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Bringing all the comforts of home with you when you travel is appealing. Staying in beautiful settings surrounded by nature while having a kitchen and bed right there is almost perfect. Taking your home everywhere is great in theory, but what about when you need to go grocery shopping or want to take a scenic drive that isn’t suitable for a large RV?

This is where it pays to know what the best cars to tow behind an RV are. Having a smaller car, SUV, or truck available means you don’t have to navigate city streets, pay for all the gas of driving a larger vehicle, or find a suitable parking spot with your RV. There are some things you’ll want to know before deciding on the vehicle you want to tow behind your RV.

Things to Know about Towing a Vehicle

Having a towed vehicle, also known as a “toad,” with you means you don’t have to pack up all your gear and make sure everything is properly stowed inside the RV every time you want to go somewhere. There are two ways in which a vehicle can be towed, explains Edmunds. The first option is a two- or four-wheeled tow dolly. This type of towing will allow you to tow almost any vehicle. It isn’t all that popular though. With the second option, flat-towing, you don’t need a dolly, as all four wheels are on the ground.

This second option is preferred, however, it’s important to note that not all cars can be flat-towed. Any car with a manual transmission can be flat-towed. But if a vehicle has an automatic transmission, which is increasingly popular, you’ll need to know whether flat-towing is an option or not. Roaming Times says that you can easily find this information in a vehicle’s owner’s manual. It also recommends deciding what type of vehicle you’d like to tow, so you can narrow down your options and avoid having to dig through hundreds of owner’s manuals.

If a vehicle is equipped with either rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission or four-wheel drive and a manual transfer case that has the option of putting it in neutral, then it can most likely be flat-towed. There are ways to make it possible to flat-tow a vehicle with an automatic transmission. However, this can be an expensive ordeal and difficult to maintain. Most RV dealers are capable of installing the necessary equipment to make your vehicle ready to flat-tow. This can include:

• Driveshaft decouplers
• Lubrication pumps

Choosing a tow vehicle that is factory-ready is always the best route, though. Be aware, warns RVshare, that just because one model year of a vehicle can be flat-towed, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the latest model will be. In 2013, the Ford Escape was redesigned and could no longer be flat-towed despite its previous popularity for this. Obviously, there are cars, trucks, and SUVs that are more desirable for towing. Some of them include:

• Jeep Wrangler
• Ford F-150
• Chevrolet Colorado
• GMC Canyon
• Ram 1500
• Chevrolet Spark

These vehicles make great “toads,” but which one is right for you?

Jeep Wrangler

You probably see a lot of RVs pulling Jeep Wranglers. They are one of the most popular tow vehicles available, according to etrailer.com, and it’s all thanks to the easy flat-tow set up process and their modest size. When being flat-towed, there are no speed limit restrictions or distance caps for the Wrangler, meaning you can drive a little faster and longer with this vehicle behind you. Additionally, this vehicle can be towed with either a manual or an automatic transmission. This means that you don’t have to be as selective with the model you choose.

Ford F-150

From 2009 to 2018, Ford made the F-150 perfect for towing behind a Class A motorhome. It is the ideal size to have behind your RV, while also providing extra space for carrying bikes and other camping related gear. Your F-150 will need to be equipped with four-wheel drive to make it flat-towable. Also, any F-150 made before 2012 will need to have a manual-shift transfer case because recreational towing isn’t allowed if a vehicle has an electronic-shift transfer case. You’ll find that the F-150 has no speed limit or distance restrictions, just like the Wrangler.

Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon

The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are similar in that they’re both mid-size trucks and make great vehicles for towing behind a Class A or a Class C motorhome. They provide plenty of space, so you can bring the whole family along on your adventure. If you decide to flat-tow one of these trucks, you need to ensure that it has four-wheel drive. It also needs to come equipped with a two-speed transfer case that has a four-wheel-drive low setting and can be put into a neutral position.

These make great trucks to tow long distances, as they have no restrictions for speed or distance.

Ram 1500

You should seriously consider a 2010 to 2018 Ram 1500 for your flat-tow vehicle. They provide a smoother, more comfortable ride than other half-ton pickups because of their unique rear coil springs. Again, only four-wheel-drive models can be towed, but this means going off-road can be part of your adventure. It also makes a great daily driver thanks to all the conveniences that Ram adds to their trucks.

Chevrolet Spark

If you want a lightweight car to tow behind your RV, the Chevrolet Spark is one of the lightest options available. It’s a hatchback, so you’ll have room to bring what you need for a day at the beach or going on a picnic somewhere special. When you don’t want to be completely off the grid, Blue Ox tells us that this car has a built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. It also gets great gas mileage, making it perfect for longer trips away from the RV.

Bring your “home” along with you on your next vacation, and hook up your tow vehicle so you can go out and explore as much as you like. You’ll be able to go sightseeing, run errands, or anything else that makes your adventure a fun, memorable experience.

Sources:

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/what-cars-can-be-flat-towed-behind-an-rv.html

https://www.roamingtimes.com/2018/08/02/what-cars-can-be-flat-towed-behind-an-rv/

https://rvshare.com/blog/best-vehicle-to-tow/

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-best-vehicles-to-flat-tow-behind-rv.aspx

https://www.blueox.com/best-cars-to-flat-tow-behind-an-rv/

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