# Towing



## routan (Aug 2, 2010)

With all of the break issues (my '09 SEL too) I am hesitant to pull anything. I would like to buy a pop-up camper. Has anyone used their Routan to tow? How are the breaks holding up? Anyone have suggestions?


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## troop94 (Jul 13, 2009)

Somewhere on this forum there are a couple of pictures of a Routan towing a fairly sizable trailer. 


I have a 2009 SEL with the tow package (and no problem with the brakes). I am interested in a 16 foot Fun Finder X Travel Trailer: 

http://www.cruiserrv.com/fun-finder-x/x_160/specifications.html 

Sleeps 5 and with a dry weight of 2,483, should be easily towable with the 4.0 engine. I guess.  

* 

I'd be interested to hear anyone with actual towing experience.


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## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

You'll be fine towing anything within the towing limits. If you have the tow package, I think the book said you are good to 3,500lbs. The brakes are fine for towing. The only problem with the brakes are that they wear out too fast and they warp as the result of excessive heat. Supposedly, this problem has been fixed according to a local VW rep. He claims that better rotors are being used. I would not let the prospect of having your rotors warp prematurely ruin the whole reason you have the van and let it interrupt the great times you will have with your family in a pop up trailer. Even if you end up with warped rotors sooner than you should, in my opinion it is still worth the time you will get to have with your family. Dont sweat it. 

I had a Dodge Journey, that have the same breaks as the Caravan and Town & Country, which are apparently the same as the Routan. I pulled a 5 X 8 enclosed trailer with all of our camping gear and six bicycles no problem. My rotors sucked for warping several times, but I stopped just fine.


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## troop94 (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks for the encouragement, although a 5 X 8 trailer doesn't actually sound that big. I was thinking of a 16 foot long RV that isn't a pop up. My guess is that the Routan could do it, but would be best if kept to short dstances (2-3 hours) as opposed to across the country.


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## RyanM (Aug 6, 2001)

Our rotors warped and were replaced before we started towing. After that I have towed a small trailer with a 1500# load several times for 2 hours a shot. No issues there. 

I would feel ok towing something heavier but hopefully not in traffic for too long.


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## Row1Rich (Sep 11, 2001)

routan said:


> With all of the break issues (my '09 SEL too) I am hesitant to pull anything. I would like to buy a pop-up camper. Has anyone used their Routan to tow? How are the breaks holding up? Anyone have suggestions?


Do you have the tow package installed? I don't and my worry isn't the brakes, it's the transmission. I'm hoping to get the transmission cooler kit together and install it soon.


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## routan (Aug 2, 2010)

Now tow pkg... but I did get the 7yr 100k extended 

Let me know how the cooler kit goes. I might be interested.


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## icandu (Jul 10, 2009)

*trailer towing with the routan*

i just wanted to give my two cents about trailer towing . I realized when we considered our first trailer how difficult it was to get complete information on vehicle trailer combinations.
Nothing really made sense.
For instance, if I didn't want a useless pick-up that would sit in my driveway all year except for a couple of weeks in the summer what were my alternatives?
Should I get an old full size car like a crown vic? nope, tow rating only 1500 lbs
So I started looking at all the cars and I discovered that the tow rating champ is.....get ready for it, the hyundai elantra at over 3000 lbs you read correctly, more than a v8 cadillac or pretty much anything else. So I deducted engine displacement nor vehicle size are determining factors.
got that? read on...
So the next step was to look at mini vans , a little better here with tow ratings at 3500lbs, this seemed to be the norm regardless of the engine size. that's right I remembered, engine displacement not a factor. So at the time I found that the 2005 dodge grand caravan sxt with the tow package was the exception and had the highest rating at 3800lbs. So I leased it.
I followed through and bought a brand new 2005 17 ft keystone convertible trailer rated at 2700 lbs and we were "happy campers" so to speak.
The towing experience was just ok, a little tough on hills and always seemed to downshift if the winds turned on us. Something I found out with experience was that aerodynamics and trailer balance were critical in assuring a safe and pleasant towing experience, and by talking to fellow campers this was also a factor for large pickups and suvs.The wall of wind that you displaced with your trailer could severely affect your mpg and the stability of your vehicle, especially when being passed on the highway by a big rig. 

We kept this set up going till we sold the trailer ( too small since we added 2 more kids to the original 2) and we returned the van when the lease was up.

For a replacement I started doing research again and found that the chrysler gc sxt’s tow rating was back down to 3500 lbs tr . So what gives? did they add some extra weight on the van? This is when it was clear to me that stated trailer towing capacities where a marketer's call not the engineer. The capacities seem to be arbitrarily set.

Eventually after looking at every mini van we decided to buy the Routan since vw had great financing and besides they looked great. We ordered the 4 liter engine with the trailer tow package.

