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So far we are planning on South to KC, then Wichita, AlbQ, on to Phoenix unless the weather says to head south sooner. It is the most direct route, or seems to be.
Maybe this has been brought up before, if so disregard but is the Beetle rated to have a hitch and tow a trailer? Some Uhaul (and many other brand dealerships) will install a hitch on anything, even if the car wasn't designed for it. They shouldn't but many do.
Rather than have UHaul install the hitch, you would be better off having a VW dealer do it. If they decline there is probably a very good reason why they won't do it.
I notice that VW does not make or sell hitches for Beetles.
In some forums you will often hear about how much a car can tow but those comments are usually based on total vehicle cargo capabilities, not design safety.
For your own sake, don't tow with a Beetle if the manufacturer doesn't recommend it. Should something happen, you'll be in for more trouble than you can imagine. None of the people who said it was ok will help you.
While more expensive, if the official position of VW is that the Beetle should not be used for towing, rent a Uhaul truck (even a small one) and pull a trailer with the Beetle on it. It isn't all that difficult.
I know some people will say towing with the Beetle is ok if you keep the weight down and so on. Ask yourself, will they also be there for you if something goes wrong? Everything is great until it isn't and then you stand all alone wondering why you did what you did.
I have decided not to. I will be shipping my stuff...
Good choice! I've done my fair share of towing, and have also owned exclusively, (except for one), German cars in my driving life, spanking over 45 years. I guess Germans just don't tow stuff. There is a wise old saying . . . never purchase a Mercedes with a trailer hitch.
Something to consider . . . when my daughter asked me to fetch her from the east coast and drive her back to the west coast, she had a pretty small car and we purchased a canvas cartop carry bag to haul a whole bunch of her "soft" goods. Mostly clothing and such. I wouldn't do this on my own car, for fear of scratching the paint. But, it's something to consider.
Good choice! I've done my fair share of towing, and have also owned exclusively, (except for one), German cars in my driving life, spanking over 45 years. I guess Germans just don't tow stuff. There is a wise old saying . . . never purchase a Mercedes with a trailer hitch.
Something to consider . . . when my daughter asked me to fetch her from the east coast and drive her back to the west coast, she had a pretty small car and we purchased a canvas cartop carry bag to haul a whole bunch of her "soft" goods. Mostly clothing and such. I wouldn't do this on my own car, for fear of scratching the paint. But, it's something to consider.
Good luck with your move.
I can't strap anything to the top. My car is a convertible
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IMHO, not worth it ruining your car. 1400 miles towing a 4x8 filled with furniture, books, lots of other heavy stuff with an automatic transmission would lead to overheating of the transmission.
I'm moving to FL and facing the same dilemma. I have a 2004 Corolla and decided not to try to tow anything for fear of over-taxing the vehicle. I was thinking of renting a cargo van but you apparently can't rent anything less than a 10' truck for a long-distance move. So then I thought about renting the small truck and towing my car. However, I just don't think I can do it. The drive is long and stressful enough without driving a truck, much less towing a vehicle. So since my son is making the drive with me, my current plan is to rent a mini-van from Budget; have him drive the car with the dogs and I'll drive the van. Not the ideal scenario, as we won't be able to share the driving, but I just don't know how else to do it. I am also getting rid of most of my stuff but I know for sure I won't be able to fit what's left into a Corolla with two adults and two dogs in it.
IMHO, not worth it ruining your car. 1400 miles towing a 4x8 filled with furniture, books, lots of other heavy stuff with an automatic transmission would lead to overheating of the transmission.
Make sure you know your Beetle's tow limit.
I'm not towing now but the plan was never to take any furniture at all. The trailer would have held just boxes of personal stuff like clothes and kitchen stuff...a couple of rugs and lamps. A vacuum. Not much. Not even many books.
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Made the trip (DSM to PHX) at the end of November. The route was south to Amarillo, TX where we spent the night, then west to Albuquerque, then Phoenix. And guess what? Had car trouble (extremely bad shimmy) and stopped in Holbrook AZ to get it checked out (about 3 hours from Phoenix) Turns out I was about to lose the drive shaft on the car! Had I kept going I would have likely lost my transmission, and if I had been pulling a trailer? UGH. That extra weight would have been certain doom!
Spent the night in Holbrook (luckily we found a great shop next to a Denny's and Motel 6) expecting to get out the next morning to finish the trip...nope, the store sent the wrong part! Ended up stuck there from Friday night to Tuesday. 2 people, 2 cats, and 2 dogs in a Motel 6 with nothing nearby, no car to go anywhere. Lots of Denny's and vending machine food. UGH.
But we made it, and let me tell ya, that stretch through Flagstaff was scary enough without the trailer! I could tell the car was struggling to climb...I can't imagine pulling a trailer, too. And the downhill parts? EEK.
So, the moral of the story is, I am glad I did NOT pull a trailer! And I am happy in the Valley of the Sun!
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Which is less mountainous I-10 or I-40. I will be pulling a trailer and want the less strain on my transmission.
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