THEY SAY YOU CAN'T FLAT TOW A VW, I TOWED MINE 1200 MILES AND THIS HAPPENED
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- Опубликовано: 5 авг 2024
- This video is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used as instructions for flat-towing.
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Andrew, I tow a 2015 VW Sportwagen for the last 2 years. I have push button start, no key ignition.
I don’t disconnect the battery. I open the drivers door turn the car on, turn the car off. Leave the key in the car, and close the door. The steering wheel will remain unlocked.
The steering will remain unlocked until you open the drivers door again.
I have towed for several thousand miles like this with no Negative effects.
Test it on your VW.
My wife and I watch your videos and are fans. Keep up the good work.
Instead of disconnecting the battery every time why don't you put a battery disconnect switch on your vehicle
Andrew, this is wild. I just looked a few hrs. ago for 2021 flat tow vehicles and it showed me a list of 30 vehicles with standard transportations. I guess the stick is making a comeback. Great info.
Great Video as always Andrew, funny and informative. Thanks for making great content for us all out here.
Great info, thanks. I really appreciate your honesty. It makes all your videos more credible.
I really enjoy your videos. I was told not to tow a 2003 Ford Explorer, but after some research, it is excellent tow vehicle. I live in Coburg, OR and noticed at the end of your video you drove right through Coburg and down Coburg road.
This was a great video Andrew brings back memories from when i first flat towed our car .
This was quite an interesting video to watch!
Thanks Andrew!
I love watching all the nannys come out of the woodwork. 😂
P. S. Way to go Andrew!
Have an 07 Fleetwood Revolution and dolly tow my 16 GLI. Funnest car to have out on the road. It is a blast to drive the back country roads. Great pick on the GLI!!!
I've always heard that when you flat tow any vehicle with a manual transmission, you're supposed to stop every 200 miles, disconnect and get all of the fluid levels working again and then hook back up until again. That was the old school, I don't know anything about the newer cars but that's going back into the 70s 80s and 90s philosophy up Towing cars. I'm sure things have changed. Thanks for your education on this subject.
So many today can not drive a manual transmission vehicle. Have had 5 speed Jettas before. Looks good behind your Phaeton motor home. Happy miles to you ! Roll on ! Slainte' ! Cheers !
Great stuff! Researching this topic, and I appreciate your time / effort you put into your video.
I’ll preface by saying I’m not familiar with the internals of that particular transmission Andrew. However, most modern manual transmissions are not flat-towable because they are lubed via a pump and that pump is driven by either the input shaft or the counter-balance shaft inside the transmission. They are not lubed by oil splash system like transmissions of several decades ago. IF your transmission is lubed by a pump it will damage the internals if not lubricating properly.
Mike
Aren't there after market transmission pumps/coolers that can be installed on the newer vehicles?
Andre Allen yes for many applications an auxiliary lube pump can be installed. Remco is a company that provides these for a lot of applications.
Mike
You are confusing an auto not a manual. Auto transmissions need an external pump if you flat tow them.
@@xCRO3x pretty sure Mike is correct, in the newer vehicles the manual transmissions (some) have a pump on them. I suggest asking (Google) VW and find out.
Flat towing is damaging even if you put the auto transmission in neutral??
Same thing with my Smart Car CDI. Have a knife switch In the battery. Automatic manual. If it falls gear into being towed, boom! I’ve towed it 5000 miles the last few years. So far so good.
As a long time VW owner just wanna say you have a wonderful VW take care of it please.
Great video Andrew, flat towing a vehicle always make me nervous!
I love the truth when a risk is taken...happy you got wheels not hurt too bad to make you summer there...nothing is like summer there...mild and warm and when too hot hug the Beach...best beaches in the world.
We tow a mustang on an open trailer. Downside the size, Advantages we tow whatever we want within weight no wear on towed vehicle. Also sweet ride and awesome in the 6 speed!!
We'd love to take our Tesla with us on a flat trailer, but the problem becomes what to do with the trailer at the park. Also our Tesla has no hitch.
Great Video Andrew,I ran a extra wire from my 7 pin plug on my Super C back to the battery on my Jeep Wrangler and it keeps the battery charged of the alternator of the Coach. Works great !! There should be a wire on your 7 pin to allow you to do that.
