stealthrt95

Hi All,

New Audi Q7 owner here. After much research and reading on the forums, we purchased a 2017 Q7 Prestige with air suspension to tow a ~4500lbs travel trailer. The Q7 came with the towing package, so I am getting the last few bits to get it ready for our trip to Yellowstone in a couple of weeks. I ordered the lights connector from Amazon to avoid the dealer markup ( . It was a little cheaper on Amazon, but I understand that the Audi installation package includes the quick connect plug so that I don't have to do any splicing (I'll find out tomorrow if that's true). Since the wiring harness plug costs another $20-$30, it was about a wash.

The last thing I need (let me know if I'm missing something) is a ball mount. For those of you that tow travel trailers, what ball mount are you using?

The official Audi part (ZAW092730B) is backordered everywhere, but I was able to order from a nearby dealer for $70 shipped. I also ordered the 2" riser ball from Amazon ( ), which some on here have used to help with the height difference between the ball mount on the Q7 and the coupler on the travel trailer. But I'm not sure if this setup is a great long term solution.
From reading the forums, it seems like others have used the following mounts:

Any others that have been good for towing a travel trailer? Also, for those of you with the air suspension, have you found that you need the 6" riser height to level it out or does the auto leveling suspension go up that far.

Finally, for those of you that are towing at a level between the trailer and Q7, are you using a sway bar? I know to avoid the WDH, but it seems like only some people are using sway bars.

Thanks in advance for your help. This is our first serious move into towing.

stealthrt95

For the benefit of others who are going through the same process of figuring out towing parts and options (and as evidence that I searched before I posted), below are a few of the threads on the forums that I found particularly helpful. Many thanks to those posters!

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q7-...hoped-2935206/
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q7-...owing-3003349/
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q7-...ckage-2940698/

lumpyq7

Get the sway bar. I run a husky friction bar. Weight distribution accomplished by careful packing & keeping track of actual weight.

MoInEd

Be careful about using ball mount where the distance of the top of the ball to the pin is larger than the number Audi requires (check the sticker on your hitch).
Larger distance means more torque and it will greatly reduce the rated hitch capacity. I am not using the standard Audi ball mount but what I did was use a after market ball mount with 2 5/16" ball and drilled another 5/8" hole for the pin so that the ball mount sits further in into the hitch (reduce the distance of the ball to the pin). My distance of the top of the ball to pin is about 20% more than what Audi recommends but I also am not putting a load more than 80% of capacity.

AlbertQ7

I use the Audi ball mount flipped up and the 2" rise ball and it works perfectly FOR MY TRAILER. The amount of drop/rise you need may be different - trailer coupler height varies a lot from model to model, so you need to measure yours to know what you need. Measure distance from the coupler to the ground while the trailer is level. You can measure the distance from the ground to the top of your hitch receiver opening and then figure out what kind of rise you'll need to get your ball to the right spot. You want your trailer level or just BARELY nose down while travelling.

The air suspension will prevent the rear of the Audi from sagging once you are hooked up, so the height you measure won't change significantly once you add the trailer, as opposed to steel springs that sag so people have to compensate for that by adding even more rise to keep the hitch height where they want it.
The air suspensions IS NOT used to adjust the hitch height for towing. Do your measurements in regular (Auto) height, and plan on towing in that mode. Towing will deactivate the "lowering at highway speeds" feature. You do not want to tow in an elevated or off-road mode. Handling isn't as good, and those modes are usually only good for under 25 mph (or other reduced speed). You need to adjust for the trailer height by the ball mount, not suspension.

Agree with the last comment - keep the ball mount distance from the ball to the pin as small as possible. For that reason, the adjustable hitches are fine for lightweight U-haul trailers, but not good for heavier travel trailers as the ball is always further away with those mounts. Use the Audi mount or something similar to the other mount you linked, and perhaps drill a new pin hole closer to get it in further if possible.

Also agree with a sway bar. Use the tab that gets held on with the ball if it fits your mount, otherwise there is a tab that can be welded on to the mount. I think all the friction sway bars are similar, so pick your favorite. Smart even for a dual axles trailer, and should be mandatory for a single-axle trailer, IMHO..

Mdx____

The Weigh Safe is expensive but the best option. It will adjust almost to the factory required distance between the ball and the pin, and you can set whatever height is needed to keep the trailer level.


