Anyone dinghy tow a Chevy Equinox behind class C

harleydawg57 · 06-24-2019, 09:58 PM

Was told we could flat tow our 2018 Chevy Equinox behind our Greyhawk and was wondering if anyone here does so and if any issues?

WinnieView · 06-25-2019, 06:41 AM

We tow a 2013. Double check your owners manual for the dinghy towing procedure.

MikeUSNRet · 06-25-2019, 08:45 AM

We tow a 2019 Equinox 2.0T behind our Redhawk 26xd. Using a Roadmaster baseplate and Ready Brute Eliite towbar and brake setup. Works great. I would be glad to answer any questions you have.

JimD · 06-25-2019, 03:41 PM

I was thinking about setting up my 2016 Equinox for dinghy towing as the manual says you can do it by pulling a fuse. Just how big an expense is it for the items required for towing? Labor is no problem as my son the Chevy mechanic would volunteer to set it up for me (as soon as I tell him he is volunteering).

I know you need a tow bar but there are a number to chose from. Also a baseplate is required of some sort. Are brakes actually required? I towed a flat bed trailer with about 4000 pounds total for 25 years without brakes without any issues.

Lastly, regarding wiring. Do most haulers go with tapped in vehicle wiring or just the lame old tow bar light?

I am not really sure the expense of having a vehicle with me is worth it. I may only do a few trips where an extra vehicle may be needed. Thought about using UBER if needed and saving the money to pour into my Greyhawk as needed.

Also, when camping at a RV resort with a 32 foot class C, what do you do with your towed vehicle?

MikeUSNRet · 06-26-2019, 08:55 AM

We spent about $2K on everything to set up our Equinox. I did all the work myself. As for brakes, the Ready Brute Elite towbar includes a surge brake system that operates the toad brake pedal via a cable. I would not tow without some type of brake system on the toad.

I did not break into the Equinox wiring for lights. Used a Roadmaster harness and installed an extra socket with bulb in each tail light housing. Ran the wires forward to a six pin connector mounted up front. Also ran a fused charge line to the Equinox battery. Etrailer has some good videos on their web site covering this.

We have never had a problem with parking space. You have to remember that you can't backup while hooked up. Some gas stations can be a problem. Good luck and enjoy your Greyhawk.

Love To Travel 2 · 06-26-2019, 06:55 PM

We tow a 2018 Equinox behind our Greyhawk 29MV. We bought the Equinox specifically as a toad and so far (13,000 tow miles) it has worked fine. There are no fuses to pull, but you MUST follow a specific procedure when hooking it to the MH. We use a Demco Commander tow bar and the RVi brake system. We made sure there was a "hot" lead from the MH to the Equinox so there would be no dead batteries, and so far that has worked. We also ran a 12 volt outlet directly from the battery for the RVi brake so it has constant power. Make sure, for whatever year Equinox you are considering, that the owners manual specifically indicates that it can be flat towed. Not all 2018 Equinox models can be flat towed.

Forstall · 05-15-2020, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeUSNRet

We tow a 2019 Equinox 2.0T behind our Redhawk 26xd. Using a Roadmaster baseplate and Ready Brute Eliite towbar and brake setup. Works great. I would be glad to answer any questions you have.

I am installing a Ready Brake system on my 2019 Chevy Equinox.
where did you drill the two holes through the firewall for the cables?

Any Info would be appreciated
Thanks

MikeUSNRet · 05-16-2020, 11:31 AM

As I remember, installing the brake cables turned out to be the most difficult part of the entire toad setup. I pulled the carpet back to expose the floor behind the brake pedal. Had to remove the door sill cover to do that. I then used a straightedge, placed about an inch above the brake pedal foot pad, to establish a line to the firewall. I made a mark at that point on the firewall. Then, under the car, I checked to make sure there was nothing in the way and that the cables could actually be routed to that spot. There is a lot of "I hope to h--- this is right" involved. I probably rechecked and adjusted 10 times before I drilled the first hole from inside the car. The second hole ended up about an inch above and slightly left of the first.

Getting a wrench on the firewall side retaining nuts is very difficult but it can be done. You will need a helper to tighten the nuts from inside the car. Be careful not to overtighten them.

Due to the odd shape of the brake pedal, I was unable to use the supplied cable attachment part. Ended up using a common hardware store U bolt style cable clamp. I don't remember for sure, but think it may have been
5/16".

Was a lot of work but it works great. Good luck with your install.

Forstall · 05-16-2020, 05:07 PM

Thanks for the Reply. Now I know it can be done. I have been under the car I have pulled back the floor and firewall insulation. I am just short of "I hope to h--- this is right" any chance you could send me a picture of the metal part of the cable going through the firewall.
Did the hole you drilled come out underneath the car or through the firewall next to the power brake unit.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeUSNRet

As I remember, installing the brake cables turned out to be the most difficult part of the entire toad setup. I pulled the carpet back to expose the floor behind the brake pedal. Had to remove the door sill cover to do that. I then used a straightedge, placed about an inch above the brake pedal foot pad, to establish a line to the firewall. I made a mark at that point on the firewall. Then, under the car, I checked to make sure there was nothing in the way and that the cables could actually be routed to that spot. There is a lot of "I hope to h--- this is right" involved. I probably rechecked and adjusted 10 times before I drilled the first hole from inside the car. The second hole ended up about an inch above and slightly left of the first.

Getting a wrench on the firewall side retaining nuts is very difficult but it can be done. You will need a helper to tighten the nuts from inside the car. Be careful not to overtighten them.

Due to the odd shape of the brake pedal, I was unable to use the supplied cable attachment part. Ended up using a common hardware store U bolt style cable clamp. I don't remember for sure, but think it may have been
5/16".

Was a lot of work but it works great. Good luck with your install.

MikeUSNRet · 05-16-2020, 08:06 PM

I didn't take any photos when I did this. I will try to get some tomorrow, at least from inside the car. You have to get under the car to see where the cable goes through. I should be able to get you some reference point measurements that might help.

MikeUSNRet · 05-17-2020, 11:58 AM

Forstall, Hope this will help. From inside the car, go down 6" from the top edge of the carpet and 8" to the left of the center console. That worked for me.

You can't see that spot from under the hood even with the coolant recovery tank removed.

I will try to attach pics from inside the car. They may or may not go through. They are without the breakaway cable installed.

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