Moved: Reply To: Towing with Audi Q5 3.0TDI

[DonnaDuane]

Pete, you are right about the rear sag when trailer is hitched. I haven't noticed any handling issues yet over the 2400 mile drive back, some of which was on snow.  I will talk with Audi about that though, as the vehicle is rated for 4400lbs towing and 440lbs tongue weight.

[bugeyedriver]

What did your Audi folks say about the sag?  Are there aftermarket airbags you can install?

[DonnaDuane]

I’m still researching air suspension systems to level it. From what I’ve learned so far, that seems like a good idea

[John E Davies]

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/668552-SQ5-Air-Ride-need-advice

 

It sounds like an expensive and labor intensive mod. How reliable are these Audi kits?

 

Do you have a good European repair shop that can do the installation for less than the dealer? I bet Portland dealers are charging at least $150 per hr.... am I close? The last time I had an Audi worked on it was in Spokane about a decade back, and they charged $120. I think it’s beyond criminal. OTH they have to pay for that super luxurious waiting area. The VW dealer is less costly with their vinyl chairs. LOL.

 

Good luck.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[DonnaDuane]

John,

 

Audi doesn't have an airbag kit for my year.  All newer models either come with factory air suspension or can be upgrades. Yes, Audi is $150/hour, however, my car is under warranty. So, everything, other than add on's, is free (aka: already paid for :-)) for a while.

 

I'm looking at possibility of an Airlift 1000 retro fit, but I need the height and diameter of the springs to find out if they have something for it.

 

PS: I love my Mocha and cushy sofa in the Audi wait room very much.  Makes me feel rich LOL

[KJS]

I have a 2017 Audi Q7 w/trailer package towing 23’ Oliver Elite II. I have no trouble with swaying, but when I hookup my trailer the back of my Audi drops down about 2”. This disables the safety equipment including my cruise controller. My Audi has 7700# towing capacity and has a 700# tongue rating. Oliver Trailer 5,000# w/500# Tongue Weight.

 

What is the fix??? No help from Audi

 

Will Andersen Hitch resolve this issue?

[topgun2]

I'm a bit surprised that a weight distribution hitch is not required by Audi right from the start.  However, yes, it is one way to lift the rear of the Audi and you would get the additional benefit of reduced "porpoising" on those nasty Interstate bridge crossings.

 

Bill

[BackofBeyond]

The "Fix" is not what you will want to hear. I'm sure you can find a decent suspension - but the over ride on the cruise and safety stuff would be a non starter for me...I don't quite understand why Audi does that, legal or engineering concerns perhaps.We did 10 hours on the big road today, was a pleasant ride - hot out - but the  Ollie was fine and the GMC - couldn't care less. Headed west - go west young (old) man.

[DonnaDuane]

Don't know why you have the loss of function on your Q7. Our Q5 with the single axle Oliver Legacy Elite works fine. There is a couple in SLC, UT that pulls a Elite II with a Q7 without issue. You might want to talk with them.

 

We thought about Anderson Sway till we learned 1) it doesn't add a thing in terms of handling. Our Ollie pulls like a dream in the worst conditions without it. 2) Audi will void their warranty if you put one on because it puts too great of forces on the frame and can damage the frame. 3) After speaking with the people from SLC with the Q7 about how great their Elite II pulls without one, it was obvious to us it's a waste of money.

 

Our Q5 probably squats 2" when hooked up. Thought about installing air shocks, but found that to be a bit too complex to install. I'm conscious of loading my ski gear, luggage and generator over the Ollie axle so tongue weight is less than maximum allowable. Been pulling it with all gear plus 32 gallons of fresh water darn near every weekend this past Winter to ski areas around the Northwest, on snow/ice, in blizzards, and have had zero issues with towing performance.

 

You might speak to another Audi mechanic/dealer with towing experience. Good Luck.

[DavidS]

I have a 2017 Audi Q7 w/trailer package towing 23’ Oliver Elite II. I have no trouble with swaying, but when I hookup my trailer the back of my Audi drops down about 2”. This disables the safety equipment including my cruise controller. My Audi has 7700# towing capacity and has a 700# tongue rating. Oliver Trailer 5,000# w/500# Tongue Weight.

I also tow an LE II with an Audi Q7, and it is a great tow vehicle. @DonnaDuane are correct about the WDH hitch. On page 98 of the Audi Q7 owners manual, it says: Never install a "weight distributing" or "load equalizing" trailer hitch on your vehicle. The vehicle was not designed for these kinds of trailer hitches. The hitch attachment can fail, causing the trailer to tear loose from the vehicle.

 

You could have someone weld on a piece of metal that connects the receiver to the frame, and provides strength and permits a WDH. It probably voids the warranty. I have a neighbor that tows a 23 foot Airstream with an Audi Q7, and he had one installed. I did not like it because it really reduces the ground clearance. He had his installed by an RV shop in Ontario Canada called Can-Am that pioneered this solution. Having seen it, I think any good welding shop could copy the design. A bunch of discussion on forums HERE, and HERE, and HERE.

 

The owner's manual also says: With a factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer hitch, the maximum permissible load on the ball hitch may not exceed 770 lbs (350 kg). It is recommended to use the maximum permissible load.

 

What safety features are being disabled? On several occasions I have had an error message stating that the "ACC is not working, see the owners manual." The ACC is the adaptive cruise control, a fabulous feature. The owner's manual was no help, and the Audi service department was also no help. However, I have had this message while towing, but also without the trailer, and I conclude that the error message is not caused by the back end being lowered.

 

Sorry, I do not know what is causing your problem, or how to fix it. I get this error message intermittently, which makes it hard to diagnose. On a couple of occasions I found road dirt and debris on the front sensors, and cleaning them off resolved the problem. Sometimes re-starting the car solved the problem, what I call the Microsoft solution.

 

Sorry I cannot be of more help. Good luck with it.

 

 

[KJS]

Thanks David, your reply was very helpful!!!

 

I loaded my Audi w/460# of sand bags and got the ACC error message. When the sand was removed the error went away. This tells me the sensor alignment is is causing the error.

 

I meet a fellow Ollie owner at the Oliver Festival in Alabama who has the exact same setup as mine. 2017 Audi pulling Elite II. The only difference, he had a large tool box mounted on the back of his Ollie. He doesn’t get the ACC warning error. His cruise control worked all the way back to Colorado.

 

My next project is to add carrier to my Ollie. Need one anyway.