Towing with a Rabbit, can it handle it?

[BlackTieTD]

Good day.

I'm running out of options so I am considering towing back a vehicle I am buying with my Rabbit. I will get a proper hitch fitted because its a lot cheaper than paying freight or renting uhaul.

My main concern is the transmission. It is the original Rabbit trans, 02O, either FN or FF code i forget.

Braking is an issue but I think I can solve that one.

The vehicle to be towed has an estimated weight of 3900Ibs.
I'm thinking this is WAY too much for the Rabbit to handle. The motor I know could do it for sure, the Rabbit chassis and gearbox is what I'm worried about. If the vehicle to be towed was another 2000Ib Rabbit, I'd do it for sure.

Thoughts?

[Master ACiD]

i think thats what he was going to do, you know with the hitch and all.....

[BlackTieTD]

it seems like an awful idea i know... i shouldnt have even posted it here  :lol:

but i'm running out of options...

if i were to do it i would put the drive wheels on a dolley for sure, not flat tow at all.

all i need is a tow vehicle!! i've had access to them for years... now when i REALLY need one to take advantage of a sweet opportunity... no such luck  

[zyewdall]

How far do you have to tow it, and at what speed?  We just flat towed an old vw caddy about 25 miles with a Dodge Dakota pickup.  At up to 50mph.  Better than sending it to the crusher, although I am amazed we didn't get arrested.  I wouldn't do this for very far, but for short distance, it might work.  If you are going slow, I think the rabbit could do it, barring any hills, and assuming you have brakes in the towed vehicle.  But you might burn out the clutch getting it moving.  I think the tranny could take it okay.  I wouldn't try over 10mph if with that weight mismatch if the towed vehicle doesn't have brakes -- It'll jacknife or flip the rabbit.  Which sort of precludes doing anything except flat towing I think.

Is there a home depot or other home improvement store near you (I don't know if Canada even has those).  Those will rent a 3/4 ton pickup to you here for something like $29 per 75 minutes.  I'm sure they don't condone using it to tow stuff....  Or rent a SUV or a moving truck for a day to tow it.  If you have AAA or equivalent, you can also call them and have them tow a dead car home after you buy it.  I've done that before.... "yeah, I'm at a friends house and the car stopped running. Need to get it back to my house 30 miles away...  no, a jumpstart won't do it.  overheating real bad...  okay, see you in a few.  thanks"

What is it?  Do we get to know?

[zyewdall]

Just reread your original post, and it seems maybe you are doing more than just a few miles.

What about posting a craigslist ad to see if anyone happens to be driving a big truck from point A to point B, and if they'd be willing to stick a dolly on there and pull the car back, if you pay for half the gas and the dolly rental?  I've gotten stuff shipped for pretty cheap that way -- if someone is already doing a long trip in a gas guzzler anyway...

[BlackTieTD]

thanks for the ideas.

heh i'm aware of the CAA option... i have 200km on my coverage, i'd need about 700km.

home depot rental will take too long and put too many KM on.

uhaul wants nearly a thousand for milage alone roundtrip.

my best options right now are paying someone (not a business or broker) with a tow vehicle to go get it for me, or i can try to get it put on the back of a returning tractor trailer.

the rabbit towing idea is a bad one.  :lol:

[Red Rabbit]

If I can ask a sort of unrelated question. What is involved in bringing the vehicle across the border?  I remember reading once that if it is a U.S made vehicle, it involves less 'red tape' than a non U.S. vehicle.....because of that i never thought about bringing a German built V.W. into Canada.....BTW I've given up trying to follow your various VW projects.....hurts my head....

[VW Scully]

From where are you getting this vehicle!?!? And what is it?? :p
The other option would be rent a truck with a hitch from Ryder, Pollock or some such outfit?? (since U-Haul pretty much sucks )

hth .

[vwmike]

Towing a Rabbit with a Rabbit is sketchy enough. Towing something that is 3900lbs with a Rabbit means you must have a death wish or something. Try some other moving companies. See about a truck from Budget or another provider as they are cheaper. I moved a Scirocco 1 in the back of a moving truck once.  

[mortskeg]

I'd have to concur there BlackTieTD,
  At least for your safety, screw the other people on the road.  (not really).  Unless it was a short distance on the flat, I would say that 3900lbs is about twice as much as I'd like to tow with any rabbit/jetta/pickup.  I tow a 1300lb boat/trailercombo behind my rabbit truck and that is getting close to the line there.  Maybe it would be worth it to buy some other "tow" vehicle in the states near the vehicle that you want to tow, use it to tow it up to the great white north, and then sell it for more than you paid once you get to canada?  If you find a smokin deal then that might be worth it.  Hope it works out for you.  I only have my rabbit truck and Audi so sorry I can't help ya out.
 

