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Hello All, Anybody towing a Elite 2 with a Volkswagen Touareg TDI? How does it do? Thanks

Like Rich.Dev we tow with a VW Touareg TDI. We have logged 10,000+ miles including mountains in North Carolina, Tennessee, and rally in Alabama. March and April were spent in southwest with drive out from Michigan to New Mexico and Arizona (Flagstaff area). Trip included Flagstaff to Sedona stretch which is 18 miles of 6% grade. Same experience as Rich, Touareg tows competently and brakes well. We also are limited with cargo capacity, so we stay mindful of that limit. I will say the road conditions in Flagstaff were horrendous with huge chunks of road missing on I-40 and I-17. Upon return home rear camber was off and I had to replace tires and have alignment done. I am planning a future upgrade to a 3/4 ton+ pickup truck for more flexibility. Happy travels!

We also have a 2016 VW Touareg diesel, one of the best VHs we’ve ever owned and it’s a wonderful very capable tow vehicle. We towed a 2016 AS 26U with twin beds for almost 3 years, it towed like a champ (and stopping), only issue is cargo capacity, at 1180lb you have to watch what you pack. We now own a 2023 LEII and fully packed weighs approx. 6000lb with a tongue weight of 610lb. No issues so towing it or stopping. Fuel consumption towing our Ollie from Hohenwald to Guelph ON (Canada) was just shy of 16mpg. The Touareg is a great towing vehicle AND daily driver. Again, the limiting factor is payload/cargo capacity.

@Sully are still on a long road trip in Canada with their Audi q7 and Elite2 A search on Touareg brought up 4 pages of posts. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/search/?&q=Touareg&search_and_or=or

Hi all, I haven't bought an Oliver yet - but close! My wife and I really would like to see one before making a final decision. An E II Open items: We are going back and forth on whether we want the Twin or the full. I think we would prefer the full, but not sure about how much of a nuisance we would feel with the set-up and take down, and the twins sure look good and open. Also trying to figure out the composting or standard toilet, and if it's to be a standard, can we get an elongated bowl (we hear that it is much better for traveling re splashing etc.). The only safety issue I have is that we have a 2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo RS with air suspension. No issue at all with power or torque, but we are edging up to the 616 pound tongue weight. I've read quite a bit about the actual physics involved, and with the designed low center of gravity for the Porsche it would seem like it would be a great towing vehicle. If anyone has experience with this - or any Cayenne or VW Touareg of the same year range I would really appreciate it!!!

The offroad raised setting is for, well, offroad, low speed use ONLY. It shouldn’t be used for normal driving, especially for towing a max load. It raises the body all the way up, so that the suspension basically has very little downward travel left. The handling will suffer and the suspension will top out whenever a wheel drops down into a deep hole. It is not safe at any kind of highway speed because the steering geometry is altered. Plus it wears the axle joints excessively… “Lift / Offroad - On select models such as the fully equipped Q7, an Offroad mode lifts the adaptive air suspension to its maximum height for additional ground clearance. This mode is intended for the most uneven terrain at low speeds.” https://www.audiwestmont.com/research/audi-drive-select.htm If this is incorrect, please explain how you are able to do this while towing. It would be better to have a raised ball mount to get the 24” that you need for an LE2. If that won’t clear you need an aftermarket suspension lift, here is one: “For vehicles with air suspension only The Eurowise 3+ inch lift kit for the 7L VW Touareg, 955/957 Porsche Cayenne, and 4L Audi Q7 is a combination of their spacer lift and 1" subframe drop. Machined from 6061 aluminum solid block, these lift kits will never wear out or fail. In addition, a 1" subframe drop kit with hardware is included to correct your axle geometry. When set on auto mode your vehicle will be roughly 3" taller over stock. In extra/off-road mode would be over 4 inches of additional lift!” https://www.ecstuning.com/b-eurowise-parts/eurowise-lift-kit-3-inch-air-suspension-with-sway-bar-end-links/ewor9014-sbl~euw/ John Davies Spokane WA

The Touareg diesel is actually a very capable tow VH, and very underrated by folks who have never owned one or towed with one. I do agree with you 100% about cargo weight, that is definitely the limiting factor for us. For full timing we can probably also say the Ollie is too small, it’s all about making compromises, definitely downsizing and keeping an eye on the cargo capacity.

