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i've been browsing, and lurking around on this subject but couldnt find much on my specific questions.
i tow a 6x12 enclosed trailer that weighs around 3,000 pounds. single axle, no brakes.
i do long distance towing, where my trips range between 8-12 hours in a day. most race weekends are 8-10 hours from home, but some are 20+ hours, where i'll stop for a day or two then get back on the road.
i've been considering purchasing a Cayenne diesel and wanted to do my homework before pulling the trigger.
is the air ride option a must-have? if so, are there any common failures or gotcha's to worry about?
how reliable are these for long hauls? i know the towing capacity will be fine.
any concerns with the trans, front, or rear diff?
anything else i should know or be worried about?
is there a desired year i should target? i'm hearing 2016 is the target for some reason, but havent been told why.
i'm used to gas powered japense vehicles for towing, so this is a completely different animal than what i'm used to.
i dont rev my vehicles high, change trans, diff, and gear oils at 1/2 it's recommended intervals, and keep my vehicles for a long time. currently at 250k on my tow vehicle right now.
for that trailer, the diesel will not be stressed at all. Air suspension is great, but not a necessity and very hard to find. The air suspension is pretty reliable compared to other setups.
No clue about changes in diesels along the way, but aside from facelift styling, not sure the year matters much.
Surprised your trailer @ 3k lbs does not have brakes. I seem to recall there being some DOT requirement that anything over 1500lbs needs brakes
for that trailer, the diesel will not be stressed at all. Air suspension is great, but not a necessity and very hard to find. The air suspension is pretty reliable compared to other setups.
No clue about changes in diesels along the way, but aside from facelift styling, not sure the year matters much.
Surprised your trailer @ 3k lbs does not have brakes. I seem to recall there being some DOT requirement that anything over 1500lbs needs brakes
single axle is the limit. Anything over 3500 pounds requires tandem axles which then requires trailer brakes.
Do some reading about the dieselgate extended warranty. Most of the diesels on the market will have some extended coverage on the drivetrain and emissions systems. It will be a somewhat unique feature of a used Cayenne, unless you find one with CPO...
so 2014-16 was it for diesel? I thought they went to 2018. Thanks.
when does it get difficult to start finding parts for them if they’re already 5 years old?
2016 latest for availability in US.
The same engine and related parts are in a variety of other VAG products, including Q5, Q7 and some sedans...
What about emissions deletes and other common mods people do for towing?
Many people choose to hold off on mods until after the extended warranty expires...
I've got 150K on a '13 Q7 TDi, the Audi extended warranty is expiring and I just purchased a 4/48 Fidelity Gold extended warranty...so I'm in it until at least 200K... It's a lovely motor! Towing 3,000 lbs is a total non-issue...you just have to remember that stopping distances are a bit longer.
Stopping distances are longer when you have a heavy trailer behind you...(but you're an experienced tower and you already knew that, so I didn't need to comment!)
Touareg TDI, Audi Q7 TDI, or Porsche Cayenne diesel.
Pick your poison.
All will do well.
All were given extended warranties.
Do not delete emissions stuff because of great warranties.
Easy cruising with trailers full of motorcycles.
Like IMI999's post, we had 150,000 miles on our Touareg before we had to give it back.
Stopping distances are longer when you have a heavy trailer behind you...(but you're an experienced tower and you already knew that, so I didn't need to comment!)
ahhh yea thanks. yes i've been towing this enclosed trailer with an SUV since 2016. started towing with a car and open trailer back in 2010.
6x12 enclosed pulled by 2016 diesel. no air suspension on Cayenne, no brakes on trailer. No problems. Pulled this around 500 miles. If I was doing it again I would get a load leveling hitch . somewhere between 2500 and 3000lbs. mileage dropped from usual 30+ on highway to around low 20's. I also used a lampout adapter since the trailer has LED lights and the connections on European vehicles can cause lights to not function correctly.
Jim
from amazon
Product description
Reese's 20142 7-Way to 7-Flat Adapter is designed for vehicles with trailer lamp-out sensors, such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagon, and vehicles with a factory tow package. The adapter plugs into a 7-way round RV-style socket. It eliminates false lamp-out indications when towing a trailer equipped with LED lights.
I don't think anyone said this about Transfer Cases, but there were recalls for the TC in the gas models. The Cayenne Diesel (CD) is a different transfer case that was not subject to issues, so that's a plus.
08-31-2021, 10:39 AM
Cayenne Diesel for towing
