Audi Q7 tow vehicle

[Paulizor]

I flagged this fellow down in Zion National Park to talk abot how he’s towing a 6000 pound 23’ Airstream through the mountains of Utah. Turns out the 3 litre turbocharged Audi does just fine with its 7700 pound towing capacity giving 12mpg average even through the 9000’ elevations up to 15mpg on the Interstate. So I guess I’m rethinking the big pickup truck at least for now. Interested (?)

[propchef]

The big luxury SUVs can be great tow vehicles. The Audi, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5, Land Rover Defender can all handle the 25' or 27' just fine. In my BMW I get up 8% grades without loss of speed or momentum and down the other side rarely touching the brakes. I got 13 mpg last time out pulling through NORCAL mountains.

[2012FB]

I had Andy at CANAM reinforce the receiver on my new 2014 ML350 BluTec and he provided a complete customized Equalizer hitch setup to pull a 2012 25”. I put nearly 45,000 miles on the combo all throughout the country and the mountains of CO. It is by far my favorite tow vehicle.

[jump]

I have some questions for yall that tow with the Euro SUVs :
can I tow up and down mountains with gas or do I need a diesel?
How does the v6 gas do for towing?
What are the modifications that are made to the hitch at CanAm?
Id like to hear from actual owners of these SUVs who have 25', 27', or 28', please.
Thanks for your input .

[propchef]

Originally Posted by jump

I have some questions for yall that tow with the Euro SUVs :
can I tow up and down mountains with gas or do I need a diesel?
How does the v6 gas do for towing?
What are the modifications that are made to the hitch at CanAm?
Id like to hear from actual owners of these SUVs who have 25', 27', or 28', please.
Thanks for your input .

Our X5 does fine in the Northern CA mountains with 8% grades. I'm able to easily keep up with the pace of traffic. BMW doesn't use a V6 but a turbocharged inline 6 with 335 HP and 331# of low-end torque. They don't offer diesel anymore in NA. Power isn't an issue and if you want more they also make a V8 and the M versions which have over 600 hp. The brakes are as big if not bigger than most 1/2 tons and some 3/4 tons. We got 13 MPG on our last tow.
The CanAm mod is a simple brace that removes any potential flex from the factory receiver. We don't have that mod.

[JetstreamAS]

Jump-

With any tow vehicle you should make sure you are also safely within your manufacturer's rated tongue weight and payload max as those two numbers often are overlooked. A tow vehicle may be able to "tow xxxxx" as far as a trailer's gross vehicle weight on paper but that does not always mean you will not be near or over the limit on another specification for the tow vehicle. If you max your tongue weight out for your factory receiver and/or can't put what you want in your tow vehicle for cargo, people, racks and whatever else you should look to move on to a more capable tow vehicle. Try and anticipate how much you may carry now and in the future, meaning if your cargo needs might increase or you may buy a bigger trailer. If that is the situation you want enough capacity the first time and not have to buy another tow vehicle.

Other considerations are what any tow vehicle can offer as far as capable towing specs for the engine, brakes, suspension and transmission as well. If you will tow in the mountains often also note that "my tow vehicle works in the far right lane with the semi-trucks" and "the guy at the dealer said my brake controller would do it all" and "I talked to a guy at the campground that does it all the time" are not always the most accurate measuring sticks for how your tow vehicle should safely perform.

There is a ton of information on this site and others for you to review in advance of making any purchase/decision so you can "measure twice and cut once" on your choice!

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Paulizor

I flagged this fellow down in Zion National Park to talk abot how he’s towing a 6000 pound 23’ Airstream through the mountains of Utah. Turns out the 3 litre turbocharged Audi does just fine with its 7700 pound towing capacity giving 12mpg average even through the 9000’ elevations up to 15mpg on the Interstate. So I guess I’m rethinking the big pickup truck at least for now. Interested (?)

As stated, there are many threads on this topic here on the Forum. There are also many folks who will disagree on what you can do, and what makes more sense for safety and staying within your vehicles specifications. Towing a 23' (TW 500lbs;GVWR6000lbs) is much different than towing a 25' (TW 875lbs; GVWR7300lbs) or 27' ( TW 850lbs; GVWR7600lb); especially in the mountains/up and down. Do you want to carry a generator, bbq grill, extra propane bottle, fire wood, or other gear; do you plan to carry more than 2 passengers? Do your research and hopefully end up with a TV that will suite your lifestyle/towing needs.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by jump

I have some questions for yall that tow with the Euro SUVs :
can I tow up and down mountains with gas or do I need a diesel?
How does the v6 gas do for towing?
What are the modifications that are made to the hitch at CanAm?
Id like to hear from actual owners of these SUVs who have 25', 27', or 28', please.
Thanks for your input .

Lots of towing experience here with BMW SUVs, but none of the trailers were Airstreams if that matters to you. They were up to the same weight as the trailers you reference.

