@Ice-9
You can even go caravanning with a Golf
The Autumn break is just around the corner – and with it comes an end to the camping and caravanning season. But before it’s too cold, there is time for one last big trip: Whether you take the caravan all the way to Lake Garda in Italy, or spend a long weekend camping close to your hometown –...www.volkswagen-newsroom.com
Apparently I need to explain that approval in European markets does not mean there is approval in the US.
The fact that the 2019 Golf Sportwagen was prohibited from towing by VW of America is the root of this discussion ( I apologize to the OP for the unintended and ongoing thread hijack ).
I wrote ( above ) that I wanted a link which contained towing approval info that applied to the US market. We don't use the word "caravan" in the US, and this implies that the link you provided applies to the European market, but may not necessarily apply to the US market.
It's worth noting that in the link you provided VW specifies a maximum of an 8% grade and the trailer MUST have its own brakes. Those of us who have done considerable towing will understand that VW is aware that using a Golf to tow such a heavy and large load is a dodgy proposition, but VW's goal is to SELL CARS, and VW knows that if they tell you towing is a bad idea you might not buy their car. So VW is going to tell you what you want to hear. It's up to the end user to determine whether something, while permissible, is a good idea or not ( many stories that have unfortunate endings begin with the soon-to-be victim facing such a quandary and making a decision which leads to the unfortunate ending ). I'd pay to see you use a Golf to tow that large caravan through the Columbia River Gorge on a windy day. The video of the whole mess flipping multiple times could generate millions of hits on Youtube. ( I've seen a modular home AND the trailer on which it was being transported flipped in those winds, and that load weighed over 50,000 pounds )
If a vehicle is not approved for towing in the US market, there are all sorts of ramifications which could apply if that vehicle is used for towing, ranging from warranty issues to insurance companies refusing to indemnify the insured if the insured towed with a vehicle which was not approved for towing and an accident occurred ; this last point could result in financial ruin, so it is a LONG way from being trivial unless you have no assets to protect.
I actually think VW of America did me a favor when they prohibited towing with the Golf Sportwagen. I'm going to end up buying a used Mercedes E350 4Matic wagon, which will be a better car in ways that matter and which IS approved for towing.
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