kia soul towing

[robert_fletcher]

i replaced my 2000 jeep wrangler with a kia soul. i did not use the wrangler for anything but towing because it was so noisy and uncomfortable. the 2015 kia 6 speed is great. it is easy to tow. easy to set up. battery doesnot die after alng day of towing. i drive it everywhere now. it is comfortable and gets 35mpg.




Moved from Class A to Dinghy Towing

[j-d]

lizzie wrote:
I absolutely cannot tow a KIA Soul with automatic transmission 4 down? That I must use a tow dolly? lizzie

Affirmative on That, Lizzie. There's an outfit called REMCO. They make "Lube Pumps" which render otherwise non-towable automatic transmissions and transaxles (like a Soul has) towable once installed.

I looked up 2016 Soul, 1.6L engine, 6-speed automatic, and REMCO came back "Must be Towed on Dolly." If they offered a solution in the form of a lube pump kit, they would have so stated. You can do your own screening at REMCO here.

[lizzie]

Thanks for the info. Please bear with me on this, I am new to towing. Am I hearing that I absolutely cannot tow a KIA Soul with automatic transmission 4 down? That I must use a tow dolly? lizzie

[1950panman]

thanks,,,hanks...for the valuable info...

[Hank85713]

We tow a 13 Hyundai Elantra, cost of baseplate was around $700. Tow bars can be had cheap on craigslist and other such places or even the local trader. The wires for a hook up to the lights runs about $100 or so. I had my stuff installed at camp world when they had a special. Ther ay be one on now, but it requires purchase of parts from them. I priced the baseplate on the net and it was less than $200 cheaper than from CW. The the process begins to get stuff installed and at $75/hr on average it adds up soon. There is a guy locally that has bunches of pieces for roadmasters so I got the front cross bar and cables and locks and the hook up pins for less than $50. This is for my ranger pu so I can pull it in lieu of the elantra if we need to go someplace where I would need the truck.

BTW the elantra scales in around 2800 lbs.

[afrescopXx]

Everything I have seen and read says late model Souls only flat towable with manual transmission.

Yes, flat towing requires a baseplate on the car, a towbar, safety cables, electrical cable for lights and a breakaway switch. Figure, with baseplate installation, about $3,000 - $3,500.

[lizzie]

I did a Search and came up with this page. We recently bought a Renagade Villagio Class B+/C- unit on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis. We were told that we can tow up to 3500 lbs. Today we looked at a KIA Soul and I liked it very much. From these posts it seems as if we are going to need a towbar. Anyone here towing a Soul with a rig like ours? lizze

[j-d]

Roadmaster and Blue Ox are the two most popular base plates. If you go their webpages you can look up the exact plate for your exact Soul. Then you can pull up the installation instructions. They have pictures plus difficulty ratings and/or labor hours. That will give you an idea what's involved and maybe if you can install it yourself.

There's DEMCO and maybe another brand or two, and I believe those would also have the instructions on line.

And YES, most late model vehicles require removal of the Fascia (Bumper Cover) to perform the install. If you consider doing your own install:

1. Don't trim the Fascia till the base plate is installed. Do a trial fit and make your own cutting plan. It may require less cutting than the instructions say.

2. If the framework of the unit body needs to be drilled, you will need very good drill bits, cutting lubricant and a powerful low speed drill motor. Most high-speed drill motors have no torque at low speed.

[Hank85713]

Snow Bird, I have a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. We use a roadmaster flacon all terrain towbar and the base plates were installed at camp world along with the wire harness for the lights.

I would do a search on craigs list for the tow bar and then start pricing the base plates. I found them cheaper off the net but you then have to find someone to install or do yourself. CW had a special for $29 install so it came out a little bit cheaper as most places charge by hour to install and some are $75-100 per. Should be a special coming up soon you do need to be a GS member for the special.

[Snow_Birds]

We are towing a 2014 Soul 6 spd. stick with our 1998 Fleetwood Flair. We are just now working on Tow Bars and Braking systems. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[cooper841]

2cAmerica wrote:
Is the 5 speed a automatic with manual shifting capability? Thank-you

It's 5 speed manual with clutch.

[2cAmerica]

Is the 5 speed a automatic with manual shifting capability? Thank-you

[1950panman]

hello, i got my 6-speed, also to tow. but i need the tow bar, i do have the old style. but neet the attachment to yhe car body...did yall take the grill out...pulling behind a 96 bounder...yehaaaa...lane

[wolfe10]

Only the manual transmission is towable 4 wheels down.

[tahiti16]

Is that a 6 speed stick or auto?