Towing a 2018 Chevy Equinox.

[Sparky The Toed]

Has anyone towed this and whats the set up like to tow. And does the e450 v10 do the job. Thanks

[rgolding]

We've got 48K miles towing a 2016 Traverse and think it would be close to the same. Must be the all wheel drive model. Your Chevy dealer can print off the specifics for you.
Had the Blue Ox system installed by a competent dealer and our local Chevy dealer has helped us set everything up. It can be done, fuses have to be pulled or a switch installed to disconnect. There is simple running maintenance that has to be done about every 500 miles. Works good!

[tom463219]

We flat tow a 2016 Equinox AWD 6 Cylinder. We use the BlueOx system, and have installed a switch that mounts on the fuse box cover on the center console, passengers side. The V10 does a fine job pulling it. No problems with it at all. It weighs in at about 4300 lbs.

[Love To Travel 2]

Sparky,

You need to search this site and the iRV2 forum (thread entitled "2018 Equinox flat tow?") for posts on the 2018 Equinox. The 2018's are completely different from all other Equinox model years when it comes to towing. You do not need to pull fuses as in earlier models and the procedure you need to follow for towing is slightly different than what is printed in the owners manual. Also, before you purchase an Equinox to be used as a toad, be sure to read page 358 of the 2018 Equinox Owners Manual online because not all models can be flat towed. We have a 2018 Equinox FWD with the 1.5 L gas engine and it CAN be flat towed.

We pull our Equinox with a 2018 Jayco 29MV. I honestly can feel a difference when I'm driving the 29MV with or without the Equinox. It is not a huge or measurable difference, but I can tell. We use the Demco Commander towing equipment and the RVi brake system. We also had a charging line installed from the MH to the toad which keeps the battery from dying. We have been very happy with the overall experience with the 2018 Equinox.

Again, do your due diligence and research the Equinox so going in you have all the facts.

[Sparky The Toed]

Thanks for the info. I did buy the 2018 Equinox and did read all the different post and that just made my head spin there where so many ways to tow it. I do have the same tow bar and was wondering if you installed the Demo base plate and how much of the front had to be cut out. And after you put it in neutral do you push the start stop button again? Thanks again for any info you might have.

[Love To Travel 2]

Sparky,

The procedure we follow is:

1. With your foot OFF of the brake, press and hold the start/stop button for about 10 seconds until the dashboard lights up.

2. Put your foot ON the brake and shift to neutral. (At this point your dashboard is still lit up and your odometer is active).

3. With your foot OFF of the brake, press the start/stop button quickly and the dash lights will go out.

4. You will have a message on the dashboard saying "Shift To Park". You will also have a continuous chime sounding, but that will stop sounding at some point.

After this is done, we place the RVi brake on the floor and plug it into the cigarette lighter that is in the rear on the passenger side. It is constantly "hot" so the need for a charging line from the MH to the Equinox. Also make sure the headlight switch is manually turned to the OFF position so the headlights don't automatically come on if you tow after dark. Same with the radio. Make sure it is off. They will drain the battery.

There are a lot of people who use and swear by battery chargers, but we just use the charging line. Plus, so far we have not done any marathon towing in one day; 275 miles at the most, so the Equinox isn't subject to a lot of towing time in one day.

When the towing equipment was installed (I did not do the installation), the dealer did have to cut a little of the front grill, but it wasn't extensive. And, if you are doing this yourself, when you remove the front end, make sure you correctly disconnect the connector that controls the wiring for the front turn signals (it's on the passenger side). It has a safety catch that will break if you don't do it right.

Hope this helps.

[Sparky The Toed]

Love to travel. Thanks again for all the good info. The only other thing is do you have to leave the Key in the car when towing it and does the mileage add up? I have heard different things on these forums. Thanks again for all your help.

[Love To Travel 2]

Originally Posted by Sparky The Toed

The only other thing is do you have to leave the Key in the car when towing it and does the mileage add up? I have heard different things on these forums.

