2019 Q7 Trailer Weight Determination (long)
08-06-2019, 10:30 AM
#1
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
2019 Q7 Trailer Weight Determination (long)
I’m new to the Audi club, and bought my Audi over other cars for one big reason, to tow a travel trailer. The Audi has a high tow capacity for the size vehicle. The BMW X5, and Jeep Grand Cherokee are up there as well. I do not own a trailer quite yet, but will be getting one soon.
So now that I have the Q7, next was the travel trailer, but how big could it be? I thought that this would be easy to figure out, but it wasn’t. I did some research, spoke to experts, read the owner’s manual, and read other AudiWorld posts. I was finding lots of misinformation on AudoWorld and other places, so I decided to write down what I learned here. There are lots of falsehoods out there, and I wanted to have this info in one place. My goal was following EVERY Audi requirement to the letter and NOT second-guessing what they say. In German style, their requirements are VERY precise. My car is a 2019 Q7 Prestige with 3.0 supercharged engine with a factory installed trailer hitch. If you add a third-party trailer hitch, your weight capacity might be less, but it is NEVER more. Note that the the Audi Q7 2.0 liter is rated to tow much less than the 3.0 liter V6 version.
So, let’s get started. Let’s start with the car side. Just how much stuff and people can you keep in the car when towing a travel trailer? The Audi manual recommends to “Store objects in the vehicle luggage compartment, if possible. The vehicle should always carry the heaviest possible load and the trailer should have the lightest possible load.” But what is that load? If you open the driver’s door, there is a sticker on your car that gives a capacity for “cargo and passengers.” On my car its 1367 lb., but keep in mind, this is cargo, passengers, AND trailer tongue weight. The maximum tongue weight for my Audi is 770 lb. and Audi recommend I get as close to that weight as possible, and note the type of suspension does NOT matter. So, let’s say I start with the 1367 lb. limit, and subtract 770 lb. tongue weight. This leaves 597 lb. for passengers & cargo. Before adding any cargo, add your passenger weight. You may have 7 seats, but with a trailer, be VERY careful on cargo weight. For this example, I’m going to assume 597 lb. in passenger and cargo weight. Three or four people alone could get there. Or two people and some cargo.
Now let’s move on to the trailer. I got my 597 lb. of passengers and cargo that are ready to go camping. Audi says the trailer receiver you pick should be NO MORE than 6.193” from the locking pin to the center of the ball in length. (Who says Germans aren’t precise.) I searched everywhere, and there was only one receiver that met this requirement. Not surprisingly, it’s the one Audi sells for $70, so I bought it. Whatever you buy, make sure the ball and receiver are rated AT LEAST 7,700 lb. The Audi one is. But a problem, the Audi one comes with a 2” ball, and almost all travel trailers today use a 2 5/16th ball, so you need to switch the ball. Walmart and Home Depot have these, but remember you need a 1” shank. First you need to remove the 2” ball on the Audi receiver. Place it in the car hitch receiver but turned 90 degrees from normal. Then get a VERY large 1 ½” wrench to remove it. Warning, Audi puts this on VERY tight.
Before you put on the new ball, we need to talk a bit about trailer stabilizers. I recommend one and there is a bracket you can get that fits between the ball and receiver to connect one, BUT it requires a ball with a longer shank. If you use it, get a 2 5/16” ball, 1” shank that is at least 2.4” long. This is tricky to find, but it can be found. While we are here, I should mention the the “load distributing trailer hitch.” Audi say NOT to use one, so DON’T use one. Period. If you don’t like that, argue with Audi, not me. It should be noted that two companies (at least) make aftermarket trailer hitches for the Q7, Draw-Tite and Curt, and NEITHER are rated for a load distributing hitch. DO NOT USE ONE, no matter how smart you think you are for doing so.
If your trailer is over 3000 lb. you also need a brake controller. There are three types you can use. One connects to an under-dash connector, one fits between the trailer and car and connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and one mounts to the trailer and communicates with a wireless receiver connected to your 12V socket. Your choice. I bought the trailer mounted one.
