Show what you tow!

Pugsley

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Location
Valparaiso IN
TDI
2003 Beetle
Whitbread said:
Not a tdi, but at least it's diesel :). This is what I pulled with my bone stock 6.5TD 4 weeks ago on a trip to haspin acres in indiana. One samurai, one 81 J10 with an atv in the bed, and 2 atvs in my bed. She did it, but wasn't very happy.... Anything over 60mph and it would kick out of overdrive haha.

You go there too! I would like to tow my sand rail behind my NB, but I am not sure if the car can do it. I would have to build a custom T trailer to keep the weight off the the ball. I think on the NB you can only have like 200 pounds on the ball.
 

QuickWrite

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2003
Location
Sacto
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS TDI wagon, 5-speed
Wanders: Nice teardrop! We were thinking of going with one of those but are now considering a modified small cargo trailer for camping/hauling.

Stealth: When you say 'combined 4500 lb.', do you mean the trailer + its contents, or the car + trailer/contents? As I recall, your Jetta is lowered, right? Any problems bottoming out the rear suspension with a load like that?
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Hello,

"Combined" means the trailer/contents + the car/contents. However, that did not include ME, another 200-lbs. Odds are the trailer alone was about 1500 lbs.

No problem with bottoming out the suspension. I do bump the hitch in driveways if I'm not careful. I take them at an angle and do fine. It's the very lowest point which hits, just forward of the safety chain connections:



But I can bump that with adults in the back seat and no trailer at all as well. Perhaps that'll improve once I replace my suspension (soon).

Later,

Scott
 

TDikook

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Location
Biloxi, Ms
TDI
'06 Golf Anthracite Blue
does this count

A Golf behind a Golf. I do not recommend it. but it worked just fine. towed it from Pensacola,Fl to JAX,Fl. Scott was laughing when we pulled in. the drive was nervewracking but it can be done. it definately knocked the mpg down a bunch.
 

wanders

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2003
Location
Shennandoah Valley, VA
TDI
'01 Jetta GLS- Baltic Green
QuickWrite said:
Wanders: Nice teardrop! We were thinking of going with one of those but are now considering a modified small cargo trailer for camping/hauling.
Thanks! We are really happy with it.
 

TDI_Convert

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Location
N. Central Indiana, USA
TDI
Jetta Wagon 5 sp., 2003, Silver/Grey Int.
Triton aluminum trailer. 81" between the rails, 12' bed. 44 bales of hay.



While the car stopped fine with this load, I do have electric brakes on the trailer, and a brake controller in the car for heavier loads....:D The load seemed heavier when I brought back all the parts for a 1200 sq. ft. dropped ceiling in the basement, incl. a dozen 4 bulb fluorescent 4' lights.
 

QuickWrite

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2003
Location
Sacto
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS TDI wagon, 5-speed
Fix_Until_Broke said:
TDI Convert - any more details on the trailer?

Axle rating
Tires
Brakes
Weight of empty trailer
etc?

Do you have a picture from front/back/angle?
Ditto that. I'd like to know your estimated tongue weights and what kind of hitch you're using, also. :D
 

TDI_Convert

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Location
N. Central Indiana, USA
TDI
Jetta Wagon 5 sp., 2003, Silver/Grey Int.
It's a Triton AUT1282. Here's the specs:
http://www.tritontrailers.com/products/Model.aspx?CatID=26&SubCatID=30&ModelID=291&info=specifications

It's a Hidden Hitch, I put a piece of 1/4" thick steel plate where the bolts are supposed to go thru the sheet metal in the well for the spare tire, and bolted that piece of steel to the sheetmetal with a couple more bolts & a fishplate on the outside. I tossed the wimpy plate that came with the hitch. As for tongue wt, I figure it's too much if I can't pick it up. They're electric brakes, not surge brakes.

It does take getting used to since it's a wee bit wider than the car! :D

I don't tow with the standard ramp, I made a couple of ramps that are removable so I don't have a bunch of wind drag going down the road.




Before I left, I moved the cooler to the rear of the trailer. We just took the trailer off of the truck we drove to Wyoming and threw it on the wagon. Too much tongue wt. for the VW. One of the mods on the car is brakes from an Audi TT Roadster, thanks to BleachedBora.
 
Last edited:

Whitbread

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Location
Johannesburg, MI
TDI
Several
Pugsley said:
You go there too! I would like to tow my sand rail behind my NB, but I am not sure if the car can do it. I would have to build a custom T trailer to keep the weight off the the ball. I think on the NB you can only have like 200 pounds on the ball.
I do go there too! It's a fun place but I much prefer Wellsville in eastern ohio. Much larger and not so muddy. You shouldn't have any trouble towing a sandrail with a dolly type trailer. I towed a 2 seater from Logansport, IN to Lima, OH with no problems at all. I would definitely suggest stock 5th gear and a 15 or 17 based turbo though. With the stupid 65mph speed limits, my .658 5th, and my big turbo, the engine wasn't happy at all at ~1800rpms in 5th. It was much happier at 2700rpm in 4th and was only pushing 4lbs of boost with 900* egts. I averaged 30ish mpg. I think it would've pulled it just fine with a stock 5th though. The .658 is awesome for highway if you're not towing anything heavy. But that's why I'm doing a 6 speed swap; best of both worlds :D.
 

