Flat towing is pulling your car behind your campervan so that all four wheels are traveling on the ground. It can also be referred to as A-frame towing due to the shape of the tow bar in an A. Its feet firmly bolt to the front of your vehicle by brackets, sometimes known as the base plate, and the trailer coupler attaches to the tow ball on your motorhome.
Flat towing is easy and convenient to set up. It’s the perfect method to use with a motorhome or RV because they have a similar turn radius, and it’s quick and easy to unhook the towed vehicle when you need it to run into town or to get out of a tight situation.
Flat towing is more affordable and adventure-ready than flat-bed towing, which is towing your vehicle on a flat trailer. As well as practicality, it offers more even wear on your tires compared to dolly or two-wheel towing, where the front or rear wheels of your car are lifted up. However, it is important to remember that even when you are towing it in neutral, it has the same wear and tear on your vehicle’s transmission, suspension, and tires compared to if you were actually driving it.
Before you can tow your car behind your RV, you will need to install the base plates onto your run-around vehicle, which your A-frame tow bar can be attached to. You may also need a braking system in your towed vehicle to work in conjunction with the motor home. This allows your towed vehicle to brake smoothly and to convey the brake lights when the motorhome ahead slows down.
For the braking system to work, the key has to be in the ignition and turned to the Accessory position – which draws power but does not actually start the car. The ignition must also be in the Accessory position to ensure the steering is unlocked.
Do not have the ignition in the ON position when towing because this could activate the advanced drive-assist features, which could throw off your motorhome. As your car is drawing power while it is being towed, it can drain the battery, so make sure to take it off the A-frame, drive it regularly for longer trips, and keep an eye on any warning signs on the dashboard.
Why opt for Flat Towing?
While you can tow just about any vehicle behind your RV if you use a tow dolly or a four-wheeled trailer, there are many downsides to these methods. The expense of buying and maintaining a trailer or tow dolly is incurred. In addition, these bulky pieces of equipment demand additional work to get the towed vehicle on and off, and storage space is needed both at home and at the campground when not in use. This is why many people opt for flat towing, which only requires a few pieces of equipment that are small and easy to store when not in use. It will also save you time and energy once you are at your destination when you’re ready to hop in your vehicle and go sightseeing or make a supply run.
Dinghy Towing vs Flat Towing
Towing a car behind an RV is often referred to as “dinghy towing.” However, flat towing is a more focused word. It all boils down to the equipment used to haul the RV. A tow bar or tow dolly may be used to tow a dinghy.
All four of the vehicle’s wheels are on the road when a tow bar is deployed. We call this four-down hauling or flat towing. The car’s front wheels are lifted off the ground and rest on the tow dolly while it is being utilised. Because flat towing requires less equipment and is easier to operate, it is recommended when using a tow bar.
Tools Required for Flat Towing
1. Choose a Tow bar
Utilise a tow bar first. A tow bar will provide your RV and dinghy with a safe and secure connection. It is made up of two arms that rotate from side to side to allow for easy turning and towing while attached to the dinghy.
The styles, weight capacities, and use of tow bars vary. Certain tow bars attach to the RV using a typical receiver shank. Others descend onto a caravan ball using a coupler. Dinghy towing is another usage for a tow dolly.
2. Choose a Tow bar Base Plate
Select a base plate and tow bar that fits your particular vehicle. While some tow bars use universal bolt-on brackets to connect to the car, a bespoke base plate is the recommended option. A base plate is a metal frame that fastens to the front of your car. It has two receivers where attachment tabs may be inserted to connect the tow bar arms.
Look up your car by its make, model, and year to choose the appropriate base plate. A base plate is not required if using a tow dolly for the towing process.
3. Choose an RV Adaptor and Hitch
Your RV must have a receiver hitch on the rear before you may dinghy pull a car behind it. RV towing systems use a receiver tube that is positioned in the back, much as vehicle towing systems do. There are two types of RV hitches: bumper-mounted and frame-mounted.
