Your 2019 Kia Sorento FWD can be flat towed using a tow dolly like # RM-2050-1 with the front wheels on the dolly and the rear wheels on the ground, per the online edition of your Owner’s Manual.
The parking brake must be disengaged, the transmission shift lever must be in N (Neutral), and the ignition switch must be in the ACC position.
Remember that if your Sorento has AWD, it cannot be pulled and must be transported on a flatbed trailer so that all four wheels are elevated.
The only other item you’ll need is an electronic brake controller, such as the incredibly straightforward and user-friendly Curt Echo Mobile Trailer Brake Controller # C51180. The brake controller plugs into the 7-way connector on your tow vehicle and provides the signal to activate the brakes on your dolly proportionally to those on your tow vehicle.
Instead of using mechanical brakes, the Demco Kar Kaddy X Tow Dolly # DM9713093 uses hydraulic brakes. An electric brake controller is not necessary because the brakes don’t require an electrical signal.
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A Kia Sorento can you tow?
If you’re curious about how much a Kia Sorento can tow, read on. You’re in the proper location! The 2022 Kia Sorento can tow up to 3,500 pounds when properly outfitted, enabling you to transport an ATV or light watercraft to Los Angeles.
Can you flat tow a 2018 Kia Sorento?
Use a tow dolly like model number RM-2050-1 if your 2014 Kia Sorento has front-wheel drive. To finish the wiring already existent on either of these dolly options, you will additionally need the Pollak # PK12706. I’ve included a video to help.
If your Sorento has all-wheel drive, it cannot be towed and needs a trailer so that all four wheels are elevated.
Can a 2011 Kia Sorento be flat-towed?
I have a 2011 Kia Sorento and am unsure if I can tow a 2008 Nissan Versa. It is roughly 2000 miles away.
What do I need, if I can? Please provide me with more details and your recommendations for this problem.
Expert Reaction:
Both good and terrible news are here. the positive news first. I can tell you how much weight the 2011 Kia Sorento’s four-cylinder engine can tow. The bad news is that the 2008 Nissan Versa cannot be towed.
The Sorento has a gross vehicle weight rating of 5534 pounds and a towing capability of 1650 pounds. The Sorento’s 6 cylinders can support 3500 pounds.
The curb weight of the 2008 Nissan Versa is about 2700 pounds. The Sorento cannot tow the Versa because this is more than a thousand pounds over its towing capacity.
You’ll need a few things to flat tow the Versa unless you have a separate vehicle with a higher towing capability. First off, if the Versa has a manual transmission, it can only be flat-towed with all four wheels on the ground. You must use a tow dolly like model number RM-2050-1 if your transmission is automatic or CVT (continuously variable).
With four wheels on the ground and a manual transmission, you can flat tow. Set the vehicle’s gears to neutral. Idle the engine while in neutral after 500 kilometers. Every 500 kilometers, repeat this. Base plates are the first thing that you will require. You can use the number 52347-1 for any model of the Versa.
A tow bar that is compatible is then required. The Falcon 2, #RM-520, is the most widely used choice. For your convenience, I’ve provided a link to the installation guidelines. You will also require safety cables, like model number RM-643.
The Versa will then require lights. I advise a magnetic kit like # RM-2120 or a kit that fits in the gap between the trunk and hatch if you won’t be towing it frequently. If you plan to tow it frequently, I advise kit # 154-792-118158. I’ve also included a link to the kit’s instructions.
Finally, most jurisdictions now mandate that the car being flat towed have an additional braking system. The Even Brake, # RM-9400, proportional system that applies the brakes in accordance to how much the tow vehicle is braking, is the simplest system to set up and operate. The two vehicles will endure less damage and are stopped in the safest manner possible.
Which automatic transmission vehicles may be flat towed?
For many years, Jeep Wrangler owners have been using them to flat tow their mobile homes, which means that all four wheels of the Jeep are on the ground. For the optimum fit, try the 2018 model or an earlier model. Below are some suggested accessories and tips.
Ford F-150 4WD, Ram 1500 and the Chevy Colorado: Big and Ready for Flat Towing
You simply must have a truck on hand at times. Several pickups, including the four-wheel drive, automatic 2015 Ford F-150, may be flat towed. The majority of models are effective tows. facilitates decision-making.
Fiat 500 and the 2016 FIAT 500 Abarth, 2016 Scion iM, 2016 Toyota Corolla, 2016 Chevrolet Spark: Small and Towable
Driving something that is pulled like a dinghy needn’t be boring. The 2015 Fiat 500 is capable of flat towing when it has a manual transmission, which can be a welcome change of pace after long stretches behind the wheel of a motorhome. Verify the manual transmission and the most recent flat-towing rating for new models. Even with newer models, follow the instructions in your owner’s manual to the letter. This statement appears frequently in this article.
