How much weight can I really tow with a TDI?

[atikovi]

I’m going to tow dolly a car from DC to Vermont, leave it there and drive back empty, then go back to drag it back later. About 500 miles each way. Have a tow truck I could use but it only gets 11 mpg. I’m thinking between loaded and empty, I should get 45 mpg or more with a TDI. That’s roughly $650 in gas vs. $150 in diesel. Total weight I’d be pulling is about 3,400 pounds. How much can a MK4 or MK5 Jetta or similar year Passat wagon haul? And I don’t mean the official, written to satisfy the product liability worrying lawyers, weight, but if this was in Germany where they don’t concern themselves about that.

 

[oilhammer]

3300 pounds is what the Euro hitch is rated for on my 2000 Golf. I towed, via dolly, a '91 Jetta from Washington DC area home to STL without any problems (I was actually passing a lot of people through the mountains, LOL).

I only got 42 MPG though, but I was going slower than I normally would obviously.

I think the A2 Jetta only tips the scale around 2600 pounds, and I'm not exactly sure what my Kar Kaddy dolly weighs, but I was almost certainly over 3300 pounds. Not much of any tongue weight, though.

I would not want to have to deal with much traffic, though. If you have a route you can take then lets you cruise at a steady state without much stops you may be fine. Otherwise, you may not want to.

 

[belome]

Automatic or Manual?

I'd expect 25mpg or less hauling that much weight. [edit - total guess on my part, I was in the low 30's hauling 1,500 pounds once]

Also, what about weather in the north east, it would stink to be trying to haul that much unless the roads are clean and dry. Any snow and the tail would be wagging the dog.

 

[South Coast Guy]

I think that is way too much weight to think about towing. That is more than your car weighs now. Consider alternatives: 1. Junk the car for parts here. 2. Fix the car here. 3. Sell the car here.

 

[atikovi]

Haven't got the car but can pick one up at an auction easily, just finding a wagon with a hitch already installed may take a little time. Would prefer a manual especially if it has higher miles so as not to strain the automatic transmission.

And it's one day up and the night back so I could work around the weather.

I think that is way too much weight to think about towing. That is more than your car weighs now. Consider alternatives: 1. Junk the car for parts here. 2. Fix the car here. 3. Sell the car here.

If a 5,000 pound pickup can tow 8-10,000 pounds, this shouldn't be much of a stretch. Junk the car? It's 2013. Sell it here? Got to take it there for a salvage inspection before I can sell it here, at least for the price I want.

 

[CopaMundial]

Check into the thread "Show what you tow"
forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=255330

 

[belome]

So you would rather buy a car to save $500... I guess if you are in the business go for it.

 

[jettawreck]

It's not so much how much weight you can tow, but what you can stop. And even if the dolly has brakes, how effective are they? My tandem 20' trailer has electric brakes on it but even though they make it legal, w/o the stopping power of the Suburban it's a bit under powered stopping wise. I think you are looking to do too much with too little.
.02 from someone that has towed quite a lot of stuff including the Jetta.

 

[atikovi]

So you would rather buy a car to save $500... I guess if you are in the business go for it.

Yes I would.

 

[atikovi]

Check into the thread "Show what you tow"
forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=255330

100 plus pages, ARRGH. Can you point out the interesting ones?

 

[turbocharged798]

The thing is what is considered legal towing capacity is legally the limit. If DOT wants to get tough, you will be in a world of hurt if they catch you hauling 3K lbs behind a car.

Just saying there is the legal aspect here too.

 

[NB_TDi]

It's all about stopping when towing. When I pulled my 1500lbs camping trailer. I could tell that going was easy. But stopping distance was increased.

 

[Lug_Nut]

three things to consider:
1) brakes
2) brakes
3) brakes

I towed a New Beetle, the two occupants, and their gear, as well as me and my gear, through the mountains of VT, NH and into ME this past Labor Day in my '02 Jetta.
I had hydraulic brakes on the dolly, and it was still an unpleasant drive even for the few hundred miles. I'll not tow that much weight again.
I towed my parts Sonett (about 1200 lbs) from New Orleans to Michigan and then home with no issue, but a 3,000 lb.+ car is more than I want to do again.

Fuel mileage was closer to 40 than to 45 for both trips, so figure that revision in your estimated fuel costs. An empty dolly with no suspension is tedious to say the least. Empty I'd drop the tire pressure to about 8 psi to permit less bounce as the sidewall absorbed most of the bumps. Loaded was about 30 psi. I used a bicycle pump.