All our trips were in the mountains. The naturally aspirated six cylinder did fine. The turbocharged six cylinder did very well. None of the diesel SUVs had more power, they actually had less, so the performance of any of them would not match the gasoline version in things like towing on hills.

We didn't have the CanAm hitch reinforcement modification on either of our BMW SUVs; it depends on which factory hitch you have whether it is needed or not. I would not hesitate to do that modification. I would rely on CanAm for advice specific to your vehicle as to whether it is recommended. The hitch modification allows a user to utilize more of the capabilities that are designed into the vehicle, as the OE receivers are not typically optimized for weight distributing equipment use, and WD is part of the formula for North American trailers.

Note that modifications are not required to the vehicle other than the hitch. Unlike North American vehicles that require a factory towing package with additional engine and transmission cooling, as well as other modifications, for trailers of this size and weight, Euro SUVs are all typically designed to tow their rated loads without vehicle modifications other than to the hitch receiver.

I would steer clear of the 25, as the trailer design can lead owners to overload the tongue, and tongue weight is one of the specs you will need to manage. The 23 or 27/28 would work fine.

If you want to carry large amounts of cargo, then you may be better served by a truck with more cargo capacity. That isn't because of a towing limitation for the SUV, it is a cargo carrying limitation. We tend to pack lightly; no boat and motor; no firewood, no generator, no cast iron cookware collection. YMMV

[Cheoah]

Best tow rig I’ve ever run but my airstream only weighs ~5000lbs soaking wet.

Same platform as the Cayenne and Q7. I flew to Toledo in 2019 to buy ours, with about 75k miles on it. It has been flawless, but it takes extra effort to maintain. Or money if you’ve got someone capable.

I managed a fleet of trucks and tractors for 20 years so the maintenance burden is minimal. Most people know that German cars can cost more to run and this Treg/Cayenne/Q7 is no exception. Many caution that they eat tires and brakes but that’s not what I’ve found with our 2015. I do not drive timidly on our mountain roads, but I also barely use the brakes. The trans on this thing is unreal.

They really are great machines but they’re not for everyone, and if something goes wrong, it can be super $$ and the techs at the dealership can be incompetent. No fault of their own, just not enough of the TDI variant to gain experience with every repair.

I would not consider the V6 gas model to be as capable as the TDI when towing routinely but I’ve never owned one. In the case of my 2015 model, the V6 gas generates 265 ft lbs of torque and the TDI 406. That is with stock tuning, which can be improved considerably on the TDI without taxing stock equipment. Edit: Or cheating emissions testing.

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by Paulizor

I flagged this fellow down in Zion National Park to talk abot how he’s towing a 6000 pound 23’ Airstream through the mountains of Utah. Turns out the 3 litre turbocharged Audi does just fine with its 7700 pound towing capacity giving 12mpg average even through the 9000’ elevations up to 15mpg on the Interstate. So I guess I’m rethinking the big pickup truck at least for now. Interested (?)

A turbocharged engine loses nothing at high elevations. That’s a key benefit.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by jcl

Lots of towing experience here with BMW SUVs, but none of the trailers were Airstreams if that matters to you. They were up to the same weight as the trailers you reference.

All our trips were in the mountains. The naturally aspirated six cylinder did fine. The turbocharged six cylinder did very well. None of the diesel SUVs had more power, they actually had less, so the performance of any of them would not match the gasoline version in things like towing on hills.

We didn't have the CanAm hitch reinforcement modification on either of our BMW SUVs; it depends on which factory hitch you have whether it is needed or not. I would not hesitate to do that modification. I would rely on CanAm for advice specific to your vehicle as to whether it is recommended. The hitch modification allows a user to utilize more of the capabilities that are designed into the vehicle, as the OE receivers are not typically optimized for weight distributing equipment use, and WD is part of the formula for North American trailers.

Note that modifications are not required to the vehicle other than the hitch. Unlike North American vehicles that require a factory towing package with additional engine and transmission cooling, as well as other modifications, for trailers of this size and weight, Euro SUVs are all typically designed to tow their rated loads without vehicle modifications other than to the hitch receiver.

I would steer clear of the 25, as the trailer design can lead owners to overload the tongue, and tongue weight is one of the specs you will need to manage. The 23 or 27/28 would work fine.

If you want to carry large amounts of cargo, then you may be better served by a truck with more cargo capacity. That isn't because of a towing limitation for the SUV, it is a cargo carrying limitation. We tend to pack lightly; no boat and motor; no firewood, no generator, no cast iron cookware collection. YMMV

JCL- The 23' may work fine; but the 25' and larger 27'/28' will not work fine, unless you have a hitch that will support 1000lb+ tongue weight! Mine weighs in at 1100lbs...my 25 did also.

[GCinSC2]

Originally Posted by jcl

We tend to pack lightly; no cast iron cookware collection. YMMV

Last trip included a Lodge 10 qt Dutch oven. We made a 5 lb boneless prime rib in it at a NC state park. Served four of us.

