Do you know your towed vehicle?

Well...do ya? =) There are so many amazing vehicles that are flat towable on the market, but with that there are a lot of variables. Not all towed vehicles are created equal and that is certainly true when it comes to flat towing. Once you know the variables to consider, flat towing is beyond fun! Here we go:

Floorboard Fit

Here at RVi, we guarantee our RVibrake will fit in any towed vehicle. In most towed vehicles RVibrake is a natural fit. There are some towed vehicles that require our standard stop plate that comes in the RVibrake packaging. The stop plate mounts into the legs of the seat giving RVibrake a proper stop to push against. Sometimes the stop plate needs special brackets,that we provide free of charge, to attach to the seat legs. You can see the list of vehicles HERE.

Pulling Fuses 

There are some cars that require pulling fuses for towing. Although most car manufacturers don't divulge the reasons for pulling fuses, most of the time this is to reduce battery drain on the towed vehicle. Many towed vehicles have to put the ignition in ACC mode for towing. Doing this energizes some of the electronics in the dash causing the towed battery to deplete quickly. This often affects the stock 12V outlet removing the power source for RVibrake. We have two products to compensate for this: 

1. 12V Battery Direct Kit: This gives you a dedicated 12V outlet that runs directly off of the towed battery, bypassing the towed's computer and fuse panel.
2. Towed Battery Charger: This allows the motorhome to keep your towed vehicles battery topped off and in many cases alleviates the need to pull the fuse in the first place. 

1. 12V Battery Direct Kit: This gives you a dedicated 12V outlet that runs directly off of the towed battery, bypassing the towed's computer and fuse panel.
2. Towed Battery Disconnect: This gives you a dial to turn that disconnects the negative cable from the battery. 

To see which towed vehicles are affected, click HERE.

Ignition Position 

Most towed vehicles have to put the ignition in ACC mode for flat towing. This results in the towed vehicle's battery depleting quickly. The most popular vehicles with this issue are Honda's, specifically the CR-V; and GM's, specifically the Equinox/Terrain/SRX platform. In these cases the manufacturer will require that you stop after a period of time for two reasons; the first being to run through the gears to re-lubricate the transmission, and second to top off the towed vehicle battery. For these cars we recommend the Towed Battery Charger. You will still need to stop when the manufacturer recommends to run through the gears, but you will have peace of mind that your battery is ready to go. To see which towed vehicles are affected, click HERE.

Electronics Timer 

Ford, in recent years, has started making vehicles with an "Electronics Timer". This means that after a period time (ie. 15 minutes or 60 minutes) all electronics shut down on the vehicle if the key is not in proximity. This is a great feature, but super frustrating for towed vehicle owners. The fix for this is the 12V Battery Direct Kit which allows you to bypass the towed vehicle's computer and receive power at all times for RVibrake. This issue may become more popular with other manufacturers in time. To see which towed vehicles are affected, click HERE.

Steering Pump

On the Jeep Cherokee '14-present, there is something called a "Death Wobble" when flat towing. You can see it in action HERE. This is due to an electronic steering pump not being engaged when in tow mode. Fiat Chrysler Automotives (FCA), Jeep's parent company, has a solution to address the issue. FCA is paying to have the Wiring Kit, part# 68321424AD, installed in vehicles manufactured previous to Feb 24, 2016. If your Cherokee is manufactured after the 24th, then the Wiring Kit comes stock. The issue after the Wiring Kit is installed is that it depletes the towed battery in 2-3 hours. For this issue we recommend the Towed Battery Charger Plus.

Brake Type

We get questions all the time about whether a vehicle has vacuum brakes or active brakes. Cars with vacuum brake systems use a master booster mounted to the firewall  that provides assist when braking. Vacuum is only present when the engine runs filling the master booster. Most cars have vacuum brake systems.

Cars with active brake systems have constant assist on the brake pedal, regardless of whether the engine is running or not. Hybrids and diesel cars primarily have active brake systems.

 

Happy RVing!

-The RVi Crew