What to tow?

Mahatnmacoat · 07-17-2020, 08:00 AM

There are streams of threads of this question but I still can't find what I'm looking for. What year make and model might I buy for a toad. A friend a fellow RVer with a Class C tows a 2005 Chevy Tracer, four wheel drive, (not all wheel drive) automatic transmission. He tows with the transmission and transfer case in neutral and stops every 200 miles and starts the engine in the Tracer. This friend is quite comfortable with band-aids. An aside, there are after market pumps available that connect in the transmission cooler lines but THAT aside, what I'm looking for is a data source for flat towable vechiels. The Motor Home magazine and Good Sam lists seem to be focused on new vechiels. I've got an eighteen year old motor home, I live on a fixed income, (plus a few bucks I hussel up here and there) and I'm seventy-two years old. I ain't buy'n a new car. I'm thinking of something I can get and or keep running at or under a couple of thousand bucks. What would really help me, and perhaps others most, would be some kind of list or data base that covers or includes at least some of the parameters noted above.

We're lov'n the motor home. I have everything working and while I have a bunch or periodic maintenance stuff, plugs, serpentine belt, oil and filter and the like, we've moved to the cleaning stage. By the end of the month I'll be driveing it. The girlfriend wants the know when we're going to christian it. She sometimes uses malaprops.

What a life!

**Midnightmoon** · 07-17-2020, 08:19 AM

Providing that you can find something in your price range, nearly every older Jeep 4x4 product, Wrangler, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, etc. can be towed 4-down easily.

SloPoke · 07-17-2020, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mahatnmacoat

. The girlfriend wants the know when we're going to christian it. She sometimes uses malaprops.

What a life!

this post!

Danno · 07-17-2020, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SloPoke

this post!

Yeah but he plays a mean banjo!

TOS · 07-18-2020, 08:04 PM

This link is year specific but a good start. You can search other models too. Many models continue to have the same features with newer/older year models.
Like already said, hard to beat the Jeep Wrangler for ease of 4 down towing. That's what I have...
https://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdf/dtg_2017.pdf

Grumpy · 07-18-2020, 08:11 PM

Here's a link to MOTORHOME MAGAZINES Dingy towing guide that goes back to 2000 that you can download year x year.

https://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/

pconroy · 07-18-2020, 08:43 PM

Seems to me super cheap would be a manual transmission, several year old Kia Soul. Yeah, they're pretty funky looking - but Kia's and Hyundai's do not hold their value very well.

That's not a slight, as I've owned four Kia/Hyundai's now. And they've been excellent cars for me.

Since I've still got an income from a job, I'm thinking about grabbing a used Wrangler now. Then tow that four down.

Superseneca · 07-19-2020, 03:47 PM

If cash flow is a concern, you may want to use a dolly. Then any small front wheel drive vehicle would work.

fidalgo66 · 07-19-2020, 07:29 PM

We have towed our 2003 Ford Explorer Sport over 20,000 trouble free miles. Easy to hook up, we wired it so the battery charges via the rv while underway, and no stops have to be made to run engine, etc.
I think that it is the perfect dinghy.

Mahatnmacoat · 07-20-2020, 10:31 AM

Thanks fidalgo66, Is your Ford an automatic or manual? Front, rear, four or all wheel drive? Thanks again and please advise!

Best regards

fidalgo66 · 07-21-2020, 09:06 AM

It is four wheel drive, automatic transmission and transfer case. All that is needed is a neutral tow switch which I had the local Ford dealer install. Simply put trans. in neutral, engage the switch and drive away.

Mahatnmacoat · 07-21-2020, 04:58 PM

That is an excellent lead fidalgo66, exactly the type of information I'm looking for. Your information prompts several questions for the local Ford dealer service manager. I appreciate all the responses I've gotten so far and I hope more members will respond.

Again, thanks to all.

SloPoke · 07-21-2020, 05:35 PM

Maybe seek the input of your girlfriend too... does she like to explore back country roads or explore innercity Malls? Will destinations be in the country or down Town?

Also... will she want to Kristen it along with the Motorhome?

Mahatnmacoat · 07-21-2020, 07:51 PM

I'm flattered by you interest SloPoke. We're back country folks, we both have experience wilderness hikeing and camping. Not so much anymore but we both know how to and injoy(ed) roughing it. That said, for a number of reasons we need might need to get to medical care promptly. We're both very grateful that I'm 6'2", 186 and 115 over 60. Jennifer, not so robust. So, we must have a car handy. She has a kind of pithy sence of humor. Her only in-put on the car is, 'Don't buy anything else that doesn't work!' Oh, and I might as well sell the motorcycle. Boats? I've got a little inflatable. I've learned not to buy something just because I CAN fix it.

Enough, thanks and keep the cards and letters coming.

Mahatnmacoat · 07-21-2020, 07:56 PM

Opps, she'll be interested in christian-ing the new car.

