# Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI



## robinct (Jan 13, 2010)

I currently tow with a tundra but the truck sits around most days and is only used to tow. I am considering a Touareg TDI to use in place of the Tundra. Trailer is a bumper pull and weighs about 4,000 pounds. The horse adds another 1,500 then throw in some tack and stuff - probably around 6,000 +. Is the Touareg TDI capable? I know the ratings say it is but does anyone have experience towing a horse and trailer with it?


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## teutonicv10 (Nov 22, 2006)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (robinct)*

No problem towing a 8000 lbs boat and trailer.


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## robinct (Jan 13, 2010)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (teutonicv10)*

Nice boat - somewhat dwarfs the Touareg......no problem up hills? Do you use a factory installed hitch and what type of brake controller?


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## DZD (Mar 25, 2007)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (robinct)*

Are you asking about a V6 TDI or a V10 TDI?


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## robinct (Jan 13, 2010)

I was asking about the V6 TDI. I have not looked into the V10 specs yet. What are you thoughts? Thanks


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## teutonicv10 (Nov 22, 2006)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (robinct)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robinct* »_Nice boat - somewhat dwarfs the Touareg......no problem up hills? Do you use a factory installed hitch and what type of brake controller?

Both TDIs have PLENTY of power; up ramps, steep driveways, etc. Factory hitch with a Tekonsha. Towed through CT hills to lakes, etc.


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## charlier (Mar 9, 2001)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (robinct)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robinct* »_I currently tow with a tundra but the truck sits around most days and is only used to tow. I am considering a Touareg TDI to use in place of the Tundra. Trailer is a bumper pull and weighs about 4,000 pounds. The horse adds another 1,500 then throw in some tack and stuff - probably around 6,000 +. Is the Touareg TDI capable? *I know the ratings say it is but does anyone have experience towing a horse and trailer with it?* 

Highlighted the key question..
Other key differences include... 
- Horses have a mind of their own, boats and other objects do not.
- Horses shift their weight and can get excited, boats and other objects do not.
- How does the wheelbase of the Tundra compare to the Touareg?
- Do you currently use a weight distributing hitch receiver or sway control?
- Can/does the Touareg support the use of these?
Just some food for thought....


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## robinct (Jan 13, 2010)

charlie - good points. I suspect the wheelbase on the tundra is longer than the touareg but will need to verify. I do not use any sway control system just a straight bumper pull with brakes. I like the idea of going diesel and getting rid of a vehicle which sits in the garage most days and nights. I would drive the tundra full time but my commute is over 50 miles each way. thanks for the ideas. Rob


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## NickM (Oct 20, 2001)

*Re: (robinct)*

a single horse trailer is what...15' in length?...likely a dual axle.
I don't get the apprehension, the Treg weighs as much or more than most 1/2 tons, has more power than most (or more power than any 1/2 ton in the case of the V10), has better braking, better transmission, better suspension geometry, and better stability control systems.
So.....if you wouldn't hesitate to tow with a Tundra, why the stress with a Touareg?
Wheelbase only matters as you increase towing length, I limit my towing length to 28' (which is really 3' longer than you should tow) due to the Treg's wheelbase). Since you're nowhere near that length you have nothing to worry about.
Also, sway control is for travel trailers, the huge square footage you're towing acts like a sail...you don't have this issue when towing boats or cars or even horses.
Weigh distribution is only for use with steel suspension, if you have air suspension your Treg takes care of weight distribution for you.


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## Jimbuffalo (Sep 1, 2005)

*Re: (NickM)*

^^^^
what he said
When I bought a larger boat, increasing trailer length for 25 - 30 feet (approx) and weight from 4200 - 6000 lbs., I fretted over possible porpoising effect of a long trailer attached to a short wheelbase Touareg.
No issues.
When I picked up the new boat, after about 65 miles, a passenger turned around to get something out of the trunk and was surprised to see the front of the boat out the back window...she'd forgotten we were towing the boat! (so much for 15 year olds and iPods...)
It's why I have a Touareg...does an awful lot of things awfully well.


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## robinct (Jan 13, 2010)

lots of help and insight - thank you. I wanted to avoid getting out of the tundra, into the Touareg and then being disappointed in the performance/ability when towing. Sounds like this is not going to an issue since my trailer is just under 4k, the horse is under 1.5K and even with two small horses (it is a two horse trailer with tack room) it should not be an issue. Total length is about 22 feet so this should not be an issue either. I want to do this with a V6 TDI and avoid the higher cost/lower mileage of the V10 if possible. I may also ask the dealer for an afternoon with the rig and run a few test hauls! Again, thanks for the help. Rob


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## charlier (Mar 9, 2001)

