Towing a MKIV behind an RV

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask but I'm not sure how to find this in the faq. No doubt its been asked before.
I want to tow my manual 04 behind a motor home (hydrallic brakes). What equipment do people recommend? I would prefer to use a tow bar rather than dolly due to the cost savings. I have no idea how/where to hook it up and what would make a great or okay tow bar. Also, how do I get the brakes to work?
What systems would people recommend? Brand names would be helpful. Most of my searches on towbars show how to add one to the back of the Jetta!
Thanks,
Daryl

dont look for a jetta .... but look at how to install a tow bar to any car..... you wont find anything jetta specific. I know people that have used tow bars and they are the preferred way to go since the added weight of the dolly will put more stress on the RV.

Just don't tow it in gear or park. I was at a TDI guru in Madison once and he showed me what happened to the transmission of a Jetta that was towed in park behind a motor home.
$5000 down the drain.

dont ever tow an automatic!!!! wheels off the ground for towing that...

Tow in park. That's a joke, right? Who the hell would ever be that stupid?

Tow bars are tough to attach since the days of plastic bumpers. And you can't back up with the car on a tow bar.

A Dolly is the same as far as backing up. And Dolly's are annoying when empty. But with a Dolly you shouldn't damage the car, or have the miles show on it. But htere is NO chance of screwing up the tranny.

I'd do the dolly. FYI I have a dolly, a car trailer, and 2 tow bars for the air cooled's so I have experience with all the possibilites.

Years ago my ex-wife and I came through a town by Interstate 80. A fella had a new Bluebird pusher diesel motorhome, a completely aluminum car trailer(open) and a new 2 seater Merceder convertible on the trailer. I was trying to explain to her how much money was setting there...

Don't forget to do something for road debris control at the back of the motorhome.

A tow dolly is the way to go IMO.

Be careful with the tow dolly as most of them will tear of the front faring.

Curious Chris said:

Be careful with the tow dolly as most of them will tear of the front faring.

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I don't understand. I've easily hauled over a dozen MKIV's on my Master Tow Dolly without issue. I always keep a screwdriver in the tow vehicle to unlock the ratchet straps.

I've had no issues. Last thing I towed was an 02(?) New Beetle and again no issues.

What part of the "faring" seems to get damaged?

The stick should be fine to flat tow because the diff will throw enough fluid around but never flat tow any automatic. They make braking systems that actuate the toad’s brakes electrically just the same as stepping on the brakes fairly pricey but they work well and I believe they apply them if there is a break away. Don't forget to put it in neutral I have seen more then one with a blown engine and lesser but very expensive damage.

davebugs said:

I don't understand. I've easily hauled over a dozen MKIV's on my Master Tow Dolly without issue. I always keep a screwdriver in the tow vehicle to unlock the ratchet straps. I've had no issues. Last thing I towed was an 02(?) New Beetle and again no issues. What part of the "faring" seems to get damaged?

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It may be the design of the Tow Dolly. I have one and have to be careful backing any MK4 off of it or the lower front bumper will grab. Mostly if the tires are low or the suspension is shot.

towbar

TdiJettaSport said:

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask but I'm not sure how to find this in the faq. No doubt its been asked before.
I want to tow my manual 04 behind a motor home (hydrallic brakes). What equipment do people recommend? I would prefer to use a tow bar rather than dolly due to the cost savings. I have no idea how/where to hook it up and what would make a great or okay tow bar. Also, how do I get the brakes to work?
What systems would people recommend? Brand names would be helpful. Most of my searches on towbars show how to add one to the back of the Jetta!
Thanks,
Daryl

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I just saw this RV towbar on Craigslist nearby me

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/3305470772.html

mrowens33 said:

I just saw this RV towbar on Craigslist nearby me

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/3305470772.html

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Definitely cheaper than a dolly but I'd go for the dolly too. Then I can change the tow vehicle without much adjustment

We towed our Jetta cross-country in 2010 on an 18' trailer with dual axles, electric brakes, and a breakaway switch. Zero wear and tear on the car. Lots more peace of mind compared to a dolly or flat-tow.

