Curt Hitch Receiver Install...

[Stealth TDI]

Hello,

I've seen several posts in this forum about the Curt hitch on Mk6's. Still, I figured I'd make another topic, but with more detail and photos. I'm going to do this in three posts. I've always used my Mk3 Jetta TDI to its fullest. That includes the occasional trailer load when necessary. It's almost like having an F150 that got 35-mpg! My new Mk6 will be no exception. I recently installed a Curt hitch receiver, part number 11072. I always photo-document my work. So I'll share my stuff with you here. MyTurbodiesel admins are welcome to use this for a DIY if my material is worthy.

First, this video at YouTube is spot-on regarding the install of the hitch!

I ordered my receiver from Amazon for $120.37 shipped. It comes in a large box...

I cleaned out the trunk and then removed the splash shield from beneath the rear fender area...

I believe the black hose is a sunroof drain. I do not know what the clear hose is for.

The receiver is held in by six bolts. Three have to be fished through the unibody with supplied fishing wires (see video). Here are two of the bolts...

One bolt is passed through a factory hole after removing a plug...

Instead of just a bead of silicone on the top washer (see video), I opted to really glob it on there. That allowed the sealant to gush into everywhere that could potentially collect dirt moisture. That was a particular concern for me directly above this brace where a portion of the factory hole was still exposed.

Here is the clearance between my bumper skin and the receiver tube...

The 10.5 inches depicted here was measured from where the bumper skin contacts the body to the lower edge of the bumper.

I wish the receiver was tucked up closer to the bumper. But the real obstacle is the spare tire well, just 1/2" away...

I reinstalled my splash shield after minor trimming...

Continued with wiring in next post...

 

[Stealth TDI]

Next up was the wiring for a trailer. I was lucky to find a kit that allowed me to wire up the car WITHOUT splicing any wires, Tow Ready P/N 118572...

The part is not as pictured. Also, it was not clear that this kit also comes with a lead wire long enough to connect the module to the battery. It was a nice surprise!

I started with an empty trunk. This photo shows my silicone bead on the trunk floor as well as the plug in the rear wall that I will pass my wiring harness through to outside...

First, I popped-off the inside trim piece. My goal was to completely conceal the wiring...

Next, I pulled back the carpeting so I could have full and open access to the tail lights...

Two of the "screws" on each side are a little tough to find...

Here's a look at the left side wiring adapter. One end plugs into the tail light and the other plugs into the factory wiring connector...

Here is the adapter plugged in...

I used this factory ground to attach my white (ground) wire...

Here is where I chose to mount my control module with supplied two-sided tape (left tail light wiring is not long enough for many other mounting locations)...

Next post is the wrap-up...

 

[Stealth TDI]

I did not get photos of how I ran the power wire up to the front of the car. Looking at the grounding point above, I ran the wire alongside the brown wire until it entered the passenger compartment. Then I ran the wire under the side paneling until I got it to the fuse box. I used an "add-a-circuit" part to take power from an always-on source and fused the circuit.

I tested the lighting and then reinstalled all of the trim. The trailer harness enters the spare tire well like this...

I removed the closest body plug, cut it to accept the harness and then glued/sealed it up with Household Goop...

I used splicing tape to conceal the colored wires before reinstalling the plug...

I wanted a discrete way to secure the connector end. So I Gooped a test connector to the receiver tube and plugged the harness into it...

I think it looks fairly good for a trailer hitch on a VW...

Here is the clearance with a full tank of fuel...

The ball height is just over 13 inches with a "standard" drawbar (no rise). A four-inch riser can easily accommodate a cargo trailer with a 17-inch coupler height...

Here's a shot from a few feet away. I use a Tow Ready bumper guard to prevent accidental trailer "kisses" that can easily occur when coupling/uncoupling on unlevel surfaces...

With all of the noise I hear about how "ugly" hitches are, I noticed on another Reflex Silver Jetta that the hitch is hardly noticeable from a distance (this is my car)...

