Towing

[vanbcguy]

Hey y'all,

Any of you towing anything?  Would love to see pictures / hear about weights / etc....

Kinda wondering what I could put behind Jezebel - she's an oddball since she's got a Mk II engine in a Mk III chassis... Kinda thinking of trying to find a small camping trailer (like a Boler or something - Bolers only have a 90 lb tongue weight)

Anyhow, stoked to see what you all are doing with your diesel rigs!

[8v-of-fury]

With a 90lb tongue weight, you could run a class one hitch which is nice and easy to hook on to the car.

Also, think of it this way.. you and four buddies all at or around 200lbs.. that's 1000lbs right there, and sure you can feel it.. but the engine can handle it I had my 1.7 Gasser with me and 4 big German guys (ironic eh? They LOVED my car ) I would say we all weighed around 230-250.. at least it was hauling 1200lbs extra.

I think with a 1.6TD you should be OK with hauling a 1000lb trailer and another 500lbs of cargo plus yourself and a passenger or two.. The engine should be fine through all of this.. Brakes and Suspension play a big part in hauling/towing

[ByramTra]

I tow a small (but heavy) utility trailer behind my 82 MKI 1.6D. It isn't fast, actually it is about as fast as the car ever can go, but it handles fine. The main thing is knowing how to pull trailers, especially not getting into a rush, and making shure you brake soon enough. A TD would be better on the hills than a D. I say go for it, at your own risk of course.
Travis
P.S. You get some interesting looks when towing with a Rabbit. 

[truckinwagen]

I have pulled all sorts of things with my diesel vw's including, but not limited to:
a toyota 4-runner
12 foot boat(handbuilt sharpie sailboat, lots of fun)
two snowmachines
and of course buddies on the hood of another car

it will do fine, just dont ask it to do too much at once, accelerate slowly, brake slowly and make sure you have your foot out of the clutch before getting into the throttle too much.

if you keep an eye on the engine vitals, you can tow anything anywhere.

[Rabbit on Roids]

I have pulled all sorts of things with my diesel vw's including, but not limited to:
a toyota 4-runner
12 foot boat(handbuilt sharpie sailboat, lots of fun)
two snowmachines
and of course buddies on the hood of another car

it will do fine, just dont ask it to do too much at once, accelerate slowly, brake slowly and make sure you have your foot out of the clutch before getting into the throttle too much.

if you keep an eye on the engine vitals, you can tow anything anywhere.

mainly keep an eye on EGTs, thats what kills diesels when you tow with them.

[vanbcguy]

Thanks for all the advice!  I definitely don't plan on anything big... This is kind of the size I was thinking of: http://bolerlife.com/Specs/specs.html

EGT would be a must, plus trailer brakes in my neck of the woods I'm thinking (can't go anywhere east without hitting the Rockies).... But that definitely wouldn't be the first trip I'd take it on!!

The other thing I'd kind of like to get is a small utility trailer for bikes and things... again just something small.

[playit]

My dad use to tow a 16 foot 115hp glasstron with our 98 tdi for years, it must have weighed close to 2000lbs,  just had to watch how steep an incline you were climbing when pulling the boat out of the water

Tim B.

[VW Smokr]

Did a 3500+ mile trip with the Dasher 1.5n/a diesel wagon towing my loaded utility trailer; total weight = 4660lbs. Lotsa slow lane time! Would have been a lot better with a 1.6TD, but it still averaged 33.6mpg for the entire trip. Will probably rebuild the trailer, adding surge brakes, in a couple of years. Tough to even think of using one of my V8 machines for a road trip when this puppy gets that kind of towing mileage.

J.R.
SoCal

[gldgti]

with my mk3 golf (aaz with T3) i towed a braked car trailer (with tilt) with a complete mk1 ontop, full of spares.

i reckon towed weight would have been up around 1500kg.... plus the mk3 - 1200, plus me, 110 :-)

thats what.... 2810kg.... 6744lbs!

[ByramTra]

the main thing is to be verry carefull/ cautious. Also make shure that you do everything by the book on the trailer/ make shure every light is in working order. The CHP (or your states highway patrol) can get really picky about things like lights, especially on trailers.
Travis

[macka]

I pull a small utility trailer with a luggage box, a kayak, and a cooler. The trick is balancing the load so the tongue and tail aren't to heavy. If the tongue is too heavy, it lifts the cars front end effecting braking and steering. If the tail is too heavy, the trailer will wander too much, and possibly detach itself from the ball. You want the heaviest load right over the axles, and then balance the rest to keep the trailer as level as possible. The best thing you can do to keep the load secure is have tie downs on the floor of the trailer as well as along the edges.

[janb]

I towed a 4x4 Chevy 3/4 ton home for a guy the other night.  I have pulled lots of stuff with my Caddy and many people who broke down (work nights, lots of drunks and shift workers out there broke down).  Many $35 VW's towed home from the 'auction'.

I pull a SnowBear Trailer and John Deere tractor mower a few hours / week ~ 300 miles.  SnowBears are very cool (12'x5' supported area, tilting deck).  I once used it as a hearse for a 2,000mile  'corpse' delivery  .

For the HEAVY stuff (dozer, excavator GCVW <30,000#) I use my Dodge 1T cummins
For the really heavy stuff I use my Mack. (30,000#- 56,000#)

but...My VW does the 'bulk' of the towing work.    ~ 38-40 mpg in Caddy towing 1500#

[Kworth 2007]

Hi vanbcguy

I looking at the "quicksilver"  pop up or tent trailer for my 96 Jetta towing  Yes it is a tent but, no wind drag behind you, I going for a 5th wheel 28 ft back to tent.  the cost of fuel in SK is over $1/L that added up quickly if travelling.  All alum framing on the quick silver that why light.

Thank you used auto wrecker(s) for my hidden hitch. the hitch dealer can't order for my car, a few different styles on the VW  my is bolt thur the truck floor 2 on each side 1 1/4" frame tubing is the receiver.

I try to take photos of the double sled trailer I have with the old sleds to the car this up coming weekend

Cory Saskatoon,SK  VW ground wire is BROWN  opp's I had to wire trailer twice  learning curve

[mr.woods]

Be careful in the US that it is legal. There has been too many people towing heavy loads with to small a car that the police have been checking alot of people towing. To be legal your car has to be registered to handle the weight you are towing. It also has to weigh more than the trailer empty. (we've had to hide weights on pickups before getting on the scale).  If you get funny looks when your towing, chances are the police are thinking the same thing. And the portable scales will come out.

Now I'm not saying the car shouldn't or will not do it. I want a hitch on mine soon. Alot better MPG's then my Duramax! I've had alot of weight in mine and power wise I didn't see a difference, just could feel it in the suspension.

[catlin_cava]

I draged on a tow rope a 1991 Toyota Pickup 4x4 30KMs down the side of the highwya, Dragged my parts car around wiht the 1.8TBI

and a MK3 I had the PO towed a loaded Uhaul trailer from edmonton to Moncton NB with it.