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Towing 4WD Vehicles

From Jim Walczak,
Your Guide to 4-Wheel Drive / Offroading.
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Vehicles You Can and Can not Tow 4 Wheels Down

Without a doubt, the Saturn appears to be #1 choice of a vehicle to tow among most RVers, but what about those who want to tow their 4 wheel drive vehicle? Towing a Jeep with all wheels down has simple instructions.

The "best" tow vehicle is one that can be towed with its wheels on the ground, is relatively lightweight, and doesn’t register miles while being towed. The lighter the vehicle is, the less wear and tear on the RV and towing system. Does your 4WD qualify? Check these lists:

MotorHome Magazine provides a list of towable pickups and SUVs that is updated each year in their Jan/Feb issue (and online). You can also find their list of towable vehicles from previous years there as well. These are vehicles that are factory approved by their manufacturers for towing behind a motorhome. Some vehicles require special procedures which must be followed, including speed and distance limitations.

Trailer Life compiles annual factory tow ratings for trucks, sport utility vehicles, vans and automobiles. Here you can find tow-rating data for 1999 through the current model year. For tow ratings prior to 1999, you get year-specific data directly from them.

Bob's Travel Center maintains a Tow Vehicle Guide which lists the towing limits for current-year makes & models.

Most vehicles that are NOT approved by their manufacturers for towing on all four wheels can still be towed using aftermarket accessories such as a cable-operated driveshaft-disconnect device (rear-wheel-drive vehicles only), a driveshaft-disconnect device, or free-wheeling hubs (front-wheel drive).

According to REMCO, the towing experts:

  • You can tow any front wheel drive manual transmission vehicle as far as you want and as long as you want. As an added precaution, you might want to consider a Lube Pump or Axle Lock to ensure that no transmission damage will occur.
  • Most 4WD vehicles with a manual transmission, manual transfer case and manual lock out hubs can be towed on all four wheels safely with no problems.
  • If your 4WD has no manual lockout hubs and/or no manual transfer case, then you will need a coupling device on the rear drive shaft to tow it safely.
Check these miscellaneous 4 wheels down towing tips for more info.
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