Accessories

[shanelord]

Well looking at it logically it is after all a euro built car and the number they sell here is a drop in the ocean in the scheme of things.

Caravans in Aus are built out of step to the rest of the world and traditionally have been towed by 4x4 vehicles often with a weight exceeding the vans weight. Actually that is the ideal situation.

Euro vans are built to different specs and generally are much lighter and by careful weight distribution achieve a lighter ball weight.

While I agree partially with this, Australia, like NZ, follow the USA methodology of 6-15% as ball weight.

If you are advertising a car in Australia, misrepresentation or false advertising is when a reasonable person based on available information would be misled.

In this case VW Sales staff, VW brochures and VW website advertise 2500KG towing and don't detail the 100KG ball weight.

The reasonable assumption IMHO for most people would be then that the manufacturer would advertise to suit the local environment, and 2500KG would be realistic based on the towable caravans or trailers in the local market.

We can agree to disagree on this; but until I found this detail on these forums, I was misled.

Regards,
Shane.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Guest001]

The "European" towbar isn't certified in Australia (ADR 62).


Cheers
Gary

Are you really sure


Product-EVTowbars

And here from Westfalia site :- Westfalia-Automotive Australia bars meet the NZ Domestic Standard 5467 (1993) and Australia Design Regulations (ADR)


Towball weight of a trailer is weighed DISCONNECTED FROM THE TUG.

What a WDH does after you hook up is irrelevant.

It is weighed like that because not everyone uses a WDH ( or needs to)

You would have your hitch done up really tight to move that % of weight to the front wheels and I doubt it extremely.

Normally it is less than 25% and can be checked like this.

Measure height under front wheel arch then

hook up and remeasure height from ground to under front wheel arch.

Attach WDH and do it again. measure how far its dropped.

Other way to check weights is weigh the tug Hook up weigh it again Do up WDH weigh it Will still be almost the same as

previous weight because the action of the WDH applies more force to the joint and distributes some weight forward but in no way

lightens it
How can it. Would need a Jack under it or a skyhook to do that

Other way is to weigh each axle before and after as above to confirm weight changes

I spoke to HR technical services and they confirmed that fact.

Also remember that the towball weight is part of the tugs payload so you cannot legally load tug to GVM and add a trailer.

After a few years of full time vanning with a heavy van and reading up on staying legal I can assure you what is written is on the button
Yes your rear axle weight will alter but it will be a lot more than 95kg even in an empty car.

Unless you mean it will increase by that amount with the WDH hooked up

Most would have a rear axle weight limit in the area of 1200-1900kg depending on the model

[Sydneykid]

The "European" towbar isn't certified in Australia (ADR 62).
I use a Hayman Reese load distribution hitch to tow ~1700 kgs (race car and trailer). The tow ball weight (without hitch) is 160 kgs but the rear axle load is measured at 95 kgs as the hitch "moves" 65 kgs of load to the front wheels.




Cheers
Gary

[Guest001]

Yeah I've since discovered this. I'm in discussions with VW Corporate via my dealer at the moment.

I'm awaiting a statement from VW as I've challenged them to prove how they can in good conscience advertise a towing capacity like this where no 2500kg caravan in Australia is supplied with anything less than 6% ball weight.

This is borderline misrepresentation/false advertising.

Will let you know what they come back with.

Regards,
Shane.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Well looking at it logically it is after all a euro built car and the number they sell here is a drop in the ocean in the scheme of things.

Caravans in Aus are built out of step to the rest of the world and traditionally have been towed by 4x4 vehicles often with a weight exceeding the vans weight. Actually that is the ideal situation.

Euro vans are built to different specs and generally are much lighter and by careful weight distribution achieve a lighter ball weight.

They also incorporate ESC controllers to help braking and sway. This is gradually being introduced here but not as a rule of thumb in most makes..
Therefore VW and others build for their mass market , which is only to be expected and if you want to tow an Aussie van buy something suitable. I have read the even Amaroks have given trouble towing, with dual mass flywheel problems and people towing in too high a gear and breaking things. Nissan X Trails had big problems with the factory towbar literally ripping out of the bodywork.
Other makes also have foibles and it pays to do your homework BEFORE buying something you THINK may be suitable and then finding out its not.
I know because it happened to me I bought a Patrol 3L auto and then found the van I bought was too heavy for it. Cost me another $23,000 to trade up to a Landcruiser. Nothing like weight, cubic inches of diesel and 145 L fuel tanks for towing my 25ft 3000kg van.

Can your vehicle actually tow 2500kg as GCVM and axle weight limits have to be taken into account.

That is the max allowable loaded GVM of the tug (including ballweight) and the rated GTM (or weight on the wheels only) of the van.

To be precise at any one time it is the actual loaded weight of both which may not exceed the plated GVM and GTM and GCVM

There is a lot more to it than just buying something and hooking up and going.

Personally after driving a Tiguan loaner a couple of years ago I thought it was gutless in comparison to my Passat and too small and light to be towing a decent size van.

Perhaps you should look at some of the Caravan forums. Has been some discussion on them on there about how they go or in some cases dont.