*Re: (robinct)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robinct* »_lots of help and insight - thank you. I wanted to avoid getting out of the tundra, into the Touareg and then being disappointed in the performance/ability when towing. Sounds like this is not going to an issue since my trailer is just under 4k, the horse is under 1.5K and even with two small horses (it is a two horse trailer with tack room) it should not be an issue. Total length is about 22 feet so this should not be an issue either. I want to do this with a V6 TDI and avoid the higher cost/lower mileage of the V10 if possible. I may also ask the dealer for an afternoon with the rig and run a few test hauls! Again, thanks for the help. Rob

rob, I understand you wanting to get a vehicle that you can use full time (Touareg) and get rid of the towing vehicle (Tundra). 
Some of what I posted earlier may not apply to a horse trailer towed by a Touareg has been pointed out (then again maybe so). I would BE CAREFUL when it comes to the Touareg's air suspension if you intend to keep the Touareg past the warranty. Repairing/replacing the air suspension components will be COSTLY. 
Maybe I missed, it but it appears that those that are posting that the Touareg will tow a horse trailer fine do not have experience towing horses with a Touareg?? That was in your original post and that is one of the real answers you need.
BTW, have you ever been towing a horse trailer when a horse got excited and started moving or thrashing around????? That is a VERY dangerous situation for the horse and for the tow vehicle and trailer. In that situation you will be glad that your tow vehicle is up to that task. Whether or not the Touareg can handle that is the ultimate question. Only someone who has been in that situation can provide accurate information about that.
Personally I have not experienced that but I have seen others who have.
Lets just say their tow vehicle and trailer did not track straight going down the road and I gave them PLENTY of room.
If you have not already done so, I would recommend that you read through the Touareg Forum archives regarding owner experiences with their Touareg. That and an "extended" test drive with two horses in the trailer might help your decision making process.
Good luck with your search for a new tow vehicle.


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## NickM (Oct 20, 2001)

*Re: (charlier)*

Odd that someone without a Touareg would post the note above...
If you want the ultimate tow vehicle for horses then buy a 1 ton crew cab dually. There is no platform more stable, it is the longest/widest/heaviest you can get in terms of a non comercial vehicle. If you are sticking with a 1/2 ton (which is what the Tundra is) then as has been stated ad naseum is that the Touareg is as or more capable than any 1/2 ton.
The air suspension on Touaregs has proven extremely reliable..there are next to no posts or reported trouble spots when it comes to air suspension. Since horse trailers (like boat trailer) run relatively low tongue weight you wouldn't even tax a steel suspended Treg let alone an air suspended one..
FWIW I've towed over 30,000 miles with Touaregs (I've had 3nd currently own two. I also own an F250 diesel crew cab and owned an '05 F150...I am VERY familiar with the Touaregs towing capabilities and how they compare to current pickup trucks.
Also FWIW while a 1200# horse can move around and "shift load", a TT loaded with 200 gallons of fresh water/ gray water and sewage has 1600# of liquids shifting around (1 gal water=8lbs). None of this is perceptible behind the wheel of a touareg...in fact any load under 4000# is not perceptible in a Touareg.
Everyone needs to relax on the paranoia...again the OP is ultimately asking if he can do with the Treg what he is doing with the Tundra...the answer is without a doubt YES.

_Modified by NickM at 9:27 AM 1-17-2010_


_Modified by NickM at 9:29 AM 1-17-2010_


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## schubie (Mar 26, 2009)

*Re: (NickM)*

Nice post Nick. Good to see some first-hand perspective on all this. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## MellowDub (Dec 2, 2009)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (teutonicv10)*

think you need a bigger truck








_Quote, originally posted by *teutonicv10* »_No problem towing a 8000 lbs boat and trailer.


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## Yeti35 (May 17, 2006)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (MellowDub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *MellowDub* »_think you need a bigger truck








This coming from someone who has probably never driven a Treg.


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## MellowDub (Dec 2, 2009)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (Yeti35)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Yeti35* »_This coming from someone who has probably never driven a Treg.









or not


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## khaug (Jun 5, 2007)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (robinct)*

I tow a Porsche in a 22' enclosed trailer with an '07 V10 TDI. The trailer with car weighs in at about 5600#, close to your horse trailer. The Touareg has air suspension, and is utterly stable under any circumstances I've yet encountered. 
To give you a sense of perspective, I previously towed with an '03 4Runner 4.7 v8, which strained to tow the same trailer/car combo and swilled fuel in the process. The Touareg returns 13-14 mpg @ 65 mph on Interstates, while the 4Runner could only manage 11 mpg maximum. The 4Runner needed to drop down to 4th gear to tow on Interstates, while the Touareg is quite happy to remain in 6th on all but the very steepest Interstate grades (the WVA Turnpike, for example).
Note that the V10 TDI produces 553 lb/ft of torque, while the V6 TDI manages only around 400. Still, I'd expect the V6 TDI to do reasonably well towing your load, The Touareg TDi is rated to tow 7700#. VW forbids the use of load-equalizing hitches on Touaregs.
I'd strongly recommend getting the port-installed ("Factory") hitch package, which will include much (but not all) of the trailer lighting hookup. The Touareg electrics wiill not support LED trailer lights. I use and like the Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller. It does require connecting the red brake light sensor wire to the actual brake light switch near the brake pedal, not to the trailer interface module near the RR wheel well.
The Touareg is so capable and relaxing to tow with that I can't imagine why anyone would prefer a ponderous vehicle like a large pickup truck.
-Karl