 

[bollweevil]

If anything goes wrong, you swerve and if load doesn't come off, you can flip and cause serious injury to you and/or others !!

Please let me know your route and schedule so I can avoid the accident location.

 

[Andrew 179]

insanity

I see you have done the math with the $650 vs $150 fuel cost estimate. You're willing to tolerate a lot of risk for $500. I'm w/ Bollweevil - pls post your route so I can avoid the potential accident.

Nothing against any of you lawyers out there, but I suspect if someone were injured by an overloaded vehicle engaged in a for profit enterprise, it just might be considered a no brainer slip and fall/dogbite case. How does your insurance company feel about a VW Jetta pulling more than the legally rated limit? Will they stand behind you? Will you like someone emptying your checking account, seizing your 401K, and selling your house from under you?

Your vehicle may be physically capable of towing the load, but any astute law enforcement official may take notice and remind you quite bluntly of how the local law sees your situation. Have you calculated the potential downside of your plan?

 

[atikovi]

I see you have done the math with the $650 vs $150 fuel cost estimate. You're willing to tolerate a lot of risk for $400. I'm w/ Bollweevil - pls post your route so I can avoid the potential accident.

Nothing against any of you lawyers out there, but I suspect if someone were injured by an overloaded vehicle engaged in a for profit enterprise, it just might be considered a no brainer slip and fall/dogbite case. How does your insurance company feel about a VW Jetta pulling more than the legally rated limit? Will they stand behind you? Will you like someone emptying your checking account, seizing your 401K, and selling your house from under you?

Your vehicle may be physically capable of towing the load, but any astute law enforcement official may take notice and remind you quite bluntly of how the local law sees your situation. Have you calculated the potential downside of your plan?

If your math skills are as accurate as your legal advice, I should do just fine thank you.

 

[oilhammer]

Where are these laws published that "they" can enforce? Just curious.

The hitch I have on my Golf is essentially the same one Volkswagen themselves sells as an accessory (it is even in ETKA). I know I'm not in Europe, so spare me that rant. But I'd like to see the individual states' laws regarding tow limits, or GCVR or what have you. Because I've probably driven through at least 30 states over the years with my tow dolly and while I have never towed anything that weighed MORE than the car I was using, I'm sure it was pretty close, and I've never once been stopped.

Plus, every evening just about, we have Central Americans cruising down I-44 dragging all kinds of used cars from auctions back home with them headed through Mexico, even schoolbuses that are sometimes towing ANOTHER schoolbus dinghy style behind them. Should the state patrol be alerted in all the states they pass through be alerted?

I've never once had an accident, driven well over a million miles now in my life, probably 2 million. When I tow, I drive extra careful, regardless. I've never once put myself or anyone else in dire danger that I am aware of, nor have I ever once had any "close calls". All my lights and brakes are in good order, never broken down, never held up traffic, etc. So if I am breaking a law, I'd like to know which one. Not saying I'm not, I just want to know. I know I am breaking the law doing 80 in a 70, there are signs that tell me so.

 

[belome]

OH, I don't think they are saying a cop is going to pull you over... what they are saying is that if something did happen the lawyers would be like tigers fighting over dead caribou trying to be first in line to sue your hiney.

It wouldn't be that hard to prove negligence on your part.

That all said, I still think his biggest obstacle would be inclement weather.

 

[oilhammer]

Well that's my thing, I see people EVERY DAY in our shop with unsafe cars. It is snowing here now, on top of the snow we got this past weekend, and it is STILL below freezing. Yet there are oodles of people on the roads right this second with bald tires. You'd thing the lawyers would be on TV right now "Were you crashed into with someone who had bald tires? Call us for free, we can help"

At some point, ya just gotta throw your hands up and say live and let live.

I'd never dream of towing in the snow with a dolly, though, not even behind my F350.

 

[Nich]

Seeing as you have a tow truck available I would use that personally.

I have towed ~4500 lbs with 300-350 lbs tongue weight and no trailer breaks 3000 miles. Got about 30 mpg and the drive was miserable. Top speed on flats was 68. At one point in Denver going up a hill I had a top speed of 30 on an interstate. Braking 70-30 were not bad because of all the extra trailer drag. 30-0 were 5-7 times longer and I was thinking oh f* the whole time. Definitely double or triple you planned stopping distance.

Also consider the wear and tear your putting on your turbo 500 miles at full throttle cant be good for it. Mine developed some play after my trip. Turbo has only 180k miles on it so it may or may not have been caused by the trip. If you burn out your turbo that is 1.5k you need to add to your cost.

