Show what you tow!

BigKevinW

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 27, 2014
Location
Cullman, Alabama, US
TDI
2001 Beetle
The post of mine about the car running like crap after towing. I found the problem...
It wasn't towing the other car that had anything to do with it. It did it again a couple days ago. After a lot of searching, I found where someone cut into a couple of the wires harness-side of the injection pump plug and the wires apparently never were reconnected correctly. This specific wire that was almost apart again, according to the wiring diagrams, is some kind of a voltage metering sensor for the quantity adjuster. I'll be soldering them together better this weekend.

I shall tow again soon

Here's a little tow porn for you today.


That's my hard-side popup camper.
 

sandmansans

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Location
NJ/PA
TDI
2014 Jetta
The post of mine about the car running like crap after towing. I found the problem...
It wasn't towing the other car that had anything to do with it. It did it again a couple days ago. After a lot of searching, I found where someone cut into a couple of the wires harness-side of the injection pump plug and the wires apparently never were reconnected correctly. This specific wire that was almost apart again, according to the wiring diagrams, is some kind of a voltage metering sensor for the quantity adjuster. I'll be soldering them together better this weekend.

I shall tow again soon

Here's a little tow porn for you today.


That's my hard-side popup camper.
Very nice. Any mods to the car? Also how much does the said trailer weigh? What's the furthest you've taken it.

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BigKevinW

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 27, 2014
Location
Cullman, Alabama, US
TDI
2001 Beetle
Very nice. Any mods to the car? Also how much does the said trailer weigh? What's the furthest you've taken it.

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Car is as modded as can be for 275,000 miles on the original vnt-15.
I dabble a little (read: A LOT!) in computer programming (read "screwing with stuff I shouldn't).

Anyway, I have .216 injectors, perf clutch, straight-through exhaust, & the equivalent of a Malone Stage 3, just fully written by me (advanced timing, no EGR, dynamic Idle, 18.5 psi max boost, greatly increased fueling, increased glow plug duration, increased coolant glow plug duration, and a few other goodies).

I built a 2" front, 2.5" rear lift kit (to save the aluminum oil pan and for towing). The trailer hitch has been reinforced with a couple extra mounts on the underside of the body for increased rigidity.

Near future, I will be installing a front mount intercooler and 2.5" piping, black steelies with 215/65r16 rubber to give me another inch of ground clearance. I'll be getting 20mm spacers to go behind the steelies to put them out to the edge of the fenders.

I've towed it a couple hours away from the house a few times. Nothing major, yet. My emergency brake cable popped on me a few months ago and I want to get that fixed before a big family trip to the Smokey Mountains.
 

sandmansans

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Location
NJ/PA
TDI
2014 Jetta
Car is as modded as can be for 275,000 miles on the original vnt-15.
I dabble a little (read: A LOT!) in computer programming (read "screwing with stuff I shouldn't).

Anyway, I have .216 injectors, perf clutch, straight-through exhaust, & the equivalent of a Malone Stage 3, just fully written by me (advanced timing, no EGR, dynamic Idle, 18.5 psi max boost, greatly increased fueling, increased glow plug duration, increased coolant glow plug duration, and a few other goodies).

I built a 2" front, 2.5" rear lift kit (to save the aluminum oil pan and for towing). The trailer hitch has been reinforced with a couple extra mounts on the underside of the body for increased rigidity.

Near future, I will be installing a front mount intercooler and 2.5" piping, black steelies with 215/65r16 rubber to give me another inch of ground clearance. I'll be getting 20mm spacers to go behind the steelies to put them out to the edge of the fenders.

I've towed it a couple hours away from the house a few times. Nothing major, yet. My emergency brake cable popped on me a few months ago and I want to get that fixed before a big family trip to the Smokey Mountains.
Wow that's some hard core modding lol. Great looking set up!

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vk_bigTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2007
Location
CH, CA
TDI
2004 Jetta TDi
Cripes that's a big load! I think you definitely take the prize so far. :cool: What are the published towing weight limits for the Passat wagon? Are they they same as the Jetta?

All the way beyond limits.. I know I know.....