Sparky,

1. No. Since there really isn't a key, I keep the fob in my pocket or in the console of the Jayco.
2. No, if you follow the proper procedure. We haven't had one extra mile added to the odometer while towing the Equinox (about 3,500 miles).

As an aside, I purchased a 12 volt extension cord from Harbor Freight to reach from the brake controller to the outlet in the rear. It worked, but it was stretched to the limit, so I bought a second one, which didn't work. So I found a heavy duty 20 or 25 foot extension at CW which did the trick. And don't forget to run the Equinox at pit stops for 5 minutes or so to keep everything lubricated.

[vnews]

I did everything like you said, but i do not have the brake system. My battery on the car is dead after 2 hours of towing... What am i doing wrong?

[Love To Travel 2]

vnews,

What year and model Equinox do you have? There could be a multitude of reasons your battery is dying, so you are going to have to explain more about your towing equipment, wiring, what you have done, etc.

Ed

[vnews]

Our Equinox is a 2018. It tows really well and we have a blue ox system with a trickle charger that hooks up to the motorhome. We have a Greyhawk 34ft. I turn on the engine, place the car in neutral. with my foot off the brake i switch the car to acc. turn off radio, ac, and make sure the lights are not on automatic. Can you tell me what im doing wrong>

[Love To Travel 2]

vnews,

Are you following the procedure I wrote in post #6? I don't turn the engine on to put the selector in neutral. Also, I have found through personal experience that the trickle chargers don't supply enough amperage to keep the Equinox battery from dying (the electrical system on the 2018 Equinox is a strange breed). Is your charging line from the motorhome at least 12 gauge wire? It should not be any thinner. Have you ever checked the amp rating (not voltage) of the charging line at the Equinox battery? Mine will regularly pull anywhere from 6.5 amps to 7.5 amps. Any less may not keep the battery charged (I purchased a Klein CL380 Digital Clamp Meter specifically to check the amperage). However, I have an RVi brake system in the Equinox which pulls some of those 6-7 amps while I'm towing. I also found that at times my 7-pin plug wasn't pushed in tight enough into the MH and wasn't making good contact.

Again, there could be a myriad of problems that I can't see by not being there. And one last thing before I turn in for the night, my Equinox weighs in at a little over 3,300 pounds, then when fully loaded, a 100 or so pounds more. Personally, I would never tow a car without a supplementary braking system.

Ed

[vnews]

I have not followed those instructions as we just started this search... I will try that on our next trip... We did check the amperage and it was pulling 2-3 amps, so maybe we need a larger trickle charger. The RV store told us that we could get a larger one but he thought that was an overkill for our car. Thanks for your input and i will let you know what we find out.

[vnews]

Did you have to pull any fuses on your 18 Equinox? i read somewhere that you have to pull fuses in some models, and then i read on the 18's you did NOT have to pull fuses.

[Love To Travel 2]

vnews,

You need to search the iRV2 forum (www.irv2.com and search for the thread entitled "Chevy Equinox") for posts on the Equinox. You will most likely have to join the irv2 forum by setting up log-in credentials using an email address. There is no cost...it's just like the Jayco forum, but more for Class A motorhomes, but they still tow Equinoxes.

This particular thread is close to 500 posts over the last couple of years but it is filled with great information on the Equinox and the dead battery issue. It may take you several hours to view all the posts (you don't have to read everything as there are more issues with the Equinox than just dead batteries), but to me it is well worth the time. I came away with so much more information than I had before on the Equinox and the dead battery. Make sure you read thoroughly the posts by NXR and BikinJim. Those two helped me the most.

The 2018's are completely different from all other Equinox model years when it comes to towing. You do NOT need to pull fuses as in earlier models and the procedure you need to follow for towing is slightly different than what is printed in the owners manual.

Ed

[vnews]

Thanks for all the info. i really appreciate all your help