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Mon Jun 02, 2014 7:10 pm

Okay, I did a few Searches and couldn't find a specific Thread about towing or pulling a camper with a Vanagon.

So, does anyone have a link that might provide some insight as to what people have towed and how it handled.

I plan to tow/pull an 8 foot 1250 lb Popup Camper with my Tin-top Vanagon with the ALH TDI engine. I have no doubt that it will pull the weight but how will it handle?

The Popup is used and new to me. We pulled it home with my Blazer. We are in the process of cleaning it and getting it ready for an in-state inspection as part of the process of getting the title.

So, at this point, I've not pulled it with the Vanagon. I have pulled a small trailer loaded with 1500 lbs of drywall with no problems, but that was very low profile for a relatively short distance.

We plan to head north to Alaska on 7/7/2014.

I will be doing a Road Trip Thread in the TDI Club.

Any thoughts and/or suggestions about towing/pulling will be appreciated.

Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:08 pm

Pulling the weight is one thing. Stopping the weight is another, and far more important. 1250#s is really more like 1700-2000#s once you ad camping stuff, water, food, beer, passengers, dogs etc... 1250 is dry weight with no stuff or people. Not saying you cant do it, just saying make sure you do it safely. Look into bigger brakes and good suspension components, possibly even trailer brakes. Some have done it but be aware of those that say a stock Vanagon will tow that weight all day long. Do the right mods and go for it!

Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:18 pm

candyman wrote: Pulling the weight is one thing. Stopping the weight is another, and far more important. 1250#s is really more like 1700-2000#s once you ad camping stuff, water, food, beer, passengers, dogs etc... 1250 is dry weight with no stuff or people. Not saying you cant do it, just saying make sure you do it safely. Look into bigger brakes and good suspension components, possibly even trailer brakes. Some have done it but be aware of those that say a stock Vanagon will tow that weight all day long. Do the right mods and go for it!

Really good advice!!!

Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:21 pm

Be sure you follow the rule of about 15% of the total weight being on the hitch to prevent it from swaying. Also a sway control bar would be a good idea as well as having brakes on the trailer so that it isn't pushing you when you stop or go downhill (That would also mean a brake controller installed in the cab). Also, be sure the trailer tires are rated for the weight (remember the weight of the load is dynamic, i.e. it changes with bouncing, cornering etc. Overkill is not a bad idea when it comes to trailer tires).

If it's a full size (width) Pop-up camper, you will probably want wider mirrors too as it will be much wider than your Vanagon. I have seen full width pop-ups on 4 foot wide trailers and they look very susceptible to rolling over so that's something to think about also.

Remember, the last thing you ever want to see is the trailer passing you up going down the road.

Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:24 pm

make sure that you have the right/strong hitch, adequate braking power, fresh or near fresh shocks absorber...

Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:46 pm

All of the above is good advice.

Here is a thread that may help you see what others are towing. YMMV.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=413266&highlight=tow

Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:46 am

when it comes to head to AK the other issue you will encounter is the road. The upheavals related to the freeze/thaw. You will find areas where it's up and down in some pretty dramatic ways for many, many miles. They can sneak up on you and you will find yourself going off a jump, I bent all of my 15 in steelies despite being very careful.
Personally, I would not want to be pulling a camper with a van, it's just not heavy duty enough for those conditions.IMO.

Tue Jun 03, 2014 7:59 am

tschroeder0 wrote: when it comes to head to AK the other issue you will encounter is the road. The upheavals related to the freeze/thaw. You will find areas where it's up and down in some pretty dramatic ways for many, many miles. They can sneak up on you and you will find yourself going off a jump, I bent all of my 15 in steelies despite being very careful.
Personally, I would not want to be pulling a camper with a van, it's just not heavy duty enough for those conditions.IMO.

I tend to agree with tshroeder0. I don't think a trip to Alaska should be done with an unproven rig. Trailers bounce around a lot and take a lot of abuse on rough roads, especially a single axle trailer. A double axle one will mean that much more weight you will be hauling beyond the 1250# plus your gear.

I just did a quick search for a 10' x 60" wide tandem trailer and it was over 1100 lbs.

I've never driven to Alaska but I have pulled a trailer that weighs 2500# to Baja several times with a Dodge Pickup and realize what it takes since the Baja road is not anywhere near smooth and has lots of hills and potholes.

In my opinion, camping in a Vanagon is one of those beautifully simple things that should not be made over complicated by trying to do too much with it.

Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:08 am

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

Few more things I failed to mention.

The camper is not equipped with brakes. I suppose it is possible to have a retrofit done.

The Van is equipped with new (about 20k miles) front rotors & pads, new rear drums & shoes and all new brake hoses, as well as new master cylinder and rear wheel cylinders. Fairly new gas shocks on the Van.

The Vanagon (mine) weighs 3640 lbs with a full tank of fuel.

I've driven the Alaska Highway 7 times since 1986 in the ol' trusty Air-cooled '83 VW Vanagon.

I have considered installing a rear sway bar.