And later that week the same DO filled up with bean soup from scratch cooked over the fire ring and cardboard box oven cooked corn bread in a cast iron skillet.

With the capabilities of a Dodge Ram 2500 carrying the gear and more. That’s part of our camping experience.

[JetstreamAS]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Last trip included a Lodge 10 qt Dutch oven. We made a 5 lb boneless prime rib in it at a NC state park. Served four of us.

And later that week the same DO filled up with bean soup from scratch cooked over the fire ring and cardboard box oven cooked corn bread in a cast iron skillet.

With the capabilities of a Dodge Ram 2500 carrying the gear and more. That’s part of our camping experience.

Yep. This is more what we are used to as well as far as weight, packed gear and and being able to bring what we want for a few days or a few weeks.

This was getting on the "sort of packed out" side but not even close to full recently. We still had almost 1K of margin on the truck and plenty on the trailer as well:

[jcl]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

JCL- The 23' may work fine; but the 25' and larger 27'/28' will not work fine, unless you have a hitch that will support 1000lb+ tongue weight! Mine weighs in at 1100lbs...my 25 did also.

I discussed the receiver modification to manage tongue weight. The limits will likely be having a receiver stiff enough to transfer weight without flexing when using WD, and the tow vehicle rear axle load rating.

I wouldn’t plan to load the trailer to achieve an 1100 lb tongue weight. That is 16% with a 7000 lb trailer. 7000 lbs assumes you are not loading your trailer to 100% of rating. What tongue weight % can you achieve by better distributing your cargo?

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by jcl

I discussed the receiver modification to manage tongue weight. The limits will likely be having a receiver stiff enough to transfer weight without flexing when using WD, and the tow vehicle rear axle load rating.

I wouldn’t plan to load the trailer to achieve an 1100 lb tongue weight. That is 16% with a 7000 lb trailer. 7000 lbs assumes you are not loading your trailer to 100% of rating. What tongue weight % can you achieve by better distributing your cargo?

You may not understand since you haven't owned an AS...my currant 28' is 1100lbs with full water, propane, and minimal loading; was same for my 25' RB. If you had owned an AS at some point, you would perhaps understand that the specs for the 25' and larger AS's are typically off actual tongue weights, by couple hundred pounds or more, without heavy loading of personnel gear up front; just how it works out. Which is why it is important to weigh your tongue weight and AS so you know what your towing. Also why it's important to stay within your TV specs...as many of us here preach.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

You may not understand since you haven't owned an AS...my current 28' is 1100lbs with full water, propane, and minimal loading; was same for my 25' RB. If you had owned an AS at some point, you would perhaps understand that the specs for the 25' and larger AS's are typically off actual tongue weights, by couple hundred pounds or more, without heavy loading of personnel gear up front; just how it works out. Which is why it is important to weigh your tongue weight and AS so you know what you're towing.

Trailer loading experience is not dependent on brand. Agree with measuring tongue weight. Why are you talking about putting heavy personal gear up front, instead of on the axle line or just behind it?

Load management is a series of decisions.

Are you saying you are not able to load any differently so as to reduce your excessive tongue weight?

[jcl]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Last trip included a Lodge 10 qt Dutch oven. We made a 5 lb boneless prime rib in it at a NC state park. Served four of us.

And later that week the same DO filled up with bean soup from scratch cooked over the fire ring and cardboard box oven cooked corn bread in a cast iron skillet.

With the capabilities of a Dodge Ram 2500 carrying the gear and more. That’s part of our camping experience.

I understand. Everyone will have a different camping experience IMO. I wasn't picking on cast iron cookware; we have more than ten pieces of Le Creuset at home, plus lids, and use them a lot. We just don't take any of them camping. I could have used a different example.

I recall your thread on cast iron camp cookware.

[JetstreamAS]

Whether a Q7 or any other potential tow vehicle, decisions about proper load capacity, placement or other issues should always begin with a tow vehicle that has the proper specifications for now and in the future. Seems silly to have to put so much time into worrying about being up against any rating, what you can take or not, mountains vs. flat, vehicle capabilities, making modifications and all the other stuff.

I would not tow a trailer of any kind if I had to overthink, doubt and worry about it all as that requires a lot of mental capital being expended that takes away from the experience. Far easier to just get a tow vehicle that will pull without question and second guessing every time you are on the road.

[Maverick_GO]

We tow a 22’ caravel with a pro pride hitch 450gls.

3 rows of seating, roof box. Tows like it’s not even there.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by jcl

Trailer loading experience is not dependent on brand. Agree with measuring tongue weight. Why are you talking about putting heavy personal gear up front, instead of on the axle line or just behind it?

Load management is a series of decisions.

Are you saying you are not able to load any differently so as to reduce your excessive tongue weight?

Load management? I don't have heavy personal gear up front...not sure where you got that? I said the 25, 27/28' AS's tongue weights are typically over factory spec by 100+ lbs or more, without any additional heavy personal gear.