Even with the drawbar, it's not too much of an eye sore...

Regardless, I'm more concerned with how the car WORKS instead of how pretty it is... although pretty is nice, too! Feel free to post questions. Ask if there's a photo you want to see. I may have taken it and simply not posted.

Scott

 

[pdt165]

Amazing write up!!

 

[Cayman]

wish I had bought a 6MT, you can't use a trailer with the DSG tranny

 

[torrimac]

wish I had bought a 6MT, you can't use a trailer with the DSG tranny

You can, you just have to do it smartly.

 

[torrimac]

Great set of pics. Thanks for the write-up

 

[Stealth TDI]

I forgot to share an interesting advantage of having a back-up camera. I had wondered if I would be able to see the hitch ball on the screen. It's VERY close, but no luck.

I improvised by attaching an orange clamp to the drawbar:

It just barely shows on the camera, but it's enough to get me lined up and within an inch of the ball:

I plan to paint a horizontal line on my trailer's coupler bar that'll line up with the horizontal line on the screen when the coupler is over the ball. Once an initial measurement is made, I can use tape on any rented trailer to enable pinpoint, unassisted backing and coupling anytime.

 

[Cayman]

You can, you just have to do it smartly.

Nope, it will void your warranty. Replacing a transmission because you choose to tow stuff isn't a good idea..

 

[TDIx2]

Awesome work!!!! Looks great!!

 

[az7000']

Nope, it will void your warranty. Replacing a transmission because you choose to tow stuff isn't a good idea..

Where is that stated? My owners manual gives guidelines, doesn't say "It will void your warranty"

Thanks

 

[Stealth TDI]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. Regarding DSG and warranty, let's reference my 2014 Owner's Manual:

TRAILER TOWING, Introduction... Volkswagen does not recommend installing a trailer hitch on your vehicle...

That seems odd when it's followed by a eight pages on how to use one. Later it goes on to mention the dimensions which "must be adhered to." The Curt hitch does not meet the attachment criteria nor the other dimensions depicted in referenced illustration. It is unlikely that anything in the US does. There are plenty of other impossible-to-meet criteria listed. Examples include a maximum pin-to-ball distance of 7-inches (which puts the ball REALLY close to the bumper... certainly no room for my bumper guard), a narrow range of drawbar DROP requirements, no greater than a 32mm ball (which MUST be a misprint that was supposed to represent the drawbar), and a minimum ground-to-ball distance of 13.7-inches (which is impossible to achieve with a DROP drawbar). There's more. But those are the obvious items. Is this a legal game to make it impossible to tow in accordance with the owner's manual? Read the warranty booklet under "What's not covered" and you'll see it wouldn't be hard for VW's army of attorneys to convince a judge that nearly any hitch in the US wasn't installed or used in accordance with the owner's manual.

But, to answer your specific question about whether towing with a DSG will void your warranty, see the weight table that depicts "maximum permissible trailer weight" (page 150 in my 2014 manual). The section for "DSG 6S automatic" clearly states "This vehicle cannot be used to tow a trailer -> !" Okay... so does that say your warranty is void? No. But the "!" is a blue graphic, meaning you have to read the NOTICE posted below the table. Here's what it says:

Towing a trailer of any kind with a vehicle that has a diesel engine and DSG automatic transmission will cause overheating and expensive engine as well as other damage that will not be covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty. Never install a trailer hitch on one of these vehicles.

It made me really glad I stuck with a manual transmission! BTW, I was amused to read that the printed paragraph states not to exceed 165-lb tongue weight while the table says 200-lbs is okay and that the 2.5L can tow 1500-lbs witout brakes while the TDI cannot exceed 1000-lbs WITH brakes. I guess it has something to do with DPF loading. Who knows?

Scott

 

[Cayman]

I read the same thing Stealth, in fact I ordered the same hitch you did (and upon further review) returned it. Once my warranty is up I may reconsider, but for the short term I don't want to have tranny/engine issues that are blamed on me having a tow set up.

