Cars That Can Be Towed Behind an Rv

RVs, short for recreational vehicles, offering travelers more picturesque views than the parking lot of a hotel, but once you lot arrive at your scenic destination, you don't desire to take to drive a xxx-foot ark effectually the RV park or some other crowded tourist location. That's why many enthusiasts cease upwardly "apartment-towing" or "dinghy towing" a vehicle behind their RV, in which they connect a smaller vehicle to the RV via a tow bar and tow it behind with all four wheels on the ground.

The challenge is, today, at that place are exceedingly few new models that are able to be towed behind an RV. Even the lists from RV enthusiast publications and towing equipment manufacturers we establish online are drastically out of engagement. Some recommend models that have since replaced their conventional automated transmission with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), or four-wheel-bulldoze (4WD) or all-cycle-drive (AWD) vehicles that no longer accept a Neutral position on the transfer case. Models like the Chevy Spark, Honda CR-V, and the Toyota Tacoma that used to be favorites for towing behind an RV are no longer upward to the task.

If you're looking for a vehicle to flat tow, y'all accept to detect one with (A) a conventional automatic transmission rather than a CVT and (B) 4-wheel bulldoze with a Depression range and a Neutral position on the transfer case. Even so, flat towing may be prohibited by the vehicle'south manufacturer for any number of reasons.

Alternately, you can seek out a vehicle with either front-wheel bulldoze (FWD) or rear-cycle drive (RWD) with a manual transmission, but those get harder to come by every passing twenty-four hours. Even if you tin find such a vehicle, it may non be safe to tow behind an RV. The Mazda Miata, for instance, which has a manual transmission that's more desirable to virtually buyers than the automated, prohibits any flat-towing in the owner'south manual, regardless of the transmission type.

Once yous find a vehicle that's suitable for flat towing behind an RV, notation that information technology all the same requires some additional equipment. You'll need a tow bar suitable for your vehicle, plus a wiring harness that will connect the RV's lighting organization to that of the vehicle you're towing, so that the lights and turn indicators work properly.

To help you get set to flat tow a car behind an RV, we've highlighted below several new models that are recommended for flat-towing, according to their owner's manual. Additionally, we've recommended a few used models that have much fewer technological or engineering restrictions.

1987–Present Jeep Wrangler

Best for: Off-road adventurers
Priced from: $5,000

In that location is no more popular vehicle to tow behind an RV than a Jeep Wrangler, and there are many reasons for that. First, they've been around long plenty that you lot can buy one in any price range. Looking for something cheap? You can buy a squeamish TJ-era Wrangler (1996 to 2006) with 150,000 miles in the $vii,000 range, and sometimes even less. Got your kids' higher coin to fire? A 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon will become y'all anywhere you'd perhaps want to go in manner.

Some other huge advantage with the Wrangler is the considerable aftermarket. There's nothing that you lot tin can't upgrade, improve, or add together to with a Wrangler, either from the aftermarket on older models or through the Mopar catalog on newer versions. From rooftop racks to lift kits, the Wrangler is a blank canvas for your creativity.

Finally, the Wrangler's drivetrain is particularly suited to apartment towing. No affair which Wrangler you choose, whether it has the role-time or the Selec-Trac full-time 4WD transfer instance, they all have a Neutral position that allows all four wheels to spin freely every bit you tow information technology behind your rig.

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Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra

Best for: Course A motorhomes
Priced from: $28,900

You're not going to desire to tow a Chevrolet Silverado or a GMC Sierra behind your Sprinter-based RV, but if you're driving a Class A RV—especially the rigs pushing the 45-human foot limit—you have the towing capacity to haul a total-size pickup truck and hardly know it's back there. However—and this is vital—just sure Silverado and Sierra pickups can be towed backside an RV without causing damage to the truck.

The just Silverado and Sierra trucks suitable for towing backside an RV are those equipped with a two-speed transfer case and a "4WD Low" setting. Similar to the Wrangler, you want to have the transfer example lever in the Silverado or Sierra in the Neutral position.

So, what about a RWD Silverado or Sierra? According to the trucks' owner's manual, you cannot tow a 2WD or 4WD Sierra or Silverado with a unmarried-speed transfer case, fifty-fifty with the transmission in Neutral. That's because the transmission in a 2WD doesn't have whatsoever way to lubricate the transmission while the vehicle isn't running, and the single-speed, full-fourth dimension 4WD transfer case doesn't have a Neutral position.

