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Old 01-13-2018, 02:01 PM   #1
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What am I missing here

The Wife wants to tow one of our vehicles behind our MH. The problem is they are all automatic. Tow without a tow dolly or trailer.. She sees all these MH's towing vehicles that are for sure automatics like a Lexus or Camry etc... higher end cars that for sure are not standard shift.
My understanding is no automatic should be towed, wheels down, for more than 50 miles max, yet I see them all the time flat towing.
How are these people doing this without damaging their transmissions.??? What am I missing???
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Old 01-13-2018, 02:46 PM   #2
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I might be wrong on this, but it seems to me that some vehicles with a automatic transmission, have a way of bypassing and putting the vehicle in a tow mode. You could check your vehicles owner manual or call a dealer.
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Old 01-13-2018, 03:01 PM   #3
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It all depends on the type of hydraulic pump in the transmission.

Most (but not all) newer front wheel drive vehicles now need to have front wheels off the ground to be used as a "toad".

Most of the toads I see are jeeps.

Here is a link to a tow hitch manufacturer's where you can check to see if your vehicle can be towed flat.
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Old 01-13-2018, 03:05 PM   #4
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You can tow any 2015+ Ford Edge AWD by disconnecting the battery. Some people use the 12V power line in the connector to supply an electric/hydraulic brake controller from draining the battery. Many AWD cars can still be flat towed.
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Old 01-14-2018, 01:19 AM   #5
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Lot's of options out there. Our 2015 Fusion Hybrid can be towed 4 down as well as our 2003 F150. They are both automatics. We are looking at a Lincoln MKX AWD it can be towed 4 down. There are certain things that need to allowed for, like cranking the vehicle every 4-6 hours and letting run for 5-10 minutes to top up the battery. On the Lincoln there is some sort of electronic lock out that works via the software, it has a special neutral position for towing.

Let us know what you want to tow and we can help with the research. FWIW we may be using a tow dolly in the near term because we already have one on the property and the cost to set up for four down is ~$3000 or so.

Aaron
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Old 01-14-2018, 01:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wahoonc View Post
FWIW we may be using a tow dolly in the near term because we already have one on the property and the cost to set up for four down is ~$3000 or so.

Aaron
I never had any kind of trailer on my property and always needed (wanted ) one. So when we were trying to decide which option to go with for our toad, getting a car hauler trailer seemed like the perfect option for me because;

A. Towing 4 flat, I still wouldn't get a trailer out of the deal. And I was told (don't know for a fact), most of these setups are impossible to back up without disconnecting. Only certain vehicles can be towed this way. As Aaron pointed out the cost is about 3k for vehicle and MH setup. This method does provide for the lightest weight solution for toads.

B. Tow dolly, depending on which one you get, some models need to be disconnected before backing. Can only be used for towing cars, won't make a very good utility trailer. It does take up less space than a car hauler when you arrive at campgrounds.

C. Car hauler is the method I chose only because I got a trailer to use on my property also, best of both worlds for me. I went with an 18 foot, all aluminum construction. Yes it was costly compared to the other options, but the aluminum one was half the weight (and 1.5 times price of) a steel hauler. I have not had an issue backing it up or parking it at campground yet, most spots I have been to we long enough that I didn't even have to unhook it. And I use it as a utility trailer at home.
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Old 01-14-2018, 10:56 PM   #7
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Thanks guys.. the link really helped. I may just go with a car trailer. I have 2 already. Thanks for the replies
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