Re: Hitches

[Mike VanAmburgh <vwvr6r@fiber.net>]

Thanks to everyone who responded for the comments.  The idea of driving
the car is out.  The car is a chop-top conversion 82 Scirocco and
doesn't have a fabricated top yet.  I don't feel like getting stuck in
the rain or snow.  :-)  The car probably weighs in the neighborhood of
2000 pounds (no roof, but reinforcement has been added to the rocker
panels, floorboards and hatch area) + whatever the car dolly weighs. I
would pulling the car across flat I-80 pretty much the whole way.  The
only part I'd be nervous with stressing the Jetta out too much would be
through Pennsylvania on I-84.  

It'd be nice to have someone move it out here, but I plan to go to NY
next spring to visit friends/family anyway, so pulling it back would be
ideal.  And the prices for getting a car moved are outrageous.

What to do...

-Mike

Tim Irwin wrote:
> 
> Rent a truck, fly over and drive the car back, or hire someone to haul it.
> The Jetta has a towing cap. of 2000 pounds (with trailer brakes which
> require extra wiring), which is much less than just about any car you're
> going to buy. At 2000 pounds, the jetta would be working relatively hard.
> Having towed cars before (the lightest being a Fiat 128), I would recommend
> nothing less than a full sized truck, preferably 3/4 ton, especially for a
> trip of that length.
> 
> Tim Irwin
> '98 Jetta GLX
> http://www.members.cascade.org/~tjirwin/tim.htm
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike VanAmburgh [mailto:vwvr6r@fiber.net]
> Sent: Saturday, October 30, 1999 7:39 PM
> To: jettaglx@igtc.com
> Subject: Hitches
> 
> Hey all.  I'm looking for advice from those who have towed things with
> your Jetta GLX.  I am buying a car from a friend in New York and plan to
> pull it somehow with a 97 Jetta GLX from NY back here to UT.  This will
> be approximately 2200 miles of towing.  What's the best way to go about
> doing this?  I will probably end up renting one of those two-wheel
> dollies from U-Haul.  If I borrowed or rented a full trailer, would I
> exceed the towing capacity for the Jetta?  I don't have a manual, btw.
> Could someone clue me in what the towing capacity is?
> 
> What's a good place/website to get a hitch?  I would need one that would
> handle approximately 2500 pounds including the weight of the dollie.
> How do the hitches attach to the car?
> 
> Any advice is appreciated!  Any alternative ideas on getting this car to
> Utah are welcome too.  I checked on a few movers, but they want in the
> neighborhood of $1000!  Ouch, no thanks.  Anyone know of a good priced
> mover?
> 
> -Mike
> 88 Scirocco 16V
> 97 Jetta GLX