Fork in the road · 08-01-2020, 12:50 PM

We tow a 2011 Jeep Liberty 4x4 Limited. The comfort of a passenger vehicle with the durability of an off road vehicle. It makes a great Toad!

Pauls2k · 08-01-2020, 01:07 PM

I have a 2017 26’ Greyhawk. We pull a 2016 Jeep Wrangler 4 down. Automatic is in park and transfer case in neutral per owner’s manual. We’ve pulled it over 9000 miles with no issues.

Johnynorthland · 08-01-2020, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mahatnmacoat

There are streams of threads of this question but I still can't find what I'm looking for. What year make and model might I buy for a toad. A friend a fellow RVer with a Class C tows a 2005 Chevy Tracer, four wheel drive, (not all wheel drive) automatic transmission. He tows with the transmission and transfer case in neutral and stops every 200 miles and starts the engine in the Tracer. This friend is quite comfortable with band-aids. An aside, there are after market pumps available that connect in the transmission cooler lines but THAT aside, what I'm looking for is a data source for flat towable vechiels. The Motor Home magazine and Good Sam lists seem to be focused on new vechiels. I've got an eighteen year old motor home, I live on a fixed income, (plus a few bucks I hussel up here and there) and I'm seventy-two years old. I ain't buy'n a new car. I'm thinking of something I can get and or keep running at or under a couple of thousand bucks. What would really help me, and perhaps others most, would be some kind of list or data base that covers or includes at least some of the parameters noted above.

We're lov'n the motor home. I have everything working and while I have a bunch or periodic maintenance stuff, plugs, serpentine belt, oil and filter and the like, we've moved to the cleaning stage. By the end of the month I'll be driveing it. The girlfriend wants the know when we're going to christian it. She sometimes uses malaprops.

What a life!

We now have a 2019 Class C Redhawk 25R that’s 28’8” long with a combined weight of 22,000 lbs and a GVW of 14,500, after a full tank of fresh water this leaves me with 2,500 CC and then 7,500 for a toad. Know your weight limits and travel light is my motto!

First off I wouldn’t dolly tow. I did it for 4 years and with a bad back it destroyed me!

Here is how I narrowed down my search for a flat tow vehicle. It’s lengthy but perhaps it could help you and others decide. It was a big struggle for me.

1st, We needed a comfortable to drive automatic so my wife could drive it and it had to be an SUV type so my dogs crate could fit in the back for side trips etc..

2nd was weight. My setup is rated for 7,500/750 lbs, but why put a heavy load on it. So I decided to stay under 4,500 lbs.

3rd, a good track record of flat towing reliability.

4th, ease of getting the vehicle to get in to flat tow mode without any special Add on devices other than a battery cutoff, if necessary. I also didn’t want to have to stop every 200 miles to run the engine and trans.

5th, new or used. Since we were down sizing to one vehicle we thought we wanted new, but we never buy new cars, ever! 2 years or older.

So I narrowed it down to the Ford Flex, (4,439lbs), the Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk, (4,023lbs), and the Honda CRV, (3,305lbs).

The wife hated the look of the Flex. So that was out. But once I was behind the wheel I loved it, for its size and weight it drove great.

The Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk we both love and our daughter owns one, so we’ve both driven them before, but I really struggled with the whole death wobble issue. And installing a harness to activate the active drive system, then needing to ensure the battery stayed charged, pushed us towards the CRV.

Now I had to find a 2WD, 2014 CRV, (which is the last year for flat towing), with very low mileage and loaded. Took me 8 months! But I found one!

I’m sure you have your Criteria for a Tow vehicle and it may be different from mine. But I carefully thought this out close to a year before I made the switch. I am so very happy I did. No regrets even if I got a 2nd vehicle Down the road I would Still keep the Honda CRV as a main tow vehicle.

Pancho · 08-01-2020, 01:36 PM

We have a 2015 Ford Fiesta, FWD, AT. Have put over 35K towed miles and no problems. Since they stopped making them they r probably pretty cheap. Radio panel even tells you when the trans is ready. Weighs just a little over 2k lbs.

Forelyndogs · 08-01-2020, 02:01 PM

Definitely look at Motorhome Magazine online, they do list autos that can be flat towed back to the year 2000. You should be able to find something in your price range in a ten to 20 year old vehicle. Almost any manual transmission vehicle can be flat towed, most four wheel drive vehicles with neutral transfer case too. AWD is usually automatic and does not offer a transfer case that can be shifted into neutral so beware of AWD. Almost all Saturns of any year, auto or manual can be flat towed. When GM shutdown the Saturn division they continued the Saturn Vue by slapping a “bow-tie” on the front and back and calling it a Chevy Captiva. They flat tow well. The Chevy Equinox and equivalent GMC SUV both allow flat towing. I know that many RVer’s who use a dolly are very happy with them, but they are heavy and difficult to maneuver in tight spaces and the vehicle must be very carefully secured to the dolly. I prefer flat towing having done so for over 20 years.

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