OK finally on to the trailer. How heavy can it be? 7,770 lb. right? Smiley face. NOPE. Your capacity is 7,700 lb. but this includes the weight of cargo and passengers in the car. For us this is 597 lb. (Do NOT add the tongue weight here.) You have 7,700 lb. – 597 lb. = 7,103 lb. and a tongue weight of 770 lb. OK off you go to buy that 7,103 lb. trailer, but NOT YET. Audi says for ever 3,200 ft. altitude over 3,200 ft. where you tow, you need to reduce towing capacity by 10% (770 lb.) This one is tricky. If you are only on the East Coast, 3,200 ft. elevation is fine. But in the West, that is a joke. So you will have to figure your own case, but I set an arbitrary altitude of 6,400 ft. NOT TO EXCEED, which means my trailer can be 7,700 lb. – 597 lb. – 770 lb. = 6,333 lb. I’m going to round DOWN to 6,000 lb. That’s not a bad trailer. Maybe 22’ or 23’
So, lets try to understand trailer weight. There is a dry weight, the net carrying capacity weight, and the trailer GVWR, which is what the frame and wheels of the trailer can support. Dry weight + net carrying capacity is always equal to or under the GVWR weight. To be safe, I recommend for your GVWR to be under 6,333 lb. but technically its dry weight plus what you have put in it, including water tanks. Water weight 8 lb. per gallon. Again, Audi also recommends that you keep your tongue weight as high as possible without exceeding the 770 lb. limit. Tongue weigh given for trailers usually does NOT include propane weight or the weight of batteries. Anyway, just buy your AirStream Flying Cloud 23FB and away you go…. Yipee!! Smiley face.
So to summarize, watch your car weight limits. You can not have more than 3 or 4 people in your car with a trailer, we’ll unless they are supermodels and weigh very little. If that is the case, have all you want as long as your wife doesn't object. Next, add a 2 5/16” trailer ball and trailer stabilizer if you like. Finally, subtract your car carrying weight from your trailer capacity, and derate for high-altitude driving. Be safe and figure these weight loads yourself. The trailer dealer may lie to you to sell you a bigger trailer with bigger profit. And be safe.
I hope this is helpful, and if something I stated here is incorrect, please point it out, but please do not tell me how a load distributing trailer hitch changes all this despite the fact Audi clearly says to NOT use one. Your fight with them, not me.
So now that I have the Q7, next was the travel trailer, but how big could it be? I thought that this would be easy to figure out, but it wasn’t. I did some research, spoke to experts, read the owner’s manual, and read other AudiWorld posts. I was finding lots of misinformation on AudoWorld and other places, so I decided to write down what I learned here. There are lots of falsehoods out there, and I wanted to have this info in one place. My goal was following EVERY Audi requirement to the letter and NOT second-guessing what they say. In German style, their requirements are VERY precise. My car is a 2019 Q7 Prestige with 3.0 supercharged engine with a factory installed trailer hitch. If you add a third-party trailer hitch, your weight capacity might be less, but it is NEVER more. Note that the the Audi Q7 2.0 liter is rated to tow much less than the 3.0 liter V6 version.
So, let’s get started. Let’s start with the car side. Just how much stuff and people can you keep in the car when towing a travel trailer? The Audi manual recommends to “Store objects in the vehicle luggage compartment, if possible. The vehicle should always carry the heaviest possible load and the trailer should have the lightest possible load.” But what is that load? If you open the driver’s door, there is a sticker on your car that gives a capacity for “cargo and passengers.” On my car its 1367 lb., but keep in mind, this is cargo, passengers, AND trailer tongue weight. The maximum tongue weight for my Audi is 770 lb. and Audi recommend I get as close to that weight as possible, and note the type of suspension does NOT matter. So, let’s say I start with the 1367 lb. limit, and subtract 770 lb. tongue weight. This leaves 597 lb. for passengers & cargo. Before adding any cargo, add your passenger weight. You may have 7 seats, but with a trailer, be VERY careful on cargo weight. For this example, I’m going to assume 597 lb. in passenger and cargo weight. Three or four people alone could get there. Or two people and some cargo.
Now let’s move on to the trailer. I got my 597 lb. of passengers and cargo that are ready to go camping. Audi says the trailer receiver you pick should be NO MORE than 6.193” from the locking pin to the center of the ball in length. (Who says Germans aren’t precise.) I searched everywhere, and there was only one receiver that met this requirement. Not surprisingly, it’s the one Audi sells for $70, so I bought it. Whatever you buy, make sure the ball and receiver are rated AT LEAST 7,700 lb. The Audi one is. But a problem, the Audi one comes with a 2” ball, and almost all travel trailers today use a 2 5/16th ball, so you need to switch the ball. Walmart and Home Depot have these, but remember you need a 1” shank. First you need to remove the 2” ball on the Audi receiver. Place it in the car hitch receiver but turned 90 degrees from normal. Then get a VERY large 1 ½” wrench to remove it. Warning, Audi puts this on VERY tight.
