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GolfStream · 04-13-2011, 03:00 PM

Pulling the 28 International with the 2010 Touareg TDI (air suspension)

Initial thoughts: LOVE IT.

I'm on my way back to Dallas from having the rig set up and I could not be happier with the result. Here's what I did:

Swapped the Reese dual-cam (which did just fine) for the ProPride hitch which is far superior. I brought the rig up to Sean and saw the operation first hand. Sean runs a tidy shop and couldn't be nicer. It was great to be able to meet Kenny the welder and get the hitch set up properly by the manufacturer. If you can, GO!

Next we drove over the boarder to Can-Am RV in London, Ontario where the vehicle had reinforcements made to the receiver assembly. Andy did a fine job on the car as promised, but I think he may have added some unnecessary additional work when he saw that i already had the ProPride. Can-Am sells the competitor. At the end of the six-hour day, the reinforcements cost double the original estimates.

End result: the rig is very, very stable and drives great. The TDI is a capable engine averaging 14 mpg fully loaded and yanking around a 7,300 pound beast of a trailer.

I'm happiest because I have a fun-to-drive daily driver that can pull the trailer up just about any incline and get us home safely. I'll post pictures shortly.

From the parking lot at Airstream in Jackson Center, OH, CHEERS!

Javier

slowmover · 04-15-2011, 07:43 PM

A little overkill is a good thing, IMO. I'm impressed by the trailer brand choice, the TV choice, the hitch and the fine tuning work. Hope you'll give us more in the way of derived numbers, pics and descriptions!!

klattu · 04-15-2011, 08:47 PM

Volkswagon towing capacity...dang I'm just too old to accept that phrase.

JFScheck · 04-15-2011, 08:48 PM

Javier, keep an eye on your hitch to frame mounting points, fellow Cayenne owners (three now) and one T-Rex owners have found bent/deformed bolts observed from bottom of tow vehicles when on jacks.

Keep within your prescribed weights, keep an eye especially on your tongue weight and T-Rex max GVWR limitations and you should have many years of fun with your tv/Airstream package!

**DKB_SATX** · 04-15-2011, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by klattu

Volkswagon towing capacity...dang I'm just too old to accept that phrase.

Or not old enough... it's not a new concept. There was a special travel trailer for Beetles in the '70s, that hooked to the top of the beetle 5th-wheel style.

YouTube - VW Beetle pulls fifth wheel travel trailer

Ike T · 04-16-2011, 09:30 AM

It is a shame there was never a Herbie movie with that trailer.

JFScheck · 04-22-2011, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ike T

It is a shame there was never a Herbie movie with that trailer.

And have both animated? Guess Herbie would be the boy and the trailer the girl?

Westfalia · 05-17-2011, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFScheck

Javier, keep an eye on your hitch to frame mounting points, fellow Cayenne owners (three now) and one T-Rex owners have found bent/deformed bolts observed from bottom of tow vehicles when on jacks.

Keep within your prescribed weights, keep an eye especially on your tongue weight and T-Rex max GVWR limitations and you should have many years of fun with your tv/Airstream package!

I'm searching for this evidence and haven't found it yet. Can you cite examples please?

Timofeevich · 07-12-2011, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnroth

The vehicle with factory hitch has a rated tongue weight of 770 lbs as stated in the manual. Some factory hitches have a label which VW has confirmed to me is erroneous. They have verified that the factory hitch meets the published specs and the label is incorrect. All my previous hitches were labeled as 770 and 7700 lbs as the published specs state.

I am facing a dilemma : friends are selling Airstream PanAmerica 34' (which I like very much), but my car is VW Touarge 2 with 7,716 lb.
Can the Touareg 2 V8 4.2TDI handle the Airstream PanAmerica 34' that has UBW (Unit Base Weight) 7,288lb ? I am not planning to carry any bikers in it over the long distance, but just move it empty from point A to point B. I have never towed any trailers before and also concerned about the tongue weight of Airstream PanAmerica, which is 1,260 (17% of the net weight of of PanAmerica)

JFScheck · 07-13-2011, 02:36 AM

Timofeevich
From a VW Touareg / Porsche Cayenne owner who has many miles of towing with these vehicles all over the country....

