CCQ5

Hi there,

I'm planning on moving from NYC to LA (2,800 miles) with my 2018 Q5 towing the U-haul 6' x 12' Cargo Trailer. On the U-haul site, it says I can tow that but seems like a pretty large trailer, I'm a little skeptical. Do you have any thoughts or on what trailer hitch I should get?

Advice is much appreciated
CC

TYJ

A buddy of mine just moved from CA to Maine. Had a container larger than 6x12 shipped for $1500. If I were you, I’d have your stuff shipped and enjoy the drive without a trailer. Besides it’s gonna cost you at least $1000 to buy a hitch and have it installed. The best options are 1. OEM Factory hitch or 2. Stealth Hitch.

tms0425

I towed a 6x12 UHaul cargo from NE Indiana to SW Florida with my '18 SQ5 with factory hitch last fall. I'm a veteran at towing, boats, horses, you name it, and previously had a Touareg TDi, which is an awesome towing machine. I was very careful with the load capacity, limited the heavy stuff, but still ended up rebalancing front to rear 3 times before I finally felt safe enough to leave. Power was not an issue, braking was also very good with the surge hydraulics. The balance/tongue weight, however, was not good at all, leaving the front end way too light for my comfort. I kept it under 65 mph the whole way and slowed down even more when it was congested. Fortunately I had good weather, took my time, and made it here safely, but I would never attempt that kind of load again in the Audi.

tms0425

double post

augerpro

Did the auto leveling work well? I would have thought that would help keep weight more forward than without it.

urs6_ma

It's not so much the size, it's the weight. Empty? Sure. Loaded to a 30" depth with firewood, nope.

I did some towing with both my Touareg TDI and my '04 allroad with the 2.7 turbo. Power was fine with the Touareg (similar sized trailer, loaded to limit), braking and handling was so so. I took my time and didn't have an issue. A moderately loaded trailer taxed the 2.7 turbo a lot more.

I was glad to have a short 60 mile tow...which I did multiple times. I would not want to try to cross the country at 50-60 miles an hour, white knuckled on both the climbs and more importantly the descents you'll encounter. You cannot go faster with a loaded trailer. You will want to, out of sheer boredom. If you do, you will be seriously overtaxing the brakes and suspension on your Q5. It's all fine and good until someone cuts you off and you have to swerve suddenly. Then bad things happen.

Besides, a one way rental may cost a bunch, and shipping may well end up less expensive overall!

Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

CCQ5

After all the good tips. I decided to just use a moving company. A 2,800 miles tow... too many things can go wrong. I'm just going to enjoy the cross-country drive with the car I love and be worry-free.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice, Cheers

Rob O

Good call for that long a haul. The 6x12 enclosed is bigger than you think, and 2800 miles of pulling something nearly the size of the tow vehicle gets tiresome. I've hauled fully laden 6x12 enclosed U-Hauls behind my F150 a few times, and even with a proper tow vehicle, it's not stress free.

toomanymc

Bumping this from the depths:

Anyone else had any experience towing a UHaul trailer?(or any cargo trailer) I currently have the 4 x 8 reserved but I could really use the extra space in the 6 x 12. Thoughts? Will be doing a 600 mile round trip but the trailer will only be loaded one direction.

2018 Q5 with OEM hitch and controller

rdA4WtQ5

I only recently towed a U haul 5 x 8 with my SQ5. Considerably larger because of being taller than a 4 x 7 trailer and empty weighs only 50 lbs more at 900 lbs.
If on a higher speed road the 5 x 8 pushes much more air and is harder to pull on gas. If more than only around town I would stay with 5 x 8 max.
The 6 x 12 trailer is huge and heavy. It does have surge brakes that the smaller trailers do not have. It is pretty easy to load beyond your vehicle’s 4400 rating.

Always check U haul tire pressures before traveling. It is never correct and even had a tire not holding air when I checked. Leave time to have a tire replaced by U haul before leaving. I also towed a bit with my 2011 Q5 also with the factory tow set up. These vehicles tow great well within their capacities. They are not full sized pick ups and should not be punished as such. Good Luck.