Before you put on the new ball, we need to talk a bit about trailer stabilizers. I recommend one and there is a bracket you can get that fits between the ball and receiver to connect one, BUT it requires a ball with a longer shank. If you use it, get a 2 5/16” ball, 1” shank that is at least 2.4” long. This is tricky to find, but it can be found. While we are here, I should mention the the “load distributing trailer hitch.” Audi say NOT to use one, so DON’T use one. Period. If you don’t like that, argue with Audi, not me. It should be noted that two companies (at least) make aftermarket trailer hitches for the Q7, Draw-Tite and Curt, and NEITHER are rated for a load distributing hitch. DO NOT USE ONE, no matter how smart you think you are for doing so.
If your trailer is over 3000 lb. you also need a brake controller. There are three types you can use. One connects to an under-dash connector, one fits between the trailer and car and connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and one mounts to the trailer and communicates with a wireless receiver connected to your 12V socket. Your choice. I bought the trailer mounted one.
OK finally on to the trailer. How heavy can it be? 7,770 lb. right? Smiley face. NOPE. Your capacity is 7,700 lb. but this includes the weight of cargo and passengers in the car. For us this is 597 lb. (Do NOT add the tongue weight here.) You have 7,700 lb. – 597 lb. = 7,103 lb. and a tongue weight of 770 lb. OK off you go to buy that 7,103 lb. trailer, but NOT YET. Audi says for ever 3,200 ft. altitude over 3,200 ft. where you tow, you need to reduce towing capacity by 10% (770 lb.) This one is tricky. If you are only on the East Coast, 3,200 ft. elevation is fine. But in the West, that is a joke. So you will have to figure your own case, but I set an arbitrary altitude of 6,400 ft. NOT TO EXCEED, which means my trailer can be 7,700 lb. – 597 lb. – 770 lb. = 6,333 lb. I’m going to round DOWN to 6,000 lb. That’s not a bad trailer. Maybe 22’ or 23’
So, lets try to understand trailer weight. There is a dry weight, the net carrying capacity weight, and the trailer GVWR, which is what the frame and wheels of the trailer can support. Dry weight + net carrying capacity is always equal to or under the GVWR weight. To be safe, I recommend for your GVWR to be under 6,333 lb. but technically its dry weight plus what you have put in it, including water tanks. Water weight 8 lb. per gallon. Again, Audi also recommends that you keep your tongue weight as high as possible without exceeding the 770 lb. limit. Tongue weigh given for trailers usually does NOT include propane weight or the weight of batteries. Anyway, just buy your AirStream Flying Cloud 23FB and away you go…. Yipee!! Smiley face.
So to summarize, watch your car weight limits. You can not have more than 3 or 4 people in your car with a trailer, we’ll unless they are supermodels and weigh very little. If that is the case, have all you want as long as your wife doesn't object. Next, add a 2 5/16” trailer ball and trailer stabilizer if you like. Finally, subtract your car carrying weight from your trailer capacity, and derate for high-altitude driving. Be safe and figure these weight loads yourself. The trailer dealer may lie to you to sell you a bigger trailer with bigger profit. And be safe.
I hope this is helpful, and if something I stated here is incorrect, please point it out, but please do not tell me how a load distributing trailer hitch changes all this despite the fact Audi clearly says to NOT use one. Your fight with them, not me.
Last edited by ang934; 08-06-2019 at 10:36 AM. Reason: Grammer/Spelling
The following 7 users liked this post by ang934:
Astropup (08-06-2019),
Djz (06-06-2021),
mike95776 (11-07-2019),
supz (06-12-2021),
Trancemission (09-04-2019),
and 2 others liked this post.