Slight topic hijack here, apologies... In another thread you asked "My expected vehicle (2016 Volks Touareg diesel) is rated to tow 7700 lbs. Will it be happy towing the Elite 2 at 6500 lbs?" If you plan to go somewhere and stay for six months at a time that tow vehicle should be "OK". Nothing great, but it would do. On the other hand, if you plan on full timing, you would be carrying all your worldly possessions with you everywhere you go. Further, if you really plan to explore the U.S, and Canada like you indicate in your opening post here, you would be traveling more than staying in one place too long. You are going to need a much more capable tow vehicle. You need something that can carry all the cargo weight and tow the trailer anywhere you decide to go. A 3/4 ton diesel pickup would be minimum and for the minimal price difference between the two, I'd go with a 1 ton diesel. Carry on.

My expected vehicle (2016 Volks Touareg diesel) is rated to tow 7700 lbs. Will it be happy towing the Elite 2 at 6500 lbs? Thanks, Gabriel

Hi all, we currently have a 2016 Airstream 26U rear twin and our TV is a 2016 VW Touareg TDI, it’s a great tow VH. However, we have only been camping around Ontario (Canada) and want to go semi-full-time when I retire in 2 1/2 years. The Touareg tows like a champ but we are at the upper limits for payload and hitch/tongue weight (1000lbs) with the Airstream. I see the tongue weight of the Legacy Elite II is listed at "approx." 490lbs. I have always loved the clean looks and quality of the Oliver and it was our number 1 pick when we bought the Airstream, however what pushed us towards the Airstream was the dry bath and large fridge. So now that we are revisiting options to downsize from the Airstream the Oliver is again on our radar, our only concern still is the small fridge (when we full time) and wet bath! Any suggestions from full time couples on how you make it work with the small fridge, is it possible to install a larger fridge? Also very important, If anyone has actually weighed their Legacy Elite II twin beds, please share, I’d love to know what are real world numbers are? Thanks! Richard

Congrats! Very reassuring with the comparison to the AS as we are also ex ASmers. Loved our 26U, still think it’s the best AS layout and lots of storage! Anyway, as I said on other posts my Touareg TDI towed the AS like a champ but it was at the upper limit for payload. My wife wouldn’t budge on a larger TV so here we are, our LE2 is scheduled for a May 23rd delivery! 😊

Did you try Search? It is pretty lame but it works fine for an unusual word like your Touareg. Try reading: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/search/?&q=Touareg &type=forums_topic&nodes=12&search_and_or=or I don’t recall all the concerns, power and fuel economy are good. The issues I can think of are marginal tongue weight and cargo volume, no weight distribution and a lack of dealers (or capable euro service shops) in the boonies if you have a breakdown, and parts availability when it does happen. I guess it depends on where you plan to camp, how you spec your trailer, and how many people and their “stuff” you plan to carry. If you plan to explore remote areas like Alaska or even Wyoming, you should get a vehicle that can be fixed in any average small town. I have no Touareg experience, though I lusted very heavily for one when they first appeared. I have owned two VAG vehicles and would not touch another with a thousand foot pole😬. John Davies Spokane WA

Bill, I'm the guy David referred to in his comments about the Touareg. I towed with a 2015 Touareg TDI that I leased. Towed my Elite II over 20k with that Touareg and put over 70k miles on the vehicle in 3 years. I replaced it with a new 2016 Touareg TDI that I purchased in January 2018 after VW released them for sale. I've already towed my Ollie over 5,000 miles with the '16. John is a very knowledgeable and valuable member of the forum, but I don't agree with his conclusions about the reliability or lack of reliability of the Touareg. Consumer Reports rates the '16 Touareg a 5/5 for reliability--its highest rating. The Landcruiser is unrated because of lack of data. The 2016 Tundra is rated 4/5. There are a lot of reasons to like the Touareg. First, the fit and finish of a German-made vehicle are outstanding. Second, the handling is far superior to any SUV other than a Porsche or Audi--and that's true when you're towing as well. Third, the gas mileage (diesel) is great--I get up to 32 mpg at freeway speeds when I'm not towing and 16 to 19 mpg towing depending on speed and how much mountainous driving I'm doing. I got over 18 mpg in Colorado this summer/fall on two-lane highways towing my Oliver. The only downside I've found is the relatively small cargo area. I use a Yakama cargo box to carry bulky items to solve this problem. The only issue I've had with either Touareg was with the emission controls on the 2015. VW paid for some repairs/replacement to the emission controls under warranty that would have cost about $1500 had they not been covered. After that experience, I decided to modify my '16 when I bought it to simplify the emission control system. I followed the advice of another TDI (Audi Q7) owner I met at the Oliver Rally this spring. My 3.0 litre TDI now has 305 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque compared to the 240/406 in the stock tune. Before doing this, I spent a lot of time talking to the manager of the service department at my Audi/VW dealer and he consulted with the VW warranty people before assuring me that I could make these modifications without affecting the warranty. The engine runs so much better now and the extra torque makes towing the Ollie a breeze. If you want to talk to me about any of this, please send a personal message to me and we can exchange phone numbers.