 

[az7000']

All feedback is good, thanks.
In the 2012 manual my blue ! notice states "Exceeding the gross weight ratings can cause extensive vehicle damage that is not covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty" They do not list a number for the diesel without DPF, the diesel with DPF and the DSG6 are noted "information not available at time of printing"
They don't list my engine at all, guess I'll let the lawyers figure it out. I have towed once, 2 dirt bikes on a 350# trailer, best guess is 1000#'s total with gear bags and I measured the tongue weight at 165#. 1100 miles from Flagstaff to Ensenada, pic is a sweet winery in Baja on the way down. Mileage went from 32, flat at 65mph to an overall of 25. Still way better than either of our trucks. Going to try a bike rack this week for 1100 miles round trip!

 

[JaredC01]

To quote myself in the "Show what you tow!" thread...

Dunno what the total combine axle weight would have been for my trip, but the trailer was rated at 900 lbs empty, with a motorcycle and household goods in the back that totaled about 600~700 lbs. Also had probably 200 lbs in the back seat, and two adults in the front seat.

Total side the weight of the car (including both passengers) is around 2200 lbs best I can guess. The CR did very well over the ~4500 mile trip... I'm still impressed at how well it managed.

 

[Savageman69]

Ive towed crazy amount....and way heavier then most would attempt and ive never had an issue at all

 

[Stealth TDI]

I haven't carried my bike anywhere but inside the trunk for now. I'll use the cargo carrier when I need to carry two bikes.

I carried my first load today... nothing major...

Here's how my carrier is elevated three inches to help clear driveways and uneven intersections...

Clearance drops just a tad with 100 lbs on the tray. This crook was usually the first to strike a driveway on my Mk3...

The cargo sits closer to my Mk6 than the Mk3..

And it's lower against the high trunk lid for better economy. At least that's what I tell myself.

The tray is a little more wobbly than with my other hitch. I'll look into a hitch tightener. The backup camera is useless with cargo, though. I expect to pull a trailer so I can pick up a loft bed today or tomorrow. It shouldn't be more than 400-lbs total.

Scott

 

[jsrmonster]

Nice write up Scott. The dsg does fine, but the car needs many upgrades to sw (ecu/dsg), thru exhaust, and suspension mods (HD adjustable shocks and swaybar), boost/egt gages, etc, for towing. Good news is the brakes are fine, unlike the mkiv's.

After the mods, I could pull trailer at 80mph with no worries, and headlights pointing to the ground instead of the sky. Rain was white knuckles driving, however. I sold the car and have an 09 CR dsg now, but leave the trailing to my other cars (Liberty CRD, Suburban, Sprinter van, and v8-Touareg)

Jeff ;-))

I drove to NC and picked up a popup and drove it home before suspension mods.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n_QqwqmDxQ

Here was suspension mods done to fix the ride to be safer.
http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/airbag_spring.jpg
http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/drill_holes.jpg
http://pics.tdiclub.com/showfull.php?photo=80480

 

[Stealth TDI]

Good to see you making posts instead of just working your arse off, Jeff! I've considered bags as well. Do you happen to have any photos that show how you get the air hose to wherever you fill the bags from?

 

[jsrmonster]

I had 2x schreader valves one on each side of the lower valance. Best place to install fill valves were on top license plate bolts.
I saw wild bills Dmax had done this. ;-))
Inside the fuel door is a good place too.

 

[TDIx2]

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Trailer plus kayaks and other gear is under 400 pounds.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Thanks for the info, Jeff!

I hooked up the trailer today to pick up a loft bed...

I went to a parking lot to brush up on my backing skills since I hadn't towed with this car before.
One skill I like to have is the ability to jackknife the trailer into a buffer zone beside an end spot. That way, I take up just one spot instead of two...

I can't jackknife my Mk6 quite as tightly as I can my Mk3. But it still works well...

I even figured out a good reference point on the camera to mark my "stop" position...

Here's a close-up of my coupler...

