[Archived]

Diane,

I would imagine that someone makes a battery cutoff switch for that very purpose. I agree with Larry, I wouldn’t want to manually remove a battery cable.

We had to have a ‘fuse’ cut off switch installed on the Honda (the ’07 and now the ’13). The fuse cut off switch turns off the Navigation as it will cause the battery to go down while towing.

Why do you guys want such a heavy tow vehicle?

When it’s time for us to change tow vehicles, the new Honda’s are not towable. So, I’ve been thinking what might work for the next one and was thinking of the Cadillac SRX or maybe a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I will sure miss the Honda as the new variable transmission will not be towable four down. In 3 or 4 yrs., there might be more choices.

I don’t want to pull excessive weight with the 500 hp engine on the new coach.

Mark

[Jim/Chris]

I don’t tow cars but a knife switch like you have in the bus for your battery disconnect I think would work.

Later

bv

[needtocamp]

you know what I just thought about is how it would affect your new car. With all the computer stuff on it having to re power it everytime might affect it. hmmm?

Later

bv

[Archived]

Diane,

Go look at the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4X4. Nice vehicle and easy to tow.

Reese

[Rick]

If it doesn’t have to be GM, we tow a 2013 Ford F150 4×4 Supercrew Automatic pick up truck. Just flip the 4 wheel electronic drive switch 5 times (Like Dorthey’s shoes from the Wizard of Oz) and transfer case neutral light comes on sceen and you’re off.

[Chuck]

Mr. Mark…

We spend lots of time at our beach front lot in Crystal Beach, Texas and haul lots of “beach stuff” back and forth to the beach… the sand is endless and I don’t allow any of the beach stuff anywhere near the bus, I keep a huge container of water and towels by the bus door for our feet and NO sand in the bus to speak of… just the way it has to be… also we always have family with us to go eat etc and we are both big and like the Suburban size… if we could go smaller i would buy an SRX they are great little vehicles… just too small for us.. Larry won’t even consider a Tahoe. We had an H3 and it was too small and had a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and didn’t like it either… just too small for big people like us.

By the way as far as what we are pulling there is such a little difference in big, or small… our fuel mileage didn’t seem to change at all.

I need to check more into the battery cable part of it… even the dealers are clueless !!!

Diane

[Larry & Diane]

FWIW, I used a battery disconnect on my Dodge Ram and it was easy to flip open and closed. I had to open the hood on that anyway to hook up the electric cable. I did lose my time but nothing else.

I have no idea what happens to the computers on 2015 cars, but if I change batteries in my Mercedes I get all kinds of error codes for the next 50 miles or so, which eventually go away.

[glen]

Jon…

I wonder if there are 2 batteries on the 2015? I say that because my Mercedes has 2 batteries … one in the engine compartment for the engine and one behind the rear seat in trunk for the computer systems?

Diane

[Chris]

After killing battery do you have to reset all functions, Radios, time, etc.?

[Archived]

Glens…

Having trouble getting any info out of the dealers as they know nothing about flat towing a vehicle… unbelievable really !! They are going to find out and let me know.

I seriously doubt anything would have to be rest though…. that woud be a killer for me.

Diane

[Dick]

Diane,

This is what I use for the Jeep.

[Dick]

Diane:

Take a look at these Longacre master disconnect switches:

http://www.longacreracing.com/products.aspx?itemid=1643

They are designed for racing, a master battery disconnect switch is required on every race car. These are designed to be mounted on the race car dash, hence the back is open. A handy guy, just about anyone who races could mount this in your new Suburban. I’d recommend having the back enclosed to keep from having an accidental short, especially in an accident. Your Suburban might come standard with two batteries. If it does, there are switches available that take the hot wires from both batteries and turn then into a single hot wire (all depends on how the two batteries are wired). The switch then gives you the ability to select A-battery, B-battery, both batteries, or off. Most NASCAR cars have two batteries today, which is why this double battery switch exists. A handy guy like Jeff Rowe should be able to fix you up.

Now that I can type faster than 4 characters a minute … have you looked in the owners manual yet? My Chevy HHR has a note in the owners manual that if I tow the vehicle the key must be in the on position and to keep the battery from dying the fuse #8 must be pulled. To date I have been pulling the fuse. You can buy a switch with a plug that goes into the fuse block, uses an inline fuse, and then has a switch you can flip for towing. Another item that a handy guy like Jeff Rowe could fix up for you.

[Larry & Diane]

Diane: I just bought a new 2015 Yukon Denali and found out AFTER I bought it about needing to unhook the negative battery cable. Called the dealer back as to why and was told it was the steering wheel lock. They did away with it in I think 2009 or 2010 as I had a 2010 and 2012 Tahoe without one and you did not have to unhook the cable.

It appears that they put a lock back in and nobody knew about it, at least at my dealer. I specifically asked if there was anything else needed to tow it and they said “NO”. We really like it and will be keeping it and likely looking for something else to tow. GM is supposedly aware of it (if you tow it without unhooking the neg. cable, it will destroy the steering colum, according to what the dealer was told), and is working on a “fix”. Nobody knows how long that will take.

I am glad I read the manual! It would be a real pain to keep unhooking and rehooking the cable when you think about all the things that need to be user programmed. It took me about an hour to get everything the way I want it. A switch would be easier, but still would require setting everything back up again.

[Bernie]

Tom –

Is that shiny disconnect really there underneath all of that battery corrosion? You KNOW what I saw, battery man..

[Archived]

I think this is getting over complicated. Why don’t you just have them take the lock out of the steering column then there is on need to turn the key on to unlock the wheel.