Chevrolet Malibu: Automatic Transmission, but Ready to Tow and the 2016 Ford Fusion Hybrid
The 2015 Chevrolet Malibu is one of the front-wheel-drive, automatic-transmission vehicles that can be flat-towed. Keep in mind, though, that the 2016 cannot be flat-towed. The transmission in the 2016 model prevents towing with the engine off.
swift and an SUV:
With a motor home, you can remain at a campground, next to a gorgeous stream, or even on the sidewalk at Aunt Carole’s for the yearly family reunion.
But when you need to run into town for groceries or decide to go sightseeing after you’ve set up camp, things change. It can be unpleasant to drive a large RV over curvy, winding roads, then navigate through city traffic, then look for parking spaces, and then pay for the extra fuel it uses. When we daydreamed about the RV lifestyle and road travels, this was not what we imagined.
However, motor home tourists don’t have to pack up their belongings and bring up the stakes every time they wish to go somewhere if a small car or truck is available. Large RVs frequently tow smaller vehicles behind them because of this. It is so much simpler to go around with that extra pair of wheels, which is frequently in the form of a small SUV or subcompact vehicle. Visit as many attractions as you like, go grocery shopping, watch a movie, or look for the ideal beach or sunset. All in your fuel-efficient car or truck. If you don’t intend to stay in your RV for these spur-of-the-moment inspirations or off-the-cuff moments, having a car to indulge your off-the-beaten-path excursion is ideal. We adore the concept of towing a car behind a motorhome.
Almost any vehicle can be hauled behind an RV using two-wheeled dollies and four-wheel trailers, as long as the combined weight of the car, truck, and anything else being utilized to facilitate the tow does not exceed the motor home’s recommended towing capacity. But there are good reasons why that form of towing isn’t very common.
The cost of purchasing and maintaining a trailer or tow dolly comes first. There is also the additional labour required to load and unload the towed vehicle onto and off of those conveyances, which requires storage space at home and at the campsite when not in use. Using a trailer as your vehicle transporter requires a lot of effort and mobility.
Flat towing, often known as four-down towing or dinghy towing, is an alternative. It entails coupling a tow bar to an appropriate automobile, SUV, or pickup and allowing the vehicle to pull the RV on its own four wheels (thus “four-down towing). Because the towed vehicle resembles a small dinghy being hauled behind a large yacht at sea, it is frequently referred to as “dinghy towing.”
Finding vehicles appropriate for flat towing wasn’t that difficult in the past. Most four-wheel-drive SUVs with manual transfer cases and most automobiles and trucks with manual transmissions could be dragged four-down.
But circumstances shift. The wide variety of front-wheel, full-time, and part-time four-wheel-drive systems and electronic transmissions available today necessitate some forethought when choosing flat-towed automobiles and trucks.
Everything Relies on Lubrication For instance, Toyota has a number of vehicles that appear to be perfect for flat towing. The Land Cruiser and the FJ Cruiser are suitable vehicles for intrepid off-road travelers, albeit the latter is no longer manufactured. The company’s four-wheel-drive vehicles can handle tough terrain on their own, but they fall short when carrying flat loads.
According to Dave Lee, a Toyota Motor Sales product training and education specialist, everything has to do with gearbox lubrication. Outdoorsman and an ardent off-roader, Lee.
According to Lee, no Toyota, Lexus, or Scion vehicle with an automatic transmission is suitable for towing a dinghy (with the exception of the 2016 Scion iM, which is towable). Additionally, not all of the company’s manual transmission automobiles have the same design. Some cannot be towed four-down because they need a pump within the transmission to run continuously in order to keep the working parts greased.
When towed with the driven wheels rolling along the highway, turning the driveshaft or, in the case of front-wheel-drive cars, the half-shafts, severe transmission damage can happen. This is because pump-dependent manual transmissions and automatic transmissions do not lubricate the output shaft unless the vehicle’s engine is running.
According to Chrysler Group spokesman Nick Cappa, a car with rear-wheel drive with a manual transmission, or four-wheel drive and a manual transfer case that can be put in neutral, can typically be hauled dinghy-style. Popular boat vehicles include the Jeeps and Ram trucks made by Chrysler.
Checking the owner’s manual is the best approach to determine whether a vehicle is appropriate for flat towing. Almost all automakers make it quite obvious in the owner’s manual of each model whether it can be pulled on all four wheels, if it needs to be hauled on a flatbed truck or trailer, or whether it can be pulled “two-down with the driven wheels off the ground.