My answer is a strong - NO...

Westfalia
Sorry, I am not at will to provide VIN's, particular info, etc. - other instances continue to surface, I feel confident these folks too will be fairly quiet as their issues are worked out, quietly...

I only ask my fellow German SUV owners to inspect their hitch assemblies as part of periodical maintenance, same as I do with my F-350, Cayenne Turbo & Mercedes ML63 AMG....

I am no longer in procession of my Touareg TDI, nor do i desire to further discuss this issue.

All I'm suggesting to anyone who tows with any type tow vehicle is that they inspect their TV and all components that comprise of said systems, it's the smart thing to do...

All vehicles will have issues, especially when towing large trailers such as race car trailers & Airstreams, regardless of manufacture or type...

Westfalia · 07-13-2011, 10:12 AM

JFS, I'm am confused by your answer and a little put off with your response. I was not looking for VINs or other personally identifiable information. I wanted you to substantiate your claim by directing the readers or myself to some discussion, hopefully a technical one, discussing the stress cracking and bolt deformation on Cayenne/Touareg hitches since they are one and the same. I have done some cursory web searches and haven't found any specifics as of yet.

As you know, inspecting the hitch beyond the small cross section when the receiver is welded to the cross bar/bumper impact bar is difficult as it completely hidden from view behind the bumper shell. While I do intend on some day taking the rear bumper assembly off, it is not a casual affair to do semi-annually. I have installed my own hitches in the past, so I am fully aware of the work involved.

Keeping this kind of information a secret is just as bad a pretending that it could never happen. I understand the need for discretion, especially as it related to factory concessions or buy backs. YOU called into question the integrity of the hitch assembly and/or attachment point and you should quantify your statement.

Westfalia · 07-13-2011, 12:13 PM

Of note, I went out and inspected my Touareg hitch. You can inspect 1 1/2 bolts per side (out of four) by doing a visual inspections. There is a heat shield in the way partially obscuring the outer bolt. The top two bolts are not visible. A proper visual inspection cannot be performed from below.

I await your reply.

Westfalia · 07-13-2011, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timofeevich

I am facing a dilemma : friends are selling Airstream PanAmerica 34' (which I like very much), but my car is VW Touarge 2 with 7,716 lb.
Can the Touareg 2 V8 4.2TDI handle the Airstream PanAmerica 34' that has UBW (Unit Base Weight) 7,288lb ? I am not planning to carry any bikers in it over the long distance, but just move it empty from point A to point B. I have never towed any trailers before and also concerned about the tongue weight of Airstream PanAmerica, which is 1,260 (17% of the net weight of of PanAmerica)

I will also qualify this answer as NO. Max stated tongue weight of the Touareg hitch is 770, which is WELL under 1260 stated. In reality, 1260 is probably a useless figure. Installed options almost ALWAYS increase the hitch weight, including propane, gear, WD hitch, panoramic windows, etc. My 27FB with a stated tongue weight of 750 is really more like 920.

Don't do it.

Timofeevich · 07-13-2011, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFScheck

Timofeevich
From a VW Touareg / Porsche Cayenne owner who has many miles of towing with these vehicles all over the country....

My answer is a strong - NO...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westfalia

I will also qualify this answer as NO. Max stated tongue weight of the Touareg hitch is 770, which is WELL under 1260 stated. In reality, 1260 is probably a useless figure. Installed options almost ALWAYS increase the hitch weight, including propane, gear, WD hitch, panoramic windows, etc. My 27FB with a stated tongue weight of 750 is really more like 920.

Don't do it.

Many thanks to JFScheck and Westfalia !

JFScheck · 07-13-2011, 01:50 PM

These vehicles are really great for towing - just need to make sure you have the proper setup and don't exceed the ratings as per VW/Porsche.

