Towing a Caravan with A6 Estate

[anrmclennan]

Has anyone got any experience of towing a caravan with A6? (2.0, 2.7 or 3.0)

I am downgrading (or should that be upgrading! ) from a Land Rover Disco 2 and looking to purchase a 07/08 Allroad or Quattro

The max towing weight looks OK.

Also any advice on buying high mileage? I have normally bought higher mileage cars and put the money saved into a slush fund to pay for any repairs which have so luckily been reasonable. I am guessing the Audi's are a bit more expensive to repair and looking at the forums that buying a warranty maybe best.

Any help greatly appreciated!

[Guest 2]

07/08 will have most if not all problems sorted that early cars had.

Allroads only came with V6 dervs so no 2.0 TDi Allroad on the C6.

A V6 diesel will pull anything that's thrown at it with ease so no worries there.

I still have a Audi warranty on my 08 3.0 TDi but apart from usual wear and tear nothing serious has happened in the last 4 years of ownership.

Have a look through this section, loadsa threads on this subject

High mileage wouldn't worry me as long as there is a full Audi service history with it.

Welcome to VWAF!


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[Allroad_anth]

My allroad pulls a caravan and anything else without any problems, very relaxed and well on top of the job, although mine is a 3 L.
Std A6 you would need to check that it has the extra cooling fitted. Some of them don't as far as I know, and will struggle to tow and keep cool.

[anrmclennan]

My allroad pulls a caravan and anything else without any problems, very relaxed and well on top of the job, although mine is a 3 L.
Std A6 you would need to check that it has the extra cooling fitted. Some of them don't as far as I know, and will struggle to tow and keep cool.

Thanks - how do you check whether the extra cooling has been fitted?

Also - is there any issues with getting a high mileage car with the automatic gearbox for pulling? How long do they normally last?

[mabaudi]

Thanks - how do you check whether the extra cooling has been fitted?

Also - is there any issues with getting a high mileage car with the automatic gearbox for pulling? How long do they normally last?

Hi
I have have towed with 4 varies A6 avants since 1999. My current is a 2.7 TDI Quattro SE 2006. It is by far the best tow car I have ever had. All cars have never had any additional cooling equipment and its never been an issue. We have towed all over UK and France, top to bottom covering 300miles in a day.
When I was looking for my current car an Audi Technican(not saleman) told me the SE Quattro or Allroad was a better towcar then the S-line or LeMans. Because of the suspension and the fact its sits Slightly higher. Also I found aftermarket towbars were slightly more expensive because of the extra trim you need for the detachable towbar. SE was the cheapest. I get around 23-28mpg towing a large bailey single axle(1500kg). It tows like a train and in France I have hit 70mph without knowing it, It has the power to overtake anything with easy and the weight not to be really affected by lorry turbulence. Anything else please feel free to PM me.
Cheers

[2fquick]

I tow a 1500kg single axle with a 3.0 tdi SE quattro auto. 129k miles
Its a dream to tow with smooth, stable, accelerates well. You can hardly tell the caravan is there.
Had no problems with the auto very easy to pull away, use the tiptronic for engine breaking.

I went for the SE due to the reduced ride height on the S-line & LeMans when off road.

[anrmclennan]

Thanks for the help and advice.

Off to see a 2.7 allroad 58 plate with 91k on the clock and 3.0 Allroad with 77k on the clock. (links included)

Think I am more swayed by the 58 plate as it's got the tow bar already and looks like it has lots of toys!

[Gavin0478]

Towed my new caravan back from Scotland yesterday (26" twin wheel) with no issues in my 3.0tdi lemans

[rictic68]

I tow a 1475kg single axle caravan with my A6 2.7tdi sline. Just done 3000miles round Italy and Switzerland without an issue. It towed beutifully but with a very large single axle caravan I'm not immune from side winds and sometimes have to back off down to 55mph. It will tow up at 65-70mph happily if its not breezy. At 60mph I'm averaging about 27mpg.


People are not wrong when they comment on the ride height of sline and Lemans. My previous A6 was a SE with a slightly higher ride. I never thought anything of it when I swapped it for a 58plate sline saloon - not estate. I've noticed that I have to compensate for having problems with the position of the jockey wheel on the caravan. If I pull the caravan to the car (OK when its a flat site) the jockey wheel straightens and goes under the A frame of the van. Hitch it up and then I can't get the jockey wheel out from 'inside' the A frame to secure it up on the side. Very very annoying as the only way is to unhitch and start again.

I alway pull the van over from one side now before hitching so the jockey wheel is not under the the A frame.

Got one of the new multipin (14 pin?) single sockets on a swivel plate so its swivels up out of view. With a removeable Witter bar its impossible to see any towing gear.

Mine is a manual. Have not added any additional cooling when I put the towbar on. Its towed through Italy at 40degC with the temperature gauge sitting at normal.

If I have one critisism and it really applies to both my 55plate 2.7tdi and the 58plate 2.7tdi is they have never given me huge confidence on hill starts. They've never failed a single hill start but I seem to have to have to use a lot of clutch. Perhaps I should expect this as they aren't Landrovers and weren't exactly designed for hillstarting 1.5tons.

Otherwise very happy and would get another.