Doing a flat tow, or flat towing, is a way to pull along a vehicle such that all four of its wheels are on the ground. Flat towing is also called dinghy towing, neutral towing, or four-wheel towing, among other names. It’s a popular way to pull cars or four wheel drive vehicles behind large trucks or motorhomes.
Do I put my car in neutral when towing?
If your vehicle is a front-wheel drive, and manual:
If all four wheels are on the ground, put the vehicle in neutral and tow. Vehicles with manual transmissions can typically be towed without the car running, with no risk of transmission damage.
Can you flat tow with transfer case in neutral?
You can only tow a four-wheel drive vehicle with all wheels on the ground by placing the transfer case in its neutral position and engaging the four-wheel-down towing feature.
Do the front wheels turn when flat towing?
Make sure your alignment is good enough to where your rig tracks straight and true with you behind the wheel before you try sending it down the road with no occupants. Also, when flat-towing, you need to have the steering wheel unlocked so the front tires can follow the tow vehicle through turns.
What is neutral towing?
Definition of neutral towing
A way to pull a vehicle behind an RV with all 4 of its wheels remaining on the ground. Neutral towing is a simple method of towing as it only requires a small set of equipment to hitch the car—versus requiring any trailers or dollies.
How far can you tow a car in neutral?
Automatic Transaxle – Your vehicle may be towed under the following conditions: The gear selector must be in NEUTRAL, the distance to be towed must not exceed 15 miles (25 km), and the towing speed must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h).
How do I protect my transmission while towing?
If your towing vehicle has an automatic transmission, you will need to install a towing package. Another option for automatic transmission towing is to install a transmission fluid temperature warning that will inform you if your transmission or coolant gets too hot.
Can you tow an all wheel drive vehicle in neutral?
The Problem With Towing An AWD
When towing two-wheel drives, many know that it shouldn’t be towed on its drive wheels or else you’ll damage the vehicles. Even if you placed the car in neutral, it should still not be towed on its drive wheels because the transmission will get damaged.
Can you drive with the transfer case in neutral?
The transfer case NEUTRAL position disengages both the front and rear drive shafts from the powertrain and will allow the vehicle to roll, even if the transmission is in PARK.
Can you flat tow an AWD vehicle?
AWD vehicles present special challenges since all 4 wheels are drive wheels. Unfortunately, an AWD vehicle can only be towed behind an RV with a tow trailer or carried on a flatbed. None of the wheels should be left on the ground as AWD is a permanent setup which means flat towing is not an option.
How fast can you flat tow?
Meanwhile, most experts recommend you never flat tow a car faster than 55 mph.
Is Flat towing easier?
If you’re going to be towing your car with any regularity, we highly recommend a flat tow setup if the option is available for your car. They’re smaller, lighter, easier to store, and easier to use.
How does a flat towed vehicle steer?
Unlocking the steering wheel/front wheels will allow the towed vehicle to turn and essentially follow the RV or tow vehicle that is pulling it. The wheels will turn according to the tow vehicle and straighten back out when needed.