Disclaimer:
I am not responsible for how you
tow. If you do not use a DOT approved hitch and safety chains you can do
expensive damage, hurt or kill yourself and/or someone else.
Lets get started!
Q. Has the North American
OEM allroad hitch really been discontinued?
A.Yes
Q. Can I still buy it somewhere?
A. Probably not, however very rarely one will surface on
Ebay or Craigslist.
Q. Can I have someone make a copy of the OEM hitch for my
allroad?
A. Probably not. The hitch is very heavy duty and has
several bends. Several shops have been approached to make a
copy of the hitch, they all have similar concerns; the heavy
duty bends (they don't have the machinery required), patent
infringement (making a copy of a patented part), ambulance
chasers (modifying the bumper).
Q. Are there any readily available aftermarket allroad
hitches?
A. Yes, there are plenty, Curt is one popular brand
available at U-Haul.
Q. Are the aftermarket hitches as nice as the OEM
version.
A. No, all the aftermarket hitches are Class I (2000
lbs) and mount underneath the car. The NA OEM allroad hitch
is Class II (3500 lbs) and installs IN the bumper. Because
the OEM hitch mounts in the bumper, when you remove the
ball, the hitch is invisible and does not reduce ground
clearance. All the aftermarket hitches are visible all the
time and reduce ground clearance by about 2 inches.
Q. Are there any Class II or better hitches available
that mount in the OEM location?
A. Yes, but they are only available in Europe.
Q. What hitches are available in Europe?
A. The
EU OEM allroad hitch is still available, it is made by
Westfalia (EU Audi Part # 4Z7092156). Bosal also makes a
hitch that mounts in the OEM location. Both of the European
hitches are similar to Class III DOT rated hitches (5000
lbs), completely hidden and do not reduce ground clearance
when not in use. (obviously no EU hitches are DOT rated.)
Q. How can I buy a hitch that is only available in
Europe?
A. A European parts importer can import it for you. It
is best to try and find a local importer, otherwise you have
to pay shipping twice. If you can not find a local importer,
PGPerformance in BC has imported several of the OEM Audi
hitches at a very competitive price (~$750). Shipping from
PG performance to your door step can range from free to
$100.
Q. What are the differences between the NA and EU allroad
hitches?
A. I did a write-up comparing them
here.
Q. The Westfalia and the Bosal are about the same price,
which one should I buy?
A. The Bosal has a spot to hook safety chains but the
Westfalia
looks cooler :P The Westfalia is also the EU OEM Audi
hitch.
Q. Can I use safety chains if I buy the Westfailia?
A. Yes, you can
fab a place to hook the chains or just hook them on the
tie down U-hook, but be WARNED! neither will probably stop a
heavy runaway trailer.
Q. What size ball do the EU hitches have?
A. The only ball size used in Europe is 50mm (crazy
Europeans don't see the benefit of having 7 different
sizes!) 50mm is between 1 7/8" and 2". Several single axle
trailers have a tongue that works with 1 7/8" AND 2" balls,
so the 50mm ball works great for these.
Q. Does the EU OEM hitch lock?
A. Yes. It comes with two keys.
Q. How long does it take an EU hitch to get here after I
order it?
A. Depends on how much you pay, and whether it's in
stock, AW'ers have experienced 4 days to 10 weeks.
Q. Do I need to install a wiring harness?
A. Only if you have a 2001 allroad. 2002 forward all
come pre-wired for hitches.
Q.If I order an EU hitch, is there anything else I need?
A. You will also need the 12 to 4 pin dongle to convert
the end of your cars wiring harness to the std. flat 4-pin
trailer electrical connection. (there is nothing wiring
related included with the EU hitches.) Cheapest place to get
this is
genuineaudiparts.com. Part number ZAW808003. If you can
not find it on their site give them a call and tell them the
part number.
Q. According to
www.EuropeanWebsiteThatDoesNotShipToTheUS.com I also need to
buy a bumper reinforcement part to install the EU hitch.
Do I really need this?
A. No, as long as you are willing to drill out some nuts in
your new hitch. US allroads come with a bumper reinforcement
part that works with the hitches. The only thing is, EU
hitches have nuts welded on top of the holes where the bolts
from the bumper reinforcement slide through the hitch. Some
have sawed off the nuts, I simply drilled out the threads
(3/8" bit iirc) so the bolts would slide through; takes
about .5 seconds per nut.
Q. I found a used hitch, but it doesn't come with any
bolts. Can I reuse the bolts in my car now?
A. No, there are not enough and the hitch should be
installed with much higher quality bolts; six M10x1x100
grade 8 bolts are required and hard to find. You will
probably have to special order them.
Q. Can I install the hitch myself?
A. Yes, plan on at about 4-10 beers. Here is the
allroadFAQ write-up Here is the
NA Audi install instructions. Here are the absolutely
worthless
EU install instructions.
Updated 09-12-2007 Remember you are making these modifications at your
own risk. The author or this website disavows any knowledge of your
actions... this HTML will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good Luck Jim. |
