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Towing with Audi Q7


ooklay

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So I towed my new 2022 Malibu 24 MXZ with my Audi Q7 (3.0L) which has 7700 lbs of towing capacity.

  • I had a 2 inch lift on the tow hitch which resulted in an unlevel trailer (it was favoring down toward the car).
  • Today I have purchased a lift that has adjustable lift up to 6 inches thinking I can probably get this thing level.

My question is I'm nervous about towing the thing only because when I give it a bit too much gas from stop it kinda knocks/jerks.  This could completely be because my tow hitch was too low, but maybe it's because my car really should not be towing this boat.  I won't tow long distance, we are talking about 5 mile trips.

What do you guys think of this situation?  My boat dealer said I should be just fine, but looking for additional feedback from people who have towed and had this "knock" or jerk from complete stop.  Again, if I let off the brake and let motion begin and then slowly gas it I don't have this jerk.

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Most likely it is the hydraulic brake actuator going from compressed to not.  Look up how a boat trailer brake system operates and you will understand what is happening.  Not the best tow rig for that boat though.

  • Like 1
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Thanks for the brake comments Tsumi/wakesonthesnak.  

When you say not the best, do you think it's workable in a temporary fashion?  I'm thinking I may use it for a couple weeks while I sort out my wet slip situation (finding one).  

I have yet to take this down a boat ramp and am nervous of course because I have never attempted it before.  Do I just need to not use the boat until I have a wet slip that's ready or can we temporarily work with what we have?

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I wouldn't worry about it for the short term especially if you are not hitting interstate speeds.  How steep is the ramp?  If it is mellow you should be ok.  

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I would estimate you are close to 2000 pounds over the tow rating of the Audi (yes insurance would still cover you in an accident so let’s not go down that hole). 
 

Agree that what you are feeling is the brake actuator on the trailer. 
 

Unless your ramp is really shallow, I personally would be apprehensive to launch. My 7000 pound 23LSV used to pull my Yukon XL as well as my ExpeditionMAX several feet down steep ramps with all 4 tires on the SUV locked up. Not a great feeling. I can’t imagine trying to launch a boat that is at least 2500 pounds heavier than mine with a much smaller tow rig. 
 

I upgraded my trailer to straight electric brakes and haven’t had that happen since. 

  • Like 2
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22 minutes ago, RyanB said:

I would estimate you are close to 2000 pounds over the tow rating of the Audi (yes insurance would still cover you in an accident so let’s not go down that hole). 
 

Agree that what you are feeling is the brake actuator on the trailer. 
 

Unless your ramp is really shallow, I personally would be apprehensive to launch. My 7000 pound 23LSV used to pull my Yukon XL as well as my ExpeditionMAX several feet down steep ramps with all 4 tires on the SUV locked up. Not a great feeling. I can’t imagine trying to launch a boat that is at least 2500 pounds heavier than mine with a much smaller tow rig. 
 

I upgraded my trailer to straight electric brakes and haven’t had that happen since. 

I think I'm more like within a couple hundred pounds of capacity.  The boat is 6000 lbs/trailer is up to 1400 and my towing capacity is 7700 pounds - do you agree or am I missing an important detail?

Edited by ooklay
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22 minutes ago, ooklay said:

 

I think I'm more like within a couple hundred pounds of capacity.  The boat is 6000 lbs/trailer is up to 1400 and my towing capacity is 7700 pounds - do you agree or am I missing an important detail?

Here is a discussion on 23 MXZ and the CAT scale weight vs what Malibu publishes. The 24 MXZ is going to be that much heavier. I think I'd listen to @RyanB on this one.

Edited by vaporbluebu
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3 minutes ago, vaporbluebu said:

Here is a discussion on 23 MXZ and the CAT scale weight vs what Malibu publishes. The 24 MXZ is going to be that much heavier. I think I'd listen to @RyanB on this one.

concur.  compared to the 23 mxz, you'll be 600lbs heavier dry, plus 30gal larger fuel tank so at least ~800 lbs heavier than that 7880 lbs reported in that thread --- so lets say a 24MXZ is 8700 lbs, and thats with no gear.  add some tubes, coolers, etc and 9k easy.  

I suspect it'd be ok for a couple around town trips at low speed while you work out your slip.  i've got a shallow ramp and used my Highlander (5000 lbs rating) to launch my A24 once - only had to tow it 100 ft to get to the ramp, but i didn't like doing it. 

As an idea, if your dealer is local, they may be able to do you a solid if they have a technician passing through / living in the area and tow it down the road/launch it for you (i'm sure you can pay them to do it too, but especially if they are close by i'd ask for the favor and see how interested they are in building the relationship).  My dealership techs usually rolls around in F250 or F350's so they throw the boats around pretty easily.

  • Like 1
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Electric or electric over hydraulic is almost definitely needed to be safe with that setup. The electric brakes will assist with stopping when backing down the launch ramp.

As for being able to get back up the ramp, a good portion of that equation is the ramp design and the tires you have. If it's a somewhat steep ramp, be ready to air down your tires and make sure you have a tow strap handy in case things go wrong.

The dry weight is without anything in the boat. Fluids easily add 200 lbs or so. 6 lbs/gallon on an 87 gallon gas tank is another 500 lbs. Add all the gear you're carrying and you'll almost definitely be exceeding 7700 lbs. Even if you weren't, your tongue weight and whatever you're carrying in the Audi will almost definitely exceed its payload capacity.

I'm a big proponent of using German SUVs up to/slightly over their rated specs but this probably goes too far. Then again, if you're not hitting highway speeds, you'll most likely be fine.