Annual lists of dinghy-towable automobiles are published by Motor Home magazine. They can be downloaded for free and date all the way back to the model year 2000.
There are equipment, such as driveshaft decouplers and transmission lubricating pumps, that can be installed to some automatic transmission vehicles to do the job if your car isn’t designed for flat towing.
However, the installation and maintenance of the devices can be costly and challenging. Additionally, if they aren’t used properly, a car’s transmission or engine could be harmed while being towed. Owners may then experience warranty issues.
Most RV dealerships and service facilities stock and can install decouplers, lubricating pumps, and other similar equipment if you already own a vehicle that you’d like to flat tow but it isn’t factory rated as acceptable for flat towing.
It’s recommended to focus your search for a towable vehicle on those that are factory-ready.
Choose the type of towed vehicle that will best meet your demands, such as a 44 if you enjoy off-roading, to reduce the number of candidates and avoid having to sift through hundreds of owner’s manuals for information on tow preparedness. Next, decide how much money you have available.
The ability to be flat-towed has been evaluated by Edmunds editors for a number of our long-term test fleet vehicles over the years, including the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic (yes), the 2012 Honda CR-V (yes), the 2014 Mazda CX-5 (no), and the 2013 Subaru BRZ (another no).
Dingy towing can add work before and throughout the travel, but it makes things easier once you get there.
- Some four-down towable cars and SUVs need to make specific stops so that the engine can run and lubricate the transmission. Some demand that different fuses be removed before turning on. Many four-wheel-drive trucks with automatic transmissions need to be pulled four-down with their transfer cases in “Neutral” and their transmissions in “Park.”
- The majority of cars today have steering locks that are activated by the ignition switch, which prevents them from being flat towed if the front wheels won’t turn. To unlock the steering, the ignition must be turned to the accessory position and the key in the ignition. Don’t assume this year’s models will be towable just because last year’s were. The Ford Escape was a well-liked dinghy-tow vehicle among RV enthusiasts. However, due to a modification in 2013, it can no longer be pulled along with all four wheels on the ground.
- Last but not least, most flat-towed vehicles must be equipped with auxiliary brake systems that function in conjunction with the motor home’s brakes in all but eight states. This is due to the fact that flat-towed automobiles nearly never meet the minimum towing weight limits set forth by the various states. Auxiliary brake kits should be regarded as necessary even in states where they are not required, astute motor home owners who tow a vehicle or truck are aware of.
The best thing to do when you’ve decided on a car that you like is to grab a copy of the owner’s manual. Frequently, you may locate them online.
The manual will contain all the information you need to tow a car or truck in a dinghy fashion, including thorough instructions on which fuses to pull (if any), the right way to position the transmission shift lever, which switches to turn on and which to turn off, and how frequently to run the engine for lubrication.
Although practically any car or truck can certainly be made four-down towable with aftermarket equipment, you’re better off utilizing vehicles that have been approved by the manufacturer for the task. When it comes to Toyota’s automobiles and trucks, Dave Lee remarked, “If it is labeled as towable in the handbook, we will stand behind it.
Referring to the 2017 Jeep Wrangler:
Your 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited needs base plates, a tow bar, safety wires, lighting, and additional braking in order to flat tow it behind an RV.
Use the Roadmaster base plates with the model number RM-521448-4 as base plates. Please notice that Hard Rock and 75th Anniversary models do not fit the base plates. We’ve provided you with a link to a video that shows an example installation.
Use the well-known Falcon 2, # RM-520, for a tow bar that is suitable. For your viewing pleasure, I’ve provided a link to a video evaluation of this tow bar. I advise using safety cable number RM-643. The cables are kept off the ground thanks to the coiled design.
The # RM-15267 lighting diode kit is a favorite among Jeep owners. Once it is installed for the first time, you won’t have to bother about it again. I’ve provided you with a link to a video that shows an example installation.
To maintain the tow bar level, you might also require a high/low adaptor. We’ve provided links to a help page that explains how to measure as well as to our selection of high and low adapters.
Finally, the car being flat towed must now have additional braking, as required by the majority of states. The SMI Stay-IN-Play DUO proportional system, # SM99251, is one of the preferred systems for our installers and what we suggest. According to how hard the towing vehicle is braking, it will adjust the car brakes accordingly. The two vehicles will endure less damage and are stopped in the safest manner possible.
To avoid the towed vehicle’s brake signal overriding the RV’s turn signal when using the brakes during a turn, the # RM-88400 relay is necessary.
Once more, always refer to the owner’s manual of your car for detailed instructions on flat-towing the vehicle.