Flat Towing Safely: Your Complete Pre-Trip Checklist
Flat towing—also known as dinghy towing—is a convenient way to bring a passenger vehicle along behind your motorhome. Once you arrive at your destination, you can leave the coach at the campground and use the smaller vehicle for sightseeing, shopping and day trips.
A safe flat-towing setup involves much more than simply connecting a tow bar. The vehicle must be approved for flat towing, the motorhome must have sufficient towing capacity, and every component must be properly matched to the vehicle and coach.
Before purchasing or installing any equipment, work through this Demco flat-tow checklist.
1. Confirm That Your Vehicle Can Be Flat Towed
Always begin with the owner’s manual for the exact year, make, model, drivetrain and transmission of the vehicle you intend to tow.
A vehicle may be flat-towable in one configuration but not another. Differences involving two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, automatic transmissions, manual transmissions or hybrid powertrains can completely change the manufacturer’s towing instructions.
Confirm:
- The manufacturer approves the vehicle for four-wheels-down towing
- The required transmission and transfer-case settings
- Whether there are speed or distance limitations
- Whether the engine must be started at specified intervals
- Whether the battery must remain connected or be disconnected
- Whether any fuses must be removed
- The exact procedure that must be followed before towing
If your vehicle cannot be flat towed, it may still be suitable for towing on a Demco tow dolly.
2. Check for Vehicle Modifications
Aftermarket equipment can affect the installation of a baseplate, wiring system or supplemental braking system.
Inspect the vehicle for:
- Aftermarket bumpers
- Winches
- Brush guards
- Skid plates
- Suspension modifications
- Oversized tires
- Adaptive cruise-control sensors
- Active shutters or other equipment behind the front fascia
Identify these modifications before ordering equipment. A baseplate listed for a factory vehicle may not fit once the front bumper or other components have been changed.
3. Calculate the Towed Vehicle’s Actual Weight
Use the vehicle’s curb weight as your starting point—not its gross vehicle weight rating.
Add the weight of anything that will remain inside or attached to the vehicle while it is being towed, including:
- Luggage
- Tools
- Camping equipment
- Cargo carriers
- Bicycles and bike racks
- Aftermarket accessories
The resulting figure is the vehicle’s estimated towing weight.
Next, compare that weight with both:
- The motorhome manufacturer’s towing capacity
- The receiver hitch’s rated capacity
Always use the lower of these two ratings as your maximum towing capacity. Never assume that the receiver hitch and motorhome have identical ratings.
4. Select the Correct Demco Tow Bar
The tow bar is the primary connection between the motorhome and the towed vehicle. It must be rated for the vehicle’s fully loaded towing weight.
Demco offers several options:
Commander II – Part No. 9511012
The Commander II is rated for up to 6,000 pounds and is designed for lighter flat-towing applications.
Dominator – Part No. 9511008
The Dominator is rated for up to 7,500 pounds. Its premium aluminum construction reduces the tow bar’s physical weight, making it easier to handle when connecting, disconnecting or storing it.
Excalibar III – Part No. 9511013
The Excalibar III is a heavy-duty tow bar rated for up to 10,500 pounds, making it suitable for larger and heavier tow vehicles.
Choose a tow bar according to the vehicle’s actual towing weight, the capacity of the motorhome and the features that matter most to the owner.
5. Match the Baseplate and Lighting System
A vehicle-specific baseplate mounts to the tow vehicle and creates the reinforced attachment points required for safe towing.
Because fitments can vary by year, model, trim level and options, use the Demco baseplate application guide to identify the correct part. Read all application notes and exclusions before ordering.
The towed vehicle must also display functioning brake, turn and tail lights while being towed. Depending on the vehicle, this may be accomplished with:
- A vehicle-specific wiring kit
- A diode-style lighting system
- Demco’s wireless LED light bar
- Another approved lighting solution
Newer vehicles can have sensitive factory wiring and electronic systems, so the correct lighting solution should be confirmed before installation.
6. Install a Supplemental Braking System
A supplemental braking system applies the towed vehicle’s brakes when the motorhome slows down. This helps reduce stopping distance, improves control and reduces unnecessary strain on the motorhome’s braking system.
The correct system depends primarily on the type of brakes used by the motorhome.
Motorhomes With Hydraulic Brakes
Demco’s Stay-IN-Play DUO is designed for coaches with hydraulic brakes.
Available configurations include:
- 9599006: Stay-IN-Play DUO
- 9599018: Stay-IN-Play DUO with Wireless CoachLink
Motorhomes With Air Brakes
Demco’s Air Force One is designed for coaches equipped with air brakes.
Available configurations include:
- 9599007: Air Force One
- 9599019: Air Force One with Wireless CoachLink
Factory-Prepared Coaches
Some Freightliner, Spartan and Tiffin chassis are factory-prepared for a compatible Air Force One installation. The correct kit must be matched to the chassis and its factory-installed system.
If you are unsure whether the coach is factory-prepared, confirm with the motorhome or chassis manufacturer before ordering the braking system.
7. Determine What Happens to the Vehicle Battery
The vehicle owner’s manual will specify whether the battery must remain connected or be disconnected during flat towing.
If the battery remains connected, the installation may require:
- 6252: Charge-wire kit
- 9523054: Seven-to-six-way wiring jumper
The charge-wire kit helps maintain the towed vehicle’s battery while travelling.
If the battery must be disconnected, the installation may require:
- 6338: Battery-disconnect kit
- 9523069: Seven-to-four-way wiring adapter
Do not guess about the battery procedure. Modern vehicles may draw power while being towed, and failing to follow the manufacturer’s directions could result in a dead battery or damage to the vehicle’s electronic systems.
8. Check Tow-Bar Height and Required Accessories
The tow bar should remain as level as possible between the motorhome and the towed vehicle. A receiver that is too high or too low may require a properly rated rise/drop receiver.
Demco offers four-inch and six-inch rise/drop options. Some installations may also require safety-cable extensions.
Other available accessories include:
- Wireless CoachLink braking notification
- Wireless LED light bar
- Tow-bar storage cover
- Tow-bar-mounted debris shield
- Locking hitch-pin kit
- Vehicle-specific brake-system adapters
- Brake-light relay
- Air-pressure regulator for certain applications
Some accessories improve convenience, while others may be necessary for a particular vehicle or chassis. Review the entire installation before deciding which components are optional.
Complete a Safety Check Before Every Trip
Even a professionally installed system should be inspected before travelling.
Before departure:
- Confirm that the tow-bar arms are fully locked
- Install and secure all pins and retaining clips
- Cross and connect the safety cables correctly
- Attach the breakaway cable to an independent point on the motorhome
- Connect the electrical cable
- Test the brake lights, turn signals and tail lights
- Confirm operation of the supplemental braking system
- Verify that the steering is unlocked as directed
- Confirm the transmission and transfer case are in the required positions
- Check that the parking brake is released
- Walk completely around the motorhome and towed vehicle
- Follow every preparation step in the vehicle owner’s manual
Repeat the connection and lighting inspection whenever the vehicle has been disconnected or after stopping if there is any concern about the setup.
Build the Right Flat-Towing System With Demco
Every flat-towing installation is different. The correct setup depends on the motorhome, chassis, receiver rating, towed vehicle, drivetrain, braking system and installed accessories.
GWN Marketing Inc. represents Demco throughout Canada and works with RV dealers, installers and distribution partners to help identify the correct components for safe, dependable flat towing.
Download the Demco Flat Tow Checklist and use it when planning your next installation. For product selection or application assistance, contact your Canadian Demco dealer, GWN Marketing representative or Demco at 1-800-543-3626.
