MoInEd

If you get the Audi ball mount flip it over (to give you some rise) and most likely you need to swap the ball with a 2 5/16" one. Then measure the distance from top of the ball to pin and compare with what the requirement is. I'd scale back the hitch rating by that same ratio (e.g. if the distance is 1.2 of what Audi specifies then don't go over the 770/1.2 rating and try to stay below that).

stealthrt95

I got the Audi ball mount tonight with the 2" riser ball that is 2 5/16". I wasn't able to get the original ball off (I'll have to go get a large enough socket to use the crowbar), but when I put the riser ball on the surface of the ball mount (with it flipped over to give rise not drop), it came up to about the middle of my knee. When I measured the trailer coupler at level, it was to the top of my knee, so we're talking about a difference of about 1" or 1.5". That seems VERY minor. I'll see how it is on Wednesday when I pick up the trailer, but I'm not sure what I'd gain from another ball mount. Best case scenario, I get one with similar distance from pin to the center of the ball and 1-2" higher.

I also got the brake controller installed, I believe. The decimal point lit up, so hopefully that's good to go. Unfortunately, I won't be able to fully test it until a trailer is hooked up.

stealthrt95

How did you attach the 2" rise ball to your Audi ball mount? The Curt 400356 2" rise ball (which is the only one I can find in their catalog) is a 1-1/4" shank diameter. The Audi ball mount shank diameter is only 1".

Is your trailer coupler a 2" ball diameter or a 2-5/16" diameter?

AlbertQ7

2-5/16" diameter. Someone else on here mentioned that issue. I wasn't aware and honestly do not know how it got put on there. I had brought the ball and mount to a trailer repair shop since I didn't have tools big enough for the proper torque at the time and since I wanted them to weld the sway control tab to the mount. I guess they must have drilled and tapped the mount for the larger shank diameter and not even told me what they had to do! Sorry. I would call around to find someone that can do that for you.

ang934

If you buy the Audi hitch, it comes with a 2" ball. That fits things like Jetskis, flatbed trailers, etc. If you have a travel trailer, you'll most likely need a 2 5/16" ball. The Audi hitch needs a ball with 1" diameter threads. If you add a plate so you can add an anti-sway device, then you will need a thread length of 2.25" If you don't put the plate on, a 2" length is probably OK. The rule is you have to SEE the last thread from the nut. The ball I got was a Curt rated for 12,000 lb., but if you find one rated for 8,000 lb. that is fine, since the car is rated for 7,700 lb. and below.

By the way, removing and installing the ball requires a large 1 1/2" wrench. I got mine at Home Depot but towing shops have them also, or you can just have them put it on for you.

mhoran89

Always a good idea to have the wrench and carry it if you are regularly towing heavy weight. The last thing you want is to be stranded with it coming loose. Better to have a way to tighten it than not.

stealthrt95

Thanks for the detailed info! This is exactly what I ended up having to do. I probably should have noticed it before, but I didn't see a notation anywhere that the Audi hitch was only 1" diameter, so the 2 5/16" ball with a 2" rise I got from Amazon does not work with the Audi ball mount unless you drill out the shank to a larger diameter. The machine shop I called here strongly recommended against that, so I had a local truck accessory shop mount a 2 5/16" ball with a 1" diameter to the Audi ball mount and torque it to spec.

For those of you that need more rise to perfectly level the travel trailer when towing, which option are you choosing: (1) get a ball mount that has a longer distance from the pin hole to the center of the ball (compared to what Audi lists on the sticker) but a higher rise to level the trailer; or (2) use the Audi ball mount and not have the travel trailer perfectly level. The vehicle is perfectly level when you have the air suspension. And from pretty much everything I've been reading, the reason why the trailer needs to be perfectly level is to ensure you're not lifting the front of your car (which is bad for obvious reasons). If your vehicle is perfectly level, how big of a deal is to have your trailer pointed downward slightly? It seems like if you go with a much higher rise, you'd be going against the sticker vertical distance (top of ball to pinhole). I'll note that this may be different for those of you with a dual axle trailer. With a single axle trailer, you're not having to worry about different weights on different axles, so it seems like the only thing it's affecting is aerodynamics (and tongue weight?).

For those of you who are using a WeighSafe hitch, do you have any kind of sway friction controller with it? What kind of mount did you use? I'm thinking about getting the Reese 83660 along with the Reese 26003 mounting tab for the controller , but it doesn't seem like that will work with the WeighSafe or other aluminum ball mounts. The only ones I've seen that kind of mount attached to is the set rise/drop ball mounts. Has anyone run a combo with one of the WeighSafe ball mounts and sway controller or do all of you who use that ball mount just go without a sway controller?

By the way, the Q7 did exceptionally well on the 5 hour drive home from picking up the trailer. We had 20mph winds, plenty of semis pass us (driving this slow will take some getting used to), and had some two-lane interstate driving during construction where semis were flying past us the opposite way. Never really felt much sway at all. I'm starting to wonder if a sway controller is really necessary if the trailer is properly balanced.

MoInEd

Our trailer is around 4000-4500 when loaded and I have never felt I need sway control.
I don't aim to have the trailer level either, it is slightly nose down but trailer doesn't need to be level. You have to make sure the weight on your hitch is no more than spec on your hitch and vehicle.

stealthrt95

Thanks for the quick response. This is what I'm kinda gravitating towards. Using the Audi ball mount and staying within their specs, which would not necessarily have the travel trailer perfectly level. Then I will just need to weigh the tongue weight to make sure it's well within spec.

I might also overnight a WeighSafe hitch and see if I notice any big difference in how it tows. It will also give me a way to measure my tongue weight, so even if I don't use it, it would have some use.

MoInEd

Here is how I measured the weight on the hitch and each wheel with less than 1% error using three 2x6, a bathroom scale, and some primitive tools and a little bit of math