Towing (another question :)

Originally Posted by Bill

Floorplans are on the Trailmanor.com website. For the 2619, hit SHOWROOM > MODELS > 2619.

Bill

Thanks Bill. I've looked at the spec sheet for all of the TM's so many times this weekend that I forgot the 2619 would be listed. It's not on the spec table or in the brochure, although the brochure does say it can be special ordered. But, when I called TM today they said they no longer make it From the few pictures on the TM website, it looks exactly like the model I'd shoot for.

That's life I guess

Chance

[davlin]

No longer making the 2619??? I sense that the new management of TM is doing some serious down-sizing. I know there are 2013 models still out there on dealer's lots, Chance. You may want to hunt there. I'm not sure where you live so I can't really steer you to any dealer. For instance, I know The Car Show in Colorado is still listing at least one 2619. Good luck.

Oops! Just read your post that says you're from Houston. The Car Show may still be your best bet for a new 2619. Should be able to find a good value in a used one, though. Did you ever resolve the WDH issue with the Q5?

Dave

Originally Posted by davlin

No longer making the 2619??? I sense that the new management of TM is doing some serious down-sizing. I know there are 2013 models still out there on dealer's lots, Chance. You may want to hunt there. I'm not sure where you live so I can't really steer you to any dealer. For instance, I know The Car Show in Colorado is still listing at least one 2619. Good luck.

Oops! Just read your post that says you're from Houston. The Car Show may still be your best bet for a new 2619. Should be able to find a good value in a used one, though. Did you ever resolve the WDH issue with the Q5?

Dave

Hi Dave,

Here's what I got from a Audi Repair Shop owner on JustAnswer.com.

"Expert: AudiDoc replied4 hours ago. Ok, no problem. So actually the Euro and US towing specs are near identical as 2000kg=4409lbs.

So, any of those on that site you linked me to would be able to be towed by the TDI Q5. However, here's the most important issue. ONLY use the Audi hitch setup, and make sure it's either factory or dealer installed, as there are about 7 different computers on the car that have to be recoded to recognize the trailer. The Q5 TDI will cope with towing perfectly well."

I referred him to http://trailmanor.com/WebDocs/Showroom/Specs/specs.html and asked him to help me select the highest rating he would be comfortable towing with the Q5.

What do you gentleman think about that?

Chance

[LoveToCamp]

Davlin, TM is reducing redundancy in their product lineup. According to my sources, they felt the 2619 was so close to the 2720 in most respects, it was not reasonable to make both models. So, the 2619 is no longer a standard build. However, as stated above, you can order a 2619 from the factory, and they will make it for you.

Just as they stopped making the 3326 series, but they can be ordered, TM is trying to right-size. Can't blame them for that, especially if you can order any of the old models you want to. No point in making models that are so close in size, I suppose.

Chance, if you feel you need a new unit, I would order it. Make the best deal you can with the nearest dealer, and go from there. I see one used 2619 available in the Eastern region, but that is it. There does not seem to be a plethora of 2619s available on the pre-owned market. May only be able to go new on that size. But, there are 2720s available. That may be the only way to get a good, used model, if that is at all an option.

Originally Posted by LoveToCamp

Davlin, TM is reducing redundancy in their product lineup. According to my sources, they felt the 2619 was so close to the 2720 in most respects, it was not reasonable to make both models. So, the 2619 is no longer a standard build. However, as stated above, you can order a 2619 from the factory, and they will make it for you.

Just as they stopped making the 3326 series, but they can be ordered, TM is trying to right-size. Can't blame them for that, especially if you can order any of the old models you want to. No point in making models that are so close in size, I suppose.

Chance, if you feel you need a new unit, I would order it. Make the best deal you can with the nearest dealer, and go from there. I see one used 2619 available in the Eastern region, but that is it. There does not seem to be a plethora of 2619s available on the pre-owned market. May only be able to go new on that size. But, there are 2720s available. That may be the only way to get a good, used model, if that is at all an option.

Hi LoveToCamp,

I've located some 2619's on "oddle.something." The floorplan for the 2619 looks like a winner for me, so I will probably check them out if I decide to go for the Audi Q5. I'm leaning more and more toward a 2013 or even 2014 Merc M, in which case I might look at a toyhauler. I really like the idea of being able to elevate the rear bed to the ceiling and have a bit of a "porch" to relax in when it's raining, or even store ski equipment and the like when not in use. I plan to play hard in whatever I buy I'm 34 and will be tailgaiting, attending festivals, etc.

