03 Passat W8 towing

[chambers1517]

I looked up the towing capacity and with a european hitch it is rated at 4800lbs. They said the european hitch replaces the rear mount and is much stronger. Anyone heard of that?

 

[Silvertip]

Yes -- Europeans tow with smaller vehicles than we in the U.S. They also do not travel the distances or at the speeds we typically do. Lastly -- they tend to be better drivers than us. Let the fight begin.

 

[Scott Danforth]

are you sure that is the towing capacity and not the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) which is listed at 4800#. that includes the weight of the passat which would bring your towing capacity down to about 2000#

 

[chambers1517]

I looked it up again and that is the towing capacity. The w8 Passat weighs 4000lbs..

 

[Scott Danforth]

having owned both a B5 2003 V6 passat and a B5 2001 Audi A4 Avant. not sure I would want to tow 4800# with a B5 or even a B6 chassis

then again, I like my tow vehicles to be trucks with rear air bags for leveling

 

[444]

There's a lot of guys on here who will say you need a 1 ton 4x4 dually diesel to tow a 1000lb utility trailer. That said, towing 4800 lbs doesn't sound realistic either. I think 2500 would be my upper limit.