Jeremy Stevenson

All,

I'm trying to find a Class II trailer hitch (3500 lbs) for my Allroad.
Everything available is Class I (2500 lbs) except the trailer hitch
from Audi. The Audi hitch will cost $1,300 ($580 for the hitch, the
rest for an 8 hour install.)

This price seems insane.

Anyone else out there have other suggestions?

-Jeremy

Wolfgang Pawlinetz

On 23 May 2005 12:43:53 -0700, "Jeremy Stevenson"
<jeremy@formulatrix.com> wrote:

>I'm trying to find a Class II trailer hitch (3500 lbs) for my Allroad.
>Everything available is Class I (2500 lbs) except the trailer hitch
>from Audi. The Audi hitch will cost $1,300 ($580 for the hitch, the
>rest for an 8 hour install.)
>
>This price seems insane.
>
>Anyone else out there have other suggestions?

Try a different dealer? Mine took about 5 hours to install, but it IS
tricky:

..) remove bumper
..) remove bumper support bar
..) cut hole in bumper
..) remove _all_ side paneling in the trunk of the car from the hatch
to the rear doors, that partly requires removing the roof liner.
..) remove internal floor in trunk so that the bare metal is
accessible.
..) slide the new hitch bar assembly (the whole thing is U-shaped)
supports into the square receptacles (i.e. load carrying frames) from
rear.
..) use several _FAT_ bolts to screw the hitch bar assembly into the
car frame through factory predrilled holes in the metal trunk floor
..) route harness and interface it with the system harness close to the
rear left lights.
..) don't forget to install that small electronic gadgety box, this is
necessary to match the trailer ligths with the Audi onboard bulb
failure warning system.
..) fit everything together again in reverse order.

I watched. It's a bastard, but once done really looks nice.

Wolfgang Pawlinetz

On 23 May 2005 12:43:53 -0700, "Jeremy Stevenson"
<jeremy@formulatrix.com> wrote:

>I'm trying to find a Class II trailer hitch (3500 lbs) for my Allroad.
>Everything available is Class I (2500 lbs) except the trailer hitch
>from Audi. The Audi hitch will cost $1,300 ($580 for the hitch, the
>rest for an 8 hour install.)
>
>This price seems insane.
>
>Anyone else out there have other suggestions?

Try a different dealer? Mine took about 5 hours to install, but it IS
tricky:

..) remove bumper
..) remove bumper support bar
..) cut hole in bumper
..) remove _all_ side paneling in the trunk of the car from the hatch
to the rear doors, that partly requires removing the roof liner.
..) remove internal floor in trunk so that the bare metal is
accessible.
..) slide the new hitch bar assembly (the whole thing is U-shaped)
supports into the square receptacles (i.e. load carrying frames) from
rear.
..) use several _FAT_ bolts to screw the hitch bar assembly into the
car frame through factory predrilled holes in the metal trunk floor
..) route harness and interface it with the system harness close to the
rear left lights.
..) don't forget to install that small electronic gadgety box, this is
necessary to match the trailer ligths with the Audi onboard bulb
failure warning system.
..) fit everything together again in reverse order.

I watched. It's a bastard, but once done really looks nice.

Wolfgang Pawlinetz

On 23 May 2005 12:43:53 -0700, "Jeremy Stevenson"
<jeremy@formulatrix.com> wrote:

>I'm trying to find a Class II trailer hitch (3500 lbs) for my Allroad.
>Everything available is Class I (2500 lbs) except the trailer hitch
>from Audi. The Audi hitch will cost $1,300 ($580 for the hitch, the
>rest for an 8 hour install.)
>
>This price seems insane.
>
>Anyone else out there have other suggestions?

Try a different dealer? Mine took about 5 hours to install, but it IS
tricky:

..) remove bumper
..) remove bumper support bar
..) cut hole in bumper
..) remove _all_ side paneling in the trunk of the car from the hatch
to the rear doors, that partly requires removing the roof liner.
..) remove internal floor in trunk so that the bare metal is
accessible.
..) slide the new hitch bar assembly (the whole thing is U-shaped)
supports into the square receptacles (i.e. load carrying frames) from
rear.
..) use several _FAT_ bolts to screw the hitch bar assembly into the
car frame through factory predrilled holes in the metal trunk floor
..) route harness and interface it with the system harness close to the
rear left lights.
..) don't forget to install that small electronic gadgety box, this is
necessary to match the trailer ligths with the Audi onboard bulb
failure warning system.
..) fit everything together again in reverse order.

I watched. It's a bastard, but once done really looks nice.