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Read our Test Bulldoze Review of the GMC Sierra
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2012–2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee

All-time for: Diesel RV owners
Priced from: $20,000

If you lot're driving a diesel-powered Class A motorhome, it's squeamish to pull into a fuel station and exist able to make full both vehicles from the aforementioned pump. Plus, diesel still offers a notable fuel mileage advantage over gas-powered versions of the same vehicle, and they more often than not offering amend towing capacity, useful if you're besides using your towed vehicle to haul trailers when you lot're not on your RV vacation.

Unfortunately, Jeep discontinued the three.0-liter diesel from the Grand Cherokee with the latest model in 2021, so you'll be relegated to the used market. Just you'll be rewarded with an amazingly capable vehicle with an insane 785-mile range betwixt fill-ups. When the 1000 Cherokee diesel fuel was introduced in mid-2011, nosotros took one from Boston, Massachusetts, to Detroit, Michigan, and never stopped for fuel until we got to Michigan.

On top of all this, the Yard Cherokee is a beautifully equipped vehicle, generally because to get the diesel fuel engine, you were express to the top Express, Overland, and Summit trim levels. These weren't cheap vehicles when new. The engine alone added about $4,500 to the price, but the price deviation between a used V8-powered K Cherokee and a diesel today is a lot closer to achieving parity.

The Jeep K Cherokee owner'south manual just allows recreational towing on 4WD models with a "iv-LO" range, meaning that the full-time 4WD models are excluded. The possessor'south transmission likewise requires that the negative battery cable be asunder.

Read our Test Bulldoze Review of the Jeep One thousand Cherokee
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1995–2014 Honda CR-Five

Best for: Pocket-size families on a budget
Priced from: $4,000

For RVers, the Honda CR-V used to be a perennial favorite for several reasons. Yep, safety. Yep, practicality. But for the 2022 model yr, the CR-V was facelifted, and forth with the visual changes, Honda swapped the 6-speed automatic transmission for a CVT. From that point forward, yous could no longer flat tow a CR-Five without incurring major harm to the manual.

There are still advantages to buying a used CR-V, though. They're a lot less expensive than a new automobile, and the half-dozen-speed automatic manual is meliorate, peculiarly more then than the early continuously variable manual.

CR-Vs from this era had a very detailed procedure for flat towing that was spelled out in the owner'due south transmission. Deviating from this procedure could result in damage. The manual as well noted that CR-Vs couldn't be towed at speeds faster than 65 miles per hour (inconvenient in some of u.s. out West with a higher speed limit.) The manual also recommended that if you lot towed for more than 300 miles in a day that you echo the process detailed in the transmission earlier continuing further.

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Dodge Durango

Best for: Larger families
Priced from: $32,500

The Dodge Durango has never really caught on equally a loftier-book SUV, and that's a shame. It's a great vehicle. Having used 1 on two separate vacations—in GT and SRT trims—they swallowed a week's worth of luggage for five, with enough room to haul united states all in 1 vehicle.

Unfortunately, neither of those trims were suitable for flat towing. Co-ordinate to the 2022 Dodge Durango owner's transmission, only ane driveline configuration of the iii available for the Durango is suitable for flat towing. If you take a 4WD Durango with a two-speed transfer case with a Neutral position, you can safely tow it behind an RV. If you flat-tow any other Durango driveline configuration—including the RWD version—y'all're going to burn the transmission upwards.

That means the AWD trims like the GT and the SRT are out for flat towing. Finding a Durango with a two-speed transfer case can be a challenge, since most dealer lots are going to exist stocked with the AWD trims.

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Ford Ranger

All-time for: Meaty pickup buyers
Priced from: $28,675

The reintroduction of the Ford Ranger in 2022 actually opened upwardly the field for midsize pickup truck fans who want the convenience of a truck, in a size that can fit comfortably in most garages. They're stout little trucks with decent room fifty-fifty in the Super Cab configuration, only the about popular cab setup is the Crew Cab offering a full seat in the rear. The two.iii-liter twin-turbo EocBoost engine is fantastic, and the 10-speed automatic transmission makes use of all of the engine's power.

The Ranger'due south owner's manual lays out the requirements for towing the truck behind an RV. While it doesn't come right out and say it, the only Ranger models suitable for towing are those with 4WD, because the Ranger 2WD isn't available with a transmission transmission, and the automatic has to be running in order to provide lubrication to the transmission. Technically, a 2WD Ranger tin can be flat towed, but only at speeds upward to 35 mph, and only for distances under fifty miles. If you're mapping a trip beyond the land, that'south going to put a serious dent in your travel plans.