The following users liked this post:
Unesimpson1 (09-10-2023)
09-04-2019, 09:00 AM
#5
AudiWorld Newcomer
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Very nice detail. Thanks! I do believe you can tow the Flying Cloud 27FB with no issues. Hitch weight with LP and batteries is 791 and you have the option to put smaller tanks on there and can easily get to the 770 number. Trailer weight is 5,868, so that gives you 7103-5868 = 1,235 lbs of "stuff" you can put in the trailer carrying that 597 lbs in the Q7. The 3 water tanks (fresh, gray and black) are about 40 gallons each so fully loaded those would add 996 lbs, still giving you over 200 lbs for other stuff in the trailer. Nobody should be driving with full gray and black tanks so really you're talking about almost 600 lbs of stuff in the trailer even with a full water tank. Tell me if you think my math is wrong.
09-04-2019, 10:31 AM
#6
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
I think OK, but definitely on the upper limit. Be careful if you are carrying 4 or 5 people in the car as well. That adds to the weight.
I wanted add to my original post on some hardware you will need. If you follow Audi's recommendation, it doesn't allow much wiggle room.
First on the receiver you need, Audi specifies a maximum length between the ball and receiver pin. Unfortunately this is shorter than any I could find anywhere, so I had to buy the one Audi sells for $70. I believe its made by Curt just for Audi, but if you can find it elsewhere, by all means get it. Unless you want to do LOTS of searching, buy the Audi receiver. Now you also need to change the ball since Audi provides a 2" ball which only works for small trailers. You need a 2 5/16" ball. The on that will work is the CURT 40039 Chrome Trailer Hitch Ball. Finally you REALLY should add sway control, and remember weight distributing trailer hitches ARE NOT allowed. (More on this later.) To add sway control you'll need the Draw-Tite 26003 Sway Control Adapter Bracket. This goes between the receiver and the ball. I used JB Weld epoxy to keep these two together. DON'T get any on the trailer ball threads. The reason for this is to keep the force of the sway control from moving the bracket and loosening the ball. I have heard of people welding the the bracket to the receiver also.
And the weight distribution hitch, I know people are in love these, but Audi says NO, DO NOT use one. As it turns Audi does know what they are talking about. The way the trailer hitch fastens to the car in a vertical fashion basically eliminates the need for this type of hitch. It also makes this type of hitch dangerous to use because the weight distribution hitch puts added twisting forces on the ball and the hitch could break off. In end this is a win-win. Weight distribution hitches are heavy, expensive, and a pain, and Audi eliminated their need for you. Again DO NOT use one, but adding sway control, like the CURT 17200 Black Trailer Anti-Sway Bar Control, or similar is probably a very good idea.
I have also come across a few electronic sway controls. They basically connect to your trailer brakes, and apply the trailer brakes when there is sway. They look pretty nice, but slightly pricey, but overall look to be an easy solution.
I wanted add to my original post on some hardware you will need. If you follow Audi's recommendation, it doesn't allow much wiggle room.
First on the receiver you need, Audi specifies a maximum length between the ball and receiver pin. Unfortunately this is shorter than any I could find anywhere, so I had to buy the one Audi sells for $70. I believe its made by Curt just for Audi, but if you can find it elsewhere, by all means get it. Unless you want to do LOTS of searching, buy the Audi receiver. Now you also need to change the ball since Audi provides a 2" ball which only works for small trailers. You need a 2 5/16" ball. The on that will work is the CURT 40039 Chrome Trailer Hitch Ball. Finally you REALLY should add sway control, and remember weight distributing trailer hitches ARE NOT allowed. (More on this later.) To add sway control you'll need the Draw-Tite 26003 Sway Control Adapter Bracket. This goes between the receiver and the ball. I used JB Weld epoxy to keep these two together. DON'T get any on the trailer ball threads. The reason for this is to keep the force of the sway control from moving the bracket and loosening the ball. I have heard of people welding the the bracket to the receiver also.
And the weight distribution hitch, I know people are in love these, but Audi says NO, DO NOT use one. As it turns Audi does know what they are talking about. The way the trailer hitch fastens to the car in a vertical fashion basically eliminates the need for this type of hitch. It also makes this type of hitch dangerous to use because the weight distribution hitch puts added twisting forces on the ball and the hitch could break off. In end this is a win-win. Weight distribution hitches are heavy, expensive, and a pain, and Audi eliminated their need for you. Again DO NOT use one, but adding sway control, like the CURT 17200 Black Trailer Anti-Sway Bar Control, or similar is probably a very good idea.
