Trailer Towing

BuilderBob

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Location
DeLand, FL
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagen
I've had my JSW TDI for a couple of weeks now and I'm just loving this car. It's perfect for me!

One of the things that drew me to it in the first place is that VW doesn't seem to get all bent out of shape if you use the car to tow a small trailer. Someone please correct me if I'm mistaken here.

Anyhoo, assuming that it is OK to tow, what has been the experience of others who have pulled a trailer with their TDI? If you have an auto (as I do), did you have to add a tranny cooler? How about any special operating techniques, such as not using OD (6th gear)?

I have a very lightweight single-rail motorcycle trailer that I occasionally load up with a sport bike and head to the track or the mountains. The entire loaded rig is probably less than 700 lbs. Just want to satisfy myself that it will be OK to tow it with the TDI auto.

Thanks!
 

BuilderBob

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Location
DeLand, FL
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagen
vw4life said:
time to hit that search button cause there has been lots of towing discussion already...
I looked at the 3 pages of threads for my particular model and didn't see anything that might apply. Perhaps you could enlighten me?
 

StewartinND

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2010
Location
Santa Barbara CA
TDI
'17 328d Sportswagon
Since the DSG is not a slush box it should be fine as long as you're not lugging the engine and are on flat ground. However I keep mine in sport mode to keep the rpm up around town.
 

McBrew

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Location
Annapolis, MD
TDI
2003 Golf GLS TDI, 5 speed, Silver/Grey
The DSG doesn't work like an automatic. It works more like a manual. They shouldn't heat up under towing loads like an automatic.

VW actually rates the DSG for a higher towing load than the manual trans!

As a side note: I have never given a crap about what a car company thinks about towing. I have towed with every car I have owned. I have NEVER experienced any type of damage or premature wear associated with towing. A car company can't void your warranty just because you tow. They can try to deny warranty coverage if they show that the damage was a result of towing too high of a load.

You have to realize that the US tow rating for nearly all cars is dumbed down. I have been told that this is because Americans tend to be "lawsuit happy," and our legal system tends to favor this.
 

Swatch

Veteran Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Location
Montréal, Québec
TDI
BUYBACK : Golf Sportwagen TDi 2010
McBrew said:
The DSG doesn't work like an automatic. It works more like a manual. They shouldn't heat up under towing loads like an automatic.

VW actually rates the DSG for a higher towing load than the manual trans!
Wrong, in the owner manual (2010), it is exactly the same on the TDI model (1000 lbs).

On the 2.5L, with the manual transmission, the towing capaticy is 1650 lbs and with the automatic transmission (DSG), it's 1000 lbs.
 

McBrew

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Location
Annapolis, MD
TDI
2003 Golf GLS TDI, 5 speed, Silver/Grey
Swatch said:
Wrong, in the owner manual (2010), it is exactly the same on the TDI model (1000 lbs).

On the 2.5L, with the manual transmission, the towing capaticy is 1650 lbs and with the automatic transmission (DSG), it's 1000 lbs.
I don't know about the gasser, since I am getting my numbers from England, not North America, where we are apparently too stupid to know how to tow a trailer. In England, for instance (since I can read English and not German), the ratings for the current generation Jetta TDI 2.0 (140ps) are:

Manual Trans:
Tongue -- 75kg (165 pounds)
Trailer weight -- 1,420kg (3,124 pounds)

DSG
Tongue -- 75kg (165 pounds)
Trailer weight -- 1,461kg (3,214 pounds)

Not a big difference, but it is more.

They don't offer the 2.5L gasser in the UK, but ALL engine options that offer both manual and DGS give a slightly higher rating for the DSG equipped model, including the 2.0 TSI gasser. The difference is not exact for each model, but it is approximately 20kg. Maybe it just has to do with the curb weight of the car, depending on the transmission.
 

McBrew

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Location
Annapolis, MD
TDI
2003 Golf GLS TDI, 5 speed, Silver/Grey
And, just to prove that VW is not the only company who does this...

My Scion is rated to tow ZERO pounds in the US. The owner's manual even says I can't put a bike rack on the back. In England, the same car (with a smaller engine) is rated to tow about 1,900 pounds.

The Subaru Imprexa 2.0 manual trans is rated to tow 1,600kg (3,520 pounds) in the UK. I can't even find a rating on the US Subaru site.

