Everything you need to know about flat-towing vehicles behind an RV
They are built on either a commercial truck chassis, commercial bus chassis, or a motor vehicle chassis. They offer the most luxury and comfort and can also flat tow heavier vehicles. On average, a Class A motorhome can tow between 5,000 and 10,000 lbs. You usually can locate your Class A motorhome’s towable weight on your RVs hitch or on a sticker on the inside of the driver’s door.
The car is secured to ensure it doesn’t roll during the journey. Blue Ox offers tow bars to meet all of our customer’s needs, with towing capacities ranging from 6,500 to 15,000 lbs and towing accessories to make hooking up easy. Blue Ox tow bars premium models feature 2” longer legs to allow more room between your RV and vehicle.
Even with tow bars and electrical connections, flat towing can lead to additional wear on the towed vehicle’s components. All four tires get extra mileage, as do bearings and other parts that are in motion as the vehicle is towed. Far more damage can occur to the transmissions and drivetrain of vehicles without a manual transmission, as those parts will also be in motion as the car is flat towed. If the vehicle you plan to flat tow has a manual transmission, you may be just fine. Many front-wheel drive, manual transmission vehicles may be flat towed without modification.
An alternative to baseplates are custom bumpers and attachments but this goes beyond my area of expertise. If you’re going to go this route, make sure that you ensure the attachment is well affixed to the vehicle and isn’t going anywhere. When you’re traveling with a vehicle in town, you will want to keep everything secure with a receiver lock or baseplate lock. Blue Ox Baseplates are the #1 choice for America’s towing needs. Our baseplates are custom made to best fit each individual towing situation without requiring drastic alterations to the vehicle. These durable, steel constructed baseplates are easily integrated into the original frame and bumper.
On the motorhome side, it has a 7-pin connection and the tow vehicle got a smaller 6-pin connection. I’m not exactly sure they’re different, but it seems standard enough that they had a ready-made 7-to-6 pin cord. A baseplate is a custom fitted piece that attaches to the tow vehicle and gives the RV something to connect to. Bringing your car with you on vacation means either having another driver and paying twice the gas costs or towing your car.
In the event your towed vehicle ever catastrophically disconnects from your motorhome, you need the brakes to get activated to bring it to a stop. The emergency breakaway switch does just that and works in conjunction with your braking system. Don’t trust the Internet, websites, or magazines for what you can or cannot tow and how. There are subtle differences in models that might not be apparent. For instance, my Colorado is flat towable but if it was the ZR1 model, it’s not.
- Since the car is in a normal parked position for the duration of the ride, it prevents additional damage and is excellent for longer distances.
- One of the most popular trucks for flat towing is the Ford F-150.
- Kia is a brand that gives you practical, reliable cars that have just a bit of a funky personality.
- Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
- We recently made the switch to a class A after 10+ years of pulling trailers (first our pop-up and then our fifth wheels).
- A baseplate is a custom fitted piece that attaches to the tow vehicle and gives the RV something to connect to.
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There is a bit of beautiful simplicity and complexity all at the same time to flat towing. In this case, you either need to carry less in the motorhome and not max it out or you need to adjust your maximum toad weight down. Flat towing, also referred to as “dinghy towing” or “four-down towing,” is a way of towing your car with all four wheels on the ground behind your RV.
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Eliminate noise from your hitch and decrease additional movement with a hitch immobilizer. Blue Ox https://coastalcollisioninc.com/services/24hr-towing/ offers a variety of drop receivers to accommodate the rise or drop you need for your towing setup.
Class C motorhome towing capacities range from 3,500 to 8,000 lbs on average. Locate your Class C motorhome’s towable weight on your RVs hitch or on a sticker on the inside of the driver door. There are several different classes of motorhomes to choose from, each with its own capacity for flat towing.
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If you’re shopping specifically for a towable car, you are better off prioritizing one that is manufacturer approved for flat towing. Otherwise, have a professional help you make any modifications. Flat towing, also called dinghy towing or four-down towing, refers to towing a car behind another vehicle while all four tires are on the ground. Flat towing requires a few different pieces of equipment to do so safely, including a tow bar, baseplate, tow brake, and a few other accessories.
Flat-towing is a popular, low-fuss method of towing a vehicle behind an RV. To find out if flat-towing is suitable for your needs, keep on reading. Protect your tow bar when it’s being stored with a tow bar cover made specifically to fit the various Blue Ox tow bars.
It is also the law to have a tow brake installed when traveling across the United States and Canada. Laws can vary from state to state, but chances are, somewhere you are passing through will require you to have a tow brake installed. Fewer vehicles are manufactured with manual transmissions these days. Vehicles equipped with a CVT cannot be hauled with all four wheels on the ground because the transmission would be damaged. If you are pulling that type of vehicle behind your RV for hundreds of miles, the driveshaft is turning and causing damage along the way. Mechanically, flat towing is not suitable for many modern cars, trucks, or SUVs.
One of the most popular trucks for flat towing is the Ford F-150. If you have a bigger crew along on your RV trip and need some additional room when using your flat tow vehicle, an SUV might be the best option. They are spacious, with additional room for whatever you need to stow in the back, like groceries, a cooler, chairs, and more. Flat towing an SUV like the Jeep Grand Cherokee also means you still get some off-road capabilities, so your fun isn’t limited.
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These generally connect to the hitch on the motorhome and have attachments to connect the baseplate. I opted for a BlueOx Ascent, though I did have a tech tell me that he prefers steel versions because they last longer. You generally can mix and match baseplates/towbars between BlueOx and RoadMaster, but you might need to change specific connection points. Class C motorhomes are in between the size of a Class A and Class B motorhome. They are a great mid-level option when it comes to space as well as towing capacity.