What is Flat Towing?
March 17, 2022
Bring a car along on your vacation
If you’re new to RV life there are so many words to get used to and understand. As you spend more time in your RV and go further afield or for longer holidays, you might want to consider taking more things with you for your trip. One such item might be a vehicle for shorter trips to buy groceries, or go exploring some four wheeling tracks with, but you don't want to be the one to drive it solo, a flat-tow installation might be an option.
What is “flat tow” and how does it work?
Flat towing, also called “four-wheels-down” towing, refers to the practice of pulling one vehicle behind another, with all four wheels of the towed vehicle being in contact with the ground.
It is a very popular way to tow your 4x4 or daily drive behind your RV especially as it requires only small modifications and not too much time to install. A big advantage of flat towing is that once you have set it up, it’s the fastest way to connect and disconnect the vehicle being towed.
Preparing your vehicle to flat tow usually requires some kind of flat tow kit. The basic flat tow kit will have five sets of hardware pieces, as follows:
- There is your tow bar, which securely links the two vehicles together.
- Most kits also come with a basic base plate installation kit for the vehicle you plan to tow.
- Safety cables that serve as a backup link between the two vehicles in case the tow bar somehow gets detached or breaks.
- Tow bar wiring that you will need to set up a set of tail lights on the vehicle being towed.
- Supplemental braking systems that work with the braking system of the towing vehicle, which helps smooth out the braking forces experienced by both vehicles.
What vehicles can be flat towed behind an RV
Before going ahead with the flat tow installation on your truck or RV, you need to make sure that the vehicle you intend to flat tow, is safe to tow in this way. Not all vehicles can be flat towed.
Every car model has its own specific transmission and lubrication system, and these determine whether they are safe to tow on their own four wheels. It’s a good idea to check with your owner’s manual on whether your car can be flat towed at all.
Generally speaking, a rear wheel drive car with manual transmission is likely to be a good candidate for flat towing, without additional modifications.
At Smitty’s RV and Welding we will do full safety checks on both your vehicles prior to going ahead with any installation. We will also recommend alternative options should flat towing not be an option for your particular vehicles.
What Is Boondocking? If you're new to the RV world, you might have heard the term and wondered about its meaning. A basic definition of boondocking is camping in an RV or other self-contained vehicle without electricity, sewer hookups, or fresh water. Usually when people talk about boondocking, they mean camping on remote public lands, but the term can also apply to RVers parking overnight without hookups on privately owned land, “dry” campsites, or even in parking lots. There’s one thing for sure: boondocking is an awesome way to camp and RV for free. But it’s not something you can head out and do without preparation or proper gear! Although most RVs are designed to camp without hookups for a couple of days, there are many things you can do to make the experience more comfortable. There’s one thing for sure: boondocking is an awesome way to take a very cheap RV vacation or live in an RV full time nearly for free. But it’s not something you can head out and do without preparation or proper gear! Although most RVs are designed to camp without hookups for a couple of days, you'll quickly discover that using an RV without hookups isn't the same as having full hookups. For example, - Some of your lights and electrical outlets may not work. - You won't be able to run any appliances that draw a lot of power…such as an air conditioning unit. - You'll be limited as to the number of hot showers you can take and the number of times you can flush the toilet. That's why many RVers who plan to boondock on a regular basis end up investing in gear that helps make the experience more comfortable. This is where Solar power solutions come in handy! Boondocking Solar and Power Needs RV solar power is a technical and complicated topic. However, solar power is the best way to have power in your RV while boondocking. At Smitty’s we have a wide variety of Solar Power Solutions for your RV! Have a look at our solar power solutions here! Speak to us at Smitty’s RV and Welding if you have any questions about about installing Solar Power in your RV. Get in touch! We will take pride in making sure your RV is ready for the road!
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