For both air and steel suspension Touaregs, can you post your experience if you ever have installed WDH without hitch reinforcement?

If you have Air Suspension then a WDH is the last thing you want to fit.

I have been towing a 20ft Caravan (TT) weighing about 2200 kg with Air Suspension and NO WDH for 4 years without any issues. Yes I know mine is a MY08, however the Air Suspension is the same concept.

Stuart...

 

He won't have air suspension on a 2016 US Treg - not available. That said, does the tongue weight really need to be 500lbs? Sounds like a lot...

 

Trailer tongue weight is usually 10-15% of the total trailer weight. I have 5000lb trailer and it should have 500lb hitch weight, if not more.

Yes air suspension will balance the rear sag. So it may not need wdh. However wdh does not only the weight distribution but also some degree of stabilization. It holds the rear with two additional arms, rather than just the ball hookup. If anyone hook up any trailer just the ball only try weight distribution hitch you will see the difference in stability.

 

Not sure if such thing exists for a Touareg but it does for other manufacturers: Buy Air Bag Suspension Kits From Firestone, Air Lift, and Hellwig - TruckSpring.com

 

Yes I do use a WDH and my hitch is not reinforced. I saw some pics of a reinforced hitch not sure if it was here or somewhere else. It looked like a butcher job if you ask me. No way would I do that to a new treg. Not sure what VW would think of it either if you went for warranty work. The WDH I use for my 24' TT is a blue ox sway pro, very nice setup.

 

Does your wdh create no issues?



Hello Caper375,

So you use wdh without reinforcement. I agree it's ugly looking. I want to avoid it if I can. Do you see any issues using your wdh on Touareg hitch at all? If you describe your experience wdh without reinforcement especially it is successful I will try it too. I will describe my experience in detail. It will really help members who want to use/need wdh in the future.

 

See thread post below on my experience with WDH and no hitch reinforcement.

http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f...om/forums/f66/2013-tdi-towing-review-209089.html#/forumsite/20553/topics/209089

 

Before I purchased mine I thoroughly examined the hitch part of Touareg with a certified vw tech at the dealership. I can't really believe that a normal wdh force can mess this hitch up. I was driving Infiniti QX60 before and traded it in for my Touareg. Qx60 is also unibody. Infiniti recommends wdh for trailers with tongue weight close to 500 lb. the max weight for qx60 is 5000/500. Compare to Touareg's body system and torque, I can say QX60 is flimsy and weak. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to reveal the negative side of QX 60. it is very nice family SUV with seven passengers ability. I have towed my 5000lb trailer (using wdh) with it about 20,000 miles without an hitch issue. The only thing is it just doesn't have enough torque when I need for up hills and can't use the cruise control while towing. It's cvt and no good for towing.

In my head I have pictures of both suv's hitch frames. I looked them physically. I will raise Touareg's hand as far as the comparing the strength of the hitch. But it's only by my eye comparison.

There are numerous threads that describe the hitch performances both with and without the wdh. I have read some of them, may be not all. However I still can't be confident enough to tow my trailer using wdh, after reading those posts. I want to create a solid thread that clearly show the ability of Touareg hitch how much force it can handle without wdh. I'm still breaking in my MY2016 Touareg. When I break in mine, I will post my tow experience using wdh that would show numbers of tongue and trailer weights. I hope the future rvers can be more confident by reading posts in this thread.

I definitely think it's worth to spend some time and write about the wdh weight force that hitch can handle, which the German manufacturer doesn't want to specify for some reason.

 

I cannot understand why VW does not recommend WDH's on their Touareg's. These things are built like tanks.
I'm new to the forum but been reading ALOT on this topic after I decided to purchase (a couple weeks ago) a 2012 TDI Execline.
The main reason For buying this SUV was because wifey and I plan on purchasing a camping trailer and we wanted a fuel efficient vehicle that can haul ass when pulling something and not break a sweat...AND can be used everyday without daily trips to the gas (diesel) station.
I just find it confusing that the people who designed the thing doesn't recommend a WDH but decide years ago to pull a 310,000LB airplane with it. That must be a strong hitch..regardless.
Hmm, then I see many owners who use a WDH and report no problems at all.
I'm new and confused, have zero towing experience.
I need your expertise folks before purchasing a camping (preferably around 25ft 5000+ LBS) trailer.

 

WDH are all about tongue weight distribution. The 747 was not loading the rear suspension.

Most recommendations against WDHs are because it is easy to overload the front axle if it does not have much reserve capacity and/or the WDH is not adjusted correctly.

A second issue, may be the way the hitch attaches to the rest of the frame (replacing the rear crossmember).

