Who Tows a VAN 4 down ?

[JoeH]

I have been towing a pickup truck for many years.... put my motorcycle in the back and kayaks on a rack. I've been thinking about getting a van to tow four down to keep the bikes out of the weather.
If you are towing a van, what do you have ?

[carringb]

QuadVan builds new Transit with a flat-towable Transfer Case. Blue Ox has a baseplate available for it as well.

[noteven]

JoeH wrote:

jdc1 wrote:
You might need a van with rear wheel drive....no soccer mom vans. Then you would have to put a Remco driveshaft disconnect on it.

That's what I was thinking--- getting an older RWD van and putting in a driveshaft disconnect. I was looking at Astro vans ( online only so far) , but the door opening/roof height isn't adequate unless I find a custom van with raised roof.

I didn’t see this when I posted about Astros.

I bought a Chebbie Express V6 cargo for really reasonable intending to make it a short trip camper for a night or two plus haul a bike. It’s rear door was 2” too short for my Tiger without removing windshield, mirrors etc etc.

If you go to the oem’s “Body Builder” or “Upfitter” websites there will be precise dimensional information there for their van models.

[noteven]

You can convert an Astro/Safari AWD to a “real” four wheel drive with transfer case neutral and low range with a kit and transfer case swap from the S10 pickup.

[mkirsch]

Driveline components on something like a late model econoline are the same as what's on an F150. Should be just like towing your F150 with the same considerations.

[JoeH]

jdc1 wrote:
You might need a van with rear wheel drive....no soccer mom vans. Then you would have to put a Remco driveshaft disconnect on it.

That's what I was thinking--- getting an older RWD van and putting in a driveshaft disconnect. I was looking at Astro vans ( online only so far) , but the door opening/roof height isn't adequate unless I find a custom van with raised roof.

[Y-Guy]

rjstractor wrote:
^^^ I think the Connect owners manual was pretty straightforward- under Emergency towing it states it can be towed four down in an emergency with speed and distance restrictions. Under Recreational Towing, tow dolly only with the front wheels off the ground. Your statement that the connect can't be dolly towed is incorrect. The standard Transit can't be towed either flat or on a dolly.

Thanks! You are correct. Oddly enough the 2021 Towing Guide dropped the Dolly & Four Down info.

[camper19709]

I tow a 2004 chevy astro cargo van 4 wheel down behind a motorhome. I have a REMCO drive shaft disconnect on it. Been using the drive shaft disconnect for about 16 years. Works great. REMCO is still around but it appears they are not selling the disconnect anymore. Sad. An American company called SUPERIOR DRIVELINE out of Iowa sells a drive shaft disconnect.

[rjstractor]

^^^ I think the Connect owners manual was pretty straightforward- under Emergency towing it states it can be towed four down in an emergency with speed and distance restrictions. Under Recreational Towing, tow dolly only with the front wheels off the ground. Your statement that the connect can't be dolly towed is incorrect. The standard Transit can't be towed either flat or on a dolly.

Any of the front wheel drive vans- Ram (full size or mini), Transit Connect or Nissan NV2000 should be able to be dolly towed without issue like any front drive vehicle. The caveat with the full size Ram might be the existence of a dolly large and heavy duty enough to handle the size and weight.

[Y-Guy]

Knowing that Fords are pretty good about flat towing I took look at their two vans owners manuals I found online. I also grabbed the RV & Trailer Towing Guides

Bottom line is neither the Transit or the Transit Connect are flat tow able.

2021 Transit Cargo Van - Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels

If you need to tow your vehicle, contact a professional towing service or, if you are a member of a roadside assistance program, your roadside assistance service provider.

2021 Transit Connect - Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels
Emergency Towing
If your vehicle is disabled and you have no access to a tow dolly, car-hauling trailer or a flatbed transport vehicle, it can only be flat-towed with all wheels on the ground under the following conditions:
• Your vehicle is facing forward so that it is towed in a forward direction.
• The transmission selector lever is placed in position N. If the transmission gear shift lever cannot be moved to position N, it may need to be overridden. See Automatic Transmission - 6-Speed Automatic Transmission.
• Maximum speed is 35 mph (56 km/h).
• Maximum distance is 50 mi (80 km).

Recreational Vehicle Towing
Note: Put your climate control system in recirculated air mode to prevent exhaust fumes from entering the vehicle. See Climate Control.

Follow these guidelines if you have a need for recreational (RV) towing. An example of recreational towing would be towing your vehicle behind a motorhome. We designed these guidelines to prevent damage to your transmission.

Front-wheel drive vehicles CANNOT be flat-towed (all wheels on the ground), as transmission damage may occur. You can tow your vehicle with the front wheels off the ground by using a tow dolly. If you are using a tow dolly, follow the instructions specified by the equipment provider.

[Y-Guy]

jdc1 wrote:
You might need a van with rear wheel drive....no soccer mom vans. Then you would have to put a Remco driveshaft disconnect on it.

Problem is that Remco exited that business, not sure who or if anyone is making them anymore.

[jdc1]

You might need a van with rear wheel drive....no soccer mom vans. Then you would have to put a Remco driveshaft disconnect on it.