6
Golf R trailer hitch.. possible?
- Thread starter AlmostBrett
- Start date
jettaglis
Go Kart Champion
I'll put in my 2 cents, I have a gti I tow my jet ski with, It does so perfectly fine and no strain on the car while driving. The only possibly problem is pulling the ski out of the water putting alot of strain on the clutch. If I was to re-install a new hitch I would fabricate one to go through the rear license plate to keep it fully hidden when not in use.
Not my car...
Not my car...
dvannoy
Ready to race!
Ok, being the GTI diffuser will work, then i'm pretty sure the hitch for a GTI should also. I have a TDI, which is a remotely similar experience to have a "hidden" hitch. Here's what I did:
-Draw Tite 24851 for the GTI
-GTI rear valence
-Curt Tail Light Coverter and euro ball mounts.
I removed my exhaust and cut the stock muffler off right at the rear control arms. Then I re-installed the exhaust and hung it temporarily off the sway bar with a coat hanger. Next, I installed the trailer hitch, rear valence, and wiring.
I then drove to an exhaust shop and had a custom dual setup made with magnaflow tips around the trailer hitch. I am super pleased with the results:
I will be happy to scan and e-mail you the trailer hitch directions if you would like so you can see if the mounting locations work (i'm sure they do). As far as towing with a car, YES it can be done. The name of the game here is tongue weight. Just be reasonable and don't overload it. A dirt bike or jet ski will be fine. Treat it like any other towing. Accelerate slower, anticipate stops ahead, increase following distance. Here is my rig:
Lowered on DG springs also. I get 35mpg with my bike back there. Trailer and bike weigh 1,200 lbs which is 120lbs tongue weight, very acceptable. Handles it just fine, no wobbling or anything. Any questions let me know.
-Draw Tite 24851 for the GTI
-GTI rear valence
-Curt Tail Light Coverter and euro ball mounts.
I removed my exhaust and cut the stock muffler off right at the rear control arms. Then I re-installed the exhaust and hung it temporarily off the sway bar with a coat hanger. Next, I installed the trailer hitch, rear valence, and wiring.
I then drove to an exhaust shop and had a custom dual setup made with magnaflow tips around the trailer hitch. I am super pleased with the results:
I will be happy to scan and e-mail you the trailer hitch directions if you would like so you can see if the mounting locations work (i'm sure they do). As far as towing with a car, YES it can be done. The name of the game here is tongue weight. Just be reasonable and don't overload it. A dirt bike or jet ski will be fine. Treat it like any other towing. Accelerate slower, anticipate stops ahead, increase following distance. Here is my rig:
Lowered on DG springs also. I get 35mpg with my bike back there. Trailer and bike weigh 1,200 lbs which is 120lbs tongue weight, very acceptable. Handles it just fine, no wobbling or anything. Any questions let me know.
GolfVIDriver
Passed Driver's Ed
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Lowered on DG springs also. I get 35mpg with my bike back there. Trailer and bike weigh 1,200 lbs which is 120lbs tongue weight, very acceptable. Handles it just fine, no wobbling or anything. Any questions let me know.
I am not trying to make an example out of you, but what you are depicting is GROSSLY illegal in the United States.
CAN the car do it? Sure, I can tow a 29 foot express cruiser with a quad if I wanted to.
SHOULD you do it? HELL ****ING NO!!!!
Your car is not rated to tow. Period. End of discussion.
You could tow that bike around for 5 years and not have a problem. If you ever DO have an accident, though, know that you risk not being covered by insurance because you are knowingly and willingly ignoring US OEM tow ratings, which makes you negligent.
And while it may not cross the border into criminal negligence, if that accident you eventually get involved in hurts or kills someone, and it is discovered that you are towing something over your rating, you CAN and WILL be sued in civil court. And you WILL lose.
Will all of this happen? Who knows...it depends on if and when you have an accident, and what cop you get, and how knowledgeable he is with the towing regulations. You might just get a ticket. You could get sued and lose everything. It's a risk, though, and one I want to be crystal clear about in this post.
The risk you take is your own. If it was my car, and my trailer, and my life? I wouldn't do it under ANY circumstances.
For clarification, this is what I used to tow: a 5,000 lb bowrider with a 5.7L Volvo, on a 1500 lb trailer, behind a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 454. Put about 12K per year in miles on this setup. I am by no means advocating you go buy a diesel truck, I am just saying I don't take towing lightly:
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jettaglis
Go Kart Champion
^ I don't know why your getting so upset at the previous post by dvannoy, Hitch companies make hitches for gti's and golfs for the U.S./ North America market. Just because Vw does not recommend towing, does not make it GROSSLY illegal as you called it to do so. As long as your not overloading it above 200 lb tounge weight or 2,000 pounds it is perfectly fine and legal.