TDI_Convert

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Location
N. Central Indiana, USA
TDI
Jetta Wagon 5 sp., 2003, Silver/Grey Int.
FUB - The trailer IS nice. It has slots so you can position the tie downs anywhere on the trailer, even on the side rails. My buddy borrowed the trailer and the ATV to take to Sturgis, SD earlier this month. The ATV will fit sideways on the trailer, and the bike fit front-to-back behind it. The trailer is really light for it's size.
 

newguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Location
Minnneapolis MN
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE 6M White
Well I think I've got you all beat...

How about a 3200LB popup camper behind my B5.5?















The car has airbags which keeps it level with the 300lbs of tongue weight.

The car handles the trailer quite well, but you do need to be careful.

21-24MPG is my average towing...
 

newguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Location
Minnneapolis MN
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE 6M White
Summit Racing... They were NOT for a Passat... I think they were the front airbags for an older 2wd chevy truck.

It will take a little searching on the TDIClub to find the part # if you want...

Install -

Lift the car up and SECURE it with jackstands
Squeeze all the air out of the bags and put the little cap so they stay "empty"
shove the bag inbetween the coils (a little tough)
pull the cap and let the bag inflate
run the air lines to where you want!

presto - you are done!
 

QuickWrite

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2003
Location
Sacto
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS TDI wagon, 5-speed
newguy said:
Well I think I've got you all beat...

How about a 3200LB popup camper behind my B5.5?


Cripes that's a big load! I think you definitely take the prize so far. :cool: What are the published towing weight limits for the Passat wagon? Are they they same as the Jetta?
 

QuickWrite

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2003
Location
Sacto
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS TDI wagon, 5-speed
We just bought this used trailer today. Not sure of the exact weight but probably about 1,000 pounds, with a tongue weight maybe around 80 lbs. It's a combination motorcycle hauler and camping trailer that was home-built on a cargo trailer frame. It has two bunks that flip down in back with a rear loading ramp door for hauling motorcycles or whatever. We plan to use it for camping and general hauling. I plan to add a couple windows in the sides for ventilation. We were going to get a teardrop camping trailer, but decided on something like this because it can do more. I'm sure the taller profile will hurt mpg, otherwise it seems easy to tow. Hitch on the car is a Curt brand that I installed over the weekend.



 

GoFaster

Moderator at Large
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
Home built motorcycle trailer with storage box, tools, etc. Storage box holds tires, canopy, front and rear paddock stands for the bike (race bikes don't have sidestands and can't stand upright on their own), camping stuff, etc.



Trailer weighs about 600 lbs. Loaded with two bikes plus gear it's around 1600 lbs. Tows fine.

It doesn't have trailer brakes, but I wish it did, and this upcoming winter's project might be something like that.
 

BadMonKey

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Location
Colorado
TDI
2013 Focus ST
newguy said:
Summit Racing... They were NOT for a Passat... I think they were the front airbags for an older 2wd chevy truck.

It will take a little searching on the TDIClub to find the part # if you want...

presto - you are done!
There is a reason they don't make them, because its unsafe to pull that kind of weight with a car!
 

GoFaster

Moderator at Large
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
^ Just FYI, the european versions of a good many of VW's cars are rated for towing 600 kg without trailer brakes or 1200 kg (2640 lbs) with trailer brakes. I know my '96 Passat was. This is beyond the official rated capability of standard North American hitches and the tongue weight is also beyond what is allowed on those hitches for those cars, though. So, as long as the conditions are met and you have the right hitch, it can be "safe" to tow that much, and in europe you see cars towing trailers all the time. "Legal" is of course quite another matter.

I've been pulled into a MoT inspection station with my trailer with two bikes on it. They sent me over the scale and checked that the brake lamps worked, and sent me on my way, because the trailer weight was within the capacity of the hitch.
 

newguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Location
Minnneapolis MN
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE 6M White
QuickWrite said:
Cripes that's a big load! I think you definitely take the prize so far. :cool: What are the published towing weight limits for the Passat wagon? Are they they same as the Jetta?
3960lbs with brakes... per the UK specs for this car.

Gotta love it! :)

Too bad I sold the popup and bought a 39' diesel pusher motorhome... now I tow the PASSAT behind the motorhome... LOL

I've got a tow dolly and have dragged it over 4000 miles this year... Grand Canyon and lots of other fun places!





 

newguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Location
Minnneapolis MN
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE 6M White
Oh, and YES my wife drives the motorhome!

As for the passat, I was overweight on the tongue, but I kept a very close watch on it.

The Airbags made a HUGE difference and for anyone that tow's I would highly recommend them.

Take a look here at the towing ratings...

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/#/new/passat-estate/which-model/engines/towing/

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/#/new/golf-estate/which-model/engines/towing/

The new Jetta Wagon with a TDI is good for 1399KG with a manual transmission! 3084lbs for us 'mericans

Cheers!
 
Top