Fortunate1

Can you still get a foot under the bumper to activate the lift gate? This installation looks like I could bang a shin trying to get the rear open, if it's still foot-operable.

EEMan

I have learned a few things to share. Speaking with an Audi Customer Care rep I was told that towing with an allroad is not recommended and was a "business" decision. Checking the Web the EU allroad is rated at 750Kg for a load without brakes--say 1500 lbs. 4200 for a trailer with brakes. They must be smarter or better drivers or something. How do we carry bicycles? No option for that. Sorry. I submitted a customer dissatisfaction complaint for what it is worth.

I am pretty confident that I can find a hitch that will be satsifactory, but interfacing to the electronics in the car may be an issue. My salesman is trying to help and spoke with their shop foreman. They have not tried this on an allroad, but both the Q5 and Q7 will tow and they both have driver assist available. They think it should work for me. Sounds promising.

It will be interesting yo see MadAlhazred learns.

CoMeader

This lack of a hitch and proper electronics to disable the rear sensors when a trailer is attached, like it does in Europe, (among other cool goodies like trailer steering via the MMI wheel) is one of the biggest AoA product management fails on the new Allroad. Marketing this as an active lifestyle vehicle while removing the hitch & wiring option in the US is contradictory.

When looking for trailer wiring kits, I'd suggest getting a kit that doesn't require splicing into the vehicle wiring such as the one linked below:
https://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-...119250KIT.html

I'll be curious to see what your dealer finds out about towing with the driver's assist. I suspect that the factory wiring controller in the Q7 is taking care of the drivers assist changes necessary the same way it sets the air suspension into trailer mode automatically when you attach the trailer.

EEMan

Thanks for your thoughts and the link. Very helpful.

BSW

I can only assume that AOA assumes it as a soccer mom sort of lifestyle vehicle (not just the allroad, but wagons in general) when in fact it's quite the opposite.

CoMeader

I wish I knew what AoA was thinking about a lot of things Avant/Allroad. Would be cool to have a user group where we could ask the product management folks questions (I promise to be polite).

I know my soccer mom prefers to drive the LR3 when we go biking because she can gets bikes on the hitch mounted carrier, but she can't lift them high enough to get them on a roof rack comfortably.

MadAlhazred

So, more information about the hitch I installed. A few other things have gone wrong with this installation:

1) the foot sweep mechanism has an antenna in the bumper were a cutout was required. The instructions for the Curt hitch didn't mention that (since it's an A4 hitch). The antenna was cut and needs to be replaced.

2) there's a lot a lot of wiring running around back there (ok, no surprise there), and the hitch installer manage to pinch and damage a wiring harness that now needs to be replaced.

Painful experience, but with no hitch this car is of no use to me. I read the manual before ordering and there was information in it about towing but I had no idea that hitch options were so restricted (wish I had run across this forum back then).

BTW, I'm only towing a very small boat (it weighs less than 200lbs) on a very tiny trailer.

EEMan

Sorry to hear about your difficulties. There are tons of small lighteight trailers allroad owners might find convenient. This is outrageous.

justaute

One of the reasons why Volvo V90 Cross Country is so sweet. Go to 5:55.

CoMeader

It's a nice car. If I liked the console and dash better I might be driving one now instead of my Allroad, but it probably would have been a regular V90 instead of the XC version.