I mentioned earlier that I could paint a strip on the tongue to mark when I was over the ball. A better solution will be to paint the coupler handle orange since it's a good marker...

I'll test it soon. The coupler was a bit noisy due to my light load. Otherwise, the towing was good. And, as Jeff said, the brakes were more than adequate.

Scott

 

[jheen]

I see you have about 8.5" clearance from the ground to the bottom of the hitch. Do others have approximately that same height? I have a Hidden Hitch installed on my 2014 and only have about 7.5" clearance to the bottom of the hitch. Its worth installing the Curt hitch to get an extra 1" of clearance back there. Do you have a close-up side view of how far it sticks out the back in relation to the bumper?

 

[Stealth TDI]

This is the closest I have to a side shot that I can get to from work (looks like the hitch pin is aligned with the forward edge of the bumper skin):

Ironically, I may find myself at 7.5 inces if I lower the car a tad. At 7.5 inches, do you have problems striking in steep driveways or uneven intersections? My Mk3 will hit if I take a steep driveway head-on with back seat passengers or a good load in the trunk. I need to put the Mk3 on the street and measure its clearance for comparison sake.

 

[jheen]

I do find at 7.5" I am hitting far more frequently than I did with my mk4. With the mk4 I would only hit with pretty extreme situations, but now they are much more moderate and I hit. That picture is great, thanks. I think the hidden hitch sticks back further as well. I forgot to mention also my 7.5" is with 1/4 tank and about 60 lbs in the trunk.

 

[bennybmn]

Distance from the rear wheel to the tip of the hitch plays a role in the scraping equation (triangle) too. It's how they measure departure angle in the offroading world.

 

[DieselCJ]

Looks good. Curt makes some nice stuff! Nicest hitch IMO.

 

[langer]

Jesus peeps. Just tell vw that you use it for a bike rack if there are DSG tranmission warranty issues.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Hello,

Jesus peeps. Just tell vw that you use it for a bike rack if there are DSG tranmission warranty issues.

If you're going to lie, make sure you also hide the wiring harness for the trailer lighting. It's hard to deny you tow if there's a lighting harness. That said, I agree with a careful approach during the warranty period. I've seen VW dealerships who are VERY swift to kill an entire warranty over certain mods. It's a shame. "Okay, I've altered my ECU and agree that VW shouldn't have to foot the bill if the turbo fails... But they should still cover a failed window regulator or power seat!" (examples only)

Looking at the DSG vs. trailer issue differently, the placcard in my door frame says the max (car-only) cargo for my car is 1014 lbs. So why couldn't a 200-lb driver pull an 800-lb trailer to the dump or to move some furniture? Wind load? I'm intrigued by the DSG and sometimes wonder if my next car will have my first-ever "automatic" tranny. But it's tough to make the crossover if DSG reliability is suspect when pulling a trailer. Would a "DSG tune" improve reliability under heavy loads?

More on clearance issues, I recently moved a few bikes (one in the trunk):

My hitch receiver struck the road as I was leaving the driveway from this parking lot. The rusty marks are from previous scrapes in my Mk3. The silver scrape on the receiver is the new one:

I suspect this was an unusual event since this particular driveway has a concave gutter at the bottom. But it also makes me less-inclined to lower the car. Maybe I'll lose sight of that when it's time to replace the factory shocks and I simply "have to" lower the car one inch.

Scott

 

[torrimac]

I have the curt hitch on mine. Plans to use it to move bikes around and maybe pull a trailer once in a rare moment. I don't even own a trailer so that is not going to happen any time soon.

I scrape in a few places in town. Mostly drive ways and some off the main path intersections that are designed stupid for drainage purposes. I have to drive a bit different because of it but no issues.

I do have the DSG and have no worries about pulling something. My max load will be less than 800lbs on the trailer when/if i ever do it. Not going to do stupid stuff, pick up a few sheets of drywall/plywood from the DIY store. or move a couch. Moving light/bulky stuff like that not piles of rock. I doubt I would ever pull at high way speeds. Just how I would personally use it.