VW Atlas V6 AWD towing an AR210?

[orionone]

What are your thoughts? The VW Atlas V6 AWD is rated for 5K lbs. The AR210 dry weight on trailer is 4,224 lbs. Too close or safe to tow? Thanks!

 

[2kwik4u]

What your thoughts? The VW Atlas V6 AWD is rated for 5K lbs. The AR210 dry weight on trailer is 4,224 lbs. Too close or safe to tow? Thanks!

It'll probably do it, but you probably won't enjoy it.

You're on the edge once you add people/gear/fuel/etc.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Towing 10 miles or 1,000 miles?

If you go this route, make sure the individual Atlas you spec out or buy can actually tow this amount.

Ditto on the comment above regarding cargo in the tow vehicle. Also, don't forget to check payload capacity of the vehicle, as this will include the trailer/boat tongue weight.

Jim

 

[AZMark]

Not a great idea as your regular setup. @2kwik4u is spot on.

Are you buying the boat or the car? Try it in something comparable (rent or borrow) if you’re thinking of buying that car.

Others will chime in and say you’re fine. I upgraded quickly from a 5k tow vehicle to something larger with my 21fter because I did not enjoy it.

 

[orionone]

Thanks guys, the normal route would be about 18 miles one way. We have the VW Atlas already so we're locked in with the towing vehicle at 5K max. We may have to drop down to the 19 ft boat to be on the safe side (~3600 lbs).

 

[Drag]

We have an Atlas but don’t tow with it. our tow vehicle is a 2007 Suburban. My opinion of the atlas is that it is underpowered to tow With its 6 cyl. I also would be concerned with swaying And braking. Our 24’ sea-ray weighs about 4000-4500lbs and I wouldn’t want to tow with anything less than a suburban sized vehicle.

 

[2kwik4u]

Thanks guys, the normal route would be about 18 miles one way. We have the VW Atlas already so we're locked in with the towing vehicle at 5K max. We may have to drop down to the 19 ft boat to be on the safe side (~3600 lbs).

18miles isn't bad. If you're on "backroads" and stay off the expressway it's probably not going to be too hairy of a trip. Go slow, take your time, consider a second vehicle for people and gear for the short trip.

For reference, my '17 AR190 scaled just over 3,100lbs this spring. Had a full tank of fuel, and all our "stuff" we've accumulated over 5 seasons of use. A 195S might be just a shade heavier, but you'll be well within range of the Atlas at that level.....I've towed ours with a Chevy Traverse rated at 5,200lbs. It was.....well....meh in general. It did OK with just 2 adults 2 kids and the dog. When we went to 4 adults, 3 kids, the dog, and 3 coolers, then tossed a full tank of fuel in the boat and the Traverse, THEN tried to do that on a 97deg August afternoon.....It struggled. Plenty of chassis and brakes, power was marginal (285hp/270ft-lb), but cooling was an issue. You could watch the trans, coolant, and oil temps surge on uphills when the trans dropped from 6th to 3rd and ran the RPM up to maintain 55mph. Again, it did it, but I wasn't real comfortable pushing it at that level. I wouldn't want to take the fam damily AND a 21ft boat in that vehicle.

Conversely, I drug my AR190 to FL and back in June. Towing with the new Audi Q7 was no problem. Not sure if the Atlas has the same ZF8HP (8spd Automatic) transmission or not, but that trans had no issues. Atlas looks like it has 276hp/266ft-lb, Q7 has 333hp/325ft-lb, so there is a significant increase in power there. Q7 is rated at 7,700lb and Atlas at 5,000lb. I've had better experience with European vehicles in terms of power delivery and cooling capacity than I have US vehicles. I generally think US is a bit overrated and European are bit underrated. During our FL trip we had the boat packed like a utility trailer for a week on the beach, then 3 adults and 2 kids in the car with all the luggage. Plenty of chassis, brakes were fantastic, and it never broke a sweat under load even in the FL heat with the A/C cranked to 11 most days........Your Atlas may very well do ok.

The question I would be asking is. "How much do I love the Atlas". If it's your forever car and you love it. Drop down to a 19ft for lots of frequent tows, or consider storing the 21ft closer to the ramp at your local launch. If the Atlas just happens to be what you have, then I would be figuring out how to stretch it for a season, and looking at an upgraded tow vehicle for the next season.

I know of people that tow a 24ft Rinker (much heavier than a 24ft Yamaha) with a minivan. They store the boat less than 2 miles from the ramp, and do that 1-2 trips a weekend in the summer. It's not great, but it works for them. When they took a trip to Cumberland for a week last year, they rented a Sequoia for the trip from the local Toyota dealership.

Just some food for thought.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Since you already have the Atlas, maybe it would be worthwhile to see if there is a VW or Atlas forum, especially one that has discussions on towing with this vehicle. There could be quirks or upgrades that other owners have done to make the vehicle better for towing even on these short trips.

I would also heed the comment above about avoiding towing on the expressway. Being the slowest vehicle on the freeway, may make you want to drive faster, which could quickly get you out of your safe zone

Jim

 

[Drag]

Thanks guys, the normal route would be about 18 miles one way. We have the VW Atlas already so we're locked in with the towing vehicle at 5K max. We may have to drop down to the 19 ft boat to be on the safe side (~3600 lbs).

This is only my opinion, so take it for what it’s worth: if I was locked into the atlas, I would still get the 21’. i originally wanted to get a 19‘ but after looking at it and seeing it ride in the water, I thought it was too small for my families and friends. It’s easier to get a new car in 5 years than a boat.