Hey Don, can you explain a little more in depth for some of the short bus listeners like me? Thx
ak ,sure,there is a 12 volt wire in your 7 pin light plug on your coach. It’s hot when the key is on,you can take a 12 volt tester and find it,the cord that I use to run from my coach to my Jeep is 7 pin to 5 pin. Yellow is left green is right turn signals and brake lights. Brown is running lights and white is ground. The fifth wire is usually red and once it’s plugged into your coach it should be hot with the coach running. So if you run a wire, I us a number 10 wire,from the female side of the plugin to your battery it will keep it charged going down the road. Make sure you hook it up to the positive side of your battery ! It’s easy and it works great. I just plugged my 7 pin to 5 pin adapter in and took a pencil and paper and drew it outdated I checked each port on the 5 pin side so I new witch was witch. Hope that helps,if you have any questions let me know.
19 years and 234k miles with my VW beetle 5 speed. I love it. Used to tow a teardrop camper all over the western US with it. Now I have a 37' travel trailer and the beetle just runs us to town for camp supplies.
What year beetle bug do you have? Love those things! My first car was a 63 bug.
You can not beat that German engineering
Thank you for the information, important to know. Have a great day!
A++++ video! Definitely one of your best!
You should be able to get that windshield fixed with Safelite or some other company for less than $200 if you drive it to them. Great video! Great Sadie Lady! 🐶
Good to know. Kind of makes me wonder how many tow dollies have been sold and used needlessly.
Hi! Glad you got the riser!!
When you connected your 2 safety cables to the car you should never hook them the way that you did. You connected them by hooking them from the top. By hooking them from the top as you did in your video there is a possibility for the hooks to become disconnected. 1. The wind is pushing from front towards the rear of the vehicle as you travel down the road. This wind can push the clip towards the rear of the hook. 2. Bumps. With condition 1. above happening AND you encounter a bump there is a strong possibility for the hook to bounce off and with the wind pushing it rearward it could bounce off and would no longer be hooked.
The proper method, and this comes from my military days, is to bring the hook from underneath and hook it on. In this position any bumps would only make it bounce up engaging it more.
Did you install the parts needed on the VW? I like this GLIs, they look pretty slick.
If we upgrade to a Diesel Pusher I'm thinking about flat towing with it.
My understanding is that even though it's a manual flat towing may not be safe for the transmission. It depends on how the transmission is lubricated. If the transmission needs power from the engine for lubrication then what's going to happen is premature transmission wear. This is something that will not show up after 1200 miles. Some manual transmissions are lubricated by the rotation of the input shaft. If the engine is off and the transmission is in neutral, the input shaft never rotates. When coasting while driving, the transmission will have enough lubrication for quite some time (could be hundreds of miles; no one is going to coast for hundreds of miles). When flat towing, the transmission could run out of lubrication. Some manual cars recommend idling in neutral for 3 minutes before towing at the beginning of each day and every 300 miles after that for exactly this reason.
I enjoy your shows. Thank You
I towed a 2013 Jetta w/ manual for 3yrs w/out any negative results. You will be fine!
Great to hear, thanks Ron. Hope you are selling lots of Liberty Coaches!
I have an older vw passat and the battery is up on the firewall, if that's the case I would install a battery cut off switch inside the car to make it easier to disconnect the ground cable.
I saw a Mini Cooper where the owner accidentally left it in second gear and towed it 200 mi with a diesel pusher. It was spectacular! Holes in the hood and fenders from misc engine parts
That would have been pretty impressive to see that at night, may have made a pretty good fireworks show. But if he was driving during the day then I’m surprised no one alerted him to the massive amounts of oil leaking/spraying or smoke coming from around the engine, etc.
I know it’s not funny at all to the owner and I sure hope I never pull that stunt either but it does happen and it’s an expensive mistake!
Glad the damage to your toad was nothing more than a cracked windshield. Long term I’m sure your [new to you] toad will serve you well. 👍
I was going to comment that you needed a drop hitch but you got one. You might want to invest in one of those shields that protect your car. Even with the mud flap rocks will get kicked up and ding your car.
