Trailer Hitch Receiver?

its true that VW doesn't make one because they don't feel it should be towing and they don't want to compete with tiguan/atlas which are 'meant for towing' in their eyes. I installed the drawtite hitch in a couple of hours but I got lucky that I was able to sneak it past the bumper plastic and didn't need to remove it. 2 person job to do that prying.

you also need to be aware that the software isn't meant for a hitch with a bike rack so you'll have to run off the automatic braking and reverse parking tone. so that its not beeping the entire time you're in R.

Towing is a no go on the Taos. It will undoubtedly void your warranty on any particular part affected by towing including but not limited to brakes, transmission, and suspension..

FJB said:

Towing is a no go on the Taos. It will undoubtedly void your warranty on any particular part affected by towing including but not limited to brakes, transmission, and suspension..

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Thanks. I'm not towing. I want to use a hitch-mounted bike rack to transport mountain bikes.

theres another thread on hitches and towing.. interesting read. I have no need to tow with this SUV as I have a pickup. I also only use it for bikes and its absurd for VW to only allow a rooftop rack option. that is impractical on many levels for many users. I didn't wire my hitch for lights because I'll never use them.

I don't care if VW offers a hitch, 3rd party is fine. my gripe is the software that won't let you disable the backup beeping etc. the atlas has a button to do the same. that part is frustrating of VW

derekdal said:

theres another thread on hitches and towing.. interesting read. I have no need to tow with this SUV as I have a pickup. I also only use it for bikes and its absurd for VW to only allow a rooftop rack option. that is impractical on many levels for many users. I didn't wire my hitch for lights because I'll never use them.

I don't care if VW offers a hitch, 3rd party is fine. my gripe is the software that won't let you disable the backup beeping etc. the atlas has a button to do the same. that part is frustrating of VW

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I'm in the same boat. I have a pickup for towing. I also have a tailgate pad for bikes, but now that we have a Taos, it's more economical (gas mileage) to take the bikes with the Taos than it is in my Dodge Ram at 12 mpg. But my 16 year old son who's now driving isn't tall enough (or strong enough) to lift a mountain bike onto a roof rack. It's stupid that VW doesn't offer a hitch option.

What 3rd party hitch did you end up installing? And were you able to clear the underside of the bumper? The guy at U-Haul told me they only install Reece hitches and they'd have to cut a hole in the bumper, and I'm like "no way".

yea the taos is easier for wife and better mpg, we don't wan to loose the ability to use the sunroof. just having crossbars makes sunroof unusable.

anyway, drawtite. you have to cut a very small amout of plastic off and you'd never notice even with removing the hitch. its not a hole that needs to be cut. they have directions and after pics that are pretty clear on what it looks like

derekdal said:

yea the taos is easier for wife and better mpg, we don't wan to loose the ability to use the sunroof. just having crossbars makes sunroof unusable.

anyway, drawtite. you have to cut a very small amout of plastic off and you'd never notice even with removing the hitch. its not a hole that needs to be cut. they have directions and after pics that are pretty clear on what it looks like

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A couple last minute followup questions (Sorry!):

1) there appears to be a difference in which Drawtite will fit depending on whether you have a AWD or an FWD. We have the AWD, so I want to make sure we get the right hitch. They don't seem to specify on websites when they mention vehicle compatibility. They only say "compatible with TAOS".

2) What bike rack do people like? I read somewhere while researching this that because of the positioning of the Drawtite hitch and the plastic, the receiver doesn't stick out as far as it should, so there's not enough clearance beyond the rear bumper for some bike racks.

3) Did anyone do this installation themselves? Easy? Difficult? Did you need to lift the Taos or could you do it parked on the garage floor?

it seems they don't have two models anymore, they used to. 76547

I've got a yakima hold up. if doing it again, I'd probaly get one that swings to the side. the hold up does tip down so you can still get into the back with bikes on but its not as easy as a swing.

rocky mounts makes a great rack and they have both types, tip out and swing. I don't think there is much issue with clearance with most racks. its not outside the realm of 'in the right spot but there's no standards for hitch connection.

If you take the bumper facia off, you'll be able to do it on the ground. I didn't and raised it up a bit. I'd call it a moderate job because most will have to take the facia off. 2 person job to bend the facia on the bottom and squeeze the hitch up. it worked for me.

Uhaul has a good price ($214) for the draw tite and will install for $60 according to their website.

My son and I added a hitch from E-trailer.com. They have a few different types for sale.
Took us about an hour or so. We also added a Thule fold-up bike rack.

lhousesoccer said:

A couple last minute followup questions (Sorry!): 1) there appears to be a difference in which Drawtite will fit depending on whether you have a AWD or an FWD. We have the AWD, so I want to make sure we get the right hitch. They don't seem to specify on websites when they mention vehicle compatibility. They only say "compatible with TAOS". 2) What bike rack do people like? I read somewhere while researching this that because of the positioning of the Drawtite hitch and the plastic, the receiver doesn't stick out as far as it should, so there's not enough clearance beyond the rear bumper for some bike racks. 3) Did anyone do this installation themselves? Easy? Difficult? Did you need to lift the Taos or could you do it parked on the garage floor?

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E-trailer has both draw-tite and Curt as well as wiring. Videos showing exactly how to do it on the website too. However, I’m in the same situation and want at least to have a hitch for bike rack, but VW might void the entire warranty, at least if hooked up to wiring. Trying to get a dealer to install not to risk warranty (imagine they’d tell you to pay for a failed drivetrain). That would suck. Can’t get a straight answer from VW about this, they say different things and you’ll be at the mercy of whichever dealership does the warranty work.

I have crossbars and the sunroof is completely usable. You don’t even notice them.