Towing with a TDI

On Monday, February 16, 2015 at 1:11:26 AM UTC-5, JS wrote:
Peter got my attention right away. I'll look at the VW TDI AWD wagon if it's ever released.
Looking for one vehicle with great fuel economy, AWD, tow capable and International standard trailer lighting capable. Unfortunately Audi USA is very slow at getting the 2.0TDI engine into their Allroad, which has been very popular in Europe. Believe the 2.0TDI is only in FWD A3s. Incidentally the A3 will tow single seaters well.
The VW Tiguan TDI is unavailable in USA.
So is the Subaru Forrester TDI.
And of course Audi Allroad TDI.
All are available and used for towing gliders elsewhere.

Sorry about the hurried earlier post, my flight was about to leave: The fiberglass top Cobras have been discussed many times before regarding the aerodynamic qualities of the fin.
But it seems mostly C/G that will make a trailer difficult to tow.
Jim

Mercedes GLK-250 BlueTec is available in the USA with 3500 lbs towing capacity and great mileage. It tows very well an 18 m trailer.

On Monday, February 16, 2015 at 10:57:23 AM UTC-5, Mike the Strike wrote:
It's a shame that the auto makers have been slow to introduce turbo-diesel engines into the USA, although the reasons are pretty obvious. Gasoline is a lot cheaper than diesel (in my home town right now, gasoline is $2 per US gallon and diesel is around $2.60) and diesel engines are also more expensive.

IMHO, the power and especially torque curves of the typical turbo diesel are absolutely superb for towing. I am now towing with a camper van based on the Mercedes Sprinter and find its towing and hill-climbing abilities to be superb. Fuel consumption is also not far shy of 20 mpg (that's 24 mpg for the Brits!) My other tow vehicle (Lexus with 5 liter gasoline V-8) is also superb, but it's a lot bigger, heavier and thirstier than most would like to drive around, especially in Europe.

Mike

The issue with Diesels in the US are mostly related to emissions/EPA. It's expensive to certify diesels here (additional hardware required to pass EPA testing), thus not as common. Couple that with gas being cheaper (compared to other parts of the world) than diesel fuel and automakers have little incentive to bring diesels to the US market.

In the '70's, I towed a pilot's trailer with a diesel Rabbit/Golf, 0-60 was measured using a calendar.... Sigh.....

Very good.
I've looked at the GLK250 Bluetec. Great specs including economy, feels solid.
Jim


On Monday, February 16, 2015 at 2:00:51 PM UTC-8, Andrzej Kobus wrote:
On Monday, February 16, 2015 at 1:11:26 AM UTC-5, JS wrote:
Peter got my attention right away. I'll look at the VW TDI AWD wagon if it's ever released.
Looking for one vehicle with great fuel economy, AWD, tow capable and International standard trailer lighting capable. Unfortunately Audi USA is very slow at getting the 2.0TDI engine into their Allroad, which has been very popular in Europe. Believe the 2.0TDI is only in FWD A3s. Incidentally the A3 will tow single seaters well.
The VW Tiguan TDI is unavailable in USA.
So is the Subaru Forrester TDI.
And of course Audi Allroad TDI.
All are available and used for towing gliders elsewhere.

Sorry about the hurried earlier post, my flight was about to leave: The fiberglass top Cobras have been discussed many times before regarding the aerodynamic qualities of the fin.
But it seems mostly C/G that will make a trailer difficult to tow.
Jim

Mercedes GLK-250 BlueTec is available in the USA with 3500 lbs towing capacity and great mileage. It tows very well an 18 m trailer.

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 12:22:17 PM UTC+13, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
In the '70's, I towed a pilot's trailer with a diesel Rabbit/Golf, 0-60 was measured using a calendar.... Sigh.....

The first time I visited the USA, in 1989, I hired a car to tour California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. They offered me a Chevy Cavalier with I think a 2.2 or 2.4 engine. That sounded adequate on paper. However it was an absolute pig. At one point on a quiet road somewhere near Las Vegas I actually measured the 0-60. It was a full, seemingly never ending, thirty seconds.

The next few times I went to the US I insisted on 1.6 Corollas. Infinitely better.

On Friday, February 13, 2015 at 5:49:38 PM UTC-5, BobW wrote:
On 2/13/2015 1:40 PM, vontresc wrote:
Looking at getting a new vehicle this spring, and am currently looking into
a Jetta Sportwagon TDI. Any of you guys use one to tow your ship? Good or
bad?

Peter


Oh Jeez...another "religious topic" question! :-)

I'm guessing you're planning on towing primarily a Libelle (or maybe that Ka-6)?