This thread has all you need to know: https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q7-...-rise-2996650/

AlbertQ7

Really? It looks like the ball to pin distance on that is no less than 8".... that's pretty far from the 6.2" recommendation from Audi. My other issue with that hitch is that I do not see how you can run a sway controller with it. You can't weld a tab to it since it is aluminum, nor will the ball bracket mount work. It is nice to have the scale built in, but I wonder about it's longevity and accuracy considering it will be constantly abused while towing. I bought a separate (Sherline) tongue scale to measure my trailer's tongue weight. It is great to have an adjustable hitch, but be aware that none of them are close the required distance. That said, I have one so I can use it for towing smaller/lighter trailers for odd jobs or boats, but I go with the shorter Audi one with a sway tab welded to it for my travel trailer.

stealthrt95

Thank you for all of the helpful responses.

Would you mind sharing a model number or a link? I'm finding a few different ones.

Which aftermarket ball mount are you using? This is the main debate that I've been having. Do I use the Audi ball mount and consider using a riser ball or do I get a ball mount with a higher drop/rise and drill a hole closer to it? If I get an aftermarket, it also has to have the right angle to fit with a shorter distance.

This is my current plan. The Audi ball mount is on its way as is the 2" rise ball. I figured that would be a good place to start since the cost is fairly low. If the drop is too much, then I can look into getting a safe option with a ball mount that has a higher rise. Seems like the WeighSafe is a popular option. I don't love the idea of paying $300 for it, but given the cost of the SUV and trailer, its pretty minor to have peace of mind. As you noted, however, not sure what to do for sway bar.

For a sway bar, I was thinking about this combination: . Anyone have other setups they are happy with?

We purchased our travel trailer on Friday and will be picking it up on Wednesday. The market is crazy right now! We finally found a Forest River Surveyor Legend 19BHLE. Hoping it works well for the two of us, toddler, and the dog. Dry weight is 3814 lbs and GVWR is 4805 lbs. I'll post a picture when everything comes together. I'll be sure to do appropriate weight balancing. I've also asked the RV dealer to use a tongue weight scale and measure it empty for me when I pick it up.

By the way, the Audi brake controller part # (ZAW055204) does include both the brake controller and the quick connect plug for $125. I haven't connected it yet, but I got both of the Curt parts (#51140 and #51522) in the box from the Audi dealer.

AlbertQ7

I suspect the Audi ball mount and 2" riser ball will not be enough for that trailer. It looks like it sits higher up than my current trailer, which sits lower than most and is level with that combo. This goes against what I said earlier, but with the hope that your trailer tongue weight is truly in the 600-650 lb range when loaded, I would look at an adjustable hitch which will allow for a sway tab and maybe even allow you to drill a hitch pin closer to the shank to get the mount inset as far as possible. I have never used this hitch, but it looks intresting:
https://www.bulletproofhitches.com/c...ty-4-drop-rise

There is an option in the drop-down menu for a dual ball version that has sway control tabs already built in. $250 total with that option, and built in the USA. The Medium Duty is plenty for the Q7, and has a hollow steel shank, so if there is more sticking out than you need you could drill a 3rd hitch-pin hole and get everything in closer. I bet you could email or call them and they could tell you the current pin-ball distance. It will be greater than 6.2" for sure, but if your tongue weight isn't near the 770 max, maybe that doesn't matter. I think I would rather do that compared to towing with the trailer significantly nose down, which is what I think will happen to you with the Audi hitch and 2" rise ball. (All that said, I take no responsibility for any consequences from this advice! )

stealthrt95

Thanks for the detailed advice! The Audi ball mount should be here today or tomorrow, so I'm going to see how much lower it sits and then determine how much of a rise (if more) I need. With an empty trailer, it shouldn't be an issue for the ride home. I'm guessing 80% of owners just slap the U-Haul ball mount on there and never both looking into this. (not suggesting that's the right way or that I'll be doing it).

The mount you linked seems very sturdy, but I'm looking at the diagram right, there is a 11" distance between the closest pin hole and the center of the ball. With the fin that's on the bottom, even when flipped up, I'm not sure if I'd be able to drill a hole much closer, since there is only a 3-1/2" distance between the current closest hole and the start of the fin. Can't believe Audi hasn't actually figured this out and at least recommended an option with a higher rise...They're missing out on up charging us for something already out there.