Dingy towing

Is the 13 mpg towing or not? Please post mileage when it is broken in more... I was looking at one in a campground in Florida, and the owner was very happy with it so far. It appears that they have put a lot of quality into this unit. I believe he told me he was getting 18 mpg, but that was not towing....

There are four reasons why a mfg doesn't recommend 4 down towing:
Drive train, stability, legal and marketing. The reasons are left as an exercise for the reader.

If it has the same transaxle as the 2000 Mazda 323 Front 4 cyl Manual, you might be able to tow it four down. But don't think anyone make a baseplate for it.

miski wrote:
I presently own a 2000 Mazda Protégé 5 speed standard. This vehicle is a front wheel drive. I have heard from various sources that I can flat tow it and also that I can't flat tow it. Being a standard transmission I do not see why it can't be flat towed. Any suggestions out there and an explanation. If this vehicle can't be flat towed does anyone have a suggestion as to what vehicles manufactured in the last ten years that can.

There are people who believe that ANY manual transmission vehicle can be towed four down.
Sorry, but this is just not true!
The problem, as always, is in the lubrication. SOME manual transmissions are splash lubed from the cluster gear. This gear turns ONLY when the engine is running and the clutch is engaged. With the engine OFF, there is no lubricant being splashed around inside the transmission, and the main shaft bearings will eventually dry out and be damaged. Depending on the design of the tranny, this could take many thousands of miles of being towed. Of course, every time the vehicle is started and driven, the lubricant is splashed around again. This is why my old 1963 Corvair specified that the engine had to be started and run with the tranny in Neutral for a couple minutes every 250 miles!
Will YOU be one of the lucky ones, whose transmission holds up to the abuse? We won't know until you try it.
Good luck!

Selecting a Dingy for my new 2014 Solera 24R sprinter was interesting because of the vehicle tow limits of 3500lbs. Lots to consider before buying a new Dingy. Be prepared to pay well over $3000 to get it all hooked up by a RV dealer. If you consider the tow bar, vehicle specific towing brackets to match tow bar, Dingy lighting modification, cables and finally a invisi brake auxiliary braking system. My new Dingy is a 2013 Hyundai Accent 6spd manual. 4 on the floor towing ok and compatible with Road Master Products. Weighing in around 2,700 lbs it is around 1000 lbs lighter than my old Honda CRV. All works well so far. The Hyundai is great for exploring and gets nearly 40mpg on the freeway. Mileage while towing hasn't been any better than 13mpg so far but I only have less than 500 miles on the rig so far. Hope this is helpful to someone. Walter

jerseyjim wrote:
Back in 2000, I bought a used 1996 Ford Contour with a 5 spd stick with 22K showing. It was really a Mazda with a Ford badge. I towed it 4 down cross country 3 times and up and down the east coast any number of times. Never a problem. Started doing the nickel and dime dance around 150,000 so, time for new one. Contour no longer made, went to Mazda for a new one (in 2007). Dealer AND Mazda engineering dept. told me NOT to tow ANY Mazda 4-down. Things change, I guess. So, research....came up with a 2007 Chevy HHR AUTOMATIC! Tows 4 down just fine. Put the tranny in "N", pull a fuse. That's it. Now that car has 78K showing, must have at least 100,000+ "real " miles.

The key here is RESEARCH. I found that GM has the most vehicles (in size and price) that can be towed 4-down with minimal mods, if any. Ford, much less and has things like a 2-wheel drive (automatic) cannot be towed 4 down, but a 4WD automatic (with proper Ford-only ($$) mods) can. I have no idea about Chrysler, not interested in them. RESEARCH...and good luck. But even then,y'gotta be careful. Here on the forum, many posts about a Chevy that the owners manual and dealers said could be towed 4-down...ended up with blown-up trannys. Something about a mid-year change from a 5 spd to a 6 spd auto tranny. I think GM made good. But...again, research.

We tow a 2007 Malibu 4 down. Kept it for towing when we bought a 2013 Malibu, it can't be towed 4 down. Most newer Ford and GM automatics cannot be towed 4 down. They both use the same 6 spd auto, co-developed by Ford and GM.

Bobbo wrote:
Only trust the owner's manual. Look in the index under "recreational towing" or something similar.

yep, only factual reference. or you could just keep checking other places and eventually you will find something/somebody saying "go for it, I mean what could go wrong".
bumpy

Back in 2000, I bought a used 1996 Ford Contour with a 5 spd stick with 22K showing. It was really a Mazda with a Ford badge. I towed it 4 down cross country 3 times and up and down the east coast any number of times. Never a problem. Started doing the nickel and dime dance around 150,000 so, time for new one. Contour no longer made, went to Mazda for a new one (in 2007). Dealer AND Mazda engineering dept. told me NOT to tow ANY Mazda 4-down. Things change, I guess. So, research....came up with a 2007 Chevy HHR AUTOMATIC! Tows 4 down just fine. Put the tranny in "N", pull a fuse. That's it. Now that car has 78K showing, must have at least 100,000+ "real " miles.

The key here is RESEARCH. I found that GM has the most vehicles (in size and price) that can be towed 4-down with minimal mods, if any. Ford, much less and has things like a 2-wheel drive (automatic) cannot be towed 4 down, but a 4WD automatic (with proper Ford-only ($$) mods) can. I have no idea about Chrysler, not interested in them. RESEARCH...and good luck. But even then,y'gotta be careful. Here on the forum, many posts about a Chevy that the owners manual and dealers said could be towed 4-down...ended up with blown-up trannys. Something about a mid-year change from a 5 spd to a 6 spd auto tranny. I think GM made good. But...again, research.

Go to Motorhome Magazine web site @ http://www.motorhome.com/category/rv-how-to/dinghy-towing-guide/
They do an annual dingy towing guide, see previous issues, usually January. You should find your answers there.

Only trust the owner's manual. Look in the index under "recreational towing" or something similar.