Parts Needed to Flat Tow 2002 Saturn L Series  

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Expert Reply:

Your 2002 Saturn L Series can be flat towed behind a motor home but there may be speed and distance restrictions along with other specific requirements. You will need to check your owner's manual for additional information.

There are at least 5 items needed to flat tow a vehicle: base plates, tow bar, safety cables, lighting, and supplemental braking. In order to safely and legally flat tow a vehicle you are going to need all of the required items.

My contact at Roadmaster looked at your photograph of your tow bar and said it is one of Roadmaster's first Blackhawk tow bars. It has a towing capacity of 8,000 lbs. If you still have the quick disconnect crossbar and quick disconnect car side l-brackets then all you need is Roadmaster base plates # 523102-1.

Otherwise for an economical tow bar you can use the Tracker, # RM-020. To make the base plate arms easily removable you will also need quick disconnects, # RM-201.

For safety cables you can use # RM-643. The coiled design helps keep the cables off of the ground. For a lighting solution you can go with a magnetic kit, such as # RM-2120, if you will not be towing the Saturn often. Or for a more permanent solution you can use bulb and socket kit # RM-155.

It also looks like you will need to pull fuses to flat tow your Saturn (consult owners manual to confirm). To make this process as easy as flipping a switch use fuse bypass # RM76511. You would need two of them since it appears that 2 fuses will have to be pulled.

And finally, most states now require supplemental braking on the vehicle being flat towed. One of the easiest systems to set up and use is the Even Brake proportional system # RM-9400. It will apply the Saturn brakes in proportion to how much the tow vehicle is braking. This is the easiest way to stop and it reduces wear and tear on both vehicles.

In order for the braking system to work properly you will also need a stop light switch kit # RM-751435, and a 12 volt outlet kit, # RM-9332.

Be sure to consult your Saturn owner's manual for specific information on flat towing the vehicle. I have also included some helpful links to our series of help articles on flat towing for you.

expert reply by: Chris O

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