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I launch the above referenced 23 MXZ making short trips from storage with a 2003 Sequoia, 6,500 tow rating.  The boat does drag the Sequoia backwards down the ramp with all tires sliding sometimes.  But if you go down straight and keep is slow it is not too scary.  Just be straight so If you slide backwards you are not at risk of going off the edge.  That is another whole thing.  I have never had the rig keep sliding but I am pretty sure as the boat enters the water that would stop regardless.

The Sequoia is 2WD and has spun a little coming up ramps, I DO NOT back down ramps have sand present.  Pretty positive would need help from a real truck in that case.  I agree that tires and ramp surface could make going down or up unsafe.

In Atlanta Ga Enterprise Commercial has 3/4 ton trucks for rent, no special license required, 480 monies for a three day rental, I will tow with the Sequoia a few miles in a 45 zone otherwise I get a 3/4 ton.

So overall a bad idea that you should not do but will more than likely be Ok doing ........

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Don't guess.  Take it to a CAT scale, for sure.  Otherwise all your decision making is based on hopes, dreams and fake factory numbers.  

  • Like 3
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  • 2 weeks later...

FYI I tow my 18 23LSV with my Cayenne GTS all the time - zero issues.  Don’t know the weight differential between the LSV and the MXZ, but my tow rating is close to your Audi.  I have had no problems backing down the ramp, launching, and pulling my boat out when needed.  Yeah, I have a V8, but rating is about the same. 

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I've towed our 2021 LSV 23' with a Q7 with 7700 towing capacity.  Just to be sure I went to a CAT scale and the boat loaded up was 6520#.  I still take it easy, but so far it's been a great tow vehicle for my setup and towing needs.  Boat lives on a lift all summer, so I just tow short distances 2x/year.

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I tow our 2015 23 LSV with a 2016 VW Touareg TDI, and have done so for 5 years. The German engines, chassis, brakes, and drivetrains are quite stout. I have had no problems or sketchy moments. 6” raise hitch gets our trailer level.

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  • 1 year later...

Im thinking about cayenne / q7 for my 2019 25 LSV ... IVe towed it with my Durango R/T 8400 lbs tow and it was perfectly fine ... but I wonder if 25 LSV on a 7700 lb tow capacity would be bad... prob would tow only very limited, but i would like to pull it up to mountain lake about 100 miles couple times a year.  Otherwise it would just be from ramp to storage, about 1/8 mile

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 "but I wonder if 25 LSV on a 7700 lb tow capacity would be bad"

 

I would not personally be wondering about this--the answer for me is yes--but my tolerance for the excitement created by unnecessary risk taking has lessened with age.  I think the German SUVs make very good tow vehicles with excellent brakes and suspension but that boat is too heavy.  Reports are that boat will scale at 8000 lbs. or more depending on options and gear, which puts you over total weight rating and hitch carry rating before you put any people or gear in the tow rig, which will then likely put you over payload rating if you carry a load of passengers.    

 

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On 9/10/2022 at 10:30 AM, Sixer said:

I've towed our 2021 LSV 23' with a Q7 with 7700 towing capacity.  Just to be sure I went to a CAT scale and the boat loaded up was 6520#.  I still take it easy, but so far it's been a great tow vehicle for my setup and towing needs.  Boat lives on a lift all summer, so I just tow short distances 2x/year.

Was boat full of fuel and coolers for the day? My 2018 LSV23 on cat scale was 7,250. That is tongue weight also. Some forget to unhook from truck to weigh and the tongue weight is not added. My tongue weight on that total was 800lbs.

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On 9/4/2022 at 2:10 PM, Leftlane said:

FYI I tow my 18 23LSV with my Cayenne GTS all the time - zero issues.  Don’t know the weight differential between the LSV and the MXZ, but my tow rating is close to your Audi.  I have had no problems backing down the ramp, launching, and pulling my boat out when needed.  Yeah, I have a V8, but rating is about the same. 

Cat scale verified weights. Boats full of fuel, coolers and toys for the day. Tongue weights taken from directly under ball hitch on jack stand.                                                                                                            (2018 23LSV total = 7,250 lbs, with 800 lbs. tongue weight)

(2020 24MXZ total = 8,080 lbs. with 700 lbs tongue weight) Thought it would be heavier.

(2023 Supra SL 23'5" total = 8,660 lbs with 900 lbs tongue weight)

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On 10/14/2023 at 9:19 AM, a2t said:

Im thinking about cayenne / q7 for my 2019 25 LSV ... IVe towed it with my Durango R/T 8400 lbs tow and it was perfectly fine ... but I wonder if 25 LSV on a 7700 lb tow capacity would be bad... prob would tow only very limited, but i would like to pull it up to mountain lake about 100 miles couple times a year.  Otherwise it would just be from ramp to storage, about 1/8 mile

Personally 

I think you are crazy. My 2019 25LSV was pushing 10k. The 25LSV would pull my Ram 3500 down the ramp if I wasn’t careful(Our ramp is very steep) 

there have been multiple posts on here about 25LSV being heavy and even carrying a Tahoe down the ramp 

@IXFE @Stevo @Pnwrider

I think @hethj7 scaled his over 9k 

YMMV 

Edited by Sparky450
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10 hours ago, Sparky450 said:

Personally 

I think you are crazy. My 2019 25LSV was pushing 10k. The 25LSV would pull my Ram 3500 down the ramp if I wasn’t careful(Our ramp is very steep) 

there have been multiple posts on here about 25LSV being heavy and even carrying a Tahoe down the ramp 

@IXFE @Stevo @Pnwrider

I think @hethj7 scaled his over 9k 

YMMV 

Mine scaled at 8900 when I had the 25. I wouldn't tow it with anything less than a 3/4 ton. I believe the tongue was 900-1000 lbs. That was normal gear load, no cooler and a full tank of gas. 

Edited by JeffK
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