Your Air Suspension is no less robust than the steel suspension system, and it out performs it in the dirt. You won't break it going off road. Get out there and have fun...

Stuart...

 

As above, bugger off into the boondocks and have fun

You will back off before the Touareg does!

 

Great, thanks! Since we are talking about having fan, do you know what the "off-road" switch does apart from the hill descend thing? I notice a change in the transmission and the fuel gauge moves so quickly I once thought I had a hole in the tank.

 

Air suspension + off road = fun! Enjoy it. 100Km/h is no problem.

Fun at moderate speed:

Fun at low speed over Medano pass after driving through the Great Sand Dunes national park:

Get familiar with knowing when you need to reduce tire pressures. Only using 20-25Psi (1.38 Bar; 138 kPa) gives the tires much more compliance and better grip. Get a good quality air compressor to air back up at trail end. The first cheap one I bought started smoking after inflating one tire.

Also agree with Nooby - the Touareg is definitely more capable than me. We've gone up hills we could barely stand on. Through nearly 300mm of mud. It just keeps going.

Good luck!

 

As long as you're not jumping your Touareg, you will be fine. (Jumping would kill the steel suspension, too!)

I specifically searched for an air suspension equipped Touareg because I wanted to off road it.

Get involved with a 4WD group in your area and get out there and have fun!
:- )

 

Air suspension fragile??? What the... its one of the most robust and awesome features of the Touareg. Like everyone else, get out there and put it to good use!

 

We have been taking our Cayenne TDI, with air suspension, Overlanding - off-road for five years now. We have traveled from the Chihuahua Desert in summer to north of the Arctic Circle in winter. The biggest limiting factor is the approach angle and departure angle, other than that we have gone where ever we want. Just returned from a week long Magruder Corridor - Lolo Pass trip thru Idaho. One section took us from 3,800 feet up to 8,000 then down to 4,000 in less than 60 miles. Down hill assist works great! For our TDIs modifications and more of what we have done see:
.
https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-cayenne-forum/968788-meet-otis.html

 

I did blow the air suspension on my BMW 740 F01 from 2012 in a pothole, that's why I am slightly hesitant. But with the Touareg everything seems to be a diffrent story. It's a damn reliable car. I even boiled my engine and it's still running perfectly.

 

Well you guys are real offroaders (if that word even exists) unlike me. I'll just do some short trails (maybe 50 km for the longest) but this is not for fun, it's work. The vehicle will be very loaded and sometimes a trailer will be attached.
I guess ruining the paint remains the only concern.

 

<snip>
I guess ruining the paint remains the only concern.

We call that "Colorado pin-striping" when a tree/bush/rock draws a big scratch down the side. :laugh:

 

Touareg air suspension, as attested by many of the previous posts, is excellent - especially in the T3 which uses a closed system which is different to that in the T1/T2.

Just need to remember a few things about the various modes:
1. Offroad height is speed restricted to 70 kph - above that speed, the height reverts automatically to on-road height
2. If you select off-road height and then lock that height with the lock switch, you will be limited in speed to 70 kph, and pressing the accelerator pedal harder will make no difference.
3. If you select Extra Off-road height, you will be left with very little suspension articulation, and you will feel every bump as though you had no suspension. Use it only when necessary, noting it is also speed limited 20 kph IIRC).

Enjoy your offroading in the Treg - it is very good at it, and grossly underrated by those who do not know better.

 

Yes, the "special off road" setting is unbearable yet very useful. Honestly I have only used this in the city to jump a few curbs (not sure if that is a correct word, but I'm talking about the things that separate, for example, the pedestrian pavement from the road - I know my English is bad). I wished I had low range and locking diffs on my T but I noticed that in Off-road mode, the first 2 gears (or maybe all of them but I didn't get past 2nd) are reduced. There is absolutely no need for low range as the torque is just monstrous as it is, it probably has twice the torque that my Ford Ranger has in low range. However come winter I will probably feel the absence of locking diffs. And since we're here, does anyone know what diffs are used in the T? 2012 MY, I think 4M got an update in 2013. I heard that the center diff is Torsen but I am not sure. I need to know whether this does well in snow or not since we have a lot of snow over here in the winter.
Here's a pic of me (or not really me) doing some pretty light trails.

 

Centre diff in the 4Motion T3 is Torsen - yes. Basically indestructible. The choice made for the original Hummer for that reason.

 

That's why I am not a huge fan of off-roading nice SUVs. I'll do some mild stuff with my Treg but the hardcore part is left to my 2001 Ranger. I wish cars like that were still made

 

If you're in a situation that you need the "Extra Height" mode, you should probably have aired down your tires, too. That will lessen the hard ride.

And you shouldn't be going that fast, anyway!
:- p

 

Airing down tyres is something I'd do for the particular surface eg sand and not for the comfort. It's going to have less effect with a low profile tyre and increases the risk of damaging the rim. If you're going fast enough for comfort to be an issue then I'd keep the air in the tyres. If you're going over really rough terrain where you need the tyres to mould around rocks and need the extra ground clearance of the highest setting then comfort is not important.

 

I used my last touareg off road a good amount with the air suspension. The only downside for me was the air block around the pump got corroded and started leaking so it had a hard time keeping pressure up.

 

After 5 months of owning it I have lost fear of anything. I hit the deepest potholes and went off-roading and my suspension is as good as new. I guess I started the thread because the car was new to me and I was a bit afraid.
Now I can easily say that the Touareg can handle anything. Just show it the road you want to take and relax.

 

Glad to hear you got your Toaureg offroad and are having fun.

Remember, no vehicle can "conquer" everything! Have fun, but BE SAFE!
:- )

 

We want a video!

 

No, you want Air Suspension..!