Tow vehicle specs

Best advice here. Case in point. My previous Ford Fusion, 2010 model w/ front wheel drive, was flat towable up to 65 mph. My current 2018 Ford Fusion w/ front wheel drive only, is NOT flat towable under any condition.

My current F150 with 4 wheel drive is flat towable as long as a simple procedure is done to make sure the the tranny and transfer case are in neutral. However, no 2 wheel drive F150's are flat towable. At least for 2014 model year. Obviously, other years may be different. That's why it's so important to check the particular owner's manual.

Lwiddis wrote:
Don’t buy any vehicle to use as a four down toad unless the manufacturer says you can and you comply with any requirements. For instance, 2020 Chevy Equinox...two wheel drive...four down ok...all wheel drive...no. You may need a dolly depending on the toad you buy but they are a pain...three vehicles instead of two.

I've been using the same set of diodes since 2008, currently installed in the second toad. Not a single failure so far...

rk911 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
...All Wranglers are 4 down towable, manual or auto...

all current year Wranglers might very well be flat towable but in case the OP is considering buying a used Wrangler the advice is the same...check the owner's manual under Recreational Towing before purchase.

Unless the OP finds the 1 of 1 Wrangler that is automatic with 2WD, they have always been 4 down towable.

rk911 wrote:

yeah, the A/B switch is not a precise analogy. :@

For a true "A/B Switch" option, check out this system from Cooltech - uses the lights from the Jeep, but adds in a switch so you select either the Jeep or the towing vehicle as the source of power for the lights. It's a bit on the expensive side, but looks like it would work quite well.

Jack Spratt wrote:

rk911 wrote:
clicky

and from personal experience i'd recommend installing a separate wiring harness ans bulbs in your jeep. it sounds harder than it really is. when we started towing back in '03 the diodes (which function like an A/B switch) in the original wiring harness kept blowing leaving us with no tail lights or blinkers. we put in a second set of bulbs in our jeeps connected directly to the umbillical connector in the front of the jeep.

Sorry to hear about your problems with your previous wiring.
I don’t know about the A/B analogy
the current diodes pass current from either source and do not backfeed
to the other leg.
Anyway FWIW ours have been trouble free in two different vehicles for many miles

good. ours failed in Custer State Park, SD as we were leaving a restaurant after dark. :E thank God we still had headlights and drove the few miles back to the campsite with the still functioning 4-way flashers. Had the diodes replaced the next day in Rapid City but they failed again a week or two later while heading back home. we drove the last 100+ miles in daylight only with no tail or brake lights on the toad. when we got home we installed the second set of bulbs and separate wiring harness.

yeah, the A/B switch is not a precise analogy. :@

rk911 wrote:
clicky

and from personal experience i'd recommend installing a separate wiring harness ans bulbs in your jeep. it sounds harder than it really is. when we started towing back in '03 the diodes (which function like an A/B switch) in the original wiring harness kept blowing leaving us with no tail lights or blinkers. we put in a second set of bulbs in our jeeps connected directly to the umbillical connector in the front of the jeep.

Sorry to hear about your problems with your previous wiring.
I don’t know about the A/B analogy
the current diodes pass current from either source and do not backfeed
to the other leg.
Anyway FWIW ours have been trouble free in two different vehicles for many miles

dodge guy wrote:
...All Wranglers are 4 down towable, manual or auto...

all current year Wranglers might very well be flat towable but in case the OP is considering buying a used Wrangler the advice is the same...check the owner's manual under Recreational Towing before purchase.

We tow a 2013 Ford Explorer. Ours is 4WD but 2WD is also 4 down towable. Very easy to tow and weighs around 4300lbs. Not sure on the 2020's, but I belive all of them up to 2019 with the V-6 are 4 down towable.

As for the Jeeps. All Wranglers are 4 down towable, manual or auto. Certain Grand Cherokees are towable, but it needs the proper T-case with the N position. Same for the little Cherokee, it needs to have the active drive II which has the N position.

clicky

and from personal experience i'd recommend installing a separate wiring harness ans bulbs in your jeep. it sounds harder than it really is. when we started towing back in '03 the diodes (which function like an A/B switch) in the original wiring harness kept blowing leaving us with no tail lights or blinkers. we put in a second set of bulbs in our jeeps connected directly to the umbillical connector in the front of the jeep.

The Dinghy Towing Guides are a great source of info about towed vehicles and the needed towing equipment. https://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/