 

[belome]

At some point, ya just gotta throw your hands up and say live and let live.

I'd like to agree, but we both know that mentality is slowing getting chipped away. I don't want to get political, but we are being told more and more everyday what we can and can't do. Either by law or by the thickness of our wallet.

If you ram into and kill a family of five with a highly overloaded Jetta because you couldn't stop in a safe distance and I'll bet you that you will be looking for you own lawyer.

I also realize this thread went way off course, can he tow with a jetta... sure as long as he is really careful? Probably. Is it worth it for 500 bucks? Not in my book.

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

Don't know the specific towing laws but... tried to rent a car dolly for use w/my S10 Blazer once. Needed to tow a MK4 TDI. Nobody would do it. Towing vehicle too small/light was the reason why.

 

[dogdots]

I'd never dream of towing in the snow with a dolly, though, not even behind my F350.

Did you end up keeping that truck? I thought you sold it long ago. (I would have bought it from you if you had advertised it 2 weeks earlier )

I use my superduty powerstroke when I travel with my dolly to pick up cars. Towing with my truck is much easier than with a TDI so I just use my truck. I have seen plenty of folks towing VW with VW. If I had a roll back you can bet I would use it to pick up cars just for the lack of hassle factor.

Fuel cost and hotel costs are figured into my expenses against profitability anyway, and if the additional fuel cost makes a deal no good, it was no good in the first place.

 

[Lightflyer1]

I wouldn't attempt it with any of the US hitches available, although they may work for limited use. A Euro or custom hitch, a good dolly with brakes, some common sense and a good helping of caution and planning should get you there. The US hitches available are only rated for 2k lbs and I wouldn't use one for this.

 

[vwdieseling]

It's the overheating issue with four cylinders I don't like. Also your right about the VW automatic it is bad enough let alone trying to pull weight. The O1M fluid temps can't stay in range with normal driving let alone pulling a trailer. The O9A is about the same. If your towing up hills and down hills having breaks on the trailer is a must. Old school I guess. I have a ball hitch on my 83 Rabbit and a trailer lighting harness. This was installed by the prior owner for pulling a boat trailer. I'm not an expert on VW diesel towing, but I would suggest and agree with what you said in your post a manual transmission is what you will want. The three VW automatics in the MK 4 range just are not cut for it. Referring to O1M, O9A, O9G these automatics are not durable enough in my opinion for the weight your wanting to pull.

 

[Andrew 179]

information asymmetry

I'm not telling anyone what to do or that she/he is wrong.

What I am pointing out from the initial description is the exposure involved. Everyone is free to make decisions and take risk. Can't speak for any other US state, but in MA a Jetta or Golf pulling a similar size vehicle will draw attention/scrutiny from the boys in blue.

Sometimes the theoretical and practical aren't the same. You can decide if this is now.

 

[oilhammer]

"Drawing attention" isn't the same as breaking a law. If a police officer pulls you over, he'd better have a reason to. Otherwise, HE'S the one that'll be worried about a lawyer.

A bright red Lamborghini draws attention, too. But just because it looks like it is fast doesn't mean it is speeding.

Now, if they have an actual RULE that, by law, you are breaking, and can be ticketed, that's fine. And that's what I'd like to know. All I have ever been able to find here in Missouri is regarding commercial trucks and per-axle weight limits, etc. which are well beyond anything a passenger car would ever be concerned with (max of TWENTY THOUSAND pounds on one axle).

 

[kjclow]

All I have ever been able to find here in Missouri is regarding commercial trucks and per-axle weight limits, etc. which are well beyond anything a passenger car would ever be concerned with (max of TWENTY THOUSAND pounds on one axle).

Finally got to the overall answer that I agree with. As long as you are not pulling with a commerical vehicle, which may require stops at weigh stations, IMHO, no one is going to bother you. Unless of course, you put the car on the dolly and turn off the brain while turning on the ignition.
The easiest way to get stopped in most major cities and interstates is to drive like an idiot.

 

[atikovi]

Did pull about 2400lb total with a 4 cyl 5-speed Ranger from Wisconsin to DC. Was a little slow through the PA and MD mountains but had no issues. With 110 HP and not much more torque. Do have a Durango I could use but it probably gets almost as bad mileage as the tow truck.

 

[Lightflyer1]

That sure is one strange looking dolly with the wheels/axle under the car. Seems kind of unstable and more difficult to load/unload.