Well, once I get the camper tagged and insured, we plan to do several test drives to see how it handles. And, we do have a plan B.... Tenting the way! :D

Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:12 am

Those who know a bit about Andy's history know knowledge of the road to Alaska is NOT an issue !

Those with an ALH in their van know power is NOT an issue.

But I add my vote to towing that much weight over that distance not being a good idea.
To concerns about brakes I would add some about the transmission.

Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:18 am

You guys are wusses! :wink:

Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:52 am

PDXWesty wrote: You guys are wusses! :wink:

:) I'd love to see that van try to tow that camper across the Astoria Bridge - or across Hwy 3 here in BC... :roll:

Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:50 am

As regards to trailer brakes, I used to tow my 14" aluminum boat to Baja. The whole rig, boat, trailer, and motor plus gasoline and fishing gear weighed about 1000#. The trailer did not have brakes. I was towing with a Dodge Dakota with a 4 Wheel pop top camper and a 318 V-8. Twice I remember having to make emergency stops and the momentum of the boat just about wrecked me. Now I tow a heavier trailer and truck, but the trailer has brakes. It makes all the difference in the world as I don't have to count on my tow vehicle brakes to stop the whole thing.

When towing, you need to set up for worst case scenarios to avoid a wreck. How it handles on a smooth freeway is one thing, but how it handles in an emergency situation is what will keep you safe.

Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:53 am

After towing with and without air-adjust shocks, I would never go back to non-adjustable if towing any significant distance.

Rear air shocks are cheap and easy to install (maybe $60 on amazon). The effect of tongue weight on handling is pronounced. By leveling (or even raking forward) the van, air-assist shocks will also return more of the braking to the front brakes (vs wallowing brakes when the back of the van is squatting down).

I HATE the feeling of going down the road nose-high. Way too floaty and dangerous.

Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:07 am

AndyBees wrote: The camper is not equipped with brakes.

I wouldn't even consider towing a trailer that heavy, that far, without trailer brakes, especially if the tow vehicle is a Vanagon with stock brakes.

When you do your test-drive, be sure to go to some place open and without traffic (big empty parking lot, deserted road) and attempt a decent-paced panic stop with that trailer. If my van's brakes (which have been upgraded from stock) are any indication, it'll be a rather scary experience. :shock:

Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:37 pm

Okay, finally, I got the registration and tags for the Popup.

Thanks for all the suggestions, questions, concerns, encouragement, etc.

Seems the ability to brake is the issue of most concern.

Well, I don't think this Camper can be retrofitted with brakes. However, I've found some on eBay thru an RV dealer that claim to work with any Popup camper without brakes.... So, I plan to look into them via a local RV dealer. also, I'm considering the option of upgrading the brakes on the Vanagon.

The Vangon has 215/75/15 inch tires which is little more rubber on the road. The rims have 34 ET if I recall correctly [purchased from Van-Cafe].

Any, it looks as if there is no need for air shocks as the Van doesn't droop with the tongue weight of the camper (full propane and deep cycle battery sitting on the tongue).

Question, has anyone installed a rear sway bar? If so, was there any noticeable benefit(s)?

Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:07 pm

Well, I did a test drive of just a little over 32 miles. Round trip, the road involved just over 10 miles of blacktop county road that I could only run in 3rd gear. The other 22 miles involved a winding and hilly two-lane state highway with one new five mile section. I did a loop and never covered the new section on the return.

So, I'm impressed but do see where the braking can be iffy! It pulled good on the hills, handled well in the wavey ups and downs in a few bad sections of road. I got it up to 65 mph in the new section with no problem at all. A 1.5 mile hill on the new section was handled well by the ALH TDI engine.... boost stayed at or above 17 psi.

I run ScanGauge as I have the OBD port set-up. The overall average on the test run was 25.9 MPG. The ScanGauge average is pretty much with the GPS confirmed MPGs from tank to tank of fuel. So, considering I drove 1/3 of the miles in 3rd gear, I'm impressed. It typically gets 32 to 34 MPG from tank to tank of mixed driving.

As for brakes on the camper, I’ve found everything necessary to install, including controller. So, I guess trailer brakes are now on my bucket list!

Mon Jun 09, 2014 6:50 pm

You might want to invest in exhaust gas pyrometer to prevent valve burnup on long hills.

Mon Jun 09, 2014 10:25 pm

Gnarlodious wrote: You might want to invest in exhaust gas pyrometer to prevent valve burnup on long hills.

Already have an EGT gauge along with several other gauges. And, I can also check several different engine functions with ScanGauge.

Burning an exhaust valve is the least of my worries!

Tue Jun 10, 2014 3:04 am

I notice no significant rise in EGT when towing. Towing doesn't add any more fuel. I regularly tow with my diesel Vanagon, long distance too, I towed from Tennessee to Nova Scotia with a 2200 pound of VW parts on a trailer. I did check my tranny temperature, no issues. I have big brakes, and a factory Westfalia trailer hitch. I'd do it again if I need to.
Jeff