Flat tow an 09a or get a different dinghy?

Just got a small RV (23ft w/ 5,000lb tow limit) a few months ago and looking into flat towing a dinghy.
I have had my '05 TDI Jetta with an 09a 5-speed tiptronic automatic for 12 years/200k miles now and am investigating flat towing it if at all possible (Adding a tow dolly+jetta+wife's shoes etc. would likely push too close to my tow limit).

Owner's manual obviously says no, but what is the reasoning?

Does the transmission fluid pump run when the engine is off and the wheels are turning?

• If so, could I just add a 12v circulation pump to the coolant loop, and the existing transmission fluid heat exchanger would keep everything cool?
• If not, maybe I could use one of the adapters pictured below + an external cooler & circulation pump to keep the transmission cooled? This adapter replaces the existing heat exchanger.

If I am out of my rocker and should look at a different car, please let me know and many thanks

The issue is the gearbox -- automatics have their fluid pump driven by the INPUT SHAFT from the engine, and thus have zero lubrication when the engine is not running. They WILL be severely damaged or destroyed by towing them "drive wheels down" over any material distance.

I don't know if it's practical to provide a pressurized fluid feed by other means as I don't know the fluid path (e.g. is it " filter -> pump -> cooler -> gearbox -> sump" or "filter -> pump -> gearbox -> cooler -> sump"?) It may not matter as even in the latter case if the pump has no bypass and is just a straight positive-displacement pump you won't get flow through the required things to prevent it from burning up.

My usual answer when someone asks me this question is "buy a stick."

They just don't design ATXes to be towed 4-down.

Thank you, that is great info. I had not thought about the existing pump possibly preventing flow if I were to add an aux circulation pump, and I'll definitely consider looking around for a manual.

I think you'd want a manual swap, plus a 2" lift and a skid plate... a big RV will often need to go over obstacles in the roadway that you would need to avoid in a stock VW, and you won't be able to feel or hear if it is scraping or hits something. There's a good reason you see Jeep wranglers for an RV dinghy 90% of the time.

You know I've been genuinely curious if you can tow a mkiv manual being something. Will the trans bearings get enough lube?

Nero Morg said:

You know I've been genuinely curious if you can tow a mkiv manual being something. Will the trans bearings get enough lube?

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No problem at all.

I think you'd want a manual swap, plus a 2" lift and a skid plate... a big RV will often need to go over obstacles in the roadway that you would need to avoid in a stock VW, and you won't be able to feel or hear if it is scraping or hits something. There's a good reason you see Jeep wranglers for an RV dinghy 90% of the time.

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THAT is a serious consideration.

On my last long trip about three weeks ago I was in heavy precip when the truck in front of me ran over (intentionally, I believe) what I'm pretty sure was a folding table in the road. It was ejected back at my vehicle, on the pavement, at a high rate of speed.

I had no way to dodge it -- while there WAS time traction was compromised by conditions and I had traffic on both sides of me. Attempting to go around it risked losing control, so I did the best I could, knowing I was going to run it over.

Some part of it caught my lower bumper cover on the right side. The damage was confined to a stove-in foglight and fairly-severe scratching of the plastic cover, plus a small divot out of the bottom (where you can't see it.) The foglight mounting was undamaged and I was able to put it back where it belonged.

That was in my Mazda; the VW would have likely fared less-well, as it sits lower (by a fair bit) than the "6" does. IF I was towing that and it had hung up and been dragged instead of bouncing off the damage could have been quite-severe.

At minimum I would make sure I have behind-me camera capability towing 4-down that can see the vehicle being towed especially around the front clip and wheel areas back to the rear wheels, as otherwise you could go a hell of a long way before realizing that your car is basically being destroyed as it's dragged down the road.