I’ve done same search with the same negative results last year (mine is of first 2012 Touaregs). Don’t bother – nothing is available that matches. I am using standard US-made ball mount - Softride QuietRide 2" Drop Aluminum Ball Mount version - to minimize unbearable knocking coming from trailer coupler through standard loose-fit ball mount. You might find appropriate Curt Euro Style ball mount, but they've made to fit 1 ¼ “ receiver, not Touareg’s 2” receiver so additional adapter (knocking+) is required – this prevented me from considering them.

 

Thanks.

 

This is what I use.
Tri Bar Hitch | Canadian Tire

The length when using the 2 5/16 ball is 7", which is much closer than anything else I found. I saw in your other thread that you may be considering a sway control system as well so obviously this wouldn't work for that. Also,you have to consider if your trailer requires a drop or rise to be level.

 

VW now offers the correct ball carrier/drawbar... PART# 7P0092730

You can have your dealer order you one. VW DriverGear - Official Volkswagen Parts & Accessories

 

VW now offers the correct ball carrier/drawbar... PART# 7P0092730

You can have your dealer order you one. VW DriverGear - Official Volkswagen Parts & Accessories

Looks like it's cast. Trying to make out what the sticker says. Is it 7,700 load, 616 tongue?

 

Wow, thanks.

 

Wow, indeed! The cheap-looking ball mount which should cost $20-$25 is sold for $125! But at least it matches the spec or so it says. Xylene, did you or someone you know try one out or you just found it on-line? This ball mount must be a recent thing just showed up on VW site and I am curious if anyone has an experience with it. In particular I’m interested to know how snag the ball mount to receiver fit is and how good/bad knocking coming from ball/coupler is pronounced. Thanks!

 

Wow, indeed! The cheap-looking ball mount which should cost $20-$25 is sold for $125! But at least it matches the spec or so it says. Xylene, did you or someone you know try one out or you just found it on-line? This ball mount must be a recent thing just showed up on VW site and I am curious if anyone has an experience with it. In particular I’m interested to know how snag the ball mount to receiver fit is and how good/bad knocking coming from ball/coupler is pronounced. Thanks!

I listed the details how the part came about on another thread.... I beleave it is the same one that was manufactured a few years ago but was dropped across the VW/Audi/Porsche line.

It fits as it should. There is a little play, but that is to be expected to accommodate expansion/contraction with temperature changes.

The part is much more solid than the aftermarket ones and the ball comes with it, which is pre-torqued to factory specs and has an 8000lb rating.

Search your local dealer’s drivegear specific website as they will list the price differently. My dealer had is listed for $110 and I had a drivegear coupon for 5% off.

 

Not at all surprised about the price; everything VW sells is about 5x higher than comparable real market products.

 

$125 bucks for a cast hunk of steel. OH WHAT A FEELING!!!! Oh no that is Toyota. VW is more like OH WHAT A REEMING!!!

 

Thanks, xylene! I take it that you did try to tow with it. So, how the knocking sound from behind - none-existent, tolerable or unbearable?

 

I couldn’t give you a fair assessment of the knocking noise. Yes I have towed with it. Just an 8' flat trailer for yard work items such as mulch, compost, branches; all under 2000lbs.

In my setup the noise is nonexistent, but I did perform a few modifications beforehand.

1) I took the factory pin and used a layer of electrical heat shrink wrap. This takes away most of the pins free movement and takes out part of metal on metal noise. 2) I also sound deadened the spare tire well when I did my audio upgrade. The deadener is a vibration deadener that absorbs sounds from the metal panels. 3) I applied some silicon window caulking (gorilla brand) on the face the hitch and on the back part of drop portion of the ball carrier. This also takes out a metal on metal interaction and tightens the ball carrier to the hitch.

 

CAST???? Perhaps not... After all, cast is useless in tension.. Looks like a regular fabricated (welded) unit, with a short bar.

 

Quoyle, just curious -- as I and others have suggested, it may not be that much fun towing your specific airstream with a 550+ hitch weight without a Weight distributing hitch with the steel suspension Touareg, so why did you decide to go with this approach?

