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Lol thanks, didn’t know there’s a 2500 and 2500HD, I have the 2500HD with 3600lb payload. I upgraded from a 2016 VW Touareg TDI, the VW towed like a champ but payload is only 1200lb.

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, 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!

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

Forgot to list the engine in my 2014 Touareg 3.0 TDI V6 diesel 240 hp at 4000rpm, 407ft/lb Torque at 2000 rpm. Rated to tow 7716# with 616 TW. Thanks for reminding me John.

Hi and welcome. You need to tell us what year and which engine, there have been a huge number of different diesels, including the unfortunate VW Touareg V10 Diesel vs Boeing 747. John Davies Spokane WA

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

We have finally given up our resistance to a pickup truck and are buying a 2018 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L EB and max trailer package. I’m sure we could’ve managed with the Touareg but we have big aspirations for long, mountain-heavy trips and the greater capability and storage margins give us comfort. Funny, I never used to notice these things and now they are every third vehicle I see.

Thanks Bill. I guess the capacity number is less important than the other max tow features like rear diff, brake controller, and engine/trans. coolers. I can feel myself getting carried away with seeking the max tow rating. Last week I was fine with a Touareg...

All great picks. We did the Navigator L for a while and it did a great job - it is the fancy version of the Expedition Max . The L/MAX get a 28 gallon tank and the smaller versions get 23 gallons. The nice thing about an SUV, is your payload is all for payload. With a truck, you have to spend some payload on a cap/tonneau cover first. The only time it didn't feel good is with "M+S rated" all season in a blizzard with high wind. Once I had the actual Blizzak snow tires on, things felt way better. We now pull with a truck as someone _really_ wanted my Navigator. Life has changed for me and I no longer need to go to the airport as much, and then COVID happened so I don't go at all, so we went with a much bigger truck. Upsides for the truck for towing is you don't hear the hitch receiver clanking around, so it's quieter. Also, propane/gasoline runs are less sketchy with a truck bed. Also, while the Oliver is narrow enough that the Navigator mirrors could see past it, I do love the tow mirrors now. Ram's online guide will diverge from the sticker. I haven't towed with the Q7, but we had 2010 Touareg Diesel that turned some of the best towing mileage I have seen (22 mpg with an enclosed car hauler). I think we saw around $30k of warranty work as each computer box on it died over the course of a year - I suspect because the dealer killed the battery at one point and didn't jump it correctly. While on the road, there are a lot more GM/Ford/Chevy dealers than VW group. If it were me and I could wait, I'd look at what a 2021 F150 Ecoboost looks like in terms of payload and price once optioned out the way I want it. Maybe even take a look at the hybrid version. If Titan brings their 40/48 gallon tanks to the 2021, combined with the onboard generator, that'd be pretty appealing.

Donthompson towed his LEII with a VW Touareg TDI and was really happy with it. Mossey

There are a number of owners towing with an SUV. The ones with the Audi Q7 and VW Touareg tow without the Andersen because the manufacturer says don’t use a WDH. There are also half ton truck owners towing without the Andersen. I would check to see how your suspension handles the tongue weight when you set the trailer on your hitch. The Andersen can correct any excess dip you may have. Airbags work too. I’ve not towed without the Andersen. I got it for my first truck, a Tacoma, then just kept using it on my two Rams. Mike

I was in Cornwall and missed this discussion. David is correct—VW/Audi forbids the use of a weight distribution hitch. I’ve towed many miles with tow Touareg TDI’s with the standard bulldog hitch. The Touareg/Q7 platform is great for towing an Elite II. If you can find a good used ‘15 or ‘16 TDI, that’s what I’d recommend, but the gas engine will do the job as well.

Hi Don, this is good to hear. Do you have the Andersen hitch with you Touareg/Elite II?

If having something more nimble is what you want - I'd take a look at folks that are towing with more 4x4 friendly TVs like John's LC200, the Touareg mafia (it is a very capable offroad platform), and even the Jeep Gladiator if you can make the payload work. We're still trying to figure out what to do if we go somewhere and I need to take off on a trip and don't want to leave the wife without a car. It looks like Uber/Lyft/Rental cars will be the best option.