For 4WD Rangers, there's a Neutral Tow setting in the information brandish menu, rather than just shifting to the Neutral position on the transfer instance as y'all would in virtually vehicles.

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1949–1979 Volkswagen Protrude

Best for: Vintage car enthusiasts
Priced from: $4,000

For generations, the top vehicle towed backside an RV was an air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle, and even in 2021, there'south good reason to choose one. For a vintage machine, they're however pretty inexpensive. In 1971, Volkswagen introduced the Super Protrude with a MacPherson strut forepart suspension, and those are typically much less expensive than the older twin-torsion-beam Beetles.

They're besides super light, and a perfect dinghy behind Grade B or Class C motorhomes that might non be comfy hauling an F-150. Even a Sprinter- or Ford Transit-based RV could booty an 1,850-pound Beetle, where it might struggle with the 4,449-pound curb weight of a 2022 Jeep Wrangler.

There'southward also nevertheless a massive aftermarket for Beetles, with everything from fuzzy die to full engines. And within that aftermarket, there are specialists that tin can transform a conventional road-going Beetle into the kind of vehicle that people now call an "overlander." Throw in the variants like the VW Affair and all the dune buggies that Volkswagen enthusiasts transformed their Beetles into and y'all've got an unabridged universe of the lightest vehicles available.

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1989–2004 Geo (Chevrolet) Tracker

Best for: Compact SUV fans
Priced from: $4,995

The Geo Tracker was a truly multinational vehicle. Information technology was produced by CAMI, a Canadian articulation venture between Full general Motors and Suzuki. Introduced in tardily 1988 equally a 1989 model, the Tracker was built in Ingersoll, Ontario, using Suzuki's near bulletproof 1.6-liter single overhead cam iv-cylinder engine. The first generation was marketed as a Geo Tracker when GM was offering that brand. The second generation came along in 1999 and was sold through Chevrolet dealers. For RVers with any interest in venturing off-road, the first-generation Tracker is probably the most suitable, since they have a truck-based recirculating ball steering arrangement. The 2d-generation Tracker has a more car-like rack-and-pinion steering system, and is less suitable for off-road use.

Regardless which Tracker you choose, they're easily towable backside even a smaller Class B motorhome. The earliest beginning-generation Trackers weighed in at merely over 2,200 pounds, while the later second-generation Trackers are around two,850 to 3,000 pounds, depending on which body configuration you choose.

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Chevrolet Sonic

Best for: People who aren't agape to remove fuses
Priced from: $15,000

The Chevrolet Sonic, at present out of production, was 1 of a pocket-sized scattering of flat-towable vehicles made in the 2022 model yr that weren't SUVs with a two-speed transfer example. They're still available with low mileage, though, since the newest Sonics are simply a year and a half old.

We checked the possessor'due south manual to learn the flat-towing procedure: Run the vehicle for five minutes at the beginning of the day, and at each RV fuel end. That helps to circulate the transmission fluid in the Sonic earlier and subsequently it'southward been towed.

Once you accept the vehicle safely connected to the RV, you take some work ahead of you lot. You have to remove the DLIS fuse from the fuse panel, which prevents power from flowing to the trunk control module. If you're driving a Sonic with keyless entry, you also need to remove the BCM1 and BCM2 fuses from the interior fuse panel, and fuse #7 from the underhood fuse panel.

From at that place, turn the ignition on, apply the brake and shift to Neutral, and turn the ignition to the ACC position. Once you accomplish your destination and you're fix to drive again, replace all the fuses you took out.

Come across? Easy!

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Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Coulee

Best for: New diesel fuel pickup owners
Priced from: $41,275

1 of the few remaining new diesel-powered vehicles that'southward able to be flat towed is the Chevrolet Colorado, with an available diesel engine. They're not cheap, starting at $41,275, but if you need a pickup, want something new, and must accept a diesel engine, information technology'south basically the only thing available without hitting a much higher price tag in a full-size truck.

You lot crash-land into the Colorado/Canyon'southward flat-towing limitations with the driveline. You tin't flat tow a rear-drive Colorado/Canyon. It volition destroy the transmission, and your warranty won't cover it. That means you need to opt for the 4WD version, which bumps the price upwards by 3 grand to $37,675, and that's the lowest LT trim available with the diesel fuel. The price from there jumps to as much as $48,875 with the off-route-oriented ZR2.

The flat-towing process detailed in the owner's manual is pretty concise, especially compared to the Sonic. Yous put the transfer instance in Neutral and select the ACC position on the ignition and off you become.

Read our Overview of the Chevrolet Colorado
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Read our Test Bulldoze Review of the GMC Canyon
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