GM enabled the newer generations of Equinox crossover SUVs for flat-towing by keeping the 6-speed automatic transmission lubricated during the towing process, but only for the front-wheel drive configuration.įirst things first: you have to hitch the Equinox to your RV. If you did that, then you would likely destroy the drivetrain in the process. Now that you know that you can flat tow a Chevy Equinox, how do you do it? This gets a little tricky because flat towing an Equinox isn’t as simple as hooking it up to a hitch on an RV and dragging it along for the ride while putting the gear shift in neutral. The reason a front-wheel drive model can be dolly towed is because you are lifting the drive wheels off the ground and rolling the car on wheels that will not directly affect the transmission. Because you should not tow cars with their drive wheel on the ground because you will damage the transmission, there is no configuration where towing an all-wheel drive vehicle will work since all wheels are drive wheels. However, the all-wheel drive Equinox is not designed to be dolly-towed. The Equinox can also be dolly-towed, which is where two wheels of the vehicle are left on the ground, and two wheels are hoisted up on a dolly. All-wheel drive configurations of the Equinox, for instance, are not suited for being flat towed, and attempting to do so can cause harm to the drivetrain. Still, it would be wise to check with your dealership or owner’s manual before attempting. Newer generations of the Chevy Equinox – from the second generation in 2010 onward – can be flat towed. However, some measures must be taken in order to ensure that the Equinox can be properly flat towed. Can a Chevy Equinox Be Flat-Towed?Īs mentioned at the start of the article, the Chevy Equinox can be flat-towed. That means that while the driveshaft is rotating and the wheels are turning, the gears in the transmission aren’t properly being shifted to keep pace with the moment of the vehicle, nor are they being lubricated, which can strip them down and damage the components. What ends up happening is that the wheels are turning, but the engine isn’t turning, which means that there are no revolutions being sent from the motor to the transmission. But your next question is probably “why can’t every vehicle be flat towed?” and it’s because if the vehicle isn’t configured for flat towing, then it can severely (or permanently) damage the drivetrain in particular, the transmission.įlat towing is especially harsh on automatic transmissions because they’re not designed for the vehicle to travel at moderate to high speeds in neutral where gear changes are expected to occur. Not every all-wheel drive vehicle can be flat towed, just like not every vehicle with an automatic transmission can be flat-towed. The reason for this has to do with the drivetrain configuration of a vehicle. When it comes to flat-towing, not every vehicle is eligible for this traveling feat. The benefit of flat towing instead of trailering is that you don’t have to purchase a separate trailer, store the trailer when it’s not in use, nor do you have to worry about rigging up the trailer to carry a vehicle. In the case of flat towing, all four wheels of the vehicle must be on the ground, even though the vehicle’s engine is off. This makes it different from trailering, where the vehicle is mounted on a trailer or dolly and towed behind the RV, similar to the way most 4x4s and other high-torque pickups tow cargo. Having a second vehicle is also useful when you don’t want to waste a ton of fuel trying to navigate through narrow city streets or smaller districts.įlat towing allows you to use a tow bar to hook up to your vehicle and then tow it behind the RV while all four wheels are on the ground. This can be quite useful when you plan to take the RV to a spot for camping but plan to use another vehicle to travel to residential areas, commercial districts, or small towns where the RV may not quite fit. What is Flat Towing?įlat towing is where you hitch a vehicle behind an RV and have it follow along behind the RV during your travels without it being hoisted on a trailer. Whatever the reason you decide to bring along another vehicle with your RV, there are some things you probably want to know about flat towing your Chevy Equinox. Flat towing is great for those planning on taking another vehicle with them on a trip, perhaps to journey through an off-road trail, or to explore some roads less traveled, or when going into a small town where an RV just doesn’t fit. Do you plan on taking a trip in your RV but still want to take your used Chevy Equinox on the journey with you? You are probably going to want to do some flat towing.
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