I towed for 37 years with a 2600 lb, short-wheelbase, unibody car ('72 2-dr
Ford Maverick), primarily in the intermountain west, mostly - but not always -
towing 15 meter glass in a decent trailer (estimated total weight 2500 lbs).
Prolly tied for the heaviest was an HP-14 in a homebuilt wooden trailer, which
empty likely easily exceeded 2,000 pounds, and our club's 2-32 on a woefully
(and tongue-)heavy, dual-axled open trailer. Only the 2-32 trailer (surge
brake) had trailer brakes. The only modification to the car was the (didn't
fit/some welding required) "universal" Sears trailer hitch. Engine was a 302
V8, w. 3-speed manual transmission & 2.79:1 final drive ratio. The combo w. 15
meter glider/trailer regularly got ~21+ mpg out here. Car brakes were the
usual dismal drums all around of that era, w. about 80% of one panic stop in
'em for the nekkid vehicle, before serious fading and lateral imbalances
occurred. I can recall only two times being alarmed in towing situations, one
"flutter" from the (then) unbalanced HP-14 trailer, and the other braking
related (no alarm needed, in fact). Had the vehicle not gone to that Great
Rust Bucket in the sky, I'd never have sold it for its (3rd) engine in 2009.
Highest pass traversed w. trailer in tow was the Eisenhower tunnel (multiple
times) on I-70 west of Denver.

Brakes aside, I much preferred it to the 4WD, 6-speed manual, 2007 V6 Tacoma
that replaced it (and in which, exceeding 18 mpg pulling the 15-meter glider
trailer is a bonus...). But the latter vehicle is what my wife fell in love
with for her two-hole donkey-trailering needs (even though the Maverick did
quite nicely with that, too, distinctly aided w. electric trailer brakes).

Your mileage WILL vary...

Bob W.

Bob,
I Hesitate to ask, but curiosity won out over prudence. WTF is two-hole Donkey-trailering? If it could have been in one of the scenes in 50 Shades of Gray, please don't answer.

SF
SF

wrote:
On Friday, February 13, 2015 at 12:40:07 PM UTC-8, vontresc wrote:
Looking at getting a new vehicle this spring, and am currently looking
into a Jetta Sportwagon TDI. Any of you guys use one to tow your ship? Good or bad?

Peter

I'm pretty sure the DSG transmission doesn't allow towing. I'm sure it
WILL tow, but with a hitch on the back you may have warranty issues. If
you're not under warranty, I wouldn't want to have to repair that
transmission.....I can't imagine how much that thing costs to repair.

I have a 2013 tdi wagon and love the car but have 5k left on the
powertrain and it's making me nervous, and I don't tow.

I'm pretty much limiting my search to manual transmission. This is going to
be dual use regular car with occasional Libelle towing duty (light trailer
with good surge brakes).

Still don't understand why one must use a full size truck to tow anything
;-)

Pete

Still don't understand why one must use a full size truck to tow anything
;-)

Pete

'murica thats why!

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 7:25:52 AM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Still don't understand why one must use a full size truck to tow anything
;-)

Pete

'murica thats why!

Because 2.4 liter Celebrity not racecar. :-)

I last shopped for a trash hauler in 2011. TDI wagon might have made the short list but for a few deal breakers.

If I were on the market for a diesel, I would research fuel system reliability *hard*. VW has had issues I would not be prepared to put up with.

-Evan Ludeman / T8

On 2/16/2015 7:40 PM, SF wrote:
On Friday, February 13, 2015 at 5:49:38 PM UTC-5, BobW wrote:
On 2/13/2015 1:40 PM, vontresc wrote:
Looking at getting a new vehicle this spring, and am currently looking
into a Jetta Sportwagon TDI. Any of you guys use one to tow your ship?
Good or bad?

Peter


Oh Jeez...another "religious topic" question! :-)
Snip...

Brakes aside, I much preferred it to the 4WD, 6-speed manual, 2007 V6
Tacoma that replaced it (and in which, exceeding 18 mpg pulling the
15-meter glider trailer is a bonus...). But the latter vehicle is what my
wife fell in love with for her two-hole donkey-trailering needs (even
though the Maverick did quite nicely with that, too, distinctly aided w.
electric trailer brakes).

Your mileage WILL vary...

Bob W.

Bob, I Hesitate to ask, but curiosity won out over prudence. WTF is
two-hole Donkey-trailering? If it could have been in one of the scenes in
50 Shades of Gray, please don't answer.

SF

Ha ha! The critter trailer is simply a short, double-horse-wide, enclosed,
dual-axled horse trailer commonly seen throughout U.S. critter country. It
easily holds my wife's 3 donkeys (one full-sized; two minis) and associated
paraphernalia, as well as occasionally - in the truck - 'her real jackass'
(me). Compared to most glider trailers ever pulled, judging from
Maverick/Tacoma fuel mileage, the critter coach pulls 'real heavy.'

Regards,
Bob W.

P.S. Hope what my mama used to say ("Curiosity killed the cat; satisfaction
brought it back.") works for you!

On Monday, February 16, 2015 at 9:23:42 PM UTC-6, vontresc wrote:
Still don't understand why one must use a full size truck to tow anything
;-)

Pete

I know someone that towed his glider with his Honda CRX. Routinely at 80 MPH. Yes, the trailer weighed more than the car. And as I recall, the trailer did not have brakes.