welcome to try mine, be in town on sunday am if any good. Pretty sure Ross one of the sales guys at Hawco is running a 150 DSG as a demo at the moment.
Advice on buying T6 for towing
no worries, I'm 8 to 5 Mon to Fri and only at Beauly (ish) if you cant get one from Hawco.
204 DSG 4motion
Absolutely brilliant, I've been towing for years and you'll never have the ultimate tow vehicle because it will be shit for something else, mpg etc. This is the best I've ever had and I've had loads.
You don't even think about it, it just does it, and you've got load space for your bikes.
Absolutely brilliant, I've been towing for years and you'll never have the ultimate tow vehicle because it will be shit for something else, mpg etc. This is the best I've ever had and I've had loads.
You don't even think about it, it just does it, and you've got load space for your bikes.
I have 17”” wheel and have standard 215 tyres on them I am going to replace all tyres next week and never put towing into the mix. I tow a caravan as well and was going to go for 235 tyres but still won’t a comfortable and quite ride when I’m not towing. What would be the best tyre and size to go for or would 18”” Amarok wheels be better.Its not so much the 20 inch wheel @Lord Mfwic that changes things. But the combination of a wheel with a larger radius and fitted with a tyre that doesn't have a low enough profile to compensate in maintaining the standard tyre circumference. This will create a combined drive train with taller/higher/longer gearing. Not as extreme perhaps, but along the same lines as trying to pull away from a standing start in 2nd, instead of 1st. Big diameter tyres = less torque = less acceleration.
Then there's the difference in aerodynamic drag, when at speed especially, if the tyres fitted on 20's are wider. Also different (usually but not always necessarily greater) rolling resistance.
I'm sure @Loz will be along in a minute to tell you what other efficiency it also effects.....
Any advice would be good I have a 140DSG with a tuning box to 180. Cheers
235/55r17 gives you the same circumference and radius as the 215/60r17 that you run just now (to within 1mm). It's also a factory fit size, used by VW. So no adverse effect on gearing by doing this. Personally, if it was me, for towing a caravan regularly, I'd stick to the standard size circumference atleast.
Its perhaps all about risk v reward. My own plans for the van, mean I'm playing the long game, so mechanical sympathy is a priority. Hence why I'm refraining from a remap. I do however run Amarok 18" wheels and run a tyre that's a tiny bit oversized in aspect ratio. 6mm (245/50r18). Putting that in perspective, by the time the tyres are ready for the bin (sorry.....recycling), they'll be worn down to the same radius as new standard sized tyre. But, maybe I just have overly sensitive arse cheeks, but I notice the difference in gearing even at that. Some members on here run 12 mm bigger radius. Some swamped stuff have monster aspect ratios that would stop me sleeping at night. I'm not brave enough to go beyond the 6mm.
Fractionally better for comfort and aesthetics but fractionally worse for your DMF/clutch pack. Makes me drive very gently, most of the time, thinking that. Would give me a migraine though, if I was lugging a tin tent on my towbar.
Horses for courses however. For example, your maybe planning to move the van on sooner than me. Have outstanding confidence in VW engineering being vastly superior to anything else like say, French or...... even Italian, perhaps.
Just my thoughts
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I was unaware of the complexity of tyres and the difference they can make.235/55r17 gives you the same circumference and radius as the 215/60r17 that you run just now (to within 1mm). It's also a factory fit size, used by VW. So no adverse effect on gearing by doing this. Personally, if it was me, for towing a caravan regularly, I'd stick to the standard size circumference atleast.
Its perhaps all about risk v reward. My own plans for the van, mean I'm playing the long game, so mechanical sympathy is a priority. Hence why I'm refraining from a remap. I do however run Amarok 18" wheels and run a tyre that's a tiny bit oversized in aspect ratio. 6mm (245/50r18). Putting that in perspective, by the time the tyres are ready for the bin (sorry.....recycling), they'll be worn down to the same radius as new standard sized tyre. But, maybe I just have overly sensitive arse cheeks, but I notice the difference in gearing even at that. Some members on here run 12 mm bigger radius. Some swamped stuff have monster aspect ratios that would stop me sleeping at night. I'm not brave enough to go beyond the 6mm.
Fractionally better for comfort and aesthetics but fractionally worse for your DMF/clutch pack. Makes me drive very gently, most of the time, thinking that. Would give me a migraine though, if I was lugging a tin tent on my towbar.
Horses for courses however. For example, your maybe planning to move the van on sooner than me. Have outstanding confidence in VW engineering being vastly superior to anything else like say, French or...... even Italian, perhaps.
Just my thoughts
I am planning on keeping the van as I have a lot of money put into it and I do love it. Would I Chang thinks if I done it again ?YES ,will I stop spending money on it ?No , will I ever be happy and contented with it NO. But that is exactly what I love it.
I’m thinking stay with 17”” but go 235 are the tyres they fit to a California different to a van ie softer walls so more comfortable ride. Cheers for your response
Yip. Not sure what's standard on a Cali. Continental, Goodyear or other. Whatever you pick, remember the load rating. Also if it's not a tyre produced for commercial vehicle, ie a van, make sure the car or SUV tyre can be inflated to VWs recommended tyre pressure for your van. Some car tyres will be at their limit with van poundage.
There is some useful info in this recent thread:- Dsg For Towing ?
Its a sprite siena 6td six berth around 1400mtlp
The whole T6 range will pull your Caravan, specially as it's a single axle, but the 102 might struggle a little on the hills. Don't disregard a 102 though. They will remap really well.
If it's a recommendation you're after, and your budget will stretch to a 204 DSG, then you'd be at the peak of towing heaven.
Thank you for the replies
Last year when taking @Fish and Ethan to busfest my 102 had my weekend stuff plus a trailer rammed with everything fish requires for a weekend away and the inside of the van was also full.
When I say everything @Fish requires I mean everything... big tent, spare alloys with spacers, numerous bags of wood to keep @Lord Mfwic entertained, a Waeco fridge, 2x caravelle single seats and much much more. The van was full and heavy and the little 102 managed the malvern hills well.
I think the 102 deserves more credit than it gets.
When I say everything @Fish requires I mean everything... big tent, spare alloys with spacers, numerous bags of wood to keep @Lord Mfwic entertained, a Waeco fridge, 2x caravelle single seats and much much more. The van was full and heavy and the little 102 managed the malvern hills well.
I think the 102 deserves more credit than it gets.
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My 102 struggles to tow my trailer and race car which weights 1600kg in total. I was only doing 45mph on the motorway hills.
After a re-map it's much better but it still struggles but I think it's down the the 20" wheels I have,
After a re-map it's much better but it still struggles but I think it's down the the 20" wheels I have,