Thank you all for your valuable input on my Touareg tow vehicle. We have decided to purchase a 2021 Ram 2500 Cummings for payload and safety reasons, I know it is a little over kill and we are ok with that. Hopefully mpg will not be that bad. We will keep our Touareg as it has been a great car and Volkswagen has been very good to us with all the emissions issues they had, This Forum Group is the best! Hope to see you on the road and meet up in mid Sept. Travel on.

John, Thanks for your post--lots of great information. For me, the first question I had to answer about a tow vehicle was whether I wanted a pickup. I didn't want to buy a dedicated tow vehicle--whatever I purchased would have to serve as my daily driver as well as my tow vehicle. I already had an old air-cooled Porsche 911 and I didn't want to fill our three-car garage without providing room for my wife's car! Since the early 1990's, I've driven Audi sedans with a couple of VW's thrown in. I drove a number of pickups while shopping for a tow vehicle and decided that I didn't want to drive a pickup every day. The Touareg is still big and unwieldy compared to the Audi I traded (and even more so than my '86 911), but it provides comfort and handling that is significantly better than a pickup, in my opinion. Having owned German cars for decades and having used an Audi/VW dealer for service, I agree that the cost of maintenance and repairs can be daunting. In my early years of Audi ownership, I traded when the warranty expired. However, the quality and reliability of the Audi's and VW's have improved significantly over the years. While I haven't driven any of these cars more than 100,000 miles, I haven't had any significant repairs on any of these cars for 10+ years. The link you provided in your post pointed to information from a buying guide for the second-generation Touareg--it was specifically related to a buying guide for the 2009-2010 Touareg. Here's some information from a Motor Trend review of the 2013 Touareg. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/volkswagen/ "While the first-generation Touareg (2004-2010) came with intriguing tech such as 4XMotion four-wheel drive (with low range!) and 4-Corner Air Suspension with Continuous Damping Control, the second-gen (2011-current) boasts items of interest such as VW’s first (but not only) production hybrid powertrain and an enormous panoramic sunroof (standard on Lux trim). Carried over from Gen 1 to Gen 2 is the optional 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 replete with a meaty 406 lb-ft of torque and 7716-pound tow rating. We recently hosted a 2013 Touareg TDI, now rated for 240 horsepower (up from the previous 225 hp) courtesy of exciting efficiency enhancements including friction reduction, lighter pistons and connecting rods, separate cooling cycles for the cylinder heads and block, an optimized timing chain cycle, and a water pump able to disengage itself to decrease engine drag. These lessons learned will likely trickle into other VW engines. And yes, selective catalytic reduction is used, so the diesel exhaust fluid (“AdBlue” to VW) level will need to be minded and topped off. (The filler location is in the spare-wheel well.)" VW has apparently had some issues with timing chain tensioners, but I don't think the problems apply to the diesel engine in my 2015 Touareg TDI. A class-action lawsuit was filed a couple of days ago in New Jersey relating to timing chain tensioners. The Touareg models involved are 2008-2013. I plan to visit with the service manager at my VW dealership after reading your post. I want to make sure that the timing chain tensioners are checked (assuming that this can be done during normal maintenance). Your comments about driving in the west are accurate. For me, it's a matter of assessing the risk and comparing the risk to the benefits of driving what I want to drive. I left home (Iowa City, Iowa area) in early October last year in my '86 Porsche 911. I left I-80 in Grand Island, NE and drove through the Sandhills of NE (where getting anything but a Big-3 pickup serviced or repaired would be a problem) and then drove into the Black Hills in SD. I knew that I was taking a risk if I experienced mechanical issues, but the joy of driving the 911 through the Sandhills and Black Hills was more than enough to allow me to accept the risk. I feel the same way about the experience of towing with the Touareg compared to towing with a pickup--but that's purely a personal preference.

