I am in the process of getting my Jeep ready to flat tow. I currently keep my TT at a storage facility that has a large inclined driveway going into the facility. I see many gouges in the road from trailers and motorhomes trying to take a left turn straight into the inclined driveway. I always approach from the opposite direction so I can turn in at an angle to go up the driveway. My current TT is a low rider and I come very close to bottoming out when I leave or enter the facility (even when I come in diagonal). I have never flat towed behind a motorhome before but I am wondering how the 4 down setup will handle coming in and out of the facility. I was thinking that I could drive the Motorhome and have my wife following me in the Jeep down the street to a Walmart that has a large parking lot to hookup. But then I think about all the times I have run into a large inclined driveway going into gas stations on the road. I am assuming the tow bars will twist and turn and adjust to this. I might be worrying about nothing but I am curious to what other peoples experiences with towing up and down large inclined driveways from the street.Burch

If the back of the motorhome doesn't drag, the tow bar and toad shouldn't either. If you're using a drop hitch adapter to level the tow bar, that could be an issue.

Same as for trailers. You need to approach at an angle not straight on.My guess your towbar setup will be higher off the ground then that of your trailer.

Just be sure you have braking on the towed, especially on steep downhills where there will be considerable pressure on the towing rig's receiver.I think you are on the right track though, if DW is available, by taking the towed to a flat area and doing the set-up there. Probably have a few items to pick up at Walmart before your trip anyways and a nice flat parking lot is a good place to test out the workings of your job hooking up the towed.

Yes, all towbars twist and turn. The main concern for a MH is the large rear overhang on many models. And if the hitch is low that can also drag.Many MHs will be lower to the ground than trailers but some trailers have a long overhang as well. Do some research with the facility and other owners. Since towbars don't apply any significant weight on the MH dragging is independent of having the toad connected.

enblethen wrote:Same as for trailers. You need to approach at an angle not straight on.My guess your towbar setup will be higher off the ground then that of your trailer.My trailer is very low to the ground and I haven't scrapped yet but I have come close a couple of times. I'm not sure if I will need a drop hitch at this point. I got the baseplate installed on the Jeep yesterday and I have emailed my salesman to measure the distance from the ground to the receiver on the motorhome. Hopefully I won't need one.

Flat towing up inclines | Good Sam Community

TyroneandGladys
Explorer
Mar 05, 2017
I have had issues with steep inclines to gas stations before towing a car. I have taken two steps to hopefully deal with the issue.
1. Plan my fuel stops ahead of time and choose my stops after looking over my choices on Google satellite and street view.
2. Carry a empty 5 gallon gas can if all else fails I can park as close as I can to a gas station and fill 5 gallons at a time.
sure can
dubdub07
Explorer
Mar 05, 2017
Due to the overhang on the MH, it could very well drag. It won't be the TOAD but the hitch. I have dragged mine a couple of times and it sounds horrendous when it hits and is dragged. No real damage, but I do not make it a regular thing. I am worried about binding the MH if it doesn't clear the incline.

WW
j-d
Explorer II
Mar 05, 2017
Agree with the plan to try it before adding a drop adapter. Too many variables in to be sure that 1-inch difference will hold in actual use. Drive it a little before deciding to adjust, too.

We dragged our 31-foot Class C in a gas station once. That was on a test drive before we bought it and it hasn't happened since. We've just become more aware of what might pose a problem and maneuver accordingly. We have more issues with turning radius than ground clearance. I think your F53 chassis will allow you to turn as tight or even tighter than our shorter E450 can. E-Series has a very limited steering "cut" angle.

We came out lucky with the Up/Down on the two vehicles we can tow. One is right at the lower limit, one at the upper. Maybe even a pinch more than that 3-inches and it's never posed a problem. We have more of a problem backing out of our "storage facility" which is a pad next to our house which we pull into and back out of. Backing down onto the street off of the lawn, caused a drop adapter to hit the crown of the road. Without a drop adapter, we clear coming out.

Forum Discussion

Flat towing up inclines

About RV Tips & Tricks

Related Content

flat tow vehicles

Flat towing a Jeep Wrangler

Tow bar & flat towing questions.

Trailer on incline

Flat towing with my Class C