Since the bolts are flush to the rear of the frame, the torque applied to the WDH compresses the upper bolts while stressing the lower bolts.
Given the spread between the bolts, the added stretching load to the lower bolts could be very high.
Normally only the static (and some dynamic shock) load from the weight and inertia of the trailer would be applied in that direction, with the tongue weight being lateral (the preferred way to load a bolt).

The MB GL has long arms that insert into the frame rails and attach to the hitch cross member. (Most GLs have air suspension, and the ML using the same set up have both air and steel) This distributes the torque load much as a normal truck hitch where it attaches along the frame rails over usually 8 to 12 inches front to back.

 

I also use the BlueOx SwayPro WDH on my Touareg. Handles great when towing our TT.

 

Both my Treg's are steel sprung. I run 800lbs and WD, this is my third travel trailer and I own two Touaregs, both have run WD and have pulled a travel trailer. I installed the OEM hitch on my first Treg myself. It is very Rubust as is the "hydroformed boxed in alloy "frame" behind the skin such a secretive thing you have to look auto repair manuals to find. The bolts are 22k stencil strength and their are eight of them. I have hit big bumps, been in wind, taken emergency maneuvers, and have measured and re-measured my weights. I own a Sherline tongue scale (the 800lbs is all in including hitch, bars, sway and fully loaded). The hooked up transfer weight to GVWR of the Treg is 632lbs (meaning the WD is working, and I can see it both on scales and in the lack of wheel arch sag). My Treg is 50lbs from GVWR, with myself, wife, son, and dog loaded. Both front and rear axles are within spec too. It handles well, but mostly because of the Treg is one heck of a tow vehicle and the WD.

I have towed with out WD or sway and this felt much less controlled and with a significant amount of rear axel load (not sag as much as less balanced). In the end don't tow a high profile heavy trailer without WB and Sway control...ever. Unless you have air.

I should mention a number of vehicle manufacturers are anti WD because of lawyers. Lastly, in Europe WD is Verboten (illegal) as are the much safer electric brakes we have.

I will continue to run WB on both my Treg's, and feel I am safer because I do. In the meantime I shifted somethings around to get my hits weight down to 750lbs (my sticker weight confirmed by VW is 770lbs) newer Treg's might be less as I own a 2007 and 2008...

 

The only negative effect I can think of using a WD system is the force pushing up on the hitch to get the front end of the TV down.
Which is a non issue with the Touareg's. These hitches are built extremely tough.
I don't understand why VW doesn't recommend it.
From what I hear the driving experience is night and day.

 

Only one other comment: don't use load lever systems (square bars -as they have too much force). Only round. If you over load the round systems (WD) the bars will shatter long before any vehicle damage. My first WD ran 500 lbs bars, now at 1,000 (times two). The lift is (however only a fraction of that as my hitch dead weight (including hitch itself) is "only" 800lbs. The WB transfers 168 lbs to the front axle (from 800 to 632 verified on scale), so these bars are barely under load (which you can tell taking them on and off). The actual weight transfer is in essence nominal as is the actual force. The benefit is there are more attachment points so the trailer is more controlled especially during panic situations.

 

I don't know how square or round bars would be any different.

Most of the systems have the affect of sway control because they increase the spring effect increase when at an angle making them apply a self centering force.

 

I have been told by many an RV dealer that the square or Trunnion bars exhibit more force than the round bars. In corning it was specifically mentioned versus round (which rotate some to follow) and in ratings. I want to distribute (in my case a pretty measly amount of weight) to improve my rear sag, I don't need to level the Touareg (because that extra little bit would be a lot more force, too much) which would use the square bars.

This is my understanding from them and other RV forums, no first hand experience with square bars myself.

 

Seems they each can only put on the force that you set them for.

I have square bars (have not towed with the Touareg, jut s a Honda Pilot and an MB GL320).

If the square bars on hung by chains the can rotate just as freely as round.
In saddles, there is no rotational force applied to them anyhow.

Trailer Hitch and Towing Questions - Get Answers from Hitch Info Experts - Weight Distribution - What is the difference between Round bar and Trunnion style weight distribution systems?

People re good at building myths.

 

OK, well then I stand corrected about square bars, I guess I believe the hype... In any event the WD can be set to distribute as much and as little as possible. My first time setting up and measuring I could have sworn the thing didn't work (it transferred 40lbs). After adjustments now I get a bit more, but no where enough to damage anything (168 lbs off the total tongue adding to the Treg's weight)...I could go more, but I am OK with the setup as it feels very stable.

The 2008 Touareg also has a bit of a stance (1/4 inch higher in rear) with the factory (was it called Lux package?) springs. So my sag is less than an inch total, looks nearly level loaded)

 

Subscribed. Looking to level my 2014 Touareg. Amazingly there are no issues towing (I've done about 25k miles towing out of 55k miles on my 2014 TDI) but I don't like the sagging rear end of it.

