Towing Trailer
03-05-2018, 07:49 PM
#1
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Towing Trailer
I am looking into a 7 x 12 or 14, tandem axle enclosed trailer for moving across the U.S.
2015 Q7 Prestige S line 3.0 Tfsi, on air, with factory installed receiver hitch and wiring.
I will install a brake controller, (looking at redarc) no biggie and I will need a 2 & 5/16 inch ball.
Here is where I get confused, especially after reading this article. (see below) Why would the weight tow capacity increase just for being in Europe? Like they have more power in their vehicles?
I am looking for a super short hitch for the ball, to get as close to axle as I can, without spending $180 on the OEM.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Please help me shed some light and make the right decisions for towing easily!
__________________________________________________ ____________________________________________
I did some research about this when I bought my 20ft Featherlite and I decided to replace my Q7 4.2 for a Q7 TDI.
BTW, coming from the 4.2 to the TDI, it was just night and day!
The 4.2 was a 2007 premium full equipped (with air suspension) and was a pig.
The TDI is so much lighter (no air suspension and multiple useless options) and the torque is phenomenal.
One of my best buy and I had quite a few cars, or toys… ;-)
One thing you should consider, if you want an enclosed trailer, is an Aluminium trailer.
Few numbers…
Car: 2500 lbs
Gear (wheels and tires, tools, jack, fuel, parts…): 500 Lbs
Trailer: 2900 Lbs
Winch, battery, race ramp 100 lbs
Total load: 6000 lbs
Towing capacity : Q7 TDI - 6600 lbs (Canada/US) or 7700lbs in Europe!
2015 Q7 Prestige S line 3.0 Tfsi, on air, with factory installed receiver hitch and wiring.
I will install a brake controller, (looking at redarc) no biggie and I will need a 2 & 5/16 inch ball.
Here is where I get confused, especially after reading this article. (see below) Why would the weight tow capacity increase just for being in Europe? Like they have more power in their vehicles?
I am looking for a super short hitch for the ball, to get as close to axle as I can, without spending $180 on the OEM.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Please help me shed some light and make the right decisions for towing easily!
__________________________________________________ ____________________________________________
I did some research about this when I bought my 20ft Featherlite and I decided to replace my Q7 4.2 for a Q7 TDI.
BTW, coming from the 4.2 to the TDI, it was just night and day!
The 4.2 was a 2007 premium full equipped (with air suspension) and was a pig.
The TDI is so much lighter (no air suspension and multiple useless options) and the torque is phenomenal.
One of my best buy and I had quite a few cars, or toys… ;-)
One thing you should consider, if you want an enclosed trailer, is an Aluminium trailer.
Few numbers…
Car: 2500 lbs
Gear (wheels and tires, tools, jack, fuel, parts…): 500 Lbs
Trailer: 2900 Lbs
Winch, battery, race ramp 100 lbs
Total load: 6000 lbs
Towing capacity : Q7 TDI - 6600 lbs (Canada/US) or 7700lbs in Europe!
03-06-2018, 10:12 AM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
Both the Touareg and the Cayenne are rated for 7700lbs in US and the Q7 is supposed to be same platform just with a slightly longer wheel base, they have the same cooling systems and drivetrain.. but the Q7 is ~500lbs heavier and has a higher gross weight that probably accounts for the 1k pound difference.. I cant find the references to 7700lbs in Europe tho however the v10 TDI in Europe did pull a ****ing 747 so they definitely have vehicles w/more power.
personally I wouldn't sweat towing ~7700lbs behind my Q7, especially a one time cross country move.. just take it nice and easy.. I found a Canadian company that was modifying Touareg's and Q7's with more structure on hitch so it could safely handle a weight distribution setup, after the mods they were towing ~9k pound rigs around with no sweat.. without the extra structure a I heard of one guy breaking his receiver off going over a speed bump trying to use a WD hitch, and realistically towing without a WD hitch is going to top out at around 600-700lbs of tongue weight anyhow so I'd be paying more attention to tongue weight and load balance than overall weight.
Tow ratings can be taken with a grain of salt, its advisable to stay close to em but exceeding it is not the end of the world.. I towed ~1500lbs around behind my Golf TDI for ~40k miles and in the US it had no rating for towing but did just fine, I used the euro ratings which were far less conservative, but I was using european hitches too.. our hitches in US are not quite the same either.. Your responsible for your load ultimately, not the ratings.. so if your confident in you and your vehicles abilities then who cares as long as its safe.. does not sound like your gonna be one of those idiots you always see with a 12k lb 5th wheel hooked up to a F150 pickup and being grossly negligent with the vehicle's ratings.
personally I wouldn't sweat towing ~7700lbs behind my Q7, especially a one time cross country move.. just take it nice and easy.. I found a Canadian company that was modifying Touareg's and Q7's with more structure on hitch so it could safely handle a weight distribution setup, after the mods they were towing ~9k pound rigs around with no sweat.. without the extra structure a I heard of one guy breaking his receiver off going over a speed bump trying to use a WD hitch, and realistically towing without a WD hitch is going to top out at around 600-700lbs of tongue weight anyhow so I'd be paying more attention to tongue weight and load balance than overall weight.