A Honda Civic 3-door is rated to tow 1,200kg (2,640 pounds) in the UK. I'm having a hard time finding that rating here in the US, too. I bet it ain't 2,640 pounds, though!
 

barnuba

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Location
Spring Grove, PA
TDI
2010 JSW and 1998 Jetta
I have a Drawtite hitch set-up on my 2010 JSW (6M) and pull a landscaping trailer for all of my larger cargo needs. I hauled 2300# of concrete the other day and the car pulled and handled great. My JSW is the silver bullet of cars - I get great gas mileage, sporty ride and when I hook up my trailer I have a pick-up truck... :)

As recommended by the others check out the other topics on hitch installation in the forum - they helped me with my decision and install.
 

vw_leadfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
GTA, Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI Wagen
barnuba said:
... Drawtite hitch ... hauled 2300# of concrete ...
Well that is just retarded! Your pulling about 2800 pounds on a hitch rated for 2000.... very risky and putting other motorists at serious risk....

What is your trailers axle rating? Sure hope is was 3500 and not 2000....
 
Last edited:

milleraw

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 17, 2003
Location
New London, PA
TDI
2010 JSW Silver, Portos, Roof / 2010 JSW Candy White
My Pickup truck option.
Lets Go Aero Gearwagon 125. ~460lbs. Holds 1000 lbs.
 

rickwol

Active member
Joined
Feb 6, 2003
Location
Buffalo,NY
TDI
2003 Jetta GL TDI retired, 2010 Jetta TDI 6MT
What Draw-tite hitch do you have ? I want to tow a couple of jet skis, very short distances, basically just to launch and sounds like this hitch might work. Let me know when you get a chance.
 

milleraw

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 17, 2003
Location
New London, PA
TDI
2010 JSW Silver, Portos, Roof / 2010 JSW Candy White
Me?
Westfalia. No holes drilled in sheetmetal. Hitch part of frame. Oh....very expensive.

 

Swatch

Veteran Member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Location
Montréal, Québec
TDI
BUYBACK : Golf Sportwagen TDi 2010
McBrew said:
I don't know about the gasser, since I am getting my numbers from England, not North America, where we are apparently too stupid to know how to tow a trailer. In England, for instance (since I can read English and not German), the ratings for the current generation Jetta TDI 2.0 (140ps) are:

Manual Trans:
Tongue -- 75kg (165 pounds)
Trailer weight -- 1,420kg (3,124 pounds)

DSG
Tongue -- 75kg (165 pounds)
Trailer weight -- 1,461kg (3,214 pounds)

Not a big difference, but it is more.

They don't offer the 2.5L gasser in the UK, but ALL engine options that offer both manual and DGS give a slightly higher rating for the DSG equipped model, including the 2.0 TSI gasser. The difference is not exact for each model, but it is approximately 20kg. Maybe it just has to do with the curb weight of the car, depending on the transmission.
I think VW is all mixed up with their trailer specs! The fact that a country is more or less restrictive regarding trailer weight capacity is one thing but the fact that in one country the manual transmission can tow more than the automatic (DSG) transmission and in another the DSG transmission can tow more than the manual, this doesn't make sense and that's why I say that VW is mixed with all those specs.

3214 pounds sounds a little bit too much, considering that most of the hitch cannot tow more than 2000 pounds, but 1000 lbs is much to low in my own opinion.
 

McBrew

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Location
Annapolis, MD
TDI
2003 Golf GLS TDI, 5 speed, Silver/Grey
Swatch said:
I think VW is all mixed up with their trailer specs! The fact that a country is more or less restrictive regarding trailer weight capacity is one thing but the fact that in one country the manual transmission can tow more than the automatic (DSG) transmission and in another the DSG transmission can tow more than the manual, this doesn't make sense and that's why I say that VW is mixed with all those specs.

3214 pounds sounds a little bit too much, considering that most of the hitch cannot tow more than 2000 pounds, but 1000 lbs is much to low in my own opinion.
American hitches top out at 2,000 pounds for class I spec. Euro hitches have much higher ratings. Some of them are rated even higher than the numbers I posted above. However, the tongue weight tends to be lower. We tend to put 10-20% of the weight on the tongue, but in Europe, they usually only have 5-10% of the weight on the tongue.

I understand the importance of having weight on the tongue, especially at the higher speeds that we see over here when towing a trailer (Europeans tend to slow down and drive more safely than we do with a trailer in tow). However, I think some US camping trailer manufacturers are just lazy about balancing the load. I have seen 1,500 pound campers that have a 300 pound tongue weight. There's no reason for it to be that high.
 
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