Dingy towing VW Beatle, stick

Doublebeagle wrote:
Trying to find out if we can 4 down tow a 2000 Beatle stick shift. VW owners manual says OK for 50 miles.......Seems to me that if it's OK for 50 miles it ought to be OK for 500 or 5000. Anyone have experience with this setup?

Thanks a million. :)

Doublebeagle,
I've seen and read many threads on VWs as toads. Especially the later ones. And, I've talked with many RVers out there in the real world, at various camp grounds and RV parks, towing different models of the later VWs, especially the "TDI" stick versions. No less than 100% of them have had any issues what so ever. Many of them have thousands and thousands of miles on their VW toads. All of them of course, being a stick.

In the discussions with most of them, they told me that they too were concerned about towing their VWs so, many of them went directly to a VW dealer and, by-passed the service writer(s) and went directly to the transmission techs to consult them. And, like you, 100% of the techs told them there would be NO ISSUES flat towing them. The techs however, did say they cannot put it in writing because it would be in conflict with VOA rules and policies of authorization of flat towing of any of their fleet.

So, just having the word of experienced techs was good enough for the folks I've spoken with at all these places. They then went out and purchased base plates, tow bars and all the wiring necessary to make their VW toads, towable. And, as stated, not one of them ever had any issues. Several of them had several thousand miles on their VW toads. I really like and, have had two, later VW Beetles, an '03 and an '04, both TDI models. Neither of those cars, EVER dropped below 41 mpg, no matter how I drove them, and under any circumstances like hills, A/C on, full load of people, etc.

So, your choice but, it's done on a regular basis, even without VOA authorization.
Scott