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Towing Guide
New guy here. Just bought my first Prevost…2006 2 slide bunk Marathon. A far cry from the 3 vans and Step Van (UPS truck) I converted in the 60s and 70s with old barnwood and burlap. Hey, I was the king of the campgrounds back then while my friends fought off snakes in their tents down in the Keys.
I’m trying to decide what to tow. I have a Lexus GX470, and an older BMW and Audi all of which are not towable. I don’t want to get Jon’s dander up right off the bat so a trailer is out of the question. I keep looking at the Guide to Dinghy Towing and nothing jumps out at me. Then I see that some of you tow autos that are not included in the guide. Is there another resource for a non-gearhead to narrow down my choices? Thank you.
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27 Replies
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No problem with my dander because for a wide variety of reasons there are many options for towing.
I do try to follow one rule and that is to only tow a vehicle listed in the FMCA magazine or the owner’s handbook as acceptable for towing 4 wheels down. Even then I try to make sure no special practices are required, such as removing a fuse or stopping every 250 miles and running the engine for a period of time.
I’m not selling anything, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee (with the correct 4WD system) has always been one of the best toads.
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Hi Jim
We had a Lexus GX470 we towed for a couple years. The manual says it shouldn’t be towed 4 down but I talked to dealer and researched online and found there are many Lexus dealers that tow them and that it wouldn’t be a problem. We had no issues.
We tow a Jeep Wrangler now. It is a easy to install the equipment and tow.
Terry
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We have towed a number of Jeeps….Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Liberty, all of which were about as easy to tow as it gets.
Our last toad was (still is) a 2008 Hummer H3. As hard as it is to believe, it actually requires even less preparation than the Jeeps. All I need to do is push 2 buttons simultaneously on the dash to shift the transfer case into neutral and shut the vehicle off.
Happy hunting!
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Jim, you can tow almost anything 2 wheel drive with a driveshaft dis-connect installed. then your only limiting factor becomes whether or not you can base plate it.
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Jimmy,
Just dont talk to jon about towing 32′,20,000# Stacker trailers and he will be O.K. LOL!!!!!!!
Robert
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Welcome to PC … your bus is gorgeous !! You are in the right place for good info !!
We have towed a Jeep Grand Cherokee, an H3 Hummer, and a Z71 Suburban and a Chevy pick-up, a
To us the Jeep wasn’t very comfortable (we are both big) the H3 is a great toad and an H2 is also… we love the Suburban… can’t even tell its back there.
We see Escalades and Lincolns being towed also… just almost whatever you choose !!
Hope you find one you like !!
Diane
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Jim have towed a 2010 2WD Auto Ford Edge 4 down and now a 2013 Ford 4WD Auto Super Crew F150 easy and quick. Nothing to do but put trans or transfer case on either in neutral. Bought a tow dolley and used that thing once and sold that PITA and went 4 down.
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I’ve towed a Tahoe for the last 6 years it’s easy and has plenty of room!!
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Welcome Jimmy,
Please buy a stacker so it will drive Jon nuts… I have towed Jeeps, Avalanche and Dodge Dakota with no problem at all. I had to put a battery disconnect on my current 08 Wrangler, the older Jeeps didn’t need any disconnect. The Dodge Dakota also needed a battery disconnect. The Avalanche was great, full size and a breeze to tow, just like the others that suggested Suburbans.
You have a great looking H…
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Jimmy my coach is # 981 so were pretty close on the production line. I’ve had mine for about 2 years and it’s been a great coach.
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I tow horses they always start no buttons to push 45 dollars for tires ( shoes) some feed and you are good to go , if you breakdown you can ride one for parts and back LOL !!!!!
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Our crew cab Chevy Colorado has been a great toad for us. Hold 2 buttons on the dash at the same time, shut off the engine and away you go.
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Jimmy and Laurie,
Welcome to PC and another Marathon owner. We have towed our GMC Acadia for 3 years and have no issues. If you prefer Buick it’s available on the same platform in the Enclave.
Blue Ox with a straight line hook up. Air Force One brake, pull 50 amp fuse, your good to go. Plenty of room for 4 persons. Mary Ellen likes it as it sits up high with good visibility, comfortable ride.
Lots of opinions here because we like spending your money……smile
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I have towed several Lexus GX470’s over the past 4 years without modification. Lexus says they cannot be towed. Experience says they can be. Great tow car. Slip transfer case into neutral and transmission into park and you are good to go. Have towed GX470’s over 70,000 miles over past 4 years with zero problems.
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Jimmy I bought a all aluminum trailer this year. It is 20 ft trailer with v nose, 27 ft long over all. Not a stacker but
12.6 tall. Total weight empty is only 1750 lbs!. With my car, bike and other must haves I’am still well under 10,000lbs.
There are all kinds of towables. You just have to find what will work best for you and go with that. Don’t worry about
Jon he won’t take it personal but his heart rate my go up! Enjoy your new to you ride and welcome to the forum.
Hope to see you on the road someday. Rick
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