_Modified by khaug at 1:21 AM 1-19-2010_


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## Jimbuffalo (Sep 1, 2005)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (khaug)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...lated


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## gregtay (Apr 29, 2009)

I had a 2007 Tundra CrewMax 5.7 4x4 Limited before my Touareg for towing my 25' Crownline... I know in your head you are thinking that the "little" Toaureg can't possibly tow as well or as safe... well... it can. It was engineering to do it and i am SIMPLY AMAZED at my V10. We forget the boat is back there... it really does drive, stop, handel about the same unloaded and pulling 6000#'s. Tehre is no sway (if if there were the computer would take care of it).. there's TONS of power (the Tundra has power as well but you really need to wind up that 5.7L... on the Touareg i tend to stay in 5th or 6th on the Mt. passes... she hums along around 2000 RPM and if i press down on the pedal the V10 accels without the need to downshift.
I was also very concerned that the Touareg would just do "okay" at towing... but that's not the case... i really does an amazing job and would pick the Touareg V10 over any 1/2 ton for towing (and yes.. i liked my Tundra.. it was a sweet truck.. but i just couldn't drive that monster around town as my DD.)
If you are thinking about the V6TDI you will be fine as well... but get the air susp!


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## gregtay (Apr 29, 2009)

*Re: (gregtay)*

"Touareg electrics wiill not support LED trailer lights"
While true, this is not a problem. Uhaul sells a $10 adapter that fixes the issue. My boat trailer has LED's... no issues.


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## mrk1111 (Oct 3, 2006)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (robinct)*

when I was purchasing a utility type trailer a few years back for my 04 v8 to tow my motorcycles.. brought up the question to the sales person at the store concerning the towing capacity of my car... the trailer sales location is one of the largest and offers trailers up to at least 20-30k ....this was outside of phil which is horse country... he said no problem ... told me he had several customers that purchased multiple horse trailers and towed them with a the v8 treg... with the superior tdi torque and the hefty weight and low wide stance of the wheels ... no problem..
I towed a utility trailer with two bikes/additional 500-750 k of stuff with my 04/v8 to central america and back... traveling the most unbelievably bad roads and steep inclines without a problem... very surprised... at speed or on very up and down bendy roads never did the trailer try to drag me... at most times I forgot it was there.


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## THUNDERA (Oct 26, 2009)

*Re: (gregtay)*


_Quote, originally posted by *gregtay* »_I had a 2007 Tundra CrewMax 5.7 4x4 Limited before my Touareg for towing my 25' Crownline... I know in your head you are thinking that the "little" Toaureg can't possibly tow as well or as safe... well... it can. It was engineering to do it and i am SIMPLY AMAZED at my V10. We forget the boat is back there... it really does drive, stop, handel about the same unloaded and pulling 6000#'s. Tehre is no sway (if if there were the computer would take care of it).. there's TONS of power (the Tundra has power as well but you really need to wind up that 5.7L... on the Touareg i tend to stay in 5th or 6th on the Mt. passes... she hums along around 2000 RPM and if i press down on the pedal the V10 accels without the need to downshift.
I was also very concerned that the Touareg would just do "okay" at towing... but that's not the case... i really does an amazing job and would pick the Touareg V10 over any 1/2 ton for towing (and yes.. i liked my Tundra.. it was a sweet truck.. but i just couldn't drive that monster around town as my DD.)
If you are thinking about the V6TDI you will be fine as well... but get the air susp!
Coming from an '07 Tundra (I have yet to sell mine - can't decide if I want to keep it or not) this is good to hear. Although I imagine by Tundra has a little more juice than yours did...








http://www.tundrasolutions.com...-test/ 


_Modified by THUNDERA at 11:29 AM 1-26-2010_


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## jwestpro (Feb 6, 2008)

*Re: (THUNDERA)*

After looking at what you've put together on the Tundra, I think you'd be foolish to think the Touareg can replace it in any sense. This thread is about if the Touareg can tow fine. Sure, of course it can tow fine, but if you push both it and a full size/full length/wheelbase truck to the edge, the truck is going to be safer simply due to wheelbase if it is otherwise built well.
The Tundra is a very good example, and this one above and beyond considering your suspension and s/c. You can't even begin to compare the other aspects the truck has that the Touareg can't compare on such as hauling weight in/on the vehicle or volume of cargo and interior space for passengers.
I don't think the Touareg is going to be nearly as safe when towing if you get into an emergency situation having to stop all that weight behind you in heavy traffic or on a steep decent. That's where the truck will outshine it easily.
I love the Touareg too and I've had a Tundra double cab as well but I think we should be more realistic when discussing these aspects.


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## NickM (Oct 20, 2001)

*Re: (jwestpro)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jwestpro* »_
The Tundra is a very good example, and this one above and beyond considering your suspension and s/c. You can't even begin to compare the other aspects the truck has that the Touareg can't compare on such as hauling weight in/on the vehicle or volume of cargo and interior space for passengers.
.


Actually the payload capacity of the Tundra (depending on options) is only around 1500lbs, the Touareg (depending on spec and options) also runs a payload of up to 1500lbs.
So reality is the Touareg and Tundra have a nearly identical payload meaning they compare identically to amount of weight you can haul in or on them.
The Tundra is really a lightweight pickup truck, its just a 1/2 ton, which is really the same capability as a Touareg. The 10K hauling capacity is BS, since you'd need to load the truck with at least 10% of that (so 1000lbs of the 1500lb payload is gone). fuel will be at least 150#, add a driver and a passenger and you are over the capacity of the vehicle.


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## jwestpro (Feb 6, 2008)

*Re: (NickM)*

so not really like a "real" truck still is it? I almost bought a Dodge 3500 quad cab with manual transmission. That diesel engine was so strong feeling, very fun. Apparently there is not much comparison to the Tundra though.
I don't think the Touareg is really rated to 1500 lbs cargo though...is it? Maybe 1100~
I sure would prefer to drive the Touareg but I bet that modified Tundra above is pretty cool too. The photos looked the part.


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## NickM (Oct 20, 2001)

*Re: (jwestpro)*

The Tundra looks tough,. but its a lightweight. I picked up a diesel F250, damn thing can haul 15,000lbs, gets 21-22MPG and is just bad ass. I haven't chipped it yet but I plan to.
Jim, you'd love something like this, just buy it and try it. If you hate it for whatever reason they are an easy sell, there is a huge market for diesel pickup trucks.
on the Treg payload, I did a quick google search, I think a base V6 can do 1500lbs payload, the V10 is more like 1100.


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## dieselpwr (Mar 7, 2004)

diesel Touaregs can tow anything
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAp4U4UqJkw


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## teutonicv10 (Nov 22, 2006)

*Re: (dieselpwr)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dieselpwr* »_diesel Touaregs can tow anything
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAp4U4UqJkw

That is a classic ....


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## iPinch (Oct 25, 2008)

*Re: Towing a horse trailer with a Touareg TDI (teutonicv10)*


_Quote, originally posted by *teutonicv10* »_No problem towing a 8000 lbs boat and trailer.


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## sp_wh (Dec 2, 2005)

Touareg V6 TDI press picture from VW:










_Modified by sp_wh at 1:06 PM 2-11-2010_


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## IceTater (Nov 23, 2010)

*Towing a horse trailer*

Interesting photo by VW, since most horse trailers require a class 4 hitch. I'm looking into a new SUV to tow and really like the Touareg--but don't want to trust my horses' well-being to an underspec'd hitch.


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## raverhaze69 (Apr 17, 2006)

i've towed an 8,000 lb trailer from NYC to maryland with my Treg TDI...and it felt like i wasn't towing anything at all...it was effortless...seemed almost like a joke...

i will say i was a bit hesitant at first considering the size of the treg and the weight of the trailer...but once i pulled out of my driveway...it was a breeze...

2004 treg V10


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

IceTater said:


> Interesting photo by VW, since most horse trailers require a class 4 hitch. I'm looking into a new SUV to tow and really like the Touareg--but don't want to trust my horses' well-being to an underspec'd hitch.


Note that the license plate is from Germany. European trailers are much different than US trailers. The tongue weights are usually much lighter. In Europe they pull quite large loads with quite small vehicles. The Ford F350 isn't a standard household vehicle there.


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## mikelaca (Aug 23, 2012)

Based on your photo of the 8500lb boat tow, could a 2008 V10 with factory installed tow package tow this item?
And I mean practically, not read the VW literature and tell me no it's above 7700lbs.

http://www.airstream.com/travel-trailers/land-yacht/specifications/


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

mikelaca said:


> Based on your photo of the 8500lb boat tow, could a 2008 V10 with factory installed tow package tow this item?
> And I mean practically, not read the VW literature and tell me no it's above 7700lbs.
> 
> http://www.airstream.com/travel-trailers/land-yacht/specifications/


Engine is not the limiting factor in Touareg towing capacity.


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