For that 34, I think the best Tow Vehicle would be some sort of 3/4 or 1 ton Pickup or SUV....

Nightwatch · 07-14-2011, 06:58 AM

You absolutely should not tow that Pan America with your Touareg. Far too much tongue weight is one issue. But also remember trailer weight both for pulling and especially for stopping. We have all seen the heavy weigh lifters get a jumbo jet going pulling it by hand. Pulling is not necessarily the issue (on flat ground) - but ask that same lifter to stop the jet once it's moving. Now what if it's going downhill?

I pull a 23' airstream with my touareg V8 4.2. It pulls and it fine, and stops it fine with a good break controller. But I am well within the limits. JFS Check and a few others pulled a 25 with a very good hitch (proride) and by watching their weight. I would never recommend going over a 25 with a touareg.

Rawn77 · 07-14-2011, 09:19 AM

I'll disagree with the general public here. I would say your Touareg would do fine as long as you reinforced your hitch, and had the right w/d settings (very few do, even if they think they do).
Try calling Andy at CanAm RV. They reinforced my ML320 and it pulls fine!

Remember 98% of the people here think we're nuts; which leaves a tiny minority who think otherwise. Out of those 98%; 0% have ever tried a CanAm combination. Try finding one post from a CanAm client whose unhappy. There are none!

OrangeKid · 07-14-2011, 12:28 PM

We are thinking of getting a 2011/2012 Touareg TDI to tow our 2007 23' Safari SE. We have been using a 2006 Sequoia 4.7L V-8 4WD SR5 to tow it. The Sequoia does fine using an Equalizer hitch. We recently downsized and moved into Condo in downtown Portland, OR and do not have a use for two autos any more.

We would like to sell our Sequoia, which is too large and ponderous for use on a daily basis in Portland, and our Honda C-RV EX and replace them with one auto to serve daily use and frequent towing.

The Touareg TDI seems to meet our requirements of a smaller vehicle with good mileage for use around Portland but also possessing a 7700 lb tow limit so we can tow our Safari. My one concern is that the actual hitch weight of our 23' Safari with two 30 lb Propane tanks and two glass mat batteries is 880 lbs. Can the Touareg safely tow our rig? Others have said that a 23' Safari towed with a Touareg is the perfect combination.

mojo · 07-14-2011, 01:00 PM

As stated earlier in this thread, the max hitch/tongue weight for all Touareg factory hitches is 770lbs. It's up to you to formulate you're own conclusion or alternative methods.

OrangeKid · 07-14-2011, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojo

As stated earlier in this thread, the max hitch/tongue weight for all Touareg factory hitches is 770lbs. It's up to you to formulate you're own conclusion or alternative methods.

I actually weighed my tongue using a Sherline Trailer Tongue Weight Scale which I purchased. It is supposed to be accurate +/- 2% in the center and +/- 3% near the edge of the scale. I suspect a lot of trailer tongues are heavier than most owners realize, unless they actually weigh it. There is nothing unusual about my 23' Safari to make the tongue heavier than other similar Safaris.

In any case I don't think a Touareg will work for us. We visited the local VW dealer and test drove one today. It drives beautifully and the TDI diesel is very smooth, quiet and powerful. I wish we could use a Touareg as a tow vehicle but it appears it will not work.

The actual tongue weight limit on the Touareg is 616 lbs, as stated in the owner's manual and on the factory installed receiver. I don't know where you or other forum members got the 770 lb figure that is quoted over and over. Maybe pre-2011 Touaregs had heavier tongue weight limits. According to the owner's manual no weight distributing hitch can be used. I think these two factors eliminate the possibility of using a Touareg to tow our 23' Airstream.

I have images from the 2011 Tuareg owner's manual and from labels on the hitch and door for documentation. Unfortunately I cannot upload the images into this forum. I successfully uploaded the images to the ClubTouareg.com forum, which uses the same forum software. Also the location of the center of the ball must be located within some pretty close tolerances, according to another label.