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So part of the reason that I bought a Cayenne was to tow a small/medium camper, my parents boat, maybe a jetski or 2, quads here and there, etc.
I have a 958.1 Turbo S so I have what I understand to be the best setup for towing, with the presence of self adjusting air suspension, PDCC, PTV, and especially the twin turbo 4.8 for all the necessary power and torque.
My question is regarding towing loads that approach the maximum tow capacity of 7700lbs. I'm shopping for campers and found one that I really like. My only reservation is that the dry weight is about 6400lbs so with a full water tank and cargo, it could easily approach that 7700lb mark.
What is everyone's experience with relatively heavy loads, and what suggestions or advice would you give to make it as sage and easy as possible?
Towing a Cobalt (not so long, but quite heavy boat, i.e.: in the "limits" that you mention, my point would be to be very cautious with the tongue weight : be sure you are in the middle of ideal proportion numbers.
I did a few thousand miles of towing with different Cayenne and saw a nice stability difference when I moved from the OEM 4 x 275 on each corner, into a staggered setup, i.e.: 275x40 front and 315 x 35 on the rear (you have to be careful to have same circumference front and rear, to not ruin the central differential).
If you have to drive long distance, 315 on the rear was in my view a great improvement.
It is true that when I tow the Boxster to track, after few miles, I just do "not" feel it anymore, this up to the point that sometime I look in the mirror and think "what the hell, somebody is really following me way too close !" Ok, it is true, my Boxster is quite light !
One thing that I always loved is the high quality of the brakes of the Cayenne, never had any fear on this side.
One thing that I missed (big time) was the "low gear" switch on our first Cayenne, nothing beats to do accurate maneuvers, i.e.: back up in a small garage, when you are in low gear ! (We now have a 958.2.)
I have very little experience towing with SUV’s, but can hold my own when it comes to pickups and big race trailers. I’ll say this - it’s not all about weight, but rather a combination of weight and what you’re actually towing. Whether it’s 3k or 7k, a camper is a big brick that you’re dragging behind you and the wind resistance will be massive. That’s a lot different than hauling an open trailer with a load of cinder blocks (or race car) that puts you at max capacity.
I’m sure you’ll be fine for infrequent trips, and I’m sure there’s plenty here who have towed similar trailers and ‘can’t even tell it’s there,’ but with towing, it’s all about providing yourself with as large a safety margin as practicably possible. Just my $0.02.
What trailer make/model specifically? I think it depends on what your towing. It it is an aerodynamic camper like an airstream, it will tow better than say a higher clearance brick.
What trailer make/model specifically? I think it depends on what your towing. It it is an aerodynamic camper like an airstream, it will tow better than say a higher clearance brick.
I'm really not sure yet. Having a hard time finding a layout that I really like. It definitely won't be an airstream though.
My boat goes right around 5,500 lbs. Trailer is at 1,100 lbs. The trailer has disc brakes at all four wheels.
I had a 2012 Touareg TDI before it got bought-back and got the 2016 CD. They both towed perfectly.
The enclosed snowmobile trailer goes about 2,000 lbs and with two Grand Touring Ski Doo's at 650 lbs each and gear, is around 3,500 lbs. The trailer has electric drum brakes on all four wheels. The Cayenne has no trouble with stopping the load.
you said you found one you liked and gave the weight, that was what I was asking
Oh yeh. I really love the Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 25RRT. Reasonable dry weight, reasonable tongue way, great layout, etc. The Cherokee Wolf Pack 23Pack15 is the same layout but has a slideout for the kitchen, which provides a more open feel. Problem is that because its a higher end toy hauler it has a very high tongue weight to compensate for when there will be quads and such in the back.
you said you found one you liked and gave the weight, that was what I was asking
Changed my mind a bit. The Forest River Toy Haulers are nice, but the only one with a reasonable dry weight doesnt have a slide, and all the ones with the slide are crazy heavy. Now leaning toward a slightly older Prime Time Tracer 2700RES. Love the opposing slides and how roomy the living area is. Also planning to host people somewhat regularly so have the secondary sleeper out of the way of the bathroom and kitchen is a HUGE plus. 6000lb dry weight is a bit higher than I wanted to go but most people say the Cayenne Turbo can handle it no problem.
Make sure you have a brake controller. Having the 'tow package' does not mean you necessarily have the brake controller and for anything significant, you really need one.
I've been towing my Monterey 264FS since June w/ great success... been fantastic. Boat is approx 6000lb and trailer another 1000lb. Trailer does have 4 wheel disc brakes.
I've been towing my Monterey 264FS since June w/ great success... been fantastic. Boat is approx 6000lb and trailer another 1000lb. Trailer does have 4 wheel disc brakes.
Interesting, you mentioned that you're towing with e-hybrid. Can you share the details of your towing hitch installation? Were you able to integrate oem towing module with your e-hybrid as it doesn't' factory come with that option.
tmckenna, to your original post question about max weight limits,... I'll chime in and say, like others, I have been towing at close to max capacity for many years in my 2012 Cayenne Turbo (also with PDCC, PTV & air-suspension),... and have HIGH confidence.
I personally believe that it is the PDCC that provides the highest improvement in towing capabilities. IMO it all but eliminates any tail-wagging-dog, and certainly also greatly reduces the "suck-push" that you get when passing a 18-wheeler. Prior to my 958 CTT, I was towing w/ a F250 open bed, and that thing was horrible for both tail-wag & suck-push. I made many trips over the years (both F250 & then CTT) down to Amelia Island Fla & Werks Reunions (from Baltimore), towing my large enclosed v-nose w/ 911 inside (usually 7k lbs), and the CTT wins hands down.
As others have said, I also pay attention to tongue weights, and use a "Weigh Safe" Hitch that has the built in scale. Love that hitch: https://www.weigh-safe.com/
Also, Btw, seldom do I see extended mirrors in many of the pics I see here on RL of Cayenne's towing,... They are a must-have. I use the Dometic DM-2899 Milenco Aero3.
02-15-2020, 02:12 PM
Heavy Towing Experiences?
