towing

[rs4avant42v8]

Does anyone tow with their B7 avant? Our current tow car will need to go soon, so just wondered if anyone had experience and how they had found it. I will be towing my race car, which is quite light (sub 700KG)with a 4 wheel trailer - be interested to know if anyone is also towing with SS+ fitted over the standard suspension or indeed if they have swapped the suspension out due to DRC issues and are towing and how they are finding that ??

Thanks in advance

[stu]

Someone did a write up about it on here around a year ago. I think his car was/is in the for sale section very recently - have a hunt there as it should be easy to spot with pics of the ball hitch tow bar attached. Then search through his post history for all the details. No idea from memory if it was SS.

And welcome and FON and Rule 1. Stu.

[Dave_M]

As Stu said, it has been done with a removable swan neck towbar so that it's invisible when removed.

However, the problem is that a towbar was never type approved by Audi for fitment to the RS4 - so none of the towbar fitters will fit one for you (if you search them you'll find they all exclude the RS4). So you'll need to order the parts and either DIY or find a friendly independent garage to do it for you.

And this leads to the other issue - I don't know what position your insurers would take if you had an accident whilst towing.....

I decided not to bother in the end and have continued to borrow my wife's car when I need to tow (4 wheel trailer with Caterham). Wife's car is now 11 years old though, so when she changes it I may have to reconsider depending what she replaces it with.....

Dave

[Timster]

FON

[Jonah]

I think the motor you are thinking of had a tow bar fitted for a bike rack only and not towing, I recall reading the thread and someone mentioned the RS4 would overheat if it was towing and this is why Audi wouldn't fit the bar.

[RS4pete]

I think the official Audi line stated that the gearbox would overheat but in reality it just wasn't cost effective to type approve for such a small quantity of cars.

[rs4avant42v8]

thanks for the FON's

That has answered all my concerns ! overheating on towing has stopped me before with an Sti – if the major players do not do one, then I guess it’s unlikely to be viable.

Looks like we keep the current tow car to it expires – which will please the wife, I wanted to get her out of that in to the Audi – but looks like I will need to run two cars, on top of the porker (rule 4) and the 7, strangley you can tow with the porker but I really dont fancy that..

No pics (rule 1) currently looking for an Avant 07, comfort (recaros) usual bits and bobs, missed out on that fabulous 08 at fontains…….

[pDkALO]

It's perfectly possible to fit one - a detachable Thule for a standard B7 quattro bolts on perfectly. I've done it for carrying bikes and dragging a small trailer down to the local tip (both to save getting the car filthy inside!). Done right, it's virtually invisible - happy to share pictures.

The reality is that Audi never bothered putting it through type approval because of it being a small volume car, and the complexities and cost of designing special trim pieces to accommodate it, hence there's no official fitment (the towing companies won't do it for you, due to lack of type approval). The overheating thing is almost certainly a myth. The B8 is the same - you can have one on an S4, but not the RS4, but it's the same chassis underneath.

Dave_M is probably right though - need to be careful with insurers, but if you declare it as a modification and they insure you on that basis, then all should be fine.

[haggis]

I've got a detachable bar on my 07 Avant which is marked as for the B7 RS4 specifically, audi here reckoned it was factory fit (in NZ). I've pulled trailers of wood and bikes with it OK but wouldn't want to put anything too heavy on the back.

[rs4avant42v8]

Cool, thanks for that, so looks like it is doable, could be an issue with insurers, and is standard fair in NZ, I will look in to a bit more when a car materialises, and talk to the insurers as well. I can’t see the car struggling with the weight, but overheating could be an issue, but you are going to be well under normal limits, (I certainly don’t fancy going for a towing speed record)