The receiver hitch height and the tow bar base plate height must coincide by no more than 3 inches when flat towing a car. A hitch adaptor will be required to lower the vehicle to the proper height if the height difference is more than 3 inches.
4. Locate a Harness for Dinghy Towing
A car must be attached to the RV using both an electrical and hitch connection in order for a dinghy tow it safely. For safe driving, the lights on the towed vehicle and the RV must sync. A dinghy tow wire harness is used for this.
For a simple plug-and-play installation, CURT dinghy towing harnesses are created specifically for each vehicle. They give a conventional 4-way flat that fits into the electrical outlet of the RV. Magnetic RV towing lights are an additional option.
5. Make a Brake System Purchase
It is advised to use an additional brake system while flat towing a car. Although many tow dollies have built-in brakes, an on-board vehicle stopping system should be utilised when towing flat.
The weight of the dinghy vehicle might overtax the brakes on a travel trailer. The RV’s and car’s auxiliary brakes aid in a smooth and secure stop.
6. Add Tow bar Attachments
There could be some more RV auto-towing equipment required to complete your dinghy towing connection. Tow bars may come with some of these items, but it’s best to double-check before towing.
Tabs for Attachments
Attachment tabs are required to secure the tow bar arms to the dinghy vehicle. These are basic metal tabs, shaped like keys, that fit into the base plate receivers and serve as the arm lynch pins’ connecting points.
Cables for Safety
Safety cables are also required for your dinghy towing system. Safety cables link from the base plate to the RV trailer hitch loops, much as safety chains do on a trailer, to prevent total separation in the event of a disconnect.
Locks for Tow Bars
The security of your RV towing arrangement is increased when you replace your tow bar’s hitch pins with hitch locks, especially while leaving your RV and car parked and unattended.
Pros and Cons of Flat Towing
If you are considering buying a flat trailer for your next RV vacation, take into account these benefits:
· The towing equipment is usually more affordable than dolly towing
· Most car types are suitable with flat tows
· One person can hook up and unhook the tow
There are a few drawbacks to using a flat trailer:
· It takes longer and sometimes more work to load the trailer
· You still need to locate a spot to park it both at home and on location
· Because flat trailers are larger than dolly trailers, they need a larger towing capacity.
Pro Tips for Flat Towing
If you’re flat towing for the first time, or it’s been a while since you’ve flat towed a vehicle behind your RV, here are some pro tips to help you do so safely.
Never Back Up with Tow Bars Attached
It can be tempting to back up your RV and straighten out just a little bit when you’re trying to get into your spot or in and out of a gas station, but you should never back up with the tow bars and vehicle still attached.
Doing so will likely bend the tow bars, cause them to become jammed, damage your RV, and cause damage to your tow vehicle. So, if you need to back up your RV, just disconnect first. You will be glad you did.
Use a Tow Brake
Also called a dinghy towing brake, a flat tow brake is an important piece of equipment when flat towing. This device will apply the brakes in your flat tow vehicle when you apply the brakes in your RV. This is important because it helps you stop sooner by not putting all of the responsibility of braking on the RV.
A tow brake could be the difference between stopping in time or getting into an accident. It is also the law to have a tow brake installed when traveling across the United States and Canada. Laws can vary from state to state, but chances are, somewhere you are passing through will require you to have a tow brake installed.
Need to hit an excellent service company for flat towing your vehicle? Cairns Towing is at your service. You can be relaxed because your vehicle is in the safest hands.
FAQs
1. What are the cons of flat towing?
The main drawback of the flat towing method is that loading will take longer and require more effort.
2. Can you flat tow an automatic car?
The automatic vehicle can be flat-towed if it has a disconnect for the gearbox. This function is included by automobile manufacturers so that safe flat towing may be done without causing damage to the gearbox. Before trying to flat tow your automobile, consult the owner’s handbook.
3. Is it safe to flat tow?
When flat-towing, the engine is not running, and the input shaft does not spin. However, the rotating rear wheels will spin the main shaft, even with the transmission in neutral. This will cause damage to the transmission.