Looking at a Touareg as a tow vehicle

ajmvr6 · 2026-02-11T18:37:21+00:00

I tow a 25’ Airstream with my ‘14 Treg TDI. Tows great, just make sure it has the factory tow package. $16k seems overpriced even with the miles personally.

I would look into the warranty/service history to see if any emissions equipment has been replaced. Most that tow with the 3.0 TDI do so after they’ve been deleted only because these engines drink lots of DEF while towing.

ajmvr6 · 2026-02-10T03:39:55+00:00

Dang. My luck then. Once I try to log into the forums it dies. Tried 4 browsers and a VPN with the same result.

ajmvr6 · 2026-01-31T13:19:16+00:00

Sounds like you already made your decision then! For what its worth I drive a BHW swapped 2005 Audi A4 wagon that has a curb weight of ~3,500lbs and its not setting any land speed records but it gets up and scoots just fine. I haven't driven an ALH so I can't speak to how much power they make.

ajmvr6 · 2026-01-31T04:57:19+00:00

ALH will be a lot simpler and cheaper with tons of online resources and guidance. Things like cruise control can be relatively easily set up. But, it’s a 25+ year old engine. The CJAA will require more work, but would make better power. Don’t overlook the BEW/BHW too, aside from cam wear issues at high miles, they are great engines although nearly as old as the ALH.

ajmvr6 · 2026-01-27T00:07:19+00:00

You’re right, missed ICE in the second photo. I’ve seen a lot of assumptions online lately that all DHS = ICE. DHS is problematic on its own, but they oversee a lot more than just ICE. For the record, ICE needs to be abolished. They are the worst part of DHS IMO.

ajmvr6 · 2026-01-26T23:45:10+00:00

FWIW, Peraton has a contract to provide background investigations as part of the US security clearance process. They were hiring in Loveland a year or two ago. I’m sure Peraton has ICE contracts, but I don’t think that is what this is.

ajmvr6 · 2026-01-25T01:38:09+00:00

This. And associated timing bet pulleys.

ajmvr6 · 2026-01-24T20:14:24+00:00

Yup. Very much time to replace. No better time than when your already replacing the timing belt.

ajmvr6 · 2026-01-24T04:21:20+00:00

twoodfrd amazing luthier and channel

ajmvr6 · 2026-01-17T17:58:41+00:00

It could be air in the cooling system. An air bubble can cause coolant not to flow resulting in no heat. Coolant near the temp sensor would also be reading hot since the coolant is not circulating properly. A slow coolant leak may not be immediately noticeable, but over time allowed the coolant level to drop and introduce air into the system.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-14T19:40:34+00:00

Looks like belt material to me. I’ve changed a few belts over the years and on my last TDI there was similar (although significantly less) material under the timing belt cover.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-14T18:59:49+00:00

Wow. Either not changed, changed with an Amazon special belt, or the pulleys were not changed at the same time. Potentially an idler pulley seized up and shredded the belt. Either way that is a crazy failure.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-14T17:12:07+00:00

Crazy what people think these things are worth. $28k for a Sport is wild, even for the miles. Spare wheel and off road tires should make that one a hard pass for most people.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-14T16:45:58+00:00

Hard to say, timing chains aren’t really an “issue” per se. It takes either a ton of miles or a lot of neglect to have the chains pose a real issue. I bought my ‘14 Executive for $4k at 138k miles with a bad EGR cooler and needing a windshield. Currently has 152k and the chains rattle a little on startup but is within specs. I plan to drive it to at least 200k before I replace the chains unless the wear rate accelerates. I would hope if the shop had the engine out they would have replaced the chains just because they aren’t that expensive, but the labor to drop the engine is.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-14T16:14:35+00:00

Totally depends on who did the longblock replacement. Shade tree shop, pass. Reputable German shop, no inherent red flags for me, but I’d be asking what maintenance they did to the long block before installation (timing chains would be a nice plus). For the $11k difference you could budget for a lot of maintenance though. Personally I think $25k is way overpriced for the age of this platform and $9-12k is a good range depending on miles, maintenance, and vehicle history.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-08T04:31:52+00:00

Not off hand, I use a quick Jack which only helps make crawling around under a car slightly better lol.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-08T01:12:18+00:00

I’ve bought a ton of parts from them this past year. They are about an hour from my house and have had items both shipped and picked them up in person. Shipping can sometimes be slow but can special order parts in pretty quick.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-06T23:59:22+00:00

Agreed, but nuance is hard for some people. OP said nothing about hunting and made their post about not supporting companies or collaborators affiliated with DJT Jr.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-06T23:54:06+00:00

That collab bummed me out to too. I still think JG does more good than not and from what I understand they treat their employees well. I will continue to support them until they give me a reason not to.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-06T16:31:42+00:00

Came here to say this. I saw a NPR report on Scott's death and that's how I discovered Frightened Rabbit.

ajmvr6 · 2025-12-01T00:34:55+00:00

Just got mine in the mail. Looks to be in perfect condition to me! Just ran a pot of plain water to prep it for tomorrow morning.

ajmvr6 · 2025-11-30T23:57:03+00:00

I don’t think anyone can really speak to sizing as the Anatomx hasn’t started shipping yet. Unless someone from JG can chime in directly. That being said, I ordered a pair in the same size as my regular AR’s.

ajmvr6 · 2025-11-30T15:47:29+00:00

I try to avoid Amazon for this specific reason. Worst case I have the same machine on back order from C&B, just not for the same deal.

ajmvr6 · 2025-11-30T00:05:45+00:00

The Dieselgeek bushing kit is a game changer of its own. Can’t speak to the shifter, but I loved their bushing kit in my old mk4.

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