Andrew, quick question. I have a tow dolly to tow a 1998 BMW Z3 with a Manual Transmission. Being a constant mesh transmission like most modern cars, I confirmed that the Countershaft gears were immersed in oil and that they turn when the driveshaft is turned. Bearings, etc should be getting oil everywhere is my assumption and should be safe, right? 1800 mile trip in a few days.
Beautiful coach
You did not show the aux. brakes. How does the car brakes work? Thanks.
So just flat-towed our GLI from Virginia Beach to Utah and back and had NO PROBLEMS. Towed great behind our Class A. No issues. Throw it in Neutral, Release the Parking Brake, Disconnect the battery to the steering wheel remains unlocked.
Some VW techs have told me you can prevent the steering from locking by putting the key in the ignition and turning it on and then off again, then leaving the key in the ignition while towing. You would want to do this with a spare key though in case the doors lock. Sounds like that would be easier than having to disconnect/reconnect the battery every time. FWIW I have a 2011 VW, so it's possible there have been changes to the system since then. Have you heard about this work around or considered trying it?
Did you ever get the lights working?
That’s why I bought a Jeep Liberty back in 2004. I’ve been towing it 4 down for 16 yrs behind 3 different motorhomes.
80,000 miles, the easiest 4 down vehicle you can tow and it’s indestructible
i rlat tow my wrangler
Hey Andrew, Do you have any updates on your GLI? Getting ready to set ours up for flat-towing and wondering if you have any additional information, warnings, things-to-know. Would greatly appreciate it!
Cool . Keep us updated . what year is your Tiffen
I have had quite a bit of fun towing....first thing I notice....is the slant of your hookup to your car. My Roadmaster Falcon 2 instructions caution about the slant. Not be more than 3" above or below center....might want to consider that.
Did you watch the whole video?
RVing with Andrew Steele it sure doesn’t seem like she did Andrew or she would have seen that you corrected that and what you did to correct it. It’s ok brother, just go on and it will be ok , I promise you!! It takes all kinds of us out here to make this country interesting but some days you’ve gotta wonder just why in the hell someone wants this country this damn interesting tho, lol 😆
You can tow a manual transmission because the gears will still lubricate, you can't tow an automatic because you need the pump to lube the transmission or you have to install an external lubrication pump that runs while towing. We tow a 4x4 truck and put the transfer case in neutral which is the same as a manual transmission.
A bunch of these newer cars no longer have wet sumos on the manual transmissions. They are spray lubricated and you’ll burn one up if that pump isn’t running but you can install an auxiliary pump that will allow for it to be flat towed safely but you’ve gotta find out what situation your in with your specific vehicle.
It’s not like it was 30 years ago when we could tow any manual by putting in neutral and heading down the trail
You don’t need to disconnect the battery.. I called VW of America and was told to put the key in turn it to accessories then turn it OFF but don’t take the key out of the ignition switch, your steering column is unlocked and your good to go safely.. Our toad is a 2003 VW Beetle, we are the second owner of this toad and this is what the previous also did when towing over 4,000 miles.
Hey Andrew. Enjoy your videos. Where's Big Tony? Will he be able to fit in the jetta?
Andrew enjoy your videos I’m not sure who did your wiring but check to see that they used diode’s for the LED lights so it won’t backfeed through the 🚗 are you gonna do when he Chyna braking system on it air works well
I believe the assumption of most is that any given model is not flat towable unless certified by the manufacturer (although this is probably stated in most owners manuals one way or the other). The car manufacturer may elect to not certify a model due to valid engineering concerns or perhaps in your VW's case did not feel the liability and testing was worth the effort. Apparently Blue Ox felt the car was flat towable because they provided you with a base plate or did you alter one to fit?
I flat tow a GMC Canyon automatic 4x4... Before I bought it new I did a lot of research to ensure the vehicle was certified by the manufacturer that it was towable and that it's curb weight was within the towing capacity of my coach... But I think you make a good point that some manufacturers may not want to certify due to engineering or liability issues... I think the author is a pretty smart guy but he made it sound like the whole thing was some kind of experiment... Kind of crazy in my book!...
Is the VW gas or diesel? We had a 2015 VW GTI 6 spd - great car...until there was a recall on the fuel pump. We kept smelling fuel every time we started the car & the dealer couldn’t find the cause, so we dumped it like a hot potato. I would only tow a car on a trailer, in my opinion. It takes all the wear & most of the road damage off the car. Also, you gain brakes & lighting.
