Can I tow with my 2015 Golf TDI?

I have researched this a little bit and I am confused. I have a 2015 Golf TDI 6-speed and I want to know if I can tow with it or not. Some have said there is no towing capacity, but then they also say that's for the GSW (which I don't have), but at the same time I have been unable to find what the actual towing capacity is, but then I do see towing hitches for sale for my car. So, needles to say, I am still confused.

Can I tow with my car? If so, how much? Would it tow the same as my 2001 ALH Golf 5-speed?

Sure, you can tow with it. I posted specs for the Sportwagen from the UK website here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=478855

Of course you can, I towed the hell out of my MK6.. you have about 2000lbs total, 200lb tongue weight to be within sane safety limits.. I imported a Westfallia hitch from pfjones and hooked up a generic trailer wiring kit.

https://www.pfjones.co.uk/volkswage...2012-onwards-westfalia-detachable-towbar.html

We have Bosal hitches for the MKVII Golf. From Belgium, where they know they can to with these cars.

If anything, it should tow better than a mk6 golf due to the torsion beam rear suspension.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

We have Bosal hitches for the MKVII Golf. From Belgium, where they know they can to with these cars.

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is the Golf the same hitch as the golf wagon, or you guys carry two different parts?

Golf and GSW use different hitches.

I pulled 3000 lb easily with a 13 Passat. I'm gettin the Air Lift 80753 bags for this sportwagen per some posts I;ve seen

I put a Curt hitch on my mk7 6MT and a $50 wiring kit that I plug into the cig lighter in the trunk and it worked well. Install took a few hours. I towed a uhaul motorcycle trailer with a 500 pound bike from San Antonio to Atlanta and back and it went well.

Sorry to resurrect this one, but I need some definitive answers, or at least some more input.

I have installed the trailer hitch and have towed a little bit with zero issues. But likely I am only towing about 1300 lbs, and not far.

I am considering getting a new larger ATV that will require a larger trailer also. One big thing I need to find out is, can I tow it with my Golf? The ATV weighs about 1500 lbs. I'm still looking at trailers. Some are aluminum and weigh around 500-700 lbs. Other steel trailers that are a lot cheaper are at 1,000 to 1300 lbs.


Some people have said "2,000 lbs max" others claim they have towed 3,000 lbs. The trips I will take will be 4 hour legs to get to the trails I want to ride. Would I be pushing the limits too far with this? Or will my Golf handle it? Can anyone give me an actual definitive tow rating?

Haven’t yet towed with my 2015 but have towed a lot with a 98 and 05, all manuals. Similar braking ability and vehicle weight.

I’m comfortable to 1,200 lb behind a VW TDI car and wouldn’t think twice about going cross country and back, and have done it.
Sure you could pull more, but more weight is more risk and more stress on the car as a whole. If I tow more it’s not far or fast.

A big part of towing safely is driving style as far as planning ahead, leaving room, and not making sudden changes.
Getting going isn’t the trick, stopping is.

One person may get away with 2,000 or 3,000 lb and the next person might not make it 10 miles.
Also where you’re towing and how far is a factor, mountans or flat land, across town slowly or hours on the highway at speed.

Familiar and comfortable with towing already?

I have towed a LOT at the 1500 lb range. Mostly with my older ALH (which did not have the power or braking performance my 2015 CRUA has). Never had any issues in the least. Pulled fine, stopped fine.

The towing would be on fairly level roads here in Indiana and neighboring states. No Rocky Mountains here in the Midwest for sure. Also, the majority of the miles would be driven at a constant highway speed (not much in town). All of this going towards my benefit here. I'm sure with the amount I have towed already at the weight that 2,000 lbs would be no issue. But I haven't towed at those greater weights yet. And what I really want to know is if it could safely do 2500-3000 lbs.

Sure, stopping and thinking ahead would be obvious. As well as not darting out into traffic knowing it's going to take you longer to get to speed. As a USAF pilot, I feel I have a higher situational awareness than most when it comes to driving. I'm more concerned with the limitation factors on the car itself, and not knowing where they are.

In my mind, 2 things come to mind that will certainly wear more. Brakes, and the clutch. But I don't know at what point the wear would be so much that I would wear them at a dangerous rate. That aside, I have no idea about the engine or transmission and what would be pushing them too far here.

I could always play it safe and just NOT tow at all. But that's kind of silly as I would be playing that card just based upon not knowing the facts of the limitations.

What hitch do you have? Most have a 2k limit on them.

I got a Reese hitch. It's rated at 3500 lbs.

The hitch rating means nothing, it only describes its total capacity. The tow vehicle's manufacturer's rating is the most important. You could be held liable in an accident if you are above the vehicle's recommended rating. You can get away with more but is it worth the risk? I tow a lot with my mk4 Golf ALH, but keep it under 1k. I use the Bosal hitch from ID Parts which bolts directly to the frame and highly recommend for towing.

Hwycruiser said:

The hitch rating means nothing, it only describes its total capacity. The tow vehicle's manufacturer's rating is the most important. You could be held liable in an accident if you are above the vehicle's recommended rating. You can get away with more but is it worth the risk? I tow a lot with my mk4 Golf ALH, but keep it under 1k. I use the Bosal hitch from ID Parts which bolts directly to the frame and highly recommend for towing.

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Well, that's kind of my point and question for this whole thread. What is the towing rating for my 15 Golf TDI? There is no vehicle manufacturers rating that I can find anywhere. Yet they make towing accessories, and clearly you can tow with them safely, so they should have some rating. If anyone happens to have that info, or know what exactly the vehicle can tow safely, please post it up with the info.

For some of the American cars there isn't one given. Some use the Euro version specs for towing. Some just guess.

If you have a 200/2000 lbs hitch and you exceed that by 1500 lbs, the rating does mean something. If you are going to tow heavy match the hitch to the load. Trailer brakes would also be a good idea.

Here is an old thread:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=428087

Since suv's and trucks are popular in the U.S. Manufacturers don't rate their cars for towing anymore. Cars have higher gearing for fuel mileage which weakens towing ability. Older Golfs (with 5 speeds) were rated for 1k and European cars are rated higher. Hitches being available that fit and have class ratings higher than does not mean they are vehicle manufacturer approved for your car. For example the Bosal hitch is rated for more than the U.S. Golf can tow because it is designed for markets outside the U.S.. If you tow above your vehicle's rating that is stated in your owners manual you are at your own risk and would be liable if you cause an accident that harms others. If you want to frequently tow heavy loads you should consider an SUV or truck.

Lightflyer1 said:

For some of the American cars there isn't one given. Some use the Euro version specs for towing. Some just guess.

If you have a 200/2000 lbs hitch and you exceed that by 1500 lbs, the rating does mean something. If you are going to tow heavy match the hitch to the load. Trailer brakes would also be a good idea.

Here is an old thread:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=428087

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My trailer hitch is rated at 200 tongue weight and 3500 lbs trailer weight. I would not exceed 3500 lbs, but I don't necessarily think or know that the car is meant for that much weight.

Using the Euro specs would not be a bad idea, however a lot of the Euro cars are made differently than the US cars. I have driven 2. One in Germany. It had the Blue Motion heads, a 5 speed transmission and larger brakes (it was the Cup edition). The heads give it more power and better economy than mine, along with better stopping power and the transmission was totally different than my 6-speed. Then the one I rented in the U.K. Was a bit more similar. It had a 6speed and to my knowledge did not have the Blue Motion package, so it may be the same as mine? I don't know. That's kind of why I have not definitively looked at it. Looking up the UK specs online it says if the trailer has trailer brakes it would tow 3306 lbs (1500 kg). If this is right, that would more than take care of my needs, but again, I don't know if they are the same or not.

Hwycruiser said:

Since suv's and trucks are popular in the U.S. Manufacturers don't rate their cars for towing anymore. Cars have higher gearing for fuel mileage which weakens towing ability. Older Golfs (with 5 speeds) were rated for 1k and European cars are rated higher. Hitches being available that fit and have class ratings higher than does not mean they are vehicle manufacturer approved for your car. For example the Bosal hitch is rated for more than the U.S. Golf can tow because it is designed for markets outside the U.S.. If you tow above your vehicle's rating that is stated in your owners manual you are at your own risk and would be liable if you cause an accident that harms others. If you want to frequently tow heavy loads you should consider an SUV or truck.

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Yes, I know this. That's WHY I'm trying to find out what the towing rating is and the whole purpose for this thread since the manual does not specify it's towing rating. The closest thing it does say is that for the DSG (which is not mine) is not reccomend for towing. Meanwhile there is not info in the manual on my car.

No spec means you have to guess within reason. Get the aluminum trailer and brakes. With your hitch and those you should be pretty well set to tow that set up with some common sense.

VWoA doesn't publish specs. How many times do you need to be told that? I posted the VW UK specs in the second post. It looks like ~1,500 lbs is the rating in Europe.

Got trailer brakes?

With TDIs the question ain't "can it move the load?", no doubt TDI torque can. The real question is, can you stop it? And while 1500 KG tow ratings are common outside North America, that's with brakes on the trailer. Without brakes on the trailer in Europe they're limited to 750 KGs, which is about half the weight of a Golf/Jetta/Beetle/A3. That's close to the common 2000 pound trailer/200 pound hitch rate for North American Class 1 hitches, and that's probably a reasonable limit for unbraked towing.

This is as much as I have gathered so far also. About 3300 lbs with a trailer with brakes. Probably closer to 2,000 lbs without trailer brakes.

Would be nice to know for sure from VW.

Anyone towed 2500-3,000 lbs with theirs before?

In the US a trailer rated for 3,000 lb or more needs trailer brakes, and yearly inspection.

I can imagine roasting a clutch trying to get 3,000 lb or even 2,000lb started on a moderate hill. If all you have is flat land it might not matter, but you can’t always choose where you stop and have to get going again.

I’ll stick to 1,500lb or less, more like 1,200 lb seems safe to me.

You could just try it and see how whatever size load feels to you, and what risk you’re comfortable with.

Once you go past 2000 pounds there's also the issue of tongue weight. The U.S. hitches (Curt, etc.) are rated for about 200 pounds tongue weight, and for the way they attach to the unit body that's probably about right. The Euro hitches like the Bosal tend to have more substantial attachment to the body, but are rated for only 75 kilos (165 pounds) tongue weight. While Europeans seem happy with only 5% of trailer weight on the tongue, they have a speed limit for vehicles with trailers of only 50 MPH 'cept for Great Britian, where they've got a grandfathered 60 MPH limit on the motorways. Here in North America 50 is often too slow for even the slow lane, and at least 10% total weight on the tongue is the standard. That suggests that around 750 kilos/2000 pounds total trailer weight with 10% on the tongue is the practical limit.

Towing a side by side?

1300 pounds sounds like a side by side. That means a wider heavier trailer and a lot more wind resistance, as a side by side with a cab is going to stick out a couple feet above the Golf.

CALL911 said:

Sorry to resurrect this one, but I need some definitive answers, or at least some more input.

I have installed the trailer hitch and have towed a little bit with zero issues. But likely I am only towing about 1300 lbs, and not far.

I am considering getting a new larger ATV that will require a larger trailer also. One big thing I need to find out is, can I tow it with my Golf? The ATV weighs about 1500 lbs. I'm still looking at trailers. Some are aluminum and weigh around 500-700 lbs. Other steel trailers that are a lot cheaper are at 1,000 to 1300 lbs.


Some people have said "2,000 lbs max" others claim they have towed 3,000 lbs. The trips I will take will be 4 hour legs to get to the trails I want to ride. Would I be pushing the limits too far with this? Or will my Golf handle it? Can anyone give me an actual definitive tow rating?

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Well, I kinda need to know before I drop the $ on getting the side by side and trailer all to finding out the hard way it may be too much. It's not something I have the ability to really "try out" ahead of time.

Yeah, my trailer tongue weight is rated 200lb hitch weight and 3500lb trailer weight. The trailers I am looking at would give the ability to make sure the balance is thus that the tongue weight is not exceeded. Sounds like I'll need trailer brakes and I can do that.

If I go with aluminum (which will cost me a lot) I'll likely be somewhere in the 2100-2200 lb range. If I go with a steel trailer it will be about 2500-2700 lbs.

If you have the hitch borrow someone’s trailer and load it to the weight you’re considering, try that.

I think you’re talking about to much weight in either case.

Grigg3 said:

If you have the hitch borrow someone’s trailer and load it to the weight you’re considering, try that.

I think you’re talking about to much weight in either case.

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Don't know anyone with a trailer that size. Even if I did and ainloaded it with the right weight I don't think it would accurately simulate the wind resistance the side by side would have.

You need to do some "engineering"...

I had similar questions about the ability of my TDIs to tow. Typical loads have been up to 600 pound motorcycles, 800 pound motorcycle with sidecar, and 1200 pound loads of wood pellets for the biomass stove. Most of these were hauled on a 300 pound 4' by 8' trailer, and occasionally with a 650 pound 6' by 12' trailer. My 2003 Golf TDI with Curt hitch handled all these loads with ease.

The challenge came when I decided to acquire a small diesel tractor. The lightest tractors with the features I needed (3 point hitch and a loader) weight around 1300-1400 pounds stripped of implements. Mt first 4 by 8 trailer, a "Carry On" from Tractor Supply, proved rather flimsy so I bought a beefier 4 by 8 rated for 2000 pounds gross weight. It's a simple frame, suspension, axle, wheels, and lights with no floor and sells for around $400-450 at midwest farm stores like Fleet Farm and Farm and Fleet. Even after I added a 3/4" thick plywood floor it barely weights 300 pounds. Dealer delivered the tractor for me so I haven't actually had to haul it anywhere, but I did a test load and tow and it worked fine- It's right on the TDI's 750 kilo limit for unbraked trailers and well within the hitches 200 pound tongue weight/2000 pound total weight limit.

So what you need to do is find an ATV and trailer that do what you need but are within your TDIs towing capacity, which for all practical purposes is 2000 pounds total weight. Remember to add on everything you'll have attached to the ATV, and keep in mind that a couple heavy passengers in the back seat may cut into your allowable tongue weight and thus total trailer and load weight too.

Get out the ATV and trailer brochures and have at it!