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Towing question

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Old 07-30-18, 12:30 PM
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FatherTo1
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I thought it was important which axle a car is towed by to avoid damaging the transmission. However, I have noticed a few RVs that tow a car behind it with just a straight hitch and the towed vehicle has all four wheels on the ground. Does the RV driver just put the towed vehicle in Neutral? And, if so, why doesn't a tow truck do the same for a towed vehicle instead of lifting up one end of the towed vehicle? Thanks for helping me understand this better.
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Old 07-30-18, 03:55 PM
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rmason
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Not all vehicles are able to be towed "4 down" with all 4 wheels on the ground.
Some automatic transmission vehicles need to be placed in neutral with ignition on "ACC" mode, manual transmissions in 4th or 5th or neutral and/or transfer case in neutral as well depending on the make.
Others cannot be towed "4 down" at all.
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Old 07-31-18, 12:08 AM
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Aron9000
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Depends on the car most of the time. A lot of older 4wd trucks with a shift lever for 4wd can be towed with all 4 wheels on the ground. There is a neutral position on the transfer case that disconnects the transfer case from the transmission and allows all 4 wheels to spin independent of the drivetrain. Older model Jeep Wrangler, CJ5/CJ7, Geo Trackers/Suzuki Vitaria/Chevy Trackers, Suzuki Samauri, all of those are great vehicles to tow behind an RV if you want to go 4 wheeling. They are all lightweight(important with an RV), small, and have a traditional transfer case you can pop into neutral. Plus they are all beasts off road.
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