Don't you need the battery connected for the brake lights? Also, what about a supplemental braking system in the car.
Great call James! Lights dont light without electricity.
At what point would you recommend installing the TOW Braking system on the TOAD? Is it dependent on the weight of the TOAD or what?
I believe most states require you to have tow brakes on any vehicle when flat towing.
You end the brakes added the same time you add the tow system. 49 states & Canada require them because they are necessary for safety.
+1 for getting a manual
If That’s The Biggest Problem We Got, we Doing Pretty GOOD.....
ELEVEN Amazing Words!
👍😎👍
You can flat towed it bc it's manual. In auto transmission, you can risk damaging your transmission. In auto, you have to remove the driveshaft or last resort, drive axle, to be able to flat tow it.
That's what everybody always says... but I I've seen autos towed for many many miles without damage, start the vehicle and let it idle in drive. Not the most fuel efficent answer but it keeps the transmission lubricated and doesn't require removal of the driveshaft or expensive unreliable dirveshaft couplers.
Nice video. I didn’t see you explain how or where you got the brackets installed for your tow Volkswagen.
I wanted to know that as well... it looked very simple to hook up to tow bar..
I've got a vw jetta 2000 manuel that I want to tow...also I wanted to suggest putting a tpms on the vw and monitor from your pusher...it should take some of the worry away for you...your pusher is so nice it might be a mile or so before you notice a blow out
Can i flattow a 2022 corolla manual transmission ?
More guts than I. I just checked the Remco Towing website and that model is listed as non-towable. Would love to better understand your decision process. There could be long-term effects in spite of short-term success.
Ed The question I’m wondering about right now is when he said he had a lot of folks telling him that it was not safe to flat tow this car, it seems to me that at that point it should have flipped a switch in my head that says , hey silly, it’s time we really find a pro that can let my silly brain know whether it’s safe to do or not. If a bunch of folks already said it’s not then odds generally are not that good in my favor to just do the opposite, especially when there’s that much money on the line.
A friend of mine put her car in the shop today to have similar work done to it. Same car but a 2015 or 16 I think but it’s the same VW. They just bought it 2 months ago and the original owners traded it in and they found out after the first month that they used to pull it behind their RV as well and did the same thing but they went ahead and traded it off before the damage was noticeable enough that she would notice it and then it went down hill in a matter of days and now they are having trouble getting the warranty company to cover the cost. Don’t know all specifics yet but they are estimating $6k and the dealership was saying it’s gonna be a bastard of a job to fix.
Hopefully he can get it figured out before he has to hit the road again cause I sure wouldn’t flat tow that thing another mile down the road. It’s a toss up right now on if you did damage, how much damage was done, and when is that damage gonna start rearing it’s ugly head! These new cars have so many coolers, pumps, fans, electronics on them and if just one of those things wasn’t doing what it was sposed to do because the engine wasn’t running and the internals got hot cause the pump was delivering oil to the right shaft and bearings then it’s game over! Something is gonna wear. That’s why I love my older Jeep CJ-7 for stuff like this. I don’t have all that electronic stuff but sometimes it’s nice to have A/C and stuff for when your in Az. I hope our young lad makes out ok. Maybe he had a guardian angel looking out for him this time and he won’t suffer damage just a bit of shame and I think we’ve all been down that road before!!
I know everything is computerised these days, but as far as I know a manual transmission is just a plain old wet sump. It's like a rear axle the gear lube oil is inside and as they turn they dip into the lube and that's what keeps it cool and reduces friction. The only problem that could arise is if they put electronics in there.
Many of the newer manuals have pumps that spray the oil now. Most of the ones for at least the past ten years no longer have a wet sump on a manual transmission and that’s why it’s so critical you really find out from a dealer or transmission shop if it’s ok to flat tow your SPECIFIC model or not.
Years ago we could tow any manual by throwing her in neutral, those days are long gone tho now.
@@1982MCI thanks for the info, I have no idea why any auto engineer would choose to do such a dumb thing, what makes them think that it would be an improvement? Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
@@1982MCI Except for the Really Old 'Crash Box's' . The lower shaft would not turn in Neutral . Pre synchromesh !