 

I've looked at a lot of the WD hitches, and comments here about them, and I think I'm going to order an Andersen no-sway weight-distribution hitch. I've been reading good comments about them, with the only negative that the company hasn't been around as long as other more established companies.
I'm going to use the VW ball mount without the Anderson WD sway system if I want to tow smaller things without brakes.

 

North american hitches are crap. The design is so old and there is so much slop between the carrier and the ball tube / pin. I vowed never to use this crappy design since all it does is go clunk, clunk! The european version is so much better, discreet, capable, quiet. Why do we put up with such incompetence from the NA hitches. If we do not buy it and demand a better product then it will be done. Somebody on this forum mentioned a design that gets rid of the slop or clunk, clunk. It is a band-aid to the original design but at least it makes the hitch workable. It is called "Quietride" by a company called Softride. Look it up. I bought it and it works great.

 

Thanks. I will.

 

Amazing how many problems duct tape solves.

 

Can be bought here too for $106. Just put the part number in the search area.

https://www.1stvwparts.com/partscat.html

 

gotta love the internet...

these guys had it in stock, should be here by friday.... Everyone else I found was stating a 2-3 week back order.

 

factory ball hitch

I just received the VW ball hitch. It is a monster; solid steel; weighs 10#. Alumistinger with 2 5/16" ball weighs 3#...

 

I just received the VW ball hitch. It is a monster; solid steel; weighs 10#. Alumistinger with 2 5/16" ball weighs 3#...

The manual says to use nothing bigger than a 2" ball, but the VW ball mount comes with a 2 5/16" ball. How interesting. This just continues to show me that the folks writing the manual are not talking to the engineers, just the lawyers.

 

No the VW ball mount has the 2". I just weighed an Alunistinger with a 2 5/16" for comparison...

 

Kind of odd they say not to use larger than a 2" ball... When you start towing most things in the 5K area you start seeing a 2 5/16" ball...

 

There's a lot of odd stuff in the Treg manual, some of it contradictory. It says not to use greater than a 2" ball on one page, not to use any kind of weight balancing, and on the next page warns you not to tow anything at all! The people who do the Touareg manual need to sit down and try to provide information that will actually be useful to their customers.

 

VW has a ball mount 7P0092730 available (last time I checked 11/19/12). 7P0092730 meets all of the VW requirements listed in the owner manual for the latest 2011 and newer Touaregs. These ball mounts rate at 7700 lbs Tow, 616 lbs Tougue Weight, and all of the ball location/position requirements.

This ball mount comes with a V5 2" ball rated at 8,000 lbs installed and torque striped.

As I wroted on another thread, VWoA helped me to obtain a ball mount rated for my 2010 Touareg with 7700 lbs tow and 770 Lbs Tongue Weight. Wish I could give a part number. It is not listed anywhere. Write VWoA.

Also, to solve a hitch assembly I am using two solutions. One soluton for the ball mount/reviever interface, the other for the ball/coupler interface. Both of these joints once rattled/banged/knocked on my rig.

For the ball mount/receiver interface I use the Road Master Quiet Hitch u bolt assembly. See the first pic below.
For the ball/coupler interface, I utilize the Wallace Forge AB200L Coupler See the second pic below.

Total silence while towing, even empty trailers.

I have installed adjustable height coupler mounts on all of my trailers. As far as I know, this is the only way to stay complaint with the VW ball location requirement and keep your trailer level.

 

A piece of duct tape (single layer) around the pin shaft also works fairly well in my experience to keep the ball mount to receiver interface quiet.

 

I've used this same trick for years. Just have to replace the duct tape every so often.

 

I got mine the other day and figured I would post pics for everyone. I don't tow much at all but wanted the right hitch if the need arises. I will say this thing is HEAVY duty appears much stronger than any at the auto parts stores.

 

VW Factory Reps at WaterWerkz On The Green

I had a good laugh at the VW factory stand at WaterWerkz On The Green show in North Bend Washington last weekend.

The VW team showed up hauling all of their stuff in a real nice dual axel trailer towed behind a TDI Touareg. A nice setup. Should have taken some pics. ):

On futher examination, a 2 5/16 ball mounted on a non-OEM ball mount was being used. This ball mount was not even close to the required dimensions. Of course all of the standard stickers were there on the receiver defining the proper ball location, etc... (

I am still laughing.

I ws wondering if anyone else noticed.