Hitch Installation

[TheHollands!]

Hey Billysurf,
We tow a front wheel drive car on a dolly and have no problems, we've always been able to find a place to tuck it when at a camp ground. You just don't want to have to reverse with a dolly and car on board, things get all skew whiff real quick. When adding a hitch to our MCI 9, we picked a hitch that could handle the weight we wanted and then manufactured some brackets to mount it to the rear frame of the bus using existing holes in the frame. Ours is bolted in place, has worked great. Craig

[B_K]

I know several people that use the run the toad engine at a\idle while towing method.
Works simple and a whole lot cheaper and easier than ALL the other options.
OH and btw on most vehicles you can override auto headlights by setting the "E" brake one notch (not putting pressure actually on the brakes but opening the switch that opens the headlight circuit. (don't know if this works on a Lexus or not Clifford)
  BK   

[Dave5Cs]

Jeep the only way to go.......

[sledhead]

I have a 2015 Colorado pick up with a 6 speed standard transmission , 4 banger ( love the truck ) and in my manual it is not rec amended to tow 4 down in neutral . my gm service guy did say off the record that it should be fine ?. so I use a aluminium car trailer and strap it down . it is a love hate relation ship as I like the way it tows and I can back up + the trailer has brakes on both axles ... but yes it is a pain in the a$$ to find a spot to store it when at the parks + it is a extra 1800 lbs that I am dragging around ( but the 550 hp of the cat hardly shows any difference )
any of you guys have any experience with the 6 speed transmission and towing 4 down ?

thanks for any help  

dave  

[bevans6]

With a standard transmission the issue is usually that the output shaft is spinning while the input shaft is stationary, and the output shaft needle bearings are all splash-lubricated by the gears spinning on the layshaft, so they don't get lubed.   One approach is to not worry about it, another approach is to stop and run the engine for five minutes once an hour to splash oil around and lube everything.  The Miata guys debate this endlessly, it appears both methods work..   

[uncle ned]

Dave   I tow a 5 speed ranger.  Ford say it is not tow able because it does not get oil to the 5th speed gears. It now has 250,000 miles and been towed for the last 5 years.

I think I do not drive enough miles each day to bother it. and it gets moved most times we stop if not more than to back up.

uncle ned

[sledhead]

thanks uncle ned

I had a 5 speed ranger as well ( 2007 ) that I dragged behind the MCI for 5 years with zero problems and b 4 that I did the same with a nissan frontier  ( 1998 )   
and was hoping to do the same with the colorado .

dave

[Billysurf]

Hey Billysurf,
We tow a front wheel drive car on a dolly and have no problems, we've always been able to find a place to tuck it when at a camp ground. You just don't want to have to reverse with a dolly and car on board, things get all skew whiff real quick. When adding a hitch to our MCI 9, we picked a hitch that could handle the weight we wanted and then manufactured some brackets to mount it to the rear frame of the bus using existing holes in the frame. Ours is bolted in place, has worked great. Craig

Ok, great info!!  Thank you!

[Geoff]

I have a 2015 Colorado pick up with a 6 speed standard transmission , 4 banger ( love the truck ) and in my manual it is not rec amended to tow 4 down in neutral . my gm service guy did say off the record that it should be fine ?. so I use a aluminium car trailer and strap it down . it is a love hate relation ship as I like the way it tows and I can back up + the trailer has brakes on both axles ... but yes it is a pain in the a$$ to find a spot to store it when at the parks + it is a extra 1800 lbs that I am dragging around ( but the 550 hp of the cat hardly shows any difference )
any of you guys have any experience with the 6 speed transmission and towing 4 down ?

thanks for any help  

dave  

I have a 1996 Sonoma with a 5 speed and 4 clyinders engine.  I have personally seen a 5 speed tranny blow up at the rear bearing on a Dodge 5 speed because the tow truck driver didn't disconnect the driveline.  I installed a driveline disconnect and have towed that pickup 50,000 miles.

My new pickup is a 2005 GMC Canyon 4 wheel drive and it was designed to be towed.  You press the 2 wheel drive and the 4 wheel drive buttons at the same time and it puts the transfer case in neutral, the steering unlocks and you can pull the key out.  No fuses to pull, no mileage on the odometer.

--Geoff

[gumpy]

I put a driveline disconnect on a 91 Explorer with manual tranny. Couldn't find any info on it at the time. Turned out I didn't need to do that, but it was already on. I used it for a few years and then bought another Explorer and had the electronic neutral transfer kit installed. That's the way to go!

I still have that original disconnect if someone wants to use it. Would require a modification to your existing driveline or you could just have another one built with this unit.
The mounting hardware and cable might need some TLC. It's located in MN. Make me an offer if interested. The mfg used to take the old ones in on trade for a new one. Don't know if they still do. I think at the time, it was $300 on a trade in. I paid the guy $150 for this one and he shipped it directly to the mfg. So I got $150 off the price of the new one.

[Billysurf]

Great info!  I appreciate it!  I may just put it on a trailer and save the headache! 

[luvrbus]

Great info!  I appreciate it!  I may just put it on a trailer and save the headache! 

That will work for sure 

[gumpy]

That will work for sure 

As long as the hitch on your bus can handle the hitch weight.

[Scott & Heather]

And then there's always the triple locked Land Cruiser. Towed 30,000 miles without a single issue. Transfer case in neutral, key in acc to unlock steering, and away we go. I wired my brake lights, running lights, and turn signals into the appropriate circuitry from my bus to my Land Cruiser so the Land Cruiser brake, turn and tail lights all operate with the bus system.


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[Billysurf]

As long as the hitch on your bus can handle the hitch weight.

At the moment, there is no hitch on my bus!  BUT, I'm thinking at least 7,000 would do it....?