Towing a Jetta TDI
- Thread starter Jennifer
- Start date
Gevaert
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 1999
- Location
- Roeselare, (Near Brugge), Belgium
Jennifer,
I've looked on the Belgium web-site for the asked info. In Europe The jetta is dead for a long time ago so we only have Golf and Bora. Towing is allowed with factory equipment and own installed equipment if the roles are respected. The different between them is that the first one is very expensive because they also change the cooling part of the car (double fan and bigger radiator, etc...) and is usely for people that tow every day. The second one is cheaper and only for vacation reasons. You just have to slow down when the heating gauge is rising to much.
Towing number are both cars are:
when towed device has NO break: 600 kg.
when towing devices has his own brakes: 1300 kg
When you need the url send a mail, the site is in dutch or french and I need to explain how you can walk through the applets.
Greeting from the Chickegate country Belgium.
Do not feed your chickens with used oil!
I've looked on the Belgium web-site for the asked info. In Europe The jetta is dead for a long time ago so we only have Golf and Bora. Towing is allowed with factory equipment and own installed equipment if the roles are respected. The different between them is that the first one is very expensive because they also change the cooling part of the car (double fan and bigger radiator, etc...) and is usely for people that tow every day. The second one is cheaper and only for vacation reasons. You just have to slow down when the heating gauge is rising to much.
Towing number are both cars are:
when towed device has NO break: 600 kg.
when towing devices has his own brakes: 1300 kg
When you need the url send a mail, the site is in dutch or french and I need to explain how you can walk through the applets.
Greeting from the Chickegate country Belgium.
Do not feed your chickens with used oil!
christi
Top Post Dawg
Gevaert, that is not what Jennifer was asking. In the US they have very large motorhomes, they are like a lorry. The idea is that they attach their car to the back of the motorhome. They drive the motorhome pulling the car along. The car has its engine switched off, and no one inside. It is really only possible because their motorhomes are so heavy. That's why we don't do it in Europe, I'm not sure that it would be legal here.
I did find your answer interesting though, because I'm interested in towing a caravan using my 96 Passat tdi, and I was wondering if an modifications are necessary to the cooling system.
Jennifer (and others). What we do in Europe is to by a "dolly". This is a triangular shaped frame; one corner has a standard trailer hitch, the other corners have a wheel each. Half way between the wheels is a swivel joint, with a pair of paddles mounted to the swivel. You drive the front wheels of your car up onto the paddles, and the rear wheels stay on the ground. You car is now a four wheel trailer, with a swivelling front axle. This arrangement can be towed by a car which is no heavier than the "towee", as the frame cannot exert any sideways force on the "tower" and is therefore quite stable. The only problem is that the front of the "towee" is quite high, and if the car has a long overhang at the back, it can get a bit near the ground.
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1996 Passat Tdi estate (wagon)
Visit me at www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/5067/
I did find your answer interesting though, because I'm interested in towing a caravan using my 96 Passat tdi, and I was wondering if an modifications are necessary to the cooling system.
Jennifer (and others). What we do in Europe is to by a "dolly". This is a triangular shaped frame; one corner has a standard trailer hitch, the other corners have a wheel each. Half way between the wheels is a swivel joint, with a pair of paddles mounted to the swivel. You drive the front wheels of your car up onto the paddles, and the rear wheels stay on the ground. You car is now a four wheel trailer, with a swivelling front axle. This arrangement can be towed by a car which is no heavier than the "towee", as the frame cannot exert any sideways force on the "tower" and is therefore quite stable. The only problem is that the front of the "towee" is quite high, and if the car has a long overhang at the back, it can get a bit near the ground.
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1996 Passat Tdi estate (wagon)
Visit me at www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/5067/
M
mickey
Guest
Ain't America great? I saw a HUGE motor home barrelling down the highway this weekend, towing a Lincoln Navigator! The Navigator weighs at least 2 1/2 tons! There's nothing we enjoy more in this country than burning up a lot of fuel.
-mickey
-mickey
M
mickey
Guest
I'd strongly suggest using a dolly for the front wheels. Just 'cause everybody does it doesn't mean it's a good idea! Most folks don't use a dolly, but I've always thought that's adding a lot of unnecessary wear on the driveline, especially the CV joints.
-mickey
-mickey
Tazzman
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 1999
Theres a three point tow bar.
Out there,
You can tow while rolling the front wheels
You can tow while the fronts on dollies
Ive seen alot of them around by people like
your self.
Ive been told to go to a Rental place,
Its cheeper,
Uhal and small rentals have them.
good luck!
Out there,
You can tow while rolling the front wheels
You can tow while the fronts on dollies
Ive seen alot of them around by people like
your self.
Ive been told to go to a Rental place,
Its cheeper,
Uhal and small rentals have them.
good luck!
diesel_freak
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 1999
- Location
- Troy, Ohio
Wrong, Mickey. We enjoy even more bombing other countries to rubble in the name of humanitarianism. (sarcasm)
PS. before anyone begins flaming, I'm a USNA grad and a former naval officer, so I have the right to criticize every "wag the dog" war our moron-in-chief gets us in.
PS. before anyone begins flaming, I'm a USNA grad and a former naval officer, so I have the right to criticize every "wag the dog" war our moron-in-chief gets us in.
M
mickey
Guest
Do you realize what kind of fuel mileage an F-16 gets? My original point is still valid.
