I think it is Niner, or maybe nickm, it is someone on here, who has said he has gone and used whatever drop/rise that THEY have needed and NOT what VW has recommended and have had no problems or issues with towing their load at all.

I know I will probably need the 2" rise and I'll use it with no reservations. I'm probably going to buy a 2" rise/drop ball mount and just go with it.

As has been discussed for some time now, the owners manual and VW have some very screwy documentation and suggestions/recommendations for towing.

 

I've mentioned it a number of times. I always match the drop or rise to the trailer I'm towing. Its part of proper towing setup. The only way one could dictate a drop/rise is if every trailer had a uniform height - we all know that isn't true.

A lot of the towing stuff in the manual is based on european towing standards which are totally different than what we have over here.

 

Yeah, on my 2013 Exec, I just flip over the 2.5" drop so that it becomes a 2.5" rise and the trailer now seems to be almost perfectly level. My receiver drop is a polished stainless one that I got from Wal-Mart a while back. There is a hex-shaped ridge that will hold the corresponding hex on the ball as you tighten the nut. Conveniently, the manufacturer chose to put this hex-shaped ridge on both sides of the drop - clearly enabling you to use it either as a drop or a rise. I think the manufacturer is Reese.

 

I also have a ball drop from Reese that has that posi-lock cutout in the ball mount area on both sides. The ball mount can absolutely be used both ways and the tow capacity stays the same. I've been using the 2" rise I have for years.

 

I'm not sure why VW recommends a particular position because it isn't the vehicle that determines the ball height, it is the trailer. As nota4re mentioned, the trailer is supposed to be level while mounted on to the ball. This is particularly important for tandem axle trailers. Otherwise, if the trailer isn't level then one axle takes on more of the trailer load that it's supposed to. A single axle trailer can be a little off level as it doesn't really affect load distribution between axles. Trailers aren't all equal tongue heights either, so it really is necessary to adjust the ball height to get it right.

 

VW really should put that they believe that the "optimum" ball height would be so-and-so. I think most people do the right thing and NOT what VW tells them to do with regards to where the ball needs to be for the "perfect" tow.

I don't, for the life of me get how VW makes this vehicle able to tow 7,700 lbs but then goes and writes that owners NEED to have the ball "right here", or else.

 

Thanks for the advice!!!

Well, you've all pretty much confirmed my suspicions. I've pulled enough trailers to recognize that it's very important for the trailer to be level/in line with the tow vehicle. The Touareg's owner's manual complete with diagram and dimensions simply isn't real world stuff. I'm now comfortable with the pieces/parts recommended and bought from e-trailer.com..... a 7" Alumistinger solid aluminum ball mount 2" drop/1" rise (800# tongue/8000# trailer) with paired with a 2" Curt ball with a 1" shank rise (6000#). This set up should give me an extra 1" rise to account for tongue weight and cargo in the rear of the Touareg. Thanks for sharing your thoughts/experiences.

 

Here is my setup

 

YES!, I forgot it was you that uses the 2" rise, regardless of what VW recommends.

 

I think the VW tow ball placement is mostly to cover their ass in a legal sense. The height of the tow ball greatly affects the moment (twisting force) seen on the rear cross member with the hitch under braking and acceleration. The rearward distance has a similar effect based on trailer tongue weight. It looks like a Legal guy went to Engineering and said give me a number for these measurements and everything else isn't allowed, that way if something happens in an accident and the tow hitch was outside of these impractical specs they can try to weasel out and say it was your fault since you had it set up improperly.
I'm a Forensic Engineer in accident reconstruction and see this stuff all the time.

 

Ah Ha!!! Airplane pilot CG talk...... Weight x Arm = Moment

Anything other than the combination of 2 1/2" drop plus a 2" ball increases the leverage the trailer exerts on the hitch during stops and starts. Makes perfect sense. There are millions of different Moment calculations possible so the only "approved" one is where the center of the receiver pin and center of the ball are in perfect alignment - this is what's achieved with a 2 1/2" drop and a 2" ball