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Need advice on adding hitch to 2013 TDI

17K views 47 replies 16 participants last post by  JettaGetUpandGo 
#1 ·
Newbie here ... yes I already searched the forums, found lots of helpful tips, but still have questions. I'm buying a 2013 TDI Sport w/nav, which does NOT have the factory hitch receiver. I plan to use the vehicle to tow a car trailer, loaded weight 4000 lbs, dual Dexter axles w/electric brakes on both axles (been towing this trailer with my existing SUV's for 10 years, no problems). I do NOT expect to ever tow anything heavier than this. So I will need to purchase & install a hitch on the '13 TDI, plus wiring for the electric brake controller. My questions:


  1. What hitch receiver should I get? The factory hitch, or an aftermarket hitch? Any specific recommendations on aftermarket hitches -- any differences in appearance?
  2. What exactly does the factory "control module" do? Do I need it? What features & benefits would it give me?
  3. Is it possible to install conventional wiring for an electric brake controller, in lieu of the factory control module? I have done my own wiring on four previous SUV's. Is there something about the Touareg that makes this impossible? Or just difficult? Or is it as straightforward as any other SUV?
  4. I have read some threads that imply that it is difficult/impossible to find a wire from the brake pedal to the brake lights, to use as the trigger signal for an electric brake controller. Is this true? These threads suggest using a wireless brake controller due to the extreme difficulty of hard-wiring a conventional controller without the factory "control module".
  5. Since this particular vehicle does not have the OEM hitch, does it have ANY trailer tow wiring pre-installed? On Touaregs with a factory hitch, I assume that there is some sort of harness that runs from the rear bumper area, to the "control module", and to the dashboard area. Can I expect to find such a harness on a Touareg that has no hitch? Or will I have to do all this wiring from scratch? Or can I purchase this harness from my local VW dealer?
  6. From reading other threads, I understand that ALL 2013 North American Touaregs have heavy-duty transmission coolers and heavy-duty (850W) electric cooling fans, and there are no mechanical modifications required for towing purposes -- i.e. there is no such thing as a "tow package", all Touaregs came equipped that way, the only towing equipment added by the factory (or dealer) was the hitch receiver and the control module. if anyone disagrees with this or has conflicting information, please speak up!
THANK YOU for your advice. This forum is incredibly helpful!
 
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#41 ·
Got a note about this thread in my email update, haven't read all the posts, just sharing my nightmare at the dealership.
I had the factory stuff installed to pull my tandem axle trailer with electric brake on my 2008 Touareg which was originally a lightly optioned lease car. Lots of trips and time later the dealer couldn't get the blinkers to work. I checked with the Volkswagen office for the US and the nice lady asked for my Vin number then told me it hadn't come with a particular wire that ran from the computer back to a module in the back (passenger side wall). Infuriated I took it back to the dealer for not knowing or checking about this. They admitted their mistake and spent several hours of shop time running the missing wire to make it work.
Just sharing my experience...
 
#42 ·
I am using the Curt hitch, factory tow module & the wireless brake controller. Tows our travel trailer awesome. I highly recommend the wireless brake controller, once you get it paired it works flawless. I'll try to snap a pic tommarow of how I mounted the 7-Pin connector with the Curt hitch.
 
#44 ·
Can the OEM tow module be activated with VAGCOM? I can source the Curtis hitch locally for $150 and think I can install myself. If I get the tow module from dealer, it looks pretty much plug and play, I will just need to activate it.

If the tow module can be activated with VAGCOM, what do i need to change?
 
#45 ·
Can the OEM tow module be activated with VAGCOM? I can source the Curtis hitch locally for $150 and think I can install myself. If I get the tow module from dealer, it looks pretty much plug and play, I will just need to activate it. If the tow module can be activated with VAGCOM, what do i need to change?
I installed a Curt hitch with the factory tow module and recoded to ROW via VagCom. Or maybe it was NA instead of ROW as it came from factory I forget.
 
#47 ·
I'm on vacation without Touareg so I can't do a trial run but from memory, Plug VAGCOM into vehicle then I think it's address 69.

Click recode then drop down menu appears. Final number either ends in a 1 or a 2. Change number.
 

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