Towing Question -

Ok - you can see that I have 2 TDI's :

2000 New Beetle, now has a 5 speed manual, and RC2 (and some other performance). It's been estimated to have about 170% of stock torque / HP - which puts it in striking range of the Golf. Inspite of that - it WILL regularly hit 45-48 MPG driven sanely - I've even had a 50 MPG tank once.

2015 Golf SE with DSG, has had Phase I of the fix, and will be getting Phase 2 when available.

If you were going to drive both of these from Raleigh NC to Kansas City KS, towing a trailer with a 720 pound motorcycle (total trailer weight somewhere between 1500 and 2000 pounds) which one is better suited for the tow job ? The trailer will be one from U-Haul and we're doing it as a one-way.

I realize getting a rental truck to do the towing would be better.

The Beetle has 361,500 miles right now, the Golf is at about 36,000 miles. Both of them will need a hitch and the wiring added to it.

The owner's manual for the Golf states DO NOT TOW with the DSG - I'm figuring that if we use the Golf it would be in S or manual mode. We're not going to try to set any records getting there - we can take it easy, especially crossing the Appalachians.

Either one should do fine. Does the Beetle have an EGT gauge? Some have reported higher temps when towing. All the US cars say don't tow with them IIRC. Many have done so anyway with no bad results I have heard of. Just take it easy and slow down. That should hardly be a load for either car. I towed a car on a dolly with my old 2005 Beetle with no issues at all. Check the tow thread here to see what others have done. Take your pick and be careful and have fun!

Tow it with the Beetle. More power is not going to be the critical factor whether you can tow the moto with it. A stock TDI should be adequate.

A Uhaul 5' x 9' Utility Trailer with Ramp should work for you as the capacity is 760 lbs for a max of 2000 lb hitch rating. I believe you should be able to get just under the max value with a Class 1 hitch.

The Beetle, but take it easy especially if you haven't upgraded the clutch.

BEETLES ROCK! They are little towing beast. Woodlands,TX to Wheeling,WV. Beetle with a Beetle and still averaged 32mpg.

Temps never ran high.

jettawreck said:

The Beetle, but take it easy especially if you haven't upgraded the clutch.

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When my 5 speed conversion was done, It was done with an SMF for the clutch, not DMF. Is that good enough ?

The DSG will be a nicer/smoother experience but I like the beetle with the standard transmission for durability.

Yes.
No towing with DSG, huh. The Beetle should do fine.
I bought a 1981 Ford F150 new, owners manual said no towing with the manual transmission. Never had a problem towing.
Wonder what the deal is with the DSG.

It was ONLY with the TDI about no towing - the gassers had no such restriction.

My college graduation vehicle was a 1983 Ford Ranger P/U with 2.8 L V6 and 5 speed manual. I towed a bike on a trailer to St Louis, Pensacola, Norfolk, Newport, Boston and down to Jacksonville FL and up to DC. Never a problem.

BobnOH said:

Yes.
No towing with DSG, huh. The Beetle should do fine.
I bought a 1981 Ford F150 new, owners manual said no towing with the manual transmission. Never had a problem towing.
Wonder what the deal is with the DSG.

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My son's GTI has a DSG and 2.0T which would do just fine pulling with the power output of that engine.

I am not saying don't do it, I just think the manual clutch will be happier with that abuse so I would go with the beetle/manual.

There are a lot of electrics in the DSG and the added stress/heat from towing may disturb the solenoids etc...

Also, the owners manual for our beetle doesn't say "DON'T TOW" it says that "the towing capacity is not available at time of printing". Sort of slicing the bread from the other side of the loaf

Maybe the better question is... which vehicle would be better to have a hitch installed in the long run... it is a small investment and your ALH is getting up in miles.

The DSG has mostly been preferred for towing on the caravan sites in Europe, and sometimes the DSG is rated more than the standard in the same model year in Europe. The wet clutch and ability to maintain speed on the shifts is the reason I chose the DSG.

Which ever you choose to tow with, just remember to keep the RPM high in the power band and do not utilize that addicting low end grunt. Even when cruising, I'd keep the RPM at or above 2500 RPM, just to keep the transmission and engine cool. Heck, I cruise 2500-3000 RPM in my low revving Cummins and shift close to 4 grand when towing.

belome said:

Maybe the better question is... which vehicle would be better to have a hitch installed in the long run... it is a small investment and your ALH is getting up in miles.

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My thoughts too. The beetle is probably a marginally better tow vehicle, but I assume the same hitch would not fit both cars. And the op may well own the golf considerably further into the future. On the other hand, they might prefer to rack up the miles and wear/tear on the older (and probably reliable) beetle. I could see either one making sense.

turbobrick240 said:

My thoughts too. The beetle is probably a marginally better tow vehicle, but I assume the same hitch would not fit both cars. And the op may well own the golf considerably further into the future. On the other hand, they might prefer to rack up the miles and wear/tear on the older (and probably reliable) beetle. I could see either one making sense.

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Believe me - those thoughts had crossed my mind also. That's why I was asking about it.

I do appreciate everybody's thoughts - it gives me something to think about.

My ALH Vanagon pulled this 1200 lb camper with deep cycle battery, propane, dog food, stuff, etc., inside as well as all the luggage and other camping things in the Van on two separate road trips totally over 24k miles with no issues!