[richg]

Hi there,

We picked up our new Q5 last week and ordered a new Atera rear-mounted cycle carrier. Fitting the carrier for the first time at the weekend on the factory fitted towbar (marked Oris), the carrier has a lean off to the left when looking at it from the rear.

In discussion with the shop that supplied the carrier they did mention that unlike caravans and trailers, bike carriers that locked on relied on the towbar being level. It looks as though it is, but is there any level adjustment to the towbar itself? Q5 instruction manual doesn't mention anything, has anyone else looked in to this?

Cheers,
Rich

 

[Barbyboy]

Richg - I'd get the supplying dealer to look at the tow bar for misalignment.
I too have the OEM tow bar as well as the Atera Strada 3 / 4 bike carrier - fantastic bit of kit, works a treat (though takes a bit of getting used to loading and removing, and key locking mechanism is a bit fiddly.
Overall, very pleased with it.

 

[richg]

Thanks for the reply Barbyboy, I'm heading back to the dealer tomorrow morning for the service team to look at it.

The shop supplying the rack were brilliant and a second rack arrived today, which still leans slightly to the left, so it must be the tow bar

Balancing a spirit level on top of the flat top of the tow hook ball, it is off by a couple of degrees, not much but noticeable on the spirit level. I take it your Atera Strada is level when locked on?

Cheers,
Rich

 

[richg]

The dealer looked at the car this morning and the first reaction from the technician was that it doesn't seem quite right. The spirit level being off when balanced on the flat top of the tow ball when the car is level.
He then went to check an SQ5 in the showroom and it too has exactly the same issue. With the tow bar swung out and locked it isn't quite straight.
So on a sample of two the conclusion was it's supposed to be like that but they don't know why. Without ordering and trying an Audi official rear bike rack they can't get much from Audi HQ.
Annoyingly the Audi own-brand rear carrier looks like a rebadged Altera rack, which surely means it would have the same issue?

Does anyone have a level Audi original tow bar or are they really all at a slight angle??

 

[crowman]

I have original audi tow bar and have towed a caravan hundreds of miles . i have also used a thule bike rack & not noticed any problems
but i wil have a look tommorow to see if it is level

 

[zebbydog]

I have the factory swing down tow bar and it is slightly tilted to the right when testing with a level

 

[richg]

Thanks for the feedback folks, maybe it is just one of those things. Hopefully it is just aesthetic that a clamp-on bike carrier has a slight lean. The sticker in the boot rates the tow bar to 100kg, so I guess it's not exactly fragile.

I'm not 100% convinced that the Audi supplied rear bike carrier does anything special to account for the tilt in the tow bar. But if anyone has invested in the Audi carrier, would love to know.

Cheers,
Rich