[shanelord]

Remembering that the allowable towball weight is set by the vehicle manufacturer NOT the towbar maker.

Also no gain from putting a (say) 3000kg towbar on a vehicle rated at 2000kg.
The ADR rules state quite clearly that the towing limits of a vehicle may tow either to the rating of the vehicle or the towbar WHICHEVER IS THE LESSER.
Towball mass is set by the vehicle maker

Yeah I've since discovered this. I'm in discussions with VW Corporate via my dealer at the moment.

I'm awaiting a statement from VW as I've challenged them to prove how they can in good conscience advertise a towing capacity like this where no 2500kg caravan in Australia is supplied with anything less than 6% ball weight.

This is borderline misrepresentation/false advertising.

Will let you know what they come back with.

Regards,
Shane.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Guest001]

Looks like Westfalia Australia have their A40V available for the previous generation Tiguan with a 200KG ball weight. I've used them previously on my Audi Q7 and they are awesome.

Product-EVTowbars

I've reached out to see if they have one coming for the new gen 2 Tiguan as this may be the answer.

Regards,
Shane.

Remembering that the allowable towball weight is set by the vehicle manufacturer NOT the towbar maker.

Also no gain from putting a (say) 3000kg towbar on a vehicle rated at 2000kg.
The ADR rules state quite clearly that the towing limits of a vehicle may tow either to the rating of the vehicle or the towbar WHICHEVER IS THE LESSER.
Towball mass is set by the vehicle maker

[Guest001]

Anyone know what the ball weight for the tow bar is?

It will tell you in your cars manual in the section about towing.

[Monty1951]

I've requested pricing for accessories, no response. However, you can find them on VW USA site. They are obviously in US dollars but it will give you a starting point and perhaps some ammunition if/when VW Aus quote something outrageous.

[shanelord]

Looks like Westfalia Australia have their A40V available for the previous generation Tiguan with a 200KG ball weight. I've used them previously on my Audi Q7 and they are awesome.

Product-EVTowbars

I've reached out to see if they have one coming for the new gen 2 Tiguan as this may be the answer.

Regards,
Shane.

[Brizzypom]

So we don't get trailer assist here? Dammit. I'm sure the sales guy mentioned it was available. Also the towbar would have to support 250KG ball weight to claim 2500KG towing capacity, right? - otherwise it's false advertising?

On another topic - how does the GoPro integration work? Can I connect a GoPro to the back of my caravan and use it's camera to reverse?

Thanks,
Shane.

I always believed this was an option Australia never got. Would be nice if we do get trailer assist - maybe someone who has already picked their tiggy up can confirm if this is actually fitted/functional? From the VW glossary:

Manoeuvring with a trailer can become a test of patience for the uninitiated, for the combination does not always respond as you might expect; occasionally the trajectory being followed is reversed in the mirror. The steering angle is decisive for precise reversing: the optional Trailer Assist assumes the steering function. The driver simply needs to select reverse, press the Park Assist button and use the mirror adjustment button to enter the direction that the trailer should follow. The vehicle now steers automatically. However, the driver is still responsible for gearshifting, acceleration and braking.

Going by the OSV review it looks like it is only available with the swivelling towbar that we don't get. Refer the following video from 40:20

Volkswagen Tiguan Video Review 2016 - YouTube

Regards the GoPro, refer the video from 37m 28s

Finally, I agree the towing figures are misleading to say the least. The only way round this would be to use a towing distribution hitch which again IIRC cannot be used - or load you 2500kg caravan to only have 100kg on the towball (yeah right!).

[shanelord]

So we don't get trailer assist here? Dammit. I'm sure the sales guy mentioned it was available. Also the towbar would have to support 250KG ball weight to claim 2500KG towing capacity, right? - otherwise it's false advertising?

On another topic - how does the GoPro integration work? Can I connect a GoPro to the back of my caravan and use it's camera to reverse?

Thanks,
Shane.

[kacak]

Thought I read somewhere it was 100kg?

[veew]

Anyone know what the ball weight for the tow bar is?

[Arkanoid007]

Factory fitted accessories should have 3 year warranty as does the car. But $1800 or so for a towbar is a joke. These cost $500-700 so with labour $1000 is reasonable IMO.

[dmn]

hence why I'd rather get a factory fitted one (albeit having to drop the trousers and bend over the barrel for the privilege) than the risks of getting someone to cut/fit one later

Oh and whilst on the subject of towbars, I too would prefer the swivelly thing plus trailer assist which we don't get too

Apparently the genuine factory towbars don't meet our ADR's for whatever reason. I have the Gen1 tiguan (have the 162 r-line on order) and I remember when I wanted a towbar fitted when its was new it rattled away on its maiden voyage home (tongue was loose) and then I had no boot light, well, you can guess that one, and then, finally, none of the lights worked when the trailer was hooked up (wasn't wired correctly) and it took them nearly 2 years to fix these 3 issues, so no towbar for the new kid on the block as I don't want to relive that experience so will borrow a friends for those 3 trips to the tip each year