-mike

 

I did a dead drop on my 2007 V6 a few years ago with our old a 24' travel trailer. No issues, just some sag, the big difference (when moving to WD) was, bumps, sway, and overall handling which would mitigate emergency maneuvers.

There are many good manufacturers out there of WD systems, everyone likes one or the other. I think the biggest difference between them is the quality of the setup. You can have a good system and set it up so that it is ineffective. There are PDF brochures available online (for at least mine there is which is Eaz Lift Elite) these show the setup and talk through how it all works.

 

Have you used a WD system on it? That should bring the front end down on your Touareg.

 

Yeah I'm just worried about having a WDH on a car/receiver not designed for a WDH.

-mike

 

No known or documented problems with WD on any generation Touareg that I have been able to find online anyplace. I have two Touaregs both have towed big travel trailers both with WD no issues. By big I mean 32' and just under 800lbs on hitch.
VW says not to, lawyers likely tell them to just like other auto manufacturers say no for liability reasons. Fact is this is a well discussed topic all over this site and there any many opinions, but also many people who have towed thousands of miles with no issues.

 

Great , My trailer has a 425 tongue weight empty, but rear end sags 2-3 inches and the front goes up 2-3 inches. It tows fine but I would like to be more level and have antisway. Putting on the Tekonsa electronic braking RF remote.

 

The rear suspension of a Touareg is admittedly soft. I literally bottom out the rear of my empty Touareg a half dozen times/day; it is the exact opposite of my three other cars which bottom the front and never the rear. That said, I have a unique driving environment.

If I was towing, and the back end of my car was bottoming out regularly, I wouldn't hesitate to add a WDH. The question I would ask is why? You state that it tows fine. This is not just a question directed at you/your post, but what is the hang-up about some suspension sag? Some of the pickup truck-specific sites measure suspension sag as if that is a measurable benefit/detriment, and score a truck accordingly. If it causes a problem outside of aesthetics, I worry about it. Otherwise, I'll save my money for more important things.

I have added sway control to trailers that exhibit sway. If the vehicle "tows fine", I've left it alone. It's pretty easy to add sway control to your WDH, if you think you think it's warranted. Bear in mind, that the weight distributing hitch and sway control are considered part of your allocated tongue weight. If you are starting at 425#, I don't think this is an issue. If you find out that your tongue weight is heavier than you thought, then the additional WDH/sway control hardware weight might be an issue....if you were a lawyer.

 

Two things: 1) if you have 3" of suspension sag than you likely have a much higher tongue weight than you think and / or 2) the T3 Touareg must have a softer suspension from the T1/T2 as I have very little visible sag when towing (granted the setup (WD) might help). My wife's T2 is softer than my T1...my T1 is a rough (harsh) ride unless I have something heavy on my bumper. That said they both are comfy for towing...VW improved the everyday suspension on the T2 and with a factory 1/4" lift, but I guess they went too far with the T3 and perhaps that is why the max Tongue weight dropped from the old 770lbs.

I don't concern myself too much with sag, but I sit pretty good without air and with 770 lbs on the hitch plus cargo (see garage pic). The WD I have isn't super tight: it isn't moving much weight off the hitch. I did some calculations and can't remember the specific figures but it was around 70 lbs moved to front axel and 70 lbs back to trailer if I remember right.

My opinion on WD and sway is that it helps the overall ride feel by increasing the points the trailer is attached...less bouncing less side to side wind movement that kind of thing.

Oh and the distance your ball is from your bumper is important...you want it as close as possible. More distance, more leverage to push the rear of the Treg down.

 

I just found the thread that you started re using a WDH with a 2016 Touareg TDI back in 2015. I bought the same vehicle so I could tow with an every-day SUV. I am also concerned about VW saying do not use WDH with it but have seen a lot of posts by people who use them without a problem. Would you please share with me your conclusion re using any WDH and the results in practice. Thanks very much.
Nezam

 

The lack of posts from members with issues after using a WDH should tell you everything you need to know.

 

1) Understand how they work
2) Know how to use them
3) Drive happy!

 

I've used my 2016 TDI to tow quite a bit using only the WDH. Pull a 23' Airstream which is so far not loaded with much. A tad over 5000 pounds. I've towed it from Austin to Las Vegas, then watched Covid occur and it sat unused. Earlier this month, towed it about 2000 miles along the east side of the Sierra Nevadas to Lake Tahoe and then along the west side out to the coast and back to Vegas. Not a single problem. Feels stable and the T'reg looks balanced.

 

Just started using the Anderson WDH with my new trailer. It has made a world of difference. Not only is there a significant difference visually, there is a substantial difference on the scales. I took it to the local truck stop and had them weigh with all the passengers and gear. I went from being right at or over the rear axle's GAWR to comfortably under. It reduced it by 700-800 pounds.