I wish someone would post a video on where and how to install the base plates on the VW. I have a 2015 TDI SEL 6 speed manual and I would love to take it with me intead of my 1985 CJ-7 3.0 5-cyl Benz diesel on 4.88 gears with lockers and a Manual 4 speed unless of course, I am planning to go Off Road during that trip. I have a 2015 6.7l f450 Crew cab 4x4 service bed with a bigfoot 2500 series camper on 35" super singles. I often go to camp/RV site that are too smal to add a tow dolly to the length or width of the camp/rv site is not an option
Good morning May
great choice of vehicle, but I would have looked for a tdi. Got a '11 sportwagen, blast to drive
Were you staying at Premiere in Coburg? We just left Kamping World in Coburg. LOL! Are you still around the area?
why not just get a tow dolly, put the drive wheels on it? i have the 2017 vw gli also but with the triptronic trans, it is a great little car, fun to drive, gets very decent mpg as everyday driving, work, around town maybe next big city for stores, 43mpg, on a road trip with cruise set, last yr went to cali from wi, UT speed limit 80, set at 85 averaged 45mpg with AC on during summer.
I like your channel, fellow east valley guy here. I'm not understanding an RV insider running an rv based channel picking a car not set up for flat towing and furthermore one that specifically says do not flat tow. Any liability ins. only on a newer car? 60 extra or what ever a month to protect 15-17k seems like a no brainer. Only video out of the many that ive felt was making me scratch my head.
I tow my ‘12 Jetta tdi no problem so far, not 1200 miles. Why disconnect the battery? My mechanic installed the base plate and wiring works. Just leave the key with car in neutral. Never used the brake assist. The only thing is I need a rock guard to stop paint getting scratched.
That kind of stuff happens to me all the time 😝
Which braking system are you using for the car?
I knew that comment was going to come from you. You seem to be very critical of me at times. I will send you a photo of the air Force one braking system but want to keep my RUclips videos as simple as possible. people get lost with all of the technical information and I don't want to be an educator.
@@RVingwithAndrewSteele I'm not being critical. I asked as I watched the video and didn't see anything about a braking system. I like the Air Force One system.
@@RVingwithAndrewSteele 🥋🥋🥋
RVing with Andrew Steele hey buddy but I hate to remind you about this in public but this is getting serious now!! Your security clearance does not allow you to release any of the photo’s for the braking system on Air Force One and it is not limited to the pictures but also includes any and all Technical Orders AF-1 and will include all schematics and specifications to include all superseded and revisions for the specific aircraft.
All of your future electronic communications will now thru eternity be routed thru TicToc to determine if you are putting the safety of the President of the United States at risk by performing in the capacity of a domestic spy and can be punishable by one year confinement to the New York State Penitentiary Cell block A, Block 36 recently renamed the Jeffrey Epstein Villa due to unfortunate and tragic Murder of Mr. Epstein. Room and Board will be covered temporarily.
This will be the last warning and notification you will receive concerning this National Security Threat. You can consult with Mr. Epstein about sho will pick you up and when should you feel the need to continue transferring classified Air Force One brake photos and details via any of your electronic Devices.
.....26854-34075.......892-08531799, 245883257-68894.........79021578-458004.0
Don Pfeiffer 🤣😂😁. You should write novels. How shall Andrew converse with the murdered mr. Epstein ? 🤔
Btw thanks for all the explanations about new transmissions vs old style in all you comments, educating in understanding why the caution. Cheers 🍻
Did you rack up miles on your odometer?
no
Oregon is Home 🥰🥰🥰
I do tow the SUV on a dolly. Have a folding dolly so it’s not bad at the site.
Where is your supplemental braking system?
Who makes the “BASE PLATE” that you installed on your “GLI”?
This was a few years ago but i believe it was blue ox
The tyre warning light, you can reset it there’s a reset button in the glove box
I have the same car☺️mine is a 2014 gli
Anyone know the name to the RV park in Labelle FL? Andrew did a video on it. I’m looking I’m looking. Lol
River landings
I recently picked up a Jeep liberty that has a neutral button for the drive train so it can be flat towed. However, i think my biggest complaint is the cost to set it up. In CA and some other states your tow must be equipped with a brake system that's tied into the RV brakes. I have been getting pricing to install the tow brackets, lights and brake system in the 4-5K range. Really? That's what I paid for this vehicle. Can anyone share if this is robbery or if this is normal? BTW: Andrew, that is one of my favorite cars. An absolute blast to drive.