Bayliner 20ft



15ft trailer and 500lb Honda silverwing



3800lb bobcat



1999 Mazda Miata (you be the judge)



2 and 3 seater wave runners




3 seater wave runner



1300lb of retaining wall material



Road trip pix







Enjoy

195K miles and still pulls strong


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vk_bigTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2007
Location
CH, CA
TDI
2004 Jetta TDi
Made a cage... 3.1/2" x 2"

Then took bike attachment off of Yakima stick up, and placed cage instead. And once done using it, bike attachment can be reinstalled back


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Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
That Bobcat pic looks scary! Trailer looks so overloaded to the rear that the hitch seems to want to jump off that ball. Be care with that platform as well as all that weight hanging off a lever like that bobbing up and down can also rip the hitch out. 200lbs total tongue weight including platform and load.
 

vk_bigTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2007
Location
CH, CA
TDI
2004 Jetta TDi
I totally agree with you (LifhtFlyer1) I wasn't really speeding with it. I just had to take it back to where I got it from... I knew car would have no problems pulling it. Problem was if hitch can handle so much weight on the tongue.. So I intensionally had it sit closer to the rear of the trailer. Yes... From time to time trailer back wanted to let the hitch ball ... And to be honestly breaking wasn't the issue at all. As I wasn't going faster then 30... More the. 30 would be a suicidal ...

ps. Thanks for liking pictures.. I know everyone on here like pictures..
I'm sure ill have many more soon
 

nayr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Location
Colorado
TDI
2014 Audi Q7
high five for dragging a bobcat.. :)

shoulda taken a pix after a storm last year, I loaded up my trailer about 8ft tall of tree debris, and thats ratcheted down.. had to be over twice that high before I started compressing it all.. from behind there was no sign of my car or the trailer, just a mountain of debris bouncing down the road.
I pulled into a free dropoff site full of pickups and unloaded twice as much as anyone else there.. had a rope tied to a big log at the front of the trailer, tied it onto a few big logs in the pile, pulled my straps then drove off leaving the entire load behind.

who needs a truck..
 

NarfBLAST

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 3, 2002
Location
Waterdown, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2001 Golf 5MT
What do you connect to the ball on the trailer? Tandem tow something light?
I only use it off road to connect my 3x6 gardening trailer when I want to carry chain saws and other tools on the small trailer and fill the big trailer with brush and debris.

edit: in that case I would be towing with the lawn tractor, on my property or on a short trip down the street to my brother-in-laws place, never with the Volkswagen on the road.
 
Last edited:

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
Love your supervisor in that video nerf!
 

spicy_red

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2003
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI, highline, 6MT, multimedia, plat grey metallic

bobt2382

Veteran Member - TDIClub Contributor
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
NJ
TDI
2010 CW GOLF 4DR 6MT TDI
Thanks. Great picture and the map link works.
 

sandmansans

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Location
NJ/PA
TDI
2014 Jetta
https://goo.gl/photos/kzCHDiEvXan1d6hv7

Hoping this image shows up. It's a Bora TDI I spotted last month travelling up towards the Chilean/Argentinian border. This stretch of road is here, not sure if link will work: https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/''/-...6!4m5!1m3!2m2!1d-70.1452723!2d-32.8612517!1m0

But it a crazy stretch of road of 30+ switchback and BIG elevation gain. Near the Portillo Ski Resort in Chile, by the Libertadores boarder crossing with Argentina. I couldn't believe my eyes!!
Awesome picture! How heavy would you estimate the load to have been?

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kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
https://goo.gl/photos/kzCHDiEvXan1d6hv7

Hoping this image shows up. It's a Bora TDI I spotted last month travelling up towards the Chilean/Argentinian border. This stretch of road is here, not sure if link will work: https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/''/-...6!4m5!1m3!2m2!1d-70.1452723!2d-32.8612517!1m0

But it a crazy stretch of road of 30+ switchback and BIG elevation gain. Near the Portillo Ski Resort in Chile, by the Libertadores boarder crossing with Argentina. I couldn't believe my eyes!!
Great picture and map link. If you click on google earth and then the pictures at the bottom, you get a great shot of one end of the road. My wife would probably decide to walk instead of ride with me on that one.
 
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