I have also come across a few electronic sway controls. They basically connect to your trailer brakes, and apply the trailer brakes when there is sway. They look pretty nice, but slightly pricey, but overall look to be an easy solution.
Last edited by ang934; 09-06-2019 at 07:57 AM.
09-05-2019, 09:27 AM
#7
AudiWorld Member
Not sure if this is the right thread to ask this question, but for the Q7 MKII 3.0T (US based) models, is there any difference in engine/transmission parts when order build with the factory installed tow package like the previous generation Q7? I've haven't been able to find any conclusive information. From all the printed materials I've looked through, there's no mention of any difference in engine/transmission upgrade with the tow package.
Audi publication of the factory tow package: "The Audi Q7 can really haul with an incredible 7,700 lb maximum tow rating with the available Towing package, which includes a trailer hitch receiver with brake controller pre-wiring."
Stealth Hitch publishes the manufacturer's tow capacity for their stealth hitch, which leads me to think that there's no difference in engine/transmission parts between Q7s with the factory tow package vs. ones without the factory tow package since someone installing the Stealth Hitch would not have had the factory tow package.
Audi publication of the factory tow package: "The Audi Q7 can really haul with an incredible 7,700 lb maximum tow rating with the available Towing package, which includes a trailer hitch receiver with brake controller pre-wiring."
Stealth Hitch publishes the manufacturer's tow capacity for their stealth hitch, which leads me to think that there's no difference in engine/transmission parts between Q7s with the factory tow package vs. ones without the factory tow package since someone installing the Stealth Hitch would not have had the factory tow package.
Last edited by quattro_rails; 09-05-2019 at 09:39 AM.
Trending Topics
09-06-2019, 05:04 AM
#8
Hitch ball
...First on the receiver you need, Audi specifies a maximum length between the ball and receiver pin. Unfortunately this is shorter than any I could find anywhere, so I had to buy the one Audi sells for $70. I believe its made by Curt just for Audi, but if you can find it elsewhere, by all means get it. Unless you want to do LOTS of searching, buy the Audi receiver. Now you also need to change the ball since Audi provides a 2" ball which only works for small trailers. You need a 2 5/16" ball. The on that will work is the CURT 40039 Chrome Trailer Hitch Ball. Finally you REALLY should add sway control, and remember weight distributing trailer hitches ARE NOT allowed. (More on this later.) To add sway control you'll need the Draw-Tite 26003 Sway Control Adapter Bracket. This goes between the receiver and the ball. I used JB Weld epoxy to keep these two together. DON'T get any on the trailer ball threads. The reason for this is to keep the force of the sway control from moving the bracket and loosening the ball. I have heard of people welding the the bracket to the receiver also...
ymmv
09-06-2019, 07:55 AM
#9
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Not sure if this is the right thread to ask this question, but for the Q7 MKII 3.0T (US based) models, is there any difference in engine/transmission parts when order build with the factory installed tow package like the previous generation Q7? I've haven't been able to find any conclusive information. From all the printed materials I've looked through, there's no mention of any difference in engine/transmission upgrade with the tow package.
Audi publication of the factory tow package: "The Audi Q7 can really haul with an incredible 7,700 lb maximum tow rating with the available Towing package, which includes a trailer hitch receiver with brake controller pre-wiring."
Stealth Hitch publishes the manufacturer's tow capacity for their stealth hitch, which leads me to think that there's no difference in engine/transmission parts between Q7s with the factory tow package vs. ones without the factory tow package since someone installing the Stealth Hitch would not have had the factory tow package.
Audi publication of the factory tow package: "The Audi Q7 can really haul with an incredible 7,700 lb maximum tow rating with the available Towing package, which includes a trailer hitch receiver with brake controller pre-wiring."
Stealth Hitch publishes the manufacturer's tow capacity for their stealth hitch, which leads me to think that there's no difference in engine/transmission parts between Q7s with the factory tow package vs. ones without the factory tow package since someone installing the Stealth Hitch would not have had the factory tow package.
09-06-2019, 08:17 AM
#10
AudiWorld Member
According to my dealer (take that for what is worth) the trailer hitch option only adds that. No added cooling system or alternator upgrades. I also believe that the wiring is in all cars. You can have the dealer add the trailer hitch, and its the same one, but it costs a bunch more.
Last edited by quattro_rails; 09-06-2019 at 09:12 AM.