Tow ratings can be taken with a grain of salt, its advisable to stay close to em but exceeding it is not the end of the world.. I towed ~1500lbs around behind my Golf TDI for ~40k miles and in the US it had no rating for towing but did just fine, I used the euro ratings which were far less conservative, but I was using european hitches too.. our hitches in US are not quite the same either.. Your responsible for your load ultimately, not the ratings.. so if your confident in you and your vehicles abilities then who cares as long as its safe.. does not sound like your gonna be one of those idiots you always see with a 12k lb 5th wheel hooked up to a F150 pickup and being grossly negligent with the vehicle's ratings.
Last edited by dreadlocks; 03-08-2018 at 01:33 PM.
03-06-2018, 11:06 AM
#3
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Both the Touareg and the Cayenne are rated for 7700lbs in US and the Q7 is supposed to be same platform just with a slightly longer wheel base, they have the same cooling systems and drivetrain.. but the Q7 is ~500lbs heavier and has a higher gross weight that probably accounts for the 1k pound difference.. I cant find the references to 7700lbs in Europe tho however the v10 TDI Q7 in Europe did pull a ****ing 747 so they definitely have vehicles w/more power.
personally I wouldn't sweat towing ~7700lbs behind my Q7, especially a one time cross country move.. just take it nice and easy.. I found a Canadian company that was modifying Touareg's and Q7's with more structure on hitch so it could safely handle a weight distribution setup, after the mods they were towing ~9k pound rigs around with no sweat.. without the extra structure a I heard of one guy breaking his receiver off going over a speed bump trying to use a WD hitch, and realistically towing without a WD hitch is going to top out at around 800lbs of tongue weight anyhow so I'd be paying more attention to tongue weight and load balance than overall weight.
Tow ratings can be taken with a grain of salt, its advisable to stay close to em but exceeding it is not the end of the world.. I towed ~1500lbs around behind my Golf TDI for ~40k miles and in the US it had no rating for towing but did just fine, I used the euro ratings which were far less conservative, but I was using european hitches too.. our hitches in US are not quite the same either.. Your responsible for your load ultimately, not the ratings.. so if your confident in you and your vehicles abilities then who cares as long as its safe.. does not sound like your gonna be one of those idiots you always see with a 12k lb 5th wheel hooked up to a F150 pickup and being grossly negligent with the vehicle's ratings.
personally I wouldn't sweat towing ~7700lbs behind my Q7, especially a one time cross country move.. just take it nice and easy.. I found a Canadian company that was modifying Touareg's and Q7's with more structure on hitch so it could safely handle a weight distribution setup, after the mods they were towing ~9k pound rigs around with no sweat.. without the extra structure a I heard of one guy breaking his receiver off going over a speed bump trying to use a WD hitch, and realistically towing without a WD hitch is going to top out at around 800lbs of tongue weight anyhow so I'd be paying more attention to tongue weight and load balance than overall weight.
Tow ratings can be taken with a grain of salt, its advisable to stay close to em but exceeding it is not the end of the world.. I towed ~1500lbs around behind my Golf TDI for ~40k miles and in the US it had no rating for towing but did just fine, I used the euro ratings which were far less conservative, but I was using european hitches too.. our hitches in US are not quite the same either.. Your responsible for your load ultimately, not the ratings.. so if your confident in you and your vehicles abilities then who cares as long as its safe.. does not sound like your gonna be one of those idiots you always see with a 12k lb 5th wheel hooked up to a F150 pickup and being grossly negligent with the vehicle's ratings.
I am also trying to find the shortes ball mount, as Audis OEM is ridiculously priced and I have no need for another 2" ball!
Yeah, i've towed my share of trailers from snowmobile to goosenecks grossly overloaded! Had my dads GM 6.5 turbo diesel 1 ton with a gooseneck and was so under powered that I could not hardly get the thing moving, so in turn, I left super ample space and avoided at all costs, weigh stations!
I do not picture packing anywhere close to the trailers capability of 7500 lbs. but, I always want to be prepared. Heaviest thing would be my tools/toolbox. Also have quite a few super heavy buddha garden statues. Possibly my motorcycle and a commercial juice press if they don't sell.
I would think that pulling 7500 would not be an issue even so.
I am looking forward to pulling out of town starting a new life in a new place!
03-06-2018, 05:23 PM
#4
AudiWorld Super User
I'm glad you're ahead of the curve on the shortest possible distance to the receiver - I always recommend that - I don't worry about oil/water cooling or wear on the tranny when I tow, but the tongue weight for rear suspension wear. They are good springs, but I don't think the factory springs will be 100% unaffected after a cross-country trip with a tongue weight near the limit - so yes closer is best.
