mrfredo82

Hello,

I'm moving to NYC from Chicago and wanted to see if towing a U-Haul 4x8 or 5x8 cargo trailer for the 14 hour ride, with probably less than 1,000 lbs of weight in the trailer, would be harmful to the transmission or to the car in general? In addition, is there a special part I would need to get other than the stock tow hook already on the car?

I have a 2.0T Quattro with manual transmission.

Thank you.

Old Dog

There are a number of things to consider before towing. I recall a number of about 900kg maximum towing. For comparison, I have a 2011 Tiguan 2.0T 4Motion that has a maximum braked trailer towing capacity of 998K or about 2200 lbs. This means the trailer has to have electric brakes for this much weight. You say you want to tow about 1000 lbs, plus you have to add the weight of the trailer which will vary according to the size of the trailer. This may add 750-1000 lbs possibly, plus you have to consider the weight inside the vehicle (people, luggage, etc.). You may be near or over the max.

Further, FYI, you would never want to tow in 6th gear as this would put too much strain on the drivetrain. A little true story for you: A buddy of mine many years ago rented pretty well what you intend on getting when he was moving. On route the trailer started to fishtail and it ended up flipping on its side. You really need anti-sway bars to reduce the risk of this happening.

Personally, I think you should consider just renting a U-haul small-box truck and put the mileage and strain on it rather than your A4. I honestly wouldn't attempt to tow with the A4.

Good Luck on your move. Remember...Better safe than sorry .

GR8TTS

I installed a Curt hitch on my B5 A4 avant 1.8T 5-spd and pulled a 5x8 trailer from Alaska to Wyoming (3000 miles)over gravel roads and through snow storms. We never had any problems. A4 had 100,000 miles a the start of the trip and put another 37,000 miles trouble-free miles before replacing it with a B7 avant.

Old Dog

Glad to hear all went well on your trip from Alaska to Wyoming GR8TTS. May I ask approximately how heavy a load were you pulling, the weight of the trailer, and was it an enclosed trailer like the OP mentioned? Did you also have an anti-sway bar by chance? I think knowing this will help the OP and others in the future who may want to tow with their A4.

Thanks

GR8TTS

The trailer is enclosed and 5x8. It weighs 850 lb empty and the total weight was 1850 lb, no anti-sway bars. We averaged 16.5 mpg and the fuel economy dropped dramatically above 65 mph. The picture was taken at Kluane Lake, BC, 550 miles into the trip.

svt3565

I'm looking at towing the same Uhaul trailer with a 2006 Audi A4 2.0T quattro from NE to NY next summer. Car has 68k miles. Do you all think I'll be safe towing it and will the tranny be ok? Thank you.

GR8TTS

My B7 A4 Avant tiptronic had 78000 miles on it when I installed a Curtis hitch. I have towed a lightly loaded (850 lb empty with 500 lb of load for a total 1350 lb)5x8 enclosed trailer on several short trips (less than 70 miles). Road speeds were kept to less than 65 mph. The car now has 128K and I have not seen any issues. I also tow a trailer with a 15' catamaran without any problems (less than 1000 lbs).

ny tdi

I know this is an old thread, but my 2014 2.0T A4 6MT Quattro driver's manual says that we're limited to a class I or class II trailer. It doesn't mention any specific specs on trailer weights. However, here are the specs for towing from a british manual for a 2009 A4:





Interestingly, the 2.0T was not listed in the British Manual. BTW, a class II hitch can only tow 3500LBS. So why can we tow so much more across the pond?