I have a 2016 VW Touareg TDI (diesel) for sale. I towed my Elite II with it. Search for Touareg on the forum and you’ll find more info. Also on Autotrader—located in North Liberty, IA. The Touareg is more luxurious, handles and rides better than the Highlander and has a towing capacity of 7700 lbs. You’ll also get significantly higher mpg towing your Oliver. Message me if you’re interested. Approx. 31,000 miles.

I tow with a 2015 VW Touareg TDI. I'm waiting for VW to engineer a fix to solve their problem with emissions testing that will satisfy the courts. I towed my Elite II 12,000 miles last year and 4,000 miles in January and February this year. The towing capacity is 7700 lbs. It has 240 h.p. and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. The 8-speed transmission is a plus. I have averaged up to 19 mpg towing in Iowa driving on 2-lane highways with rolling hills. I've averaged 14-15 mpg towing in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, etc. The Touareg is a great tow vehicle. I've driven Ford, Chevy and Dodge Ram pickups and prefer the Touareg because it is more stable, handles better, and is less affected by windy conditions. I wish VW hadn't done what it did with the emissions issue. If I have to part ways with the Touareg, I'll replace it with another SUV--an Audi Q7, another Touareg or a Mercedes GLE350 4Matic. The downside to towing with an SUV like these is the lack of cargo capacity compared to a full-size pickup. Others have commented on the forum about how difficult it would be to find someone to fix a German SUV in the sparsely populated parts of the West. I understand that concern, but there is no perfect tow vehicle. You have to decide on the pros/cons as they relate to what you want in a tow vehicle. I don't want to drive a pickup on a daily basis and I don't want a tow vehicle that sits in storage except when I'm traveling with my Ollie.

David, I tow a 2016 Oliver Elite II with a 2015 VW Touareg TDI. The new Audi Q7 TDI should be an absolutely stellar tow vehicle. I've towed my Ollie about 1100 miles since I picked it up in March and plan to travel to Colorado and Utah in June. I followed Volkswagen's strict advice on not using weight equalization hitches. I tow with the standard bulldog hitch. I've towed in pretty wild crosswinds without any issue. I towed the Ollie home from a campground about 130 miles away yesterday and averaged 19.5 mpg towing! Please feel free to call me tomorrow if you'd like to discuss my experiences towing with the Touareg TDI. 319.651.6666. Like you, I trolled all the forums trying to decide what to do. I even considered driving to the Canadian Airstream dealer to have the Touareg hitch modified. I spent some time with the general manager and the service manager of my local Audi/VW dealer, and they both assured me that the Touareg TDI without modification and without a weight distribution hitch would be fine. They were right--towing the Ollie doesn't seem to put undue strain on the Touareg. I did add a quart of oil at about 18,000 miles today. The diesel didn't use any oil during the first 10,000 miles. My towing was all after the 10,000 mile service. I've owned 5 Audis and about the same number of Volkswagens. I think you'll be very happy towing with a Q7 or a Touareg if you opt for the TDI. Don

John, I remember your post about the dangers of towing in the West with a German SUV. As I indicated earlier, there's no perfect solution. I've driven my 2015 VW Touareg diesel over 32,000 miles since purchasing it about 1 1/2 years ago and it's been a solid, dependable vehicle. Other than an old Porsche that I only drive around 2,000 miles per year, the Touareg is my only vehicle. It fits in my garage and while larger than any other vehicle I've ever owned, it's a great vehicle when not towing. I strongly considered a pickup, but after test driving 3 different models, I decided that I didn't want to drive a pickup every day. The Touareg has proven to be a very capable tow vehicle. I've towed my Oliver Elite II around 8,000 miles this year, mostly in the intermountain west. The only time I had an issue with engine temperature was in Utah while towing up an interstate mountain pass when the outside temp was 110 degrees. I was pulling up a grade, traveling in a pretty straight line, running the A/C, and traveling at 75 mph. My temperature gauge started to creep up and I slowed to 65 mph and it returned to normal temp almost immediately. I decided towing at 75 mph was pretty silly--who needs to hurry that much, and I've never had another issue. The Touareg is also a pretty capable off-road vehicle, but it won't go where a Jeep Renegade will go. I've driven on 4-wheel drive roads in Canyonland NP but I'm very selective about where I go. I also find someone to follow or lead, typically someone in a Jeep! I may have a mechanical issue in the future in the West that will create complications I wouldn't have had if I had chosen a Ford, Chevy or Ram pickup, but I'm retired and willing to be inconvenienced if that occurs. The advantages of the Touareg as a daily driver and as a comfortable, secure, safe and competent tow vehicle outweigh my fears of mechanical trouble in a sparsely populated area in the West. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal choice. For people whose lifestyles match up well with owning a full-size pickup, a pickup is a great choice as a tow vehicle. For me, the Toaureg or Q7 is a better choice.

