great to tow AS under 20 feet, above that, I wouldn't consider it unless you stay ultra light (empty AS, empty car and flat cruising). My two cents...

True, true - of course there is Andy up North and I do value what he does to TRex's and Peppers...

Gringo · 07-27-2011, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamana

I was going to tow a 2011 27FB with my Mercedes G55. Many posters told me that I was pushing it but it was doable. Then I still remember 2Air telling me to add up all the stuff I needed. I like to boon-dock or dry camp so, despite having solar panels, I needed a Genset, gasoline, 20 gallons extra fresh water, 4 bicycles, bbq and chairs, a propride hitch...etc, not to forget the 4 passengers ... When I was done with the maths I looked at both options, be nervous versus be safe. I got a 2011 F350 and glad I did. In my opinion the G55 and other cars like the Touareg, GL and others are great to tow AS under 20 feet, above that, I wouldn't consider it unless you stay ultra light (empty AS, empty car and flat cruising). My two cents...

Well, I'm glad to see someone with some experience I can ask about this. We lease an F-350 to tow our 27FB. So far, we've only done one short trip with it. I thought the truck towed the trailer just fine from Houston to Dallas, and it wasn't on freeways for the most part. We did it on backroads ( took seven hours to make what would have been four on the freeway) but it was our first time towing the trailer, and with a truck I drove for the first time that day, so we wanted to see how it handled a lot of different conditions. I was a hundred miles into it before I figured out what the electric brake setup thing was supposed to be doing.

We don't have any kind of special add-on hitch on the trailer. I keep reading here about the various weight distributing and anti-sway hitches. Some people seem to think they are absolutely vital.

But that Crew Cab F-350, long bed, SuperDuty, 6.2 Power Stroke, sat perfectly level with the trailer hitched up. We were passed by a number of 18 wheelers at 65 mph. I felt their bow wave when they went by, sure, but I wouldn't even call it a 'sway'. More like a wind ripple. We went over several sets of railroad tracks. We went over about ten miles of bad road under construction and I mean really under construction, with the road surface being plowed up and re-surfaced. At no time did I feel the slightest bit of problem or issue with the way the trailer towed.

Is your experience with the F-350 towing your 27FB similar? I guess my question is, do I really need to buy an expensive hitch? It adds weight to the tongue, and I didn't see any negative aspects of this tow configuration to justify doing that.

xrvr · 07-27-2011, 08:10 AM

Be sure to check max weight for the receiver on the Ford. Even a one ton may only be 500 pounds. jim

gamana · 07-28-2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gringo

Well, I'm glad to see someone with some experience I can ask about this. We lease an F-350 to tow our 27FB. So far, we've only done one short trip with it. I thought the truck towed the trailer just fine from Houston to Dallas, and it wasn't on freeways for the most part. We did it on backroads ( took seven hours to make what would have been four on the freeway) but it was our first time towing the trailer, and with a truck I drove for the first time that day, so we wanted to see how it handled a lot of different conditions. I was a hundred miles into it before I figured out what the electric brake setup thing was supposed to be doing.

We don't have any kind of special add-on hitch on the trailer. I keep reading here about the various weight distributing and anti-sway hitches. Some people seem to think they are absolutely vital.

But that Crew Cab F-350, long bed, SuperDuty, 6.2 Power Stroke, sat perfectly level with the trailer hitched up. We were passed by a number of 18 wheelers at 65 mph. I felt their bow wave when they went by, sure, but I wouldn't even call it a 'sway'. More like a wind ripple. We went over several sets of railroad tracks. We went over about ten miles of bad road under construction and I mean really under construction, with the road surface being plowed up and re-surfaced. At no time did I feel the slightest bit of problem or issue with the way the trailer towed.

Is your experience with the F-350 towing your 27FB similar? I guess my question is, do I really need to buy an expensive hitch? It adds weight to the tongue, and I didn't see any negative aspects of this tow configuration to justify doing that.

I had the same reasoning when I bought my F350. Why should I spend money and add tongue weight with a fancy hitch? The 2011 F series have a "anti sway" system and, indeed, a 1ton truck with a long bed does not even move when you hitch.
The only reason why I got the pro-pride hitch was:
1) I feel I have everything I need to tow my AS and my family safely.
2) I can one day try to set it up with my G55. (yes i still dream about it). :-)

ciao

AlbertF · 07-28-2011, 10:44 PM

The F350 doesn't need wdh and sway bars. It's plenty stiff and strong. However, it will beat up the Airstream over time.

Mine was recently towed behind a 2500HD Duramax, simply on the ball (lights and brakes plugged in of course). It towed fine at 75 mph, but was it ever rough compared to my car!

FWIW, the Touareg probably has bigger brakes than a pickup, and weighs less, leaving more braking capacity to stop the trailer in an emergency.

Gringo · 07-29-2011, 04:57 AM

So, do the wdh and sway bars soften how an F-350 rides? As near as I could tell, unless we were going over RR tracks, the truck basically drove about the same with the trailer hooked up or not. If the truck doesn't ride any different, and the trailer is mechanically coupled to the frame of the truck, I am wondering if the upshoot is that an unloaded F350 is just basically set up too stiff in the first place to treat the AS as gently as we would like.

I wouldn't buy an F350 as a tow vehicle for this trailer. But it's the only thing I can find to lease for six weeks or more that's set up to tow, with the electric brake hook ups. We would much prefer a big old classic Cadillac convertible with a cushy ride and 400 cubic inches, but it doesn't look like anyone thinks those will do it. I'll look for smooth pavement with the F350. and go slower when I can't find it.

JFScheck · 07-29-2011, 05:45 AM

Not this cr@p again...

Yes, you still need "fancy hitch" for F-350/F-250 based on your trailer tounge weight.
NO - they will not screw up your trailer (F-350/F-250) because they are too stiff...

My 2011 F-350 rides just like my steel springed T-Rex & air bagged Pepper.

Please, stop the "I heard fifth hand stuff", this is how mis-information gets passed around here...

ROBERT CROSS · 07-29-2011, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFScheck

My 25FB tounge on the scales was around 912 lbs, that's with black/grey tanks empty, no water, 3/4 propane, and about 150 lbs of groceries, clothes, pots, pans, etc....

Finally, reality strikes!!! It does no good to guess, you must KNOW what the tongue weight is!

912 is a much more realistic number, our number is 1175, loaded for dock'n, full lpg & fresh, empty black/grey. You can't go by the factory numbers.
Sherline Trailer Tongue Weight Scales

"F350 doesn't need wdh hitch and sway bars".....yes it does! Any TV that has weight taken off the steering axle will benefit from a WD hitch.

F series built in anti sway....only comes into play AFTER your trailer starts to sway, it does nothing to prevent it from happening.

A W/D hitch with sway control = an added safety margin, why wouldn't you want to take advantage of that?

Gringo · 07-29-2011, 07:24 AM

Oh, I DO want to take advantage of it, if I need it. If I don't need it, why add it?

Opinion seems divided on the subject. I've read that the stock hitch is rated for 500 lbs tongue wt. I've written the leasing company and asked them if the truck we're renting is stock tow package or have they modified it. Still waiting on the answer.

And I guess that answer will tell me whether I need to add the cost, weight, and complexity of an additional hitch.

Isn't it amazing how many people survived towing trailers behind unrated cars before they knew better? I thought I had cheated the devil by sleeping up on the rear hatshelf of my parents 56. Ford most of the way from Montana to Leon County, Texas when I was five years old and the only things with shoulder belts had wings on them.