Towing with the TReg

This post is about a month overdue, but getting used to a new job, base and house has kept me quite busy the last 30+ days.  In moving from from FL to NM, I had originally bought the Touareg for just this endeavor.  I wanted to tow one of our vehicles cross-country so that the driving could be split between the Wife and I.  I ended up doing 100% of the driving since the Wife wasn't comfortable at all driving with a trailer on the back.  I decided to spring for the car trailer from U-Haul instead of the tow dolly because our Jetta TDI was going to be heavily loaded with odds and ends that were packed up at the last minute.

The TReg did a great job with the extra 5,000lbs on the back.  U-Haul recommends a 55mph speed limit, but after several hours of driving and the rate I saw other trailers being towed, I was eventually comfortable with a higher speed.  Despite the extra weight and having a thirsty V8 under the hood, I still managed 10.7mpg overall on the 1800mi trip.  The only point at which I wished I didn't have a 5,000lb trailer behind me was when we hit the Rockies.  Without a brake controller, mine were working overtime on the descent and eventually wore to the brake sensor.  Likewise, on the ascent, my NA motor was struggling to get up some of the steeper inclines.  Not to say that it was difficult, just that the lack of HP at the higher altitudes while towing was painfully apparent.

I'll look to get a small trailer eventually for carting around things that won't fit in the back of the TReg, and maybe a tow dolly if I end up buying a fwd car to get my kicks on the abundant mountain roads just a 20min drive away..