your head will probably explode when you can’t fine anyone willing to install a class III hitch on your Audi. Most trailer hitches are designed for vehicles that are built to utilize their capacity.
It’s done all the time. You can buy a class II or Class III hitch for most cars…Even a car like a Honda Civic. They’re great for hitch-mount bike carriers.
One fact the nobody has pointed out is that allowable highway grades in Europe are much lower than the US. For example, the Autobahn has an allowable grade of 4% with some exceptions. US interstates have an allowable grade of 6% with frequent exceptions. A maximum grade of 8% is not uncommon in hilly terrain. 8% grade is generally the maximum allowable on modern rural roads.
The capacities are determined by engineers using the worst case scenarios of grade. If you rarely encounter steep grades where you live (ignoring the boat ramp as irrelevant), you can do it if you take it easy.
For what it’s worth, your vehicle has more horses than the big rigs of yesteryear. Just remember that it is not a Yukon and will not react like a Yukon.
It also lacks the body on frame construction at the big rigs of yesteryear had.
At least the Taurus/boat was being passed, not passing!
Yes, the towing package, which I also had on my 1984 Chev Impala allows 5000# towing. It has a HD radiator, transmission cooler, springs, alternator, battery, and a heavy electrical harness, and a 3.23 rear axle.
Those guys have lots of money (or debt). It’s probably easier to get repairs on an Audi in Germany or a Tahoe in the U.S.A. Are you asking an Audi dealer? It sounds like an honest one. 2002 Audi? Do anything you want to do. It’ll probably be cheaper than getting another vehicle. Now if you were driving from Hartford Ct. to Lake Champlain, I would recommend a .75 ton truck.
Any vehicle encounters 5 types of resistance.
Inertia resistance
Grade resistance
Rolling resistance
curve resistance
Aerodynamic resistance
For a 3500lb boat/trailer combo…
Assume the following scenario…
Maintaining 50mph
Climbing a 6% grade
Rolling on poor pavement
While negotiating a typical highway curve at 50 mph
With a 50 square foot cross section
Inertia resistance force = 0 since speed is constant
Grade resistance force=weightgrade=35006%=210lb force
Rolling resistance at 50mph on broken pavement=51lb/ton =51*3500/2000=89lb force
Curve resistance for degree of curve of 5 at 50mph = 18lb
Aerodynamic drag force for typical automotive cross sections = 0.0006areamph^2
=.0006502500=75lb
So the total tractive effort required to maintain 50mph under this relatively harsh combination of resistance is 392lb force.
At 50 MPH (73.3 ft/sec), your vehicle must spare 392*73.3/550=52 horsepower above and beyond what it’s using to drive the car, which is:
Weight =110% of curb weight =1.1*2194=2413lb
frontal area =23.7 sq ft
Grade resistance = 24136%=145 lb force
Rolling resistance =51lb/ton=512413/2000=62lb force
Curve resistance=18 lb
Aerodynamic drag=.000623.750^2=36lb
For a total of 260 lb force (using unrounded intermediate values), which at 50 mph requires 260*73.3/550=35 horsepower, for a total of 87 horsepower.
This car’s engine only makes 108 brake horsepower, and you’d be lucky to get 70% of that to the ground with the pedal to the metal, which is 75.6 horsepower.
All other issues aside, pulling such a trailer would require more than 100% of available output under the conditions above. It’s one thing to say something is a bad idea, but in this particular case, the numbers say it’s not going to happen. You need at least 13% more muscle before you can even do it holding the pedal to the floor.
Unfortunately, it appears that this combination will kill your car in a fast hurry.