-mickey
-mickey
diesel_freak
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 1999
- Location
- Troy, Ohio
Not as good as nuclear ships.... Millions of miles for a couple hundered pounds of fuel
pat
Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 1999
- Location
- Gatineau, qc,
I heard, for other cars, that it's better to have a dolly for the front wheels. It's a question of oil circulation.
Sparky
Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 1999
- Location
- Dallas, TX
Back to the original topic of towing a Jetta TDI. I've been towing mine on "all four" since I bought it. It has been towed for nearly 10K miles behind my motorhome. And so far there hasn't been any problems. My parents have been towing an Acura Legand with an automatic for over 150K miles and no problems. There is a procedure that automatics use to prepare for towing, but I would recommend contacting the manufacturer.
kiki
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 1999
- Location
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA
- TDI
- 2013 Passat SE TDI 6mt; 2011 Golf TDI 6mt; 2005 MB E320 cdi; 2007 Passat Sport Wagon 6mt (FSI Turbo); 2005 Ford Excursion Powerstroke 4x4; 2004 Passat GLS TDI Wagon (Sold); y2k NB TDI (Sold); 1996 Passat TDI Wagon (Sold).
All automatics are not created equal! FWD Honda products (including Acura) with an automatic tranny can be towed if the proper "setup routine" is followed. All first generation Saturns are towable - and mileage does not accure on the odometer! (Not certain about Saturn's newer, larger series). Some GM products are towable. Very few four wheel drive products are towable, either auto or manual. Interested parties can contact P & E Industries @ http://www.rvtowing.com/ for more info
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Gevaert
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 1999
- Location
- Roeselare, (Near Brugge), Belgium
Ok, I was in a hurry for replying and I didn't feel well because I had nothing to eat. So back to the question, In Belgium towing is allowed up to 2 tons for a normal driving license but not with paddles. This is a restriction for special equipped vehicles like Road Assistance with a higher level of driving license. Back to the questioner: we only have the money to by a well equipped TDI so there is no money left for that big motorhome, and the upgrade for our driving license to that of a truck driver. I'm jalous!
christi
Top Post Dawg
Hey, I've just noticed "16V forever" is posting in a Tdi forum, either:-
1. He is such a VW nut that he posts in any VW related forum, even if it's on the subject of technology which is not included in his car. Or,
2. "Forever" wasn't very long, and he is a secret Tdi driver.
Own up 16V, which is it it? (Before I let the secret out in VWVortex)
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1996 Passat Tdi estate (wagon)
Visit me at www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/5067/
1. He is such a VW nut that he posts in any VW related forum, even if it's on the subject of technology which is not included in his car. Or,
2. "Forever" wasn't very long, and he is a secret Tdi driver.
Own up 16V, which is it it? (Before I let the secret out in VWVortex)
------------------
1996 Passat Tdi estate (wagon)
Visit me at www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/5067/
diesel_freak
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 1999
- Location
- Troy, Ohio
OH NO!!! CHRISTI FOUND ME AND DRAGGED ME OUT OF THE CLOSET!! :^)
Actually, I do intend to keep my GTI 16V forever, but at the moment I'm a bit undecided as to whether my next car will be a GTI 1.8T (supposedly due out in the US next spring) or a Golf GLS TDI (with Wett chip, of course). I have driven the Jetta (Bora) TDI, and I am very impressed by it and by all that I have read here.
P.S. Christi, you are right in that I'm a VW freak and I like to participate in as many informative exchanges as I can. I've learned a lot this way.
[This message has been edited by 16vforever (edited June 14, 1999).]
Actually, I do intend to keep my GTI 16V forever, but at the moment I'm a bit undecided as to whether my next car will be a GTI 1.8T (supposedly due out in the US next spring) or a Golf GLS TDI (with Wett chip, of course). I have driven the Jetta (Bora) TDI, and I am very impressed by it and by all that I have read here.
P.S. Christi, you are right in that I'm a VW freak and I like to participate in as many informative exchanges as I can. I've learned a lot this way.
[This message has been edited by 16vforever (edited June 14, 1999).]
christi
Top Post Dawg
Go on, go for the diesel. Anyone can by a 1.8T. Do you know how hot the turbo's run on those things? I've heard loads of people are blowing the turbos on the 1.8s (including the manager of a VW / Audi / Seat dealer that I know).
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1996 Passat Tdi estate (wagon)
Visit me at www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/5067/
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1996 Passat Tdi estate (wagon)
Visit me at www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/5067/
Randy W
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 1999
- Location
- Orlando, FL USA
Jennifer,
I have had to tow quite a bit of things around the US, and have found that the best way to tow was to have whatever I was towing put on a trailer.
That way I am towing something that was designed to be towed, and works best when towed. And the things that I am towing are not being affected by the tow. (i.e. like wearing the tires/bearings/drivetrain out, subject to flying debris from the back of the towing vehicle etc, etc.)
And as you will have to spend some money to purchase the hitch/tow bar assembly as well as some electronic adaptions, you might as well spend it on a trailer and not subject you fantastic '99 TDI to any more wear than you have to.
Just my .02,
I have had to tow quite a bit of things around the US, and have found that the best way to tow was to have whatever I was towing put on a trailer.
That way I am towing something that was designed to be towed, and works best when towed. And the things that I am towing are not being affected by the tow. (i.e. like wearing the tires/bearings/drivetrain out, subject to flying debris from the back of the towing vehicle etc, etc.)
And as you will have to spend some money to purchase the hitch/tow bar assembly as well as some electronic adaptions, you might as well spend it on a trailer and not subject you fantastic '99 TDI to any more wear than you have to.
Just my .02,