[BlackTieTD]

If I can ask a sort of unrelated question. What is involved in bringing the vehicle across the border?  I remember reading once that if it is a U.S made vehicle, it involves less 'red tape' than a non U.S. vehicle.....because of that i never thought about bringing a German built V.W. into Canada.....

red rabbit: a vehicle 15-years old or older isn't that difficult to get across. you don't have to file anything with the RIV. all you need to do is fax the title and bill of sale to US customs at the border crossing you are going to 72-hours before you will be arriving there. they need to have a US customs office that can handle exporting a vehicle from US to canada so call ahead to make sure they can. once at US customs they stamp your papers, you proceed to canadian customs where you file paperwork and pay tax/duty. once inside canada the proceed for registering the vehicle is similar to a canada-bought vehicle, as long as you have all the paperwork taken care of, it should be no problem. vehicles within 15 years are a different story.

BTW I've given up trying to follow your various VW projects.....hurts my head....

 :lol: well i'll recap then, really quite simple:
1982 Rabbit TD that you've seen - current daily driver, running strong
1984 Jetta GLI coupe - girlfriend's car we are fixing up over the winter ready for summer - hoping she learns a lot working on and driving it. <3
1984 Rabbit GTI - was a driver for about 6 months, then it became more work than it was worth to keep on the road so it got the chop - rusted out
1981 Caddy - camping/hauling project, sold in favour of new camping/hauling project
new camping/hauling project - need to get this home from states!!!!

From where are you getting this vehicle!?!? And what is it?? :p

Connecticut. i'll put up pics when she's home!

The other option would be rent a truck with a hitch from Ryder, Pollock or some such outfit?? (since U-Haul pretty much sucks )

hth .

thanks, i'll try them. i've always dealt with uhaul for dolleys, trailers and such so i'm used to calling them.... Ryder, Pollock are good options too though.

i'll try budget too, thanks vwmike.

Maybe it would be worth it to buy some other "tow" vehicle in the states near the vehicle that you want to tow, use it to tow it up to the great white north, and then sell it for more than you paid once you get to canada?  If you find a smokin deal then that might be worth it.  

i'd consider it but i'm already swamped for time as it is... stress level climbing... must, not.. buy, more.. .cars!!!

[greggearhead]

Yeah - don't even try to tow something that weighs almost twice as much as the tow vehicle.  No.  

Flat towing doesn't hurt suspensions or anything though - perfectly fine.  In the last several years I have flat towed probably 20-25 VWs.  With a 3/4T Dodge pickup.  I flat towed a Toyota 2wd pickup with a Quantum Syncro a short distance and that was very sketchy.  

BTW, when I say flat-tow, I mean with a tow bar securely fastened, not a chain or straps or seomthing like it sounded like someone was aluding to.

[zyewdall]

BTW, when I say flat-tow, I mean with a tow bar securely fastened, not a chain or straps or seomthing like it sounded like someone was aluding to.

Yeah, I've been talking about a different type of flat towing, with two tow straps (primary, and safety), and a driver in the rear car driving and braking it.  People used to do this more, but it's not really safe.  I've done it, but don't know if I ever would again except in an emergency.  Greg's method is used all the time on motorhomes for pulling the launch vehical across country -- an actual form of towing instead of more like emergency moving a vehical like what I was talking about, but you do need to mount a tow bar to the towed vehical.

[jackbombay]

How far do you have to tow it, and at what speed?  We just flat towed an old vw caddy about 25 miles with a Dodge Dakota pickup.  At up to 50mph.  Better than sending it to the crusher, although I am amazed we didn't get arrested.  

  friend of mine had a V6 pathfinder drag his VW bus from driggs Idaho to Salmon Idaho on a tow rope, 200 miles or so, no hassles from the fuzz either :lol:  That was Idaho though...

[BlackTieTD]

 friend of mine had a V6 pathfinder drag his VW bus from driggs Idaho to Salmon Idaho on a tow rope, 200 miles or so, no hassles from the fuzz either :lol:  That was Idaho though...

did i mention the #1 tow vehicle option is a V6 pathfinder? i don't think i did... so that is a happy coincidence. i want to use the pathfinder but it won't be available until the end of the month.