GolfVIDriver
Passed Driver's Ed
Because in my travels I see a lot of stupid people trying to tow things.
Where are you getting the 2,000 lbs from? Lets start there.
I don't see a tow rating for the Golf R. Admittedly I do not have my manual in front of me, but even the regular Golf I believe is only rated to tow 1,000 lbs. I don't believe the GTI or the R is rated to tow anything at all.
That means anything beyond a bike carrier is illegal in the eyes of the law.
jettaglis
Go Kart Champion
Vw in North America does not recommend towing with a golf or gti, the only vehicles they list approved to tow with is the Touareg, Routan and Tiguan. I'm just saying you can tow jet ski's, motorcycles, atv's, etc... not 29' boats. I also know this is in the Golf R threads to I will go back to the gti specific threads. Oh and btw,
Hidden hitch, Curt and Draw tite all have the same specs:
This is for Gti and Golf, No listings on a R.
•Receiver opening: 1-1/4" x 1-1/4"
•Rating: Class I
◦Maximum gross trailer weight: 2,000 lbs
◦Maximum tongue weight: 200 lbs
•Limited lifetime warranty
Hidden hitch, Curt and Draw tite all have the same specs:
This is for Gti and Golf, No listings on a R.
•Receiver opening: 1-1/4" x 1-1/4"
•Rating: Class I
◦Maximum gross trailer weight: 2,000 lbs
◦Maximum tongue weight: 200 lbs
•Limited lifetime warranty
dvannoy
Ready to race!
I am not trying to make an example out of you, but what you are depicting is GROSSLY illegal in the United States.
CAN the car do it? Sure, I can tow a 29 foot express cruiser with a quad if I wanted to.
SHOULD you do it? HELL ****ING NO!!!!
Your car is not rated to tow. Period. End of discussion.
You could tow that bike around for 5 years and not have a problem. If you ever DO have an accident, though, know that you risk not being covered by insurance because you are knowingly and willingly ignoring US OEM tow ratings, which makes you negligent.
And while it may not cross the border into criminal negligence, if that accident you eventually get involved in hurts or kills someone, and it is discovered that you are towing something over your rating, you CAN and WILL be sued in civil court. And you WILL lose.
Will all of this happen? Who knows...it depends on if and when you have an accident, and what cop you get, and how knowledgeable he is with the towing regulations. You might just get a ticket. You could get sued and lose everything. It's a risk, though, and one I want to be crystal clear about in this post.
The risk you take is your own. If it was my car, and my trailer, and my life? I wouldn't do it under ANY circumstances.
For clarification, this is what I used to tow: a 5,000 lb bowrider with a 5.7L Volvo, on a 1500 lb trailer, behind a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 454. Put about 12K per year in miles on this setup. I am by no means advocating you go buy a diesel truck, I am just saying I don't take towing lightly:
This thread isn't about legalities, it is simply about is this possible. Yes I understand the car isn't rated to tow in the United States and it might be illegal. Totally get that. I'm just helping the OP accomplish what he is trying to do, thats all. I was a witness to a rollover accident a few weeks ago. I happened to have my trailer and bike hooked to the car that day. After giving my statements, both officers, including one highway patrol came over and checked my setup out. They thought it was a neat, economical towing setup. Didn't once mention legalities. This doesn't in anyway clear me of being legal or not. Just making a point that its obviously not crazily enforced.
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GolfVIDriver
Passed Driver's Ed
Because it is a generic hitch that is adapted for your individual installation.
Your owners manual takes precedence over the hitch rating. And again, if you get into an accident and you are over your tow rating, it can and will be called into question in a court of law. Yes, it isn't enforced with zeal, but depending on the severity of the accident, it CAN come up.
Again, you are welcome to do what you want, it's your car. The LEGAL answer is no, you cannot tow anything. If you do, you are opening yourself up to legal liability.
The choice is yours.
GolfVIDriver
Passed Driver's Ed
If he doesn't care, that's fine, but my argument is ANYTHING but invalid. Look up "negligence" in the dictionary before you drop it, though.
If you still don't care, then I have given my experienced two cents on this matter, and it was ignored. You might as well have not posted the topic at all, in that case.
Ignorance and negligence != invalidity
GolfVIDriver
Passed Driver's Ed
Try telling a judge you don't care when you get into an accident.