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Old 11-09-2009, 01:55 AM   #1
Nanaeve
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Default Towing ?

I'm ready to jump into the task of towing. Our first motorhome is now going to be towing our first TOAD, a 1998 Jeep Cherokee I snagged with 25,800 miles from a dealer in Dixon that was selling it for the owner's family friend. My challenge comes from conflicting sources, one (the Manual for the tow bar) says to have the steering wheel in the locked straight ahead position, and the one I trust the most(the Jeep owners manual) say to have the steering unlocked. I tried towing both ways around my neighborhood with my Dodge Power Wagon clone and it and I both liked it best with the steering unlocked. My gut instinct is to do it unlocked, but I want to do it safely. What are your thoughts?
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Old 11-09-2009, 11:05 AM   #2
Texas TC
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If you tow with the steering wheel locked, you will very quickly buy a new set of front tires for the vehicle being towed. Don't ask how I know this but the only place to get tires on a Sunday morning for a Jeep is Walmart and if they don't have the right size, you have to buy the whole set. Been there, done that and do not want to do it again.

Happy Towing!



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Old 11-10-2009, 12:03 AM   #3
JimBob
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Default Towing

Somewhere, I've got a picture of when I literally towed the wheel off of a Jeep down to the rim.... due to the front wheel not being locked. Not once, but twice! As my old pal TC said, it's not something you want to go through- the toughest part is explaining the expense to the Commander, who will NOT refrain from the "I told you so's."

JimBob
08 Super Nova
08 Chevy Malibu Toad
Currently in winter quarters @St Augustine, Fl.
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Old 11-11-2009, 08:03 AM   #4
Georunner
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OK guys, you've got me a little worried and confused. I must say I have ruined the brakes on my Focus coming out of Yellowstone last summer, so having things go wrong while towing is a concern. By the way, I had no idea at all that the brakes were locking up on my toad. My Nova could care less. Any way, which one of you is correct, lock the steering wheel or not lock it? Each of you had problems quite the opposite of the other.
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Old 11-11-2009, 08:39 AM   #5
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My bad for not being clear- I was trying to say I experienced the same issues at TC in that without the front wheel being locked, the towed Jeep was crabbing, with the result in my case being the tire exploding off the rim, because it eventually found its way to be locked at the far side of the swing of the wheel- The steering mechanisim will lock one way or the other when you "freewheel."

What I think TC was describing was the other experience I had when I didn't lock the wheel, in that the tread on the front wheels wore down almost to the steel because again, the front wheels were crabbed. The only reason I didn't drag them to the rim was that I had "learned" from the previous experience, and checked the tires every 50-100 miles or so.

Long answer to a short question, sorry. The long-term lesson learned is that now, when towing, regardless of what the tow vehicle is, I now check the toad for tire wear, check the hook up, and check the lights every time I stop- sort of like the tire-pounders I see with the truckers..... figure they know what they are doing too!!!

Travel safely-

Jim Bob
08 Nova
09 Malibu, with 4 good tires on it!

Currently at winter home, St Augustine, Fl.

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Old 11-13-2009, 02:24 PM   #6
pchicky
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Jim Bob and TC are 100% correct...unlocked is the only way to go....why? I pull a tandem trailer (with the axles close together, aka a "short" wheelbase) and you can see the treadwalls flexing when you have stopped while making a turn. This same dynamic would happen even more with a vehicle because of the wheelbase length. The front wheels on the car must turn to keep from dragging the heck out of the front tires. My toad is a Honda Pilot, and when I'm going around a corner, I can see the front wheels turning significantly. Without that turning, the motorhome would literall be pulling the tires sideways across the pavement.

Hey Jim Bob and TC....I bet it sounded really impressive going around corners with the wheels on the toad locked....cool!

RV'ing.....it's a ball......
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Old 11-13-2009, 03:47 PM   #7
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It was a ball, OK, those tires had to be screaming and smoking, and not one passer by ever had the cahunas to scream or yell, or point at me or make faces, or the other things they have done in the past for open bay doors, trailing electical cords, grandsons making obscene gestures, (they denied that one) or my favorite, a leaking sewer system, coming from a cap that wasn't properly secured by the Commander, (that is HER job....)

Jim Bob
08 super Nova
09 Malibu Toad

Loving St Augustine Florida right now.....
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Old 11-13-2009, 05:00 PM   #8
Texas TC
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To try to clarify my response (while reading and responding from a hilltop in Las Cruces NM.), DO NOT lock the steering column when flat towing a vehicle. In my case, I had a '06 Jeep Wrangler that I towed about a hundred miles with the ignition off and the key removed. The dealer had said to put the transfer case in neutral and that was all that was needed. I moved the steering wheel back and forth a few inches and felt all was fine. I suppose the first hard turn I made turned the steering wheel more than a few inches and the steering column locked leaving the tires skewed to the right. When I got to my destination late on a Saturday afternoon, both front tires had large chunks out of each tire. Then it was off to Walmart on a Sunday morning for a new full set of tires and an expensive lesson learned.

On my '06 Jeep, the ignition had an accessory position and when in that position, the steering wheel would freely turn but the key could not be removed.

On my '07 Jeep Wrangler, the brain trusts in Chrysler engineering did not put an accessory position on the ignition. Therefore, like many other towed vehicles, I must turn the key to the "run" (engine is off but dash lights, radio, and a/c blower still are on or operational) position and a fuse must be removed to kill the dash lights to keep the battery from running down.

Summary, find out how to turn the ignition off without locking the steering column and you should be just fine.



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Old 11-13-2009, 08:48 PM   #9
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towing's fun, ain't it???

TC reminded me of one thing as well. Our Honda Pilot has an accessory position, but we have some dash lights and radio powered up in this position. For short distances it isn't a big deal, but going for hours could run the battery down in the Pilot, so I ran a power line from the constant power source on the Motorhome trailer plug in (I believe it was the one at the 1 o'clock position if you open the trailer plug in door), to the battery on the Pilot....keeps it charged up really well.
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Old 11-14-2009, 05:41 AM   #10
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"What you said, brother Chicky- I should have also mentioned that if we tow longer than six hours, or so, we stop at a rest area and crank up the Malibu to keep the battery from discharging- Had that happen once too.. think we towed for about 10 hours, and the car was dead as a doornail on arrival. Good clarification TC- you were saying what I meant, as always!!!! Enjoy the trip to Arizona, and hug the grands... Be safe!

Jim Bob
08 Super Nova
08 Malibu

Wintering at St Augustine, Fl.
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