 

[Dfred]

VW? Do You Have A Tow Package Installed?… there is a difference between a factory installed package and an aftermarket package. It will matter. Concur with @Jim_in_Delaware - check with Atlas forums

Do not recommend compromise on the boat… “buy your second boat first” if possible. The 21 2-axel also has brakes…. That should factor into decision also. We love love love our AR210, even though it’s an older ‘09.

We tow the AR210 on top capacity edge of a Honda Pilot 4x4 with factory tow package (trans cooler etc). We added Timbren rear suspension kit (and DIY upgraded the rear shocks …. and all bushings, all brakes; consider springs also if needed). After being Honda for years , and loading and towing a bunch - we knew the rear was way soft and saggy. The upgrades was a definite must for every good reason. Had Firestone airbag in another and prefer the Timbren bushing system. Stay DIY ahead of all oil, brake, trans, tires - maintenance and replacement. Check your tires (upgrades may be needed for capacity) and inflation at proper max for loads.

Drive smart and safely. Eventually you’ll replace the tow vehicle (Expedition here we come… someday). Get and keep the boat you want.

 

[AZMark]

Agree with others, don’t compromise on the boat for the tow vehicle.

 

[Andisimose]

I have an atlas selP with the factory tow package and an 2014 ar210. For the last two years we towed with it. Mostly about 20 mile round trip between us and the lake. A few longer trips 200-300 miles.

It did the job, was never worried about braking, it was a little sluggish going up steep inclines on the backroads. The boat is definitely king in that scenario. You can tell it’s back there. We will be upgrading tow vehicles at some point.

I say all this to conclude that it could tow the 210 for you, so if that’s the boat you want get it.

 

[orionone]

Sorry I wasn’t getting notifications for these posts! Thanks for all the feedback! The Atlas has a factory tow package with the additional factory cooling. I’m not sure if it’s the same transmission as the Q7 but it is an 8 speed.

I did check out the VW forums as suggested above and many people do tow campers with them close to max. The drawback is not being able to install a weight distribution hitch on these unibody vehicles.

All good points about upgrading the tow vehicle later. I guess the issue now is if they do away with the 21’s and go 22 feet on the 2022 models, it will no longer fit in the garage. So I guess we’ll have to wait until model release next month to know for sure.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

My new garage will be 28' deep. If you leave the keys your can store it there!

Jim

 

[Enduro900]

What are your thoughts? The VW Atlas V6 AWD is rated for 5K lbs. The AR210 dry weight on trailer is 4,224 lbs. Too close or safe to tow? Thanks!

Just a follow-up on this thread (might be too late). IF you got the 21ft, and are keeping the Atlas, I would invest in a transmission cooler and also look into upgrading the trailer brakes to electric, and get an integrated trailer brake controller.

My big hobby in the winter time is snowmobiling, and you wont find surge brakes on large snowmobile trailers anymore (only electric).

Those two suggestions and you’ll be fine even on long trips at reasonable speeds. Boats also cut the wind better than enclosed snowmobile trailers, and of course the roads are in much better shape in the summer lol…..

Those investments are both less money then buying a larger tow vehicle…..and don’t buy a smaller boat.

 

[orionone]

This forum is awesome, I really appreciate all the feedback! After a lot of consideration, we decided to upgrade the tow vehicle, we’ll now have up to 8K towing capacity. It didn’t make sense to tow at 90-95% capacity, safety being our priority. And now we’ll have the flexibility of towing on longer trips and bring additional passengers if needed.

 

[Enduro900]

This forum is awesome, I really appreciate all the feedback! After a lot of consideration, we decided to upgrade the tow vehicle, we’ll now have up to 8K towing capacity. It didn’t make sense to tow at 90-95% capacity, safety being our priority. And now we’ll have the flexibility of towing on longer trips and bring additional passengers if needed.

Haha so you decided to go the most expensive route (lol). Its funny how we now all drive huge trucks everyday so we can tow our toys a few weekends a month (we just upgrade my wife’s perfectly fine/reliable Jeep Commander to an Infinity QX80 so we could pack more crap and tow heavier toys lol (but I must admit this thing tows perfectly).

Just glad you didnt compromise on the boat

 

[orionone]

Haha so you decided to go the most expensive route (lol). Its funny how we now all drive huge trucks everyday so we can tow our toys a few weekends a month (we just upgrade my wife’s perfectly fine/reliable Jeep Commander to an Infinity QX80 so we could pack more crap and tow heavier toys lol (but I must admit this thing tows perfectly).

Just glad you didnt compromise on the boat

Yeah haha, it depends on how you look at it I guess, it could be much more expensive getting in an accident because we overshot payload or GCWR. With two little ones, it’s peace of mind. Plus towing heavier toys in the future haha ?

 

[Enduro900]

Yeah haha, it depends on how you look at it I guess, it could be much more expensive getting in an accident because we overshot payload or GCWR. With two little ones, it’s peace of mind. Plus towing heavier toys in the future haha ?

Actually I was going to add that in my last statement…..now you are all set for when you upgrade to a larger boat

Frankly, a few mpg’s are a small sacrifice for vehicle room on trips. Big SUV’s just can’t be beat for families….not to mention my wife is telling me now everyone moves out of her way in the left lane on the highway

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

@orionone, don't keep up in suspense, what did you end up getting!

Jim