I have a 2013 Touareg TDI (which has had the modifications) and I plan to drive down to Tennessee from Vermont in March to get my Elite I. The Touareg is an amazing tow vehicle and it should do just fine. You could argue that if a Touareg can tow a 747, it can handle an Olie.

John my TV will be VW Touareg TDI that does not have Apple Airplay. I currently use the GAIA app for hiking trails and like it. Looking to plan a trip in south least US after Ollie pickup and March and a future trip around Lake Superior. I am considering one of the Garmin GPS units mentioned in other posts.

Geoff, I tow with a Touareg TDI. Also a 3.0-liter V-6 diesel. 240 hp/406 ft-lbs torque. 7700 lbs. towing capacity--616 lbs. max. tongue weight. Curb weight of the Touareg is just under 5,000 lbs. I tow with the standard bulldog hitch. I've towed many miles over varied terrain including mountain passes. I've been very happy with my choice of a tow vehicle and have enjoyed taking the Touareg on jeep trails at Canyonlands National Park. You should be fine with your JGC. Do some more reading about the Andersen Weight Distribution hitch-you'll find lots of info on this forum. Lots of pros and cons. VW won't permit the use of a weight distribution hitch with the Touareg, so I didn't have to make a choice. I've had no sway issues and I don't think I would choose the Andersen hitch if I could use it and had the ability to choose to do so. Don

Stainless hardware and aluminum can cause issues, especially if you tow with corrosive deicers on the road 😳. I use aluminum antiseize liberally wherever stainless and aluminum touch, and it does help. While not ideal, SS fasteners are used everywhere on Ollies and mine seem to hold up OK. But I never tow in winter. Permatex Anti-Seize Lubricant I would not worry about different alloys, unless you plan to join them by welding. In that case they should match. I just had a major repair done on my rear cargo rack, which suffered cracks when I ran it into the decorative stonework of my house….. I added 1/4” reinforcements, and I just now reinstalled it to the cross beam with antiseize. There was no sign of corrosion at all when I removed the stainless hardware, after about three years. Note to self, do not back into buildings again. $50 for structural aluminum materials, six hours of my labor, $150 welding labor, plus a $30 tip. …. I still haven’t addressed the stonework that got knocked off the house😤. SeaDawg is correct, drain holes are needed everywhere, they don’t have to be large. even your entry steps need them, they trap water when stowed, it is unsightly and dumps on your sneakers when you open them. Trapped water for months and months OTH is really really bad news, road spray especially causes much worse problems, you must ensure it can’t happen. Have you contacted Oliver about your water? They might want to issue a service bulletin for drain holes. You might find this amusing. …”Hmmmmmm, that is quite a lotta wattah!” How to drain water from Touareg rockers John Davies Spokane WA

John, All tow vehicles have their compromises. As long as you are okay with keeping your weight down, your Touareg will do great towing an Elite II. We tow with a 2018 BMW X5 35d. It has 255 hp at 4,000 rpm and 413 ft lbs of torque at 1,500 rpm. Very similar to yours. Our limiting factor is the carrying capacity at 1,109 lbs. If I recall correctly, yours should be in the low 1,200 lbs. The 1,109 lbs. has been more than enough for us but, we purposely travel light and equipped our trailer to keep the tongue weight low. If you would like to discuss our experience further, please message me your contact information. Andrew P.S. @DavidS from Salt Lake tows with an 2017 gas Audi Q7

I would suggest that you consult the Touareg Club Forum for additional info on this subject, they have some interesting comments. However, as is generally the case there are lots of questionable statements. For example, Can you use a WDH? What is the Tongue Weight Capacity, etc? We Tow with a GL 450 (gas), which does a good job. IMO, one of the "For Most Authority on RV Towing," is Andy Thompson at Can Am Airstream in Ontario Can. I suggest you ask him for his opinion, he done the research and testing and "Thinks Outside the Box." Please report back to us on what you find out!