I am planning to buy a q7 for towing a travel trailer. The trailer I am interested in is keystone outback terrain 210trs. Dry weight 4710lb. 22ft10inch long. I am concerned with q7's relatively short 118" wheel base. With cargo, propane tanks and batteries, the trailer could go up to 5400lb. Will q7's 6600 lb towing capacity be safe enough for this trailer? Do I need a TDI q7? Thanks

 

Get the Q7 TDI . I tow a 24 ft Airstream with mine and it does a fantastic job. My trailer weighs 5400 lbs on the trailer axles and there is aprox. 300 lbs on the hitch.The vehicle when hitched and loaded weighs 6500 lbs. The diesel engine puts out max torque at low RPM's and, combined with the 8 spd tranny, makes towing a pleasant experience.

Terry

 

Just out of curiosity is there anything that is needed to switch on or off telling the truck its in TOW mode? I used my tahoe for years and now that i no longer have the tahoe I will be using my wifes q7. Its a 2008 with the 4.2. I plan to tow a car trailer maybe once a year so its not much.

Thanks

 

I don't know if your 2008 has the same transmission as my 2011 TDI (8 spd ). My model has no specific "tow " mode but the tranny senses a greater load and adjusts the shift points accordingly. I can also manualy select specific gears which is very usefull for long downgrades.
Terry

 

Looking for advice on rigging up for our new 21' trailer. We have towing package but does not include 7 pin plug in. Hitch guy said need to install an adapter to the Audi receptacle which he thinks he can get. Not sure if he has to tap into any wires to hook it up. Also need to install Tekonsha RF wireless brake controller. From other research this can be done but not straightforward. Does anyone have experience with other brake controllers? One last question, Audi manual says don't use "weight distributing or "load equalizing" hitch so we are just getting the 2" ball. Hopefully this is Ok and trailer won't sway.

 

I tow a camping trailer, 17 ft, about 4,500-5,000 loaded, dual axle with a 2015 Q7 3.0TDI. It runs flawlessly, never complains, and is amazingly stable. Great combo.

 

Yes, get a diesel.

My suggestion is to head to the dealer and buy the trailer hitch plug. It is a travesty that we purchase a $70,000 vehicle with tow package but then need to pay $60 for an adapter that should have been installed from the factory. However, it is a plug and play system. Just to the left of the trailer hitch is a black plate with 4 screws. Take the screws out and plug in the factory to 7 pin plug and screw it in. From there, you can easily wire a brake controller. The wires are all pre-installed and there is a four pin plug in the driver's foot well. I did a write up on how to do this on a Touareg here. It is the same as the Q7.

The wireless brake controller has had some issues. Some people like them, but many have had issues over time. I much prefer the safety of a wired system. I have the Prodigy P3, and I I swap it between the Q7 and the Touareg. It takes about 2 minutes to swap, at it is plug and play basically. Follow my easy instructions or PM me if you have problems.

Do you have steel suspension or air? The Weight Distribution (WD) is different from the anti-sway bar. If you have steel suspension (like I do) you should use the WD hitch with sway bar. If you have air, just use the anti-sway. You will not regret it if you plan on towing for more than an hour. Ensure your ball is adjusted correctly so the trailer is level, or just slightly forward low. I have learned the hard way, that most hitch installers/trailer sales don't REALLY know how to set your rig up. Do your own homework...like reading these forums!

The car does know there is a trailer behind you and adjust accordingly. When you connect the trailer wires to the back of the Q, ensure the ignition is off. Then you start the car, it runs a test and recognizes the connection of the trailer and will even tell you what of the trailer lights aren't working. It will also not give you the back up sensor alarm when backing up. One of the slickest differences is it immediately downshifts when you hit the brakes to give extra engine braking, unless it senses the brake controller functioning.

If you plan on towing for long distances, I would suggest a stage 1 tune. There are many out there, but I have been happiest with APR or Malone. The extra torque goes a LONG way. I've set my cruise at 80 with my 26 foot Travel trailer weighing almost 7,000 pounds and there was not one downshift as I drove across South Dakota, and I flew up the mountains in Montana.

Chris

 

I am using a Tekonsha 90195 P3 Electronic Brake Control. It was plug and play with the factory installed tow package and hitch on my 2015 Q7, except for plugging it into the Audi harness plug and mounting it under the dash. It works flawlessly. With a 6600 lbs trailer towing capacity and package it really should come with a better set-up for a brake controller. I bought a VW Touareg Plug and Play Trailer Brake Controller, Item ID: 282443666380 on eBay. That made it plug and play instead of trying to adapt to the obscure Audi harness plug.

My vehicle does not have the air suspension so it must be "steel" as you refer to it. With load equalizer bars on the hitch the car and trailer are level and remain stable even in severe cross and head winds.

My 2015 TDI is eligible for the VW/Audi diesel "fix". I plan to take the $ with the fix and then get a re-tune on the engine. I shall look into what you suggest. I have a friend with the same vehicle as mine so I am going to let him be the test dummy before I jump in.

Overall I heartily recommend this vehicle for towing. With the comfort of the Q7, and its inherent ability hauling a trailer, camping is so easy and fun. A truck might be convenient for having the truck bed for storage but then you have to drive a truck! That 3.0 TDI engine cannot be touched by anything available in the truck market. It is a remarkable piece of engineering, typical of Audi. I hope they bring this engine or a better version back to the US.

 

hi what make of electric brake controller do you have ? I want to take my direc link off my gmc ad fit it to audi but no one can tell me if it will work regards rob

 

My brake controller is a Tekonsha 90195 P3 Electronic Brake Control. It works excellent. To wire it into my vehicle I bought a VW Touareg Plug and Play Trailer Brake Controller wiring harness, Item ID: 282443666380 on eBay. That made it plug and play instead of trying to adapt to the obscure Audi harness plug.