Hi all. I have a 15 VW Golf TDI 6spd MT.
I commited to buying a utility trailer that serves as a primitive RV called Taxa Woolly Bear. It is 1270lbs empty and 140lbs tongue empty. You can see pictures, specs and diagrams here:
https://taxaoutdoors.com/habitats/woolly-bear/
Loaded it will be 2000lbs and 250-300 tongue weight.
My hitch is a EcoHitch rated for 2000lbs and and 300 tongue.
I am in the US where the VW is "not recommended for towing" and am getting pushback from every angle - online, uhaul (who I asked to install my brake controller and 7 way pin), even the trailer manufacturer themselves.
My biggest concern is the tongue weight. I will be lugging this around US forest roads for an entire year, doing a tour of forests and sleeping there.
I'm not afraid of the 2000lbs tow weight as much as the tongue weight since even in EU the Golf is only rated for 165lbs tongue weight (but a whopping 3600lbs tow weight).
Based on posts here and elsewhere, it seems doable, at least short term. But I will be towing this every 2 weeks to different forests. It's going to be a decent amount of stress on the body where the hitch itself connects, but am hopeful. If the part where the hitch connects to the body breaks on me mid-drive, it will be catastrophic for me. So I nervous and going in blind. But this is a trip I *need* to do for myself.
The Woolly Bear trailer will be ready for pickup on August 17 (2 weeks). Quite nervous.
When transporting it, I plan to unload the battery, cooler, and any heavier items from the trailer and into the car to lessen to tongue weight load as much as I can because I feel that's the weak spot based on VW EUs max recommended rating of 165lbs tongue.
I will provide update(s) as to how it's going once am on the road with it.
Thanks to all the confidence boosting posts here. I was on the edge of canceling my order until I saw similar VWs tow even heavier things here. But I'll be towing a lot more frequently than some of you, I feel.
My biggest fear is if something breaks, it will take the muffler with it, or worse, send the trailer careening into a car behind me or causing the trailer to sustain significant and costly damage.
I will update when I can.