Anyway, still weighing the options. Getting 34+ mpg with the 4,400 lbs towing of a Q5 sounds dreamy to me, in which case I will def look at a used TM to get my feet wet.

Thanks again,

Chance

Amongst all the tech specs, you omitted what I think is one very important consideration.

Where will you tow?

It should be apparent that towing a trailer on straight roads on the flats in Florida or Indiana is very different from towing the same trailer through the Rockies or the Sierras, getting up to 10,000-12,000 feet, with steep grades (both up and down), and sharp bends that limit your speed to 10 mph (in other words, very little cooling airflow for the transmission).

One of the reasons for shifting from a Jeep Liberty to the Armada was that we live in Colorado and so a lot of camping in the Rockies. Before we got the Armada I did the research into the best towing SUVs - the Armada appeared in almost all of the top ten. The tow package was a much along with that's already been said.

[LoveToCamp]

Hmmm. If you are considering a toy hauler down the road, they are much heavier units. I just looked-up a Hyperlite 24', and it is 5600 lbs, dry, no options. Sure your Audi can handle that? Hitch wt of over 600 lbs.

Have you considered the new Grand Cherokee diesel? Supposed to be great fuel economy, and I know my 2007 GC diesel tows my 2417 like a champ. Grand Cherokee may be stout enough to tow a toy hauler, if you move up to a larger unit down the road. I have not researched in detail, but it may be an option to consider.

Good luck! TM will be much lighter than a toy hauler.

I have towed a 2720 comfortably with a Ody and now a Venza. We are sensitive but not crazy to what weight we add to tv and TM. Ody with a low center of gravity, towed very stably, Venza has all wheel drive and more horsepower and a bit more torque. Venza has 6 speeds, Ody 4 with an added trans cooler. We have towed in a variety of terrain. Not the fastest on the road, but always able to easily pass the semi's.
As I have posted before, the TM sales rep that sold me my TM towed a 2720 all over the country with a Chrysler minivan. TM did their gas mileage test with an Ody.
Actual experience is a good test. And based on that experience towing an appropriately loaded 2720 with a WDH with a 3500 rated TV works.
Good luck and hope you find a TM that works for you.

Originally Posted by LoveToCamp

Hmmm. If you are considering a toy hauler down the road, they are much heavier units. I just looked-up a Hyperlite 24', and it is 5600 lbs, dry, no options. Sure your Audi can handle that? Hitch wt of over 600 lbs.

Have you considered the new Grand Cherokee diesel? Supposed to be great fuel economy, and I know my 2007 GC diesel tows my 2417 like a champ. Grand Cherokee may be stout enough to tow a toy hauler, if you move up to a larger unit down the road. I have not researched in detail, but it may be an option to consider.

Good luck! TM will be much lighter than a toy hauler.

That's funny. My new vehicle search started with the Jeep GC. I was excited about the diesel model, but that faded a bit after doing research on the other features that I'd like to get for the price of a fully loaded model. Moving from my Infiniti to another vehicle (that I can afford) is not going to be a step up in the luxury department, but I think I'm leaning toward the Mercedes M350 Bluetec diesel to go along with a toy hauler. I love the layout of the TMs and the compact towing, but I expect a pretty good amount of wear and tear to be inflicted on whatever I buy, and the toy-hauler construction seems to be a bit more appropriate. There's also the possibility that I'll just rent out my house next year and float around, in which case I'd like to have something like an Airstream. To leave my options open down the road, I think I'm going to have to forego the Q5.

Thanks for the comments!

Chance

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Cgermany

Getting 34+ mpg with the 4,400 lbs towing of a Q5 sounds dreamy to me, in which case I will def look at a used TM to get my feet wet.
Chance

Wait a minute - 34 mpg while towing 4400 pounds? Where did that come from? Oops, I guess you meant 34 mpg with no trailer, but certainly less WHILE towing. How much less? I don't know.

But the Audi announcement published on Edmunds says
. . "The 2014 Audi Q5 TDI returns an estimated 24 mpg in city driving and 31 mpg on the highway, Audi said."
And of course, that is with no cargo load and no trailer. Add a 3800-pound trailer and a few hundred pounds of cargo, and the mpg will drop - maybe quite a bit. Again, I don't know.

I have nothing against Audis, or trailers, but sometimes mpg figures get inflated.

Bill