If that's the case i'd trailer it. Then you can tow whatever you want without worry of needing to have a system installed.
Someone is trying to take you. The brackets for the tow bar should take you an hour and a half, quicker if you know how to wrench. There isn’t much that needs installed with a supplemental brake. The only thing that needs fastened anywhere is the breakaway cable. Use a removable light kit. There is nothing here that should come close to 4k.
I think it has a lube pump vs splash/bath type lube because God only knows how we survived a 125 years of just splashing 90wt. on the gears!
If you disconnect the battery, of course lights are not going to work.
You can buy a decent enclosed trailer for under $10,000 , no wear and tear on your car , easy to back up , car is nice and clean when you get there
I didn't hear you mentioning anything about adding some device to your Jetta for braking. You don't seem too upset about a cracked windshield and no comprehensive insurance, I would be mad at myself. Safe travel you two. 🐕🧑
Cool new car. I really like the GLI. Fun and practical.
Andrew; thank you for the video.
Question: in previous videos you’ve seemed to favor flat towing over trailer towing. Just curious: other than the cost of the trailer, why do you prefer flat towing ? Seems like the wear & tear on the tow vehicle (does the VW mileage increase when it’s towed?) would not be worth it.
there is always some risk with trailer towing for sway if you get going too fast, then there is the wear and tear on the tires if flat tow, etc. there are pros and cons to everything in life. you just need to weigh each situation and go with the one that you feel is best for you.
Ian Do you know if the mileage increases on a flat towed car ? It must, right ?
Unless the car is a ‘throw-away’, that alone would be a deterrent for me. It would improperly devalue the car because it implies the engine and drivetrain has more wear than it actually does.
@@radradrad I dont think it increases on the newer cars as the mileage is racked electronically based on rpms etc. with the engine running (which is basically how taxi cab meters work) On the older vehicles the odometer was tied into a cable on the transmission.
I assume like many, the hassle of the trailer when you arrive and storing it is a burden. Many places just do not have a solution.
How r u liking the VW??
How has towing that car been over time? Any issues? I'm also looking to flat-tow a car that I "can't" flat tow.
I ditched the vw. It started to death wobble
@@RVingwithAndrewSteeleyour tires were shit
Wireless tow lights harbor freight 2 min install. 👍🏻
I don’t understand why you couldn’t tow a manual either. I’m sure you’ll catch hell from viewers on not having a braking system lol. Why the liability only? Clearly you paid cash otherwise lenders require full coverage. You might consider just adding comprehensive which covers glass, vandalism and theft. It’s pretty cheap.
Self-insuring is the way to go!
RVing with Andrew Steele could you give us a bit more in depth reasoning on the decision on why self insuring being the way to go Andrew? I’d love to get your perspective on that a bit more, thanks man!!
Stay safe out there buddy!!
Short answer, it will burn up the transmission. The transmission output shaft is still turning but the input shaft is not because the engine is off and not turning it.
Any towed vehicle over 3k is suppose to have a braking system.
Why not use a dolly instead since it's fwd?
So why are you supposed to disconnect the battery? Never really read a good explanation of that anywhere.
Why didnt you get a jeep liberty????
It worked only because he crossed his "vingers". I believe that is the Russian word for fingers with a little vodka twist.
How did you afford the RV? Is there a video on that?
Most save up huge down payment s to have a significant apr on financing an RV. Some terms are a high as about 180 months.
Your rolling without Big T. ???
You have a motor home, and fairly new Jetta strapped yo the back with liability insurance. If your full coverage motor home covers towing fine. If not you should spend the extra money to put full coverage on that car sir. Just cover ass in 360.
What you get for trying to not rack up odometer miles
Doing it your way. :-)))) :-)))))
You paid for a base plate without knowing the car could be towed four down. Really?
I didn't picture you driving a vw. That hole clean diesel cheat device they made didn't scare you?
For whatever reason on newer cars 2010-now the steering wheel don't lock