Towing a car.

[welder]

What is the best car to flat tow behind my FR3?

[drivmsafe]

There are quite a few flat towables. We tow a 2014 Honda CRV EX-L. Jeep Wranglers are also very popular. Your best best is to check Motorhome Magazines year specific towable guide (i.e., if buying a 2010, look for the 2010 tow guide). The owners manual for most cars will tell you if it's flat towable.


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[colourful64]

We havent towed yet.. But we have a jeep wrangler and are trading it in for a Honda crv... After a few hours banging around in a motorhome.. We are not prepared to do it again in the jeep. So unless you are real rock crawlers at heart, it makes sense to go with the crv.. Easy on gas too whereas the wrqngler can almost compete with the motorhome

[welder]

Originally Posted by colourful64

We havent towed yet.. But we have a jeep wrangler and are trading it in for a Honda crv... After a few hours banging around in a motorhome.. We are not prepared to do it again in the jeep. So unless you are real rock crawlers at heart, it makes sense to go with the crv.. Easy on gas too whereas the wrqngler can almost compete with the motorhome

Can the new crv be flat towed?

[Locomo14]

We tow a 2015 Jeep Cherokee, previously towed a 2008 CRV

A 2015 Honda CRV can not be flat towed due to the fact that Honda has switched to a CVT transmission.

[drivmsafe]

welder... The last CRV that can be flat towed is a 2014.

[colourful64]

2015 crv can not be flat towed

[akcampr]

We flat tow our subaru impreza sport. Only manual transmission subarus can be flat towed. My wife really likes it as her daily driver, and it is very easy to tow.

[Rockwoodjoe]

Does anyone tow a Ford Fiesta?

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by welder

What is the best car to flat tow behind my FR3?

IMO the best car to flat tow is a Smart Fortwo Pure. It is so lite that you don't need supplemental brakes (some will argue that there are states that require them however they are not looking at the full requirement that substitute braking distance for weight). I get over 40mpg (yes, it takes premium). It's safer than a scooter. I don't end up being the duty driver as it only has 2 seats. The pup loves it in the back. Parking is a no brainer when you only need 1/2 spot. You know those parking gappers? I thank them for reserving a spot for me. Its cheap to buy and operate. It follows in the shadow of the coach. i.e. if your rear tires miss the curb the toad will too. Washing the windows = 1/2 car wash.

[Antone]

I'd say it depends on where you are going and what you will be doing. There was a prior post asking the same question. We go desert, mountains, and beach so our Jeep Wrangler suits our needs best and it seems made to flat tow. It can offroad or be a convertible when duty calls. My opinion is it is the best for those activities. I can't comment on what works best for travelling activities outside of that.

Good luck!



Antone

2015 Forest River FR3 30DS - No Ragrets

Toad - 2011 Jeep Wrangler

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by Duckogram

IMO the best car to flat tow is a Smart Fortwo Pure. It is so lite that you don't need supplemental brakes (some will argue that there are states that require them however they are not looking at the full requirement that substitute braking distance for weight). I get over 40mpg (yes, it takes premium).

You guys down south missed the good ones.

Canada, and everywhere else but USA, got an 800cc diesel.

Guys were hitting 80mpg up here.


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by Kenny kustom

You guys down south missed the good ones.

Canada, and everywhere else but USA, got an 800cc diesel.

Guys were hitting 80mpg up here.


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

Tell me about it! Is it true that supplemental brakes are required in Manitoba?

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by Duckogram

Tell me about it! Is it true that supplemental brakes are required in Manitoba?

No idea!!!


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[Kenny kustom]

http://www.rvda.ca/ProvBrakeReqts.asp

Looks like just bc.


This site is cool. You can click on all the places you will be visiting, and it will tell you minimum requirements.
They say yes, for Manitoba.

http://www.brakebuddy.com/towing-laws





2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by wana65stang

Looks like Newfoundland needs brakes on towed veh also.

We have done a lot of research on TOADS and braking systems as we plan to upgrade to a MH in the future. I have asked a lot of questions on this and other Forums and the hands down winner for a towbar & braking system is the ReadyBrute Elite and, at @ $1,100 it is markedly less expensive than, say, a Blue Ox/AirForce One combo.

ReadyBruteâ„¢ Elite RV Tow Bar - NSA RV Products

RE: Brakes. It's not so much as you are "required" to have independent brakes; more like you need them for safety's sake. The brakes on a tow vehicle or motorhome are designed by the vehicle manufacturer to stop the weight of that particular vehicle, not the additional weight being towed behind it. This additional weight adds a substantial increase to the distance required to stop safely.

Here is a quote from Mark Polk, a RV safety specialst at KOA:
"Tests performed on a flat stretch of dry pavement have shown that an unhitched motor home traveling at a speed of 50 mph needed an average of 132 feet of braking distance to reach a complete stop. Under the same speed and surface conditions, but with the added weight of a small car in tow, the stopping distance of the motor home expands to an average of 209 feet. A significant distance! In an identical test performed using the Roadmaster BrakeMaster™, the coach and towed car averaged a stopping distance of 137 feet. That’s a mere 5 feet more than the unhitched stopping average"

Also, "One problem with this is that it might be legal to tow a 2,000-pound trailer with no brakes in the state where you live, but as soon as you cross the state line of a bordering state it is illegal to tow the same trailer without brakes. Add to this your insurance company, who may not cover you in the event of an accident involving a trailer with no braking system. Again, the most important reason is for your safety and the safety of others"

Finally, here is a map of Brake Laws in the US and Canada:
State and Province Towing Laws - NSA RV Products

[Duckogram]

Thanks for the link Kenny kustom although BC does not require brakes for my application. As for the US state laws, you have to actually read the language in the statute and understand the meaning of the words used. i.e., a vehicle on a towbar may not be considered a trailer.
Example: NC is yellow on the map indicating 1000 lbs. But for a toad, it's 4000 lbs.
NY reads 1000 lbs as well but that does not pertain to towed cars!

The safety issue mentioned above is a good point which I certainly contemplated. So I looked at the numbers. My unit is rated for 18k with a max GCVW of 23K. The coach tips the scale at 14,500 wet & loaded. The Pure is 1410. Thats over a ton under the GVWR for which the braking capacity is designed for.

[Kenny kustom]

I agree. Regardless of weight, the more brakes, the better!!!


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK