Towing Capacity Question

[rdambros]

I want to purchase a Q5 for towing. It says it has a 4400 lbs tow capacity. I want to tow my Lund fishing boat, which weighs 2700 lbs with the trailer. Would this be able to tow the boat? I know it is not recommend to tow up to the towing capacity of a vehicle, but what percentage of towing capacity is okay to reach?

 

Thanks.

[ccmtcanada]

I'd say you are well within the limits to tow your boat. Keep in mind the gross vehicle weight rating though...that is set by the manufacturer for your vehicle. Gross vehicle weight ratings take into account the base curb weight of the vehicle plus the weight of any optional accessories, cargo and passengers. A vehicle should never be loaded beyond the manufacturer's listed GVWR. The tongue weight of the trailer is what's taken into account here...and not the weight of your boat and trailer.

 

A quick google search of this will yield a lot more information for you. Good luck.

[Fishing yoda]

Being that's its an audi, it might not tow so well being the fact that there city vehicles so you might have a hard time when exiting the ramp due to the pull from the trailer and the boat, i know some of my buddies can tow up to 70% of the vehivcles estimated weight, but i have seen several of those and infinity at the docks and they seemed to pull the big boats ok, not soo good gas mileage though.... would aslo depend what type of tires your gonna put on there, they might slip when wet at the lauch you know....

[lookinforwalleye]

Oh goody another towing thread!

 

Saw a guy towing/launching a 16 foot Crestliner with a 50 on it with a Mazda 3 once!

[BillM]

Being that's its an audi, it might not tow so well being the fact that there city vehicles...

 

What makes it a city vehicle?

[DRIFTER_016]

What makes it a city vehicle?

 

The built in expresso dispenser and built in mapping to all citified coffee houses!!!!

[Dontcryformejanhrdina]

A guy I work with has a huge camping trailor, I think he said it weighs 6000lbs after he loads it up with their camping gear and he was towing that with a minivan. Then he was surprised that his van was finished after a few years. Nice to see some people actually care about finding out the towing capacity BEFORE they buy lol.

 

 

[Roy]

 

The built in expresso dispenser and built in mapping to all citified coffee houses!!!!

 

Not to mention the vanity mirror on the driver's side.

[Woodsman]

How often and how far do you plan on towing?

Also which motor are you planning on getting?

Also is the 2700 lbs you posted a scaled weight or from specifications? Your 2700 lbs may not include fuel, accessories and fishing gear.

Trailer brakes would be a good idea.

Long & frequent towing will not be the best for this vehicle especially with the 2.0 litre motor.

Edited May 3, 2012 by Woodsman

[smally21]

it is not reccomended to exceed the towing capacity. there is no hard rule on the acceptable percentage. totally subjective to one person's experience or opinion. more likely the latter.

 

the vehicle is rated and warrantied for the job you want it to do. no problem.

 

just make sure you buy the "highway version". it has special equipment for on ramps. i hear next years Q5 will come with an "off ramp kit" and make sure it comes equipped with special "boat ramp tires".

 

if ya dont know what you are talking about dont give advice.

[rdambros]

I plan on getting the 3.2L motor, not the turbo 2.0. The boat weighs 1500lbs, plus fuel, plus gear, plus the trailer, which I estimated at 2700lbs total.

 

I plan on fishing at most 4hrs north, but mostly will be driving 2 hours north. I go out 10 - 12 times a summer.

 

The trailer has surge brakes and is a single axle.

 

If anyone has a Q5 with the tow package and wants to go out fishing, bring your truck and I provide the boat!!!! This way, I can see exactly how it tows the boat.

[SlowPoke]

Not to mention the vanity mirror on the driver's side.

So does my Ram with a Class IV hitch. Some of us don't come by our good looks without a little effort!

[rdambros]

I just checked the 2.0L turbo has the same towing capacity (2000 kg), as the 3.2L non-turbo. But the turbo has more ft lbs of torque at 258. So ... I'm thinking of getting the turbo???

[smally21]

it would be worthwhile to find out when the turbocharged engine puts out its peak tourgue vs. the normally aspirated engine..

 

id rather have 240lbs at 2000rpm than 258lbs at 4500rpm..

 

just something to chew on..

[Gerry]

SUVs' are IMO not really good for towing something as heavy as your Lund. I used to own a ProV which weighed about the same as yours and towed it with an Explorer, 5.0L V8. The vehicle pulled it well enough but trying to stop it was a whole other story. One time I was kind of daydreaming and didn't react to an upcoming stop sign as soon as I should have. So I had to hit the brakes harder than usual and the boat suddenly gained what appeared to be about 10 tons of weight. Although the ABS was working the brakes correctly and I still blew right through the stop.....luckily not hitting anyone. I did get some angry stares. From that point on I insisted on having brakes on the trailer and getting a bigger vehicle. I know have an F150.

 

The other thing with an SUV is that they have a short wheelbase. This creates a lot of bouncing from the tongue weight which makes the ride uncomfortable.

 

Just something to chew on.

[Tybo]

it would be worthwhile to find out when the turbocharged engine puts out its peak tourgue vs. the normally aspirated engine..

 

id rather have 240lbs at 2000rpm than 258lbs at 4500rpm..

 

just something to chew on..

 

 

So does this mean you would prefer the turbo.

[jedimaster]

towing effort is all down low, so you want to have torque in the lower end of the curve.

[BillM]

The Q5 makes 258ftlbs @ 1500rpm.

[jedimaster]

Is there a brake upgrade you can get? What about a tranny cooler? Is it standard or auto?

[Tybo]

towing effort is all down low, so you want to have torque in the lower end of the curve.

 

But you will not get this if your not producing horse power at the lower.

[Sinker]

I would stay away from the turbo.

 

I'd rather have cubic inches any day.

 

S.

[Tybo]

In this case,Yes cubic inch.The 2L is a zoom zoom.

But in the over all of power to torque ratio.Cubic inches and a turbo.

[BillM]

I would stay away from the turbo.

 

I'd rather have cubic inches any day.

 

S.

 

Problem is those cubic inches also come with crap mileage in most cases. Q5 needs the TDI, bumped up to about 170hp/300ftlbs.

[Raf]

But you will not get this if your not producing horse power at the lower.

 

Tybo Tybo.. chicken or the egg.

 

HP is just a measure of torque over time (RPM)

 

horsepower=torque*rpm/5252

 

if you ain't got the torque (or RPMs), you ain't got the HP.

Edited May 3, 2012 by Raf

[jedimaster]

Tybo Tybo.. chicken or the egg.

 

HP is just a measure of torque over time (RPM)

 

horsepower=torque*rpm/5252

 

if you ain't got the torque, you ain't got the HP.

 

 

x2