Maybe take the trailer for a pre-drive on some hills and a freeway to get a feel for how the Q will do on the real drive. It certainly could not hurt to do so the day before you start the trip - that way you'll be local if you need to make modifications/ get different parts.
Lastly, I did a 7200 lb tow, but only for a few miles - when driving I couldn't tell that it was more than the 5000 lb tow I did 1 hour before that.
Maybe take the trailer for a pre-drive on some hills and a freeway to get a feel for how the Q will do on the real drive. It certainly could not hurt to do so the day before you start the trip - that way you'll be local if you need to make modifications/ get different parts.
Lastly, I did a 7200 lb tow, but only for a few miles - when driving I couldn't tell that it was more than the 5000 lb tow I did 1 hour before that.
03-06-2018, 08:23 PM
#5
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
I'm glad you're ahead of the curve on the shortest possible distance to the receiver - I always recommend that - I don't worry about oil/water cooling or wear on the tranny when I tow, but the tongue weight for rear suspension wear. They are good springs, but I don't think the factory springs will be 100% unaffected after a cross-country trip with a tongue weight near the limit - so yes closer is best.
Maybe take the trailer for a pre-drive on some hills and a freeway to get a feel for how the Q will do on the real drive. It certainly could not hurt to do so the day before you start the trip - that way you'll be local if you need to make modifications/ get different parts.
Lastly, I did a 7200 lb tow, but only for a few miles - when driving I couldn't tell that it was more than the 5000 lb tow I did 1 hour before that.
Maybe take the trailer for a pre-drive on some hills and a freeway to get a feel for how the Q will do on the real drive. It certainly could not hurt to do so the day before you start the trip - that way you'll be local if you need to make modifications/ get different parts.
Lastly, I did a 7200 lb tow, but only for a few miles - when driving I couldn't tell that it was more than the 5000 lb tow I did 1 hour before that.
03-07-2018, 08:18 AM
#6
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
I seen your interaction concerning the remote start/heater systems. Hilarious!
This was a great write up if you care to read it as I did.
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...eater-2767551/
This was a great write up if you care to read it as I did.
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...eater-2767551/
03-08-2018, 06:45 AM
#7
AudiWorld Senior Member
regarding the taureg vs Q tow rating, I know there is more overhang between rear axle and receiver in the Q, and the moment arm has a large effect on weight over support, But just checked the GVW on Treg vs Q.
Treg is 6.1-6.3k, Q is 7.05k So ~750ish GVW difference, plus extra few inches of overhang, hence the 1k lb tow rating difference. Q has 2 more seats which accounts for higher GVW as well.
So, as everyone else mentioned, if you travel similar loading (saw 2 people) the "mechanical" limit in theory would still be close to that 7700 lbs, but the tongue weight keep it closer to 600 lbs rather than 700 as we do lave a longer moment arm.
Treg is 6.1-6.3k, Q is 7.05k So ~750ish GVW difference, plus extra few inches of overhang, hence the 1k lb tow rating difference. Q has 2 more seats which accounts for higher GVW as well.
So, as everyone else mentioned, if you travel similar loading (saw 2 people) the "mechanical" limit in theory would still be close to that 7700 lbs, but the tongue weight keep it closer to 600 lbs rather than 700 as we do lave a longer moment arm.
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03-08-2018, 12:33 PM
#8
AudiWorld Super User
regarding the taureg vs Q tow rating, I know there is more overhang between rear axle and receiver in the Q, and the moment arm has a large effect on weight over support, But just checked the GVW on Treg vs Q.
Treg is 6.1-6.3k, Q is 7.05k So ~750ish GVW difference, plus extra few inches of overhang, hence the 1k lb tow rating difference. Q has 2 more seats which accounts for higher GVW as well.
So, as everyone else mentioned, if you travel similar loading (saw 2 people) the "mechanical" limit in theory would still be close to that 7700 lbs, but the tongue weight keep it closer to 600 lbs rather than 700 as we do lave a longer moment arm.
Treg is 6.1-6.3k, Q is 7.05k So ~750ish GVW difference, plus extra few inches of overhang, hence the 1k lb tow rating difference. Q has 2 more seats which accounts for higher GVW as well.
So, as everyone else mentioned, if you travel similar loading (saw 2 people) the "mechanical" limit in theory would still be close to that 7700 lbs, but the tongue weight keep it closer to 600 lbs rather than 700 as we do lave a longer moment arm.
03-11-2018, 05:21 AM
#9
Tongue weight max is 660lbs on the Q7 w/factory tow. I've pulled north of 6600, but only in town at speeds of 30-35mph. Brake controller, 4.2L, air suspension, factory tow. No issues. I can also tell you that a properly loaded 20ft enclosed car trailer works fine behind it as well. I kept my speed to ~60mph just due to fuel economy, I was getting 13-14mpg.
03-11-2018, 05:23 AM
#10
Also, I've been trying to find a short tow bar with no luck. I'll probably buy a longer one and stick it in one of the coolant equipped horizontal drop saws at work, then use the drill press to put a new pin hole through it (or take it down the road to the machine shop).