My monitor for the backup camera quit working. I've taken one long trip without the monitor and I'm leaving on another on Saturday. I miss it when backing into a tight camping spot. But, I just jump out of the Touareg and look to see where the trees and obstacles are. (I'm a solo traveler) Today I backed up into our narrow, ice-covered driveway with snow drifts on both sides of the entrance to the driveway in Iowa to get the Ollie packed and ready to leave on Saturday morning for Big Bend National Park. While I've backed trailers for over 50 years, I've learned to be more proficient owning and towing the Ollie. It's really simple if you follow a few basic rules: 1) Place your hands on the bottom of your steering wheel. If you want the rear of the camper to go to the left, move your hands to the left. If you want the camper to go right, move your hands to the right; 2) Drive very, very slowly; 3) Use small and gradual steering inputs to avoid having to overcorrect.

I tow with a VW Touareg TDI and would not be comfortable towing without towing mirrors. Without them, you really can't see behind the camper. The ones I've used successfully for a number of years are Dometic DM-2912 Milenco Grand Aero3 Towing Mirrors. You can purchase on Amazon and other places. They are easy to attach and give you a good field of vision.

LOL, one could argue that, but it was a 5.0 V10 tdi with 8 TONS of ballast and they towed in Low Range.... the V10 was an absolute brute but a nightmare to own. To do just about anything to the engine you had to drop the entire drivetrain. “Seriously, parts were scarce but the main thing that made me sell it is no one could work on it and even the knowledge base online was scarce. It was terrifying to own as a DD because you literally could have a part fail with no warning and struggle to source parts and a reliable mechanic to do the work within weeks.” https://jalopnik.com/the-volkswagen-touareg-v10-tdi-was-more-of-a-nightmare-1822934503 Really, that is not a vehicle you should be using as a poster child. John Davies Spokane WA

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.

Here’s the brake controller. http://www.tekonsha.com/mobile/products/brake-controllers/proportional-controllers/trailer-brake-control-proportional/TzaIxkVx1cI5XOy!osRB508pViEKmVBf I think a Q5 is too small. Good luck searching for a Q7 or Touareg! Don

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.

Don Thompson tows with an 2016 VW Touareg TDI, and he is very happy with it. Before buying, I posted about wanting to tow with an SUV, an Audi Q7. Don Thompson responded and our conversations made me confident that this type of SUV makes a very good tow vehicle. I am very happy with the Audi Q7. Although they switched to a pickup, Reed & Karen Lukens used to pull with a Mercedes ML350 Diesel, and were very happy with its performance. I think you will be happy with a Touareg.

I would like to get an update on an old thread.........SUV's pulling Elite II's? I don't think anyone is looking at it now but after reading through it I got interested in looking at SUV's. One reason is the height of my garage door when open is right on the line....these trucks are high! There were four SUV's that got my attention in the old thread 1) the VW Touareg TDI......sounded like a great tow vehicle but unfortunately for us in the USA the wonderful little turbo diesel is no longer available from VW 2) the Audi Q7........rated up to 7700 pounds towing capacity. The original poster had the same problem as I.....trucks would not fit in his garage. OP really liked it but I did not get any idea of the gas mileage towing......updated experience would be nice to know.) 3) Dodge Durango with 5.7L hemi......OP liked it but for me the limited range makes it less interesting....although other wise I could like it a lot 4) Jeep Grand Cherokee Outlander with the turbo diesel.......All the specs now say that vehicle is rated at 6200 pounds towing although the Trailer Life Towing Guide says they can haul either 7200 or 7400 depending on 2w or 4w drive....link here below....... http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/ The most interesting for me is the Jeep if it was rated at least 7000 pounds.....OP did not say what the official rating was on their vehicle. Some posters mentioned considering a Mercedes Benz GLE 350 4matic SUV but no one had one Any updated information on SUV's for towing would be interesting Thanks, Jim

We tow our Oliver Elite with a Touareg TDI. With have a regular hitch. Have never had a problem with sway. The Ollie follows effortlessly.