Touareg v6 tdi diesel rated 7700 pounds, can it tow a g23

[fatchance720]

I live on a lake and would only be towing about 500-1000 miles a year. I want something to tow my g23 but want good gas mileage and something that is not a huge diesel truck. I read of people towing the older x stars and had great things to say about it. Another person was towing a 23ft Enso and made it seem like it was not too bad. Most times I will be towing a couple miles and 1-2 times a year going across the state for a vacation. What do you guys think?

[nyryan2001]

nope, too heavy IMO, G23s are 8000+ as they sit on the trailer.

[BrennanK]

I think you would be fine with any decent full sized SUV/truck if you are only towing that far/often. As much as I love the TDI's I would not get one unless you plan on using it for its intended purpose. Get a Suburban or a EcoBoost F150 to tow your G23. Yes, it will be slower and yes it will suck gas; but 95% of the time you won't be towing so what does the towing mileage matter? Plus if you are not towing far the fuel economy will suck anyways.

That is my personal opinion. I expect many to come on here and say you need a 1 ton with a diesel which is simply not true. I will say that if you towed far and often I would get a 3/4 ton. Just don't get something stupid small. Driving smart and having a well equipped vehicle and trailer will go much further then an idiot behind a large truck.

This is all coming from someone who owns a diesel truck too. I am trying to remain realistic.

[fatchance720]

nope, too heavy IMO, G23s are 8000+ as they sit on the trailer.

So if as tank was empty and gear to a minimum how much does the trailer actually weigh? What about tongue weight? I think 8000+ may be a little high

[fatchance720]

I don't care about the mpg while I'm towing but I do want 30 mpg or the rest of the time. We go to the mountain a lot so the touareg seemed to be the best of both worlds

[BrennanK]

I don't care about the mpg while I'm towing but I do want 30 mpg or the rest of the time. We go to the mountain a lot so the touareg seemed to be the best of both worlds

Well you just put yourself into one and only one vehicle with that number.

If you plan on driving your TDI a lot, and I mean 30,000+ a year, then it might be worth it. Otherwise maybe you should look at getting an old truck as a dedicated tow vehicle and use other cars for everything else.

[SkiTower]

you're not going to tow a G23 with a 30 mpg vehicle. 8K is very reasonable...6500 for the boat and a very stout trailer is very easily 1500. Plan for 9K minimum once you add gear, passengers, and fuel.


2007 SV211 SE

[shag]

That boat has a high center of gravity when being towed as well. I would not skimp on vehicle. If it was just down the street a mile to a subdivision ramp (not a steep one) then maybe ok... The G boats are big and heavy....

[vision]

G23 on aluminum trailer should be less than 7500K.

I would expect a Touareg Diesel to pull it no sweat. The problem is the ratio of tow vehicle weight to the weight of the object being towed is low with that set up which can affect safety.

[Vitty]

I tow mine with a Mercedes GL350 diesel. I believe it is rated about the same towing as the VW (around 7500). Farthest I ever tow it is 20 miles and that's only twice a year, but it is on a highway. It sits on a lift in the lake all season otherwise. The Merc doesn't seem to have any problem towing it and seems to be quite stable.

[scottb7]

maybe folks can educate me...isn't the weight of the tow vehicle a factor at some point?

[Bspot]

Can you tow it…..Yes. Is it smart to tow it…..absolutely not! At some point you have to think about the safety of yourself and the others you share the road with. If you ever has to make an evasive manoeuvre on a sudden stop, it's game over for you and the boat!

[vision]

Momentum.

The vehicle can pull it forward, the trailer's brakes can stop it. But when you suddenly turn a 4500lb vehicle at 50 mph, the desire of the 7500lb boat/trailer to continue straight is great and will significantly alter the path of the vehicle.

The lower the vehicle/trailer weight ratio, the worse the problem becomes.

[beach]

The base gas touareg has a curb weight of 4800lbs. The diesel would weigh more. 1/2 ton trucks weigh in the 5500lb range(lot of variance depending of cab/engine). Braking distance seemed to be shorter for the touareg, but it's stopping less weight so let's call it a wash. The real disadvantage you're going to have is with the wheelbase. It's got a similar wheelbase to my 4runner and I would not want to tow a g23. You're talking 30% more wheelbase for a crew cab 1/2 ton truck and 50% more for a crew cab 3/4 ton.

The old v10 touareg weighed almost as much as a 3/4 ton truck, but the newer ones dropped a lot of weight. I'm guessing most of the reviews you found were about the old heavier v10 touareg. I think vw also dropped the air suspension option.

I'm not someone that believes everyone should get a 3/4 ton diesel or else they're being unsafe. But a touareg towing a g23?

[shag]

Bspot and vision are 'spot' on. It is precisely why things like bridges and lifts are 'over engineered' so to speak. Fuel alone for that boat (I believe it's in the 65-70 gallon range) would be roughly 600# alone with a full tank. (always good to keep closer to full to prevent condensation in the tank - PCM re-inforced this when I had a fuel pump failure)... And personally, I would not buy a vehicle that would not be capable of stopping that boat/trailer on it's own. Trailer brakes can fail or fade especially if you are in hilly areas. In an all out panic stop, there is no way that Touareg would be able to safely handle that heavy, high center of gravity boat. I am not downing VW here, I actually like them and had an older TDI at one time so can appreciate the brand. Sooo, like I said - if you were solely using it to tow it just down the road to the ramp, ok - as long as it's not a steep ramp. Pulling that weight up a hill suddenly drastically increases the 'towing weight' of the item being towed.... Good luck! This is just my .02 but based on real life experiences. Also a fire/medic and have seen a few of the bad sides of the above scenarios..