After a wet summer of tent camping I proceeded to research trailers and finally bought a 1998 26 foot aerolite bunk house. The reasons behind my choice were: the weight was less than 4000lbs, the height at least a foot shorter than most trailers due to the fact that the suspension is set up with torsion axles, the frame is made of aluminum, the underbelly is smooth and the front is very aerodynamic with the lp tanks set up inside the trailer.

The double axles make for a well balanced trailer and the result is that it tows like a dream, way better than our smaller trailer. 

The van tows the trailer at 60mph on the 6th gear overdrive, when we get some small hills or larger i usually downshift to the 5th and leave it there. The auto-stick is great for towing. Engine never runs hot, super stable ride and we are 6 in the van with six bikes on the roof.

get about 15 mpg with all that going on, some pick-up guys would say that is great but I wish we had a diesel and I am sure we could get at least 20 or more. VW are you listening?

If you need more information on mini van towing look here, these guys are the specialists. ONe of the few places that actually know what they are talking about. Even though they are in some small town in Ontario they are worth talking to if you need more info.

http://www.canamrv.ca/towing/

Here is a picture of us in Watertown New York on our way to Florida, second time.

good luck


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

*Aftermarket Wheels?*

Icandu, what wheels are on your Routan? I don't recognize them. Aftermarket? Yeah, that Florida snow was heavy that year.


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## JETwagen (Mar 1, 2002)

icandu said:


> For a replacement I started doing research again and found that the chrysler gc sxt’s tow rating was back down to 3500 lbs tr . So what gives? did they add some extra weight on the van? This is when it was clear to me that stated trailer towing capacities where a marketer's call not the engineer. The capacities seem to be arbitrarily set.


Those numbers are not arbitrary. Many items are taken into account when deciding the rating and then an extra cushion of safety added on top of that ("a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.") I would say most vehicles (minivans especially) have been limited due to the structural strength of the vehicle or the braking capabilities, which is why engine size has no effect on the rating. Also, with the bake problems the minivans already face, I would be concerned with bringing any trailer to a stop in an emergency situation even within the tow rating, let alone a 4000+lb trailer (while the trailer may weight 4000lbs, your personal stuff inside, any water in the tanks, etc. adds to that weight.) You may be within the true limit, but without talking to the engineer that oversaw design, I would not be pushin the rating very far if at all.



icandu said:


> Something I found out with experience was that aerodynamics and trailer balance were critical in assuring a safe and pleasant towing experience, and by talking to fellow campers this was also a factor for large pickups and suvs.


You do make good points on being balanced and aerodynamic though, and good tips for others. I cannot tell you how many trailers I've seen recently that were far from level going down the highway. :facepalm:

Personally, I am looking for a trailer that is ~3000lbs empty, and maximum capacity of ~3500lbs. This keeps me within the tow rating and under the actually limits of the van.


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## icandu (Jul 10, 2009)

*Florida snow!*

Last year, March was a cold one in Florida, there wasn't any snow but it was close!

As for the wheels yes indeed they are aftermarket yet I forget the brand. I use them for my winter tires.

Gotta look good in the snow!:snowcool:


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

*icandu*

Thanks for that. As you know, there aren't many aftermarket wheels available for the Routan. Could you take a closeup picture of the wheel? I imagine they're put away. If you can get at them easily. Like the multi-spoke look.


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## icandu (Jul 10, 2009)

*Aftermarket wheels for the Routan*

The wheels are called SPYN 

http://www.spyncanada.com/main.html

However the model i have doesn't seem to be on the page.

Maybe if you contact them they might be able help you out.

Good Luck!


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## icandu (Jul 10, 2009)

*Be careful about trailer hitches Uhaul hitch not a perfect fit*

I wanted to add that the trailer hich that I used was from U-Haul ( i think made by reese but not sure) and the fit was far from perfect. Actually had to grind it to remove obstructions. I would make sure any hitch used on the routan is made for the routan and not just the gc. I wonder who else had the same experience?


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## rmilchman (May 13, 2008)

Something I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is the installation of brake controller. I tow a 32 ft trailer with a full size pickup. This will allow the electric brakes on the trailer to actuate when you hit the brakes in the tow vehicle. This takes the braking load off the tow vehicle, saving the braking system and allowing for an increased braking capacity.


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## JETwagen (Mar 1, 2002)

A quick question to those who bought a hitch through VW... is there a Chrysler part number associated with it? Just want to verify if it truely is the same as the C-T&C unit or not. TIA


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## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

rmilchman said:


> Something I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is the installation of brake controller. I tow a 32 ft trailer with a full size pickup. This will allow the electric brakes on the trailer to actuate when you hit the brakes in the tow vehicle. This takes the braking load off the tow vehicle, saving the braking system and allowing for an increased braking capacity.


Chrysler makes a 7 blade wiring kit, routes to the engine bay to hook up, which allows you to install a brake controller. The directions are in the link. Look at the coiled harness that get installed by the panel by your knees in the directions. Supposedly if you get the factory MOPAR hitch this will mount directly to it.

http://www.mopar-accessories.com/en...Id=1002&GroupId=2017&SubGroupId=3060&pc=54016


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