vehicles that be flat-towed

For information about Ford 4 wheels down towing, refer to the documents on the following sites.

http://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/

There are many that can. So many options out there. The thing we settled on after a lot of though was a Toyota Yaris. The reason for this is they tow 4 down (standard trans), they are SUPER light and we never question weight. They are rock solid in reliability. When we visit mountains they are super fun to drive too and incredibly nimble around mountain bends. The MPG is awesome if you want to take a 3-4 hour trip out. Also the reliability is that of a Toyota... There are people that have driven these little 4 cylinder cars for 500k+ miles. You can get a good used one for $5500 to $8k.

FWIW, I did an informal survey last winter of what's being towed (I looked at every class A going by to see what they were towing), and it seems the overwhelming majority were towing either a Honda CR-V or some version of a Jeep. I did this because I expected that after renting cars every time we needed groceries, we'd decide to get something we can tow. I've settled on a CR-V.

Thanks, folks, I'll get to work checking the references out.

Mike

Others have given you good sources of information.

Speaking in general terms, most commonly these hold:

- A 4wd vehicle with a transfer case that can be put into neutral can be towed 4 down.
- A 2wd vehicle with a manual transmission can be towed 4 down.
- Some (relatively few) 2wd vehicles with traditional automatic transmissions can be towed 4 down, and some more can be modified to be towed 4 down.
- AWD vehicles and 4wd vehicles that don't have a transfer case that can be set to neutral often can't be towed 4 down (I think--I'm a bit less sure on this than the others).
- Most CVT vehicles can't be towed 4 down.

In any case, it's best to verify in the vehicle's owner's manual, usually under "recreational towing" or something similar.

For a tow dolly, any front wheel drive vehicle that physically fits on the dolly can be towed with it. Sometimes there are clearance concerns if, for example, the nose of the vehicle is unusually long and low or the front door is close to the front wheels. A rear wheel drive vehicle can be towed on a dolly only if it could also be towed 4 down. Generally AWD vehicles cannot be towed with a dolly.

The REMCO Towing lookup database is probably the most comprehensive listing available. Looking up vehicles by year, make, and model will show you which are 4-down towable as is, which can be modified with either a transmission lube pump or a drive shaft disconnect to be towable, and which are dolly or trailer towable only.

RECVEH2005 wrote:
Is there somewhere a current list of vehicles that are able to be flat-towed behind a motorhome? We are considering a gas motorhome.

Mike

Motorhome magazine publishes such a list which can be viewed for free here.

before you buy anything be sure you:

- know what the vehicle weighs with a full tank of gas but otherwise empty.

- know and understand how much weight your motorhome can safely tow. in general, the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

- the GCWR (gross combination weight rating) of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel (includes fuel, fresh water, food, clothing, people, pets, supplies, etc.)

- the weight rating of your tow bar

- the weight rating of your hitch

this is why it's vital to know what your MH weighs as it is loaded and configure for travel before choosing a toad. Your MH will not collapse if it is overloaded but you will experience handling issues as well as longer braking distances and accelerated wear on suspension, brakes, steering, etc.

good luck.

Motorhome magazine publishes a yearly list. REMCO web site works too.

Lots of information on this forum - check under dingy towing and